Reviews (page 4 of 8)
The Generator recommending albums in a random order is a double-edged sword for me – on one hand, it prevents me from getting too bored of a particular sound/era and giving up, but on the other hand, it makes it so I often end up listening to albums without as much context as I'd like to have going into them. I have not yet heard 36 Chambers and I really would have liked to listen to that one first, but I suppose the Generator giveth and the Generator taketh away. Raekwon is not an artist I'm incredibly familiar with (I literally only recognized his name from an old Flume track that I quite enjoyed), but I went into this one with an open mind. Most of these these post-ETWT solo albums are highly regarded and I wanted to make sure I could properly digest this one, even without the context I desired. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is an album that I enjoyed, but I honestly wish I got more out of it. RZA's production across the entire project is incredible, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah play well off of each other and deliver some impressive bars and numerous guests bring just as much heat (including RZA himself, who might have the craziest flow of the entire album on "Wu-Gambinos"). At the same time, OB4CL feels bloated from an overabundance of skits that are often confusing (with several voices talking over one another) and don't add much to the songs they're part of. I also felt like there were many times were verses started/ended in different spots than they should have (based on the cadence of the beats) and that made a lot of the tracks feel sort of off. Ultimately, it's an album I appreciate for a lot of reasons, but also one that is dragged down by a lot of little things that add up throughout its 1+ hour runtime. It's definitely got me looking forward to hearing more RZA-produced albums like Enter the Wu-Tang and Liquid Swords, but the Purple Tape is probably not one I'll have in heavy rotation in the future. Highlights: Knowledge God, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Can It Be All So Simple (Remix), Ice Water, Wisdom Body, Ice Cream, Wu-Gambinos, Heaven & Hell
Péssimo, odiei!
Not the most compelling of the Wutang world stuff I’ve heard by now, but still some fun. Rounding down because it’s too dang long. Everything from the early CD era is too dang long!
Even setting aside Guillotine (Swordz), this album is incredible. Modern masterpiece that music scholars will be studying for centuries.
This is everything I want from hip hop: smart, cinematic, and super listenable even with its length. The storytelling flows like a screenplay, with Rae and Ghostface tag-teaming their way through a gritty, mafioso-style crime saga. The dialogue and skits pull you into their world instead of distracting from it, and the beats are pure RZA magic. The whole Purple Tape plays like one cohesive movie.
Would be a five star album if it weren’t for all the unnecessary filler. Hip-hop royalty
Un tanto fastidioso y monótono, pero lo sufrí menos de lo que esperaba. Eso sí, sus momentos de violencia y de gente balaceándose y gritando oh shit oh shit no me resultaron muy coherentes. Dudo que alguien ponga el disco y quiera repetir la canción de los balazos por puro gusto. No sé, en estos géneros luego meten mucha cosa rara muy poco disfrutable.
intro was unintentionally hilarious fun use of sOuNd eFfEcTs a full album is a bit too much of this at once but one or two tracks mixed into a playlist would be alright gets repetitive and a bit boring after a while still respect this so much more than today's mumble rap, at least these guys had actual things to say and undeniable flow/lyricism (still skipped a lot of it though) the singer on "rainy dayz" couldn't find the key with a locksmith obviously i would bump this in my low rider outside the 7eleven while me and my boiz holla at the fine young honeys walking by while we smokin a ounce
I'm not the type to go out and listen to rap/hip hop. I generally cannot keep up with the lyrics or understand the slang due to where I grew up. Overall, the album was okay. I tolerated it more than I would say Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
not stellar. They could have edited out a bunch of random noises and people talking but not saying shit
2.5
Good shit. Rap isn’t always my jam but I’d smoke a blunt to this
A little too old school for me
Rating: 2.7 The beats are like weird horrorcore-ish beats which I thought was pretty cool. Otherwise I just don’t care that much about mafioso rap that much and I can’t tell apart the various features so that was all lost on me.
Lo mismo que me sucede con la mayoría de los álbumes de rap de la vieja escuela que escuché en esta lista: Me aburren. Me gusta el rap, el hip hop y el trap, pero encuentro en álbumes como este que la propuesta es demasiado monótona, poco inspirada. Simplemente se arman beats en base a samples, se loopean con alguna que otra variación y rapean encima durante 1 hora. La propuesta sonora me parece bien, sostienen una estética a lo largo de todo el álbum, pero es demasiado monótono y se extiende por demasiado tiempo. Y los sketches me resultaron muy molestos de escuchar. El contenido político es interesante, pero no es suficiente para sostener la obra.
Not for me
The flow is sick and the clarity is on point. Just a shame this man has nothing nice to say. Rude.
oeioei, dit is niet voor mij vrees ik (maar who knows, zoals kombucha girl??)
Incredibly boring.
It was ok.
This was awful. Very repetitive, way too long, and n word this n word that Felt like one long song (over an hour btw) - can't find anything redeemable about this, sorry 1 ⭐️
Great production. A little overblown in that 90s rap album kinda way. It’s good, but I was still listening to backpack hip hop back then.
Not good for background music while working, nice to finally have heard more of this type of rap
One of the best hip-hop albums I've heard and only because I discovered it here. Musically really quite good, lyrics less daft than many (but not genius either), and a very coherent (but not boring) album. A 3-4 for me.
While I dig Wu-Tang Clan's schtick, the movie samples, the cinematic flavour and the dusty beats, after the long skit in the middle I found it hard to keep going. It's 70 minutes.
Prime cut of mid nineties hip hop. What is not to like
Sometimes I think I like rap music, and then I get proven wrong. Part of me wants to give it 1*, then I remember what else I’ve given 1* to and it’s not THAT bad. So 2* it is.
I started off enjoying this quite a bit - loved the beats and the flow of Raekwon - but over the course of a full album I started to lose interest. My mind started to wander, and by the 4th or 5th song about standard hiphop things (crime, women trying to take your money, how bloody fantastic the rapper thinks he is at rapping) I was wondering how to google hip-hop artist that talk about more interesting things over the same types of beats. As a result it's a bit hard to rate this, but I think, disappointingly, it's: 2/5
another slammer
It's decent enough but overall just too long for me to fully enjoy. There are some bits I'd happily go back to though.
18 songs is too many songs. There’s a lot on here that should have been left on the cutting room floor. There’s were instances where I liked what I heard but they felt fleeting. Shame
FINALLY some required listening. Bangers up and down
Ujdzie, ale nie aż tak szczególne w dzisiejszych czasach. Na pewno trzeba docenić, że to było 30 lat temu.
One of the great hip-hop albums, no matter what coast. It's pure storytelling with superb productions (as expected from RZA). Everyone brings their A game and it's one of the only hip-hop albums where the skits add to the overall story. Sit back and get involved! Best Tracks: Criminology (feat. Ghostface Killah); Guillotine (Swordz) (feat. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and GZA); Wu-Gambinos (feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA and Masta Killa)
Not usually my thing, but good grooves
This album is full of great beats, amazing flows and skits that are essential to the album's concept of being a gangster but hating the lifestyle. Most tracks that featured Ghostface Killah are the better ones because he's a better rapper than Raekwon who is still amazing. The last 2 tracks really don't help this album at all, they just feel like filler.
Couldn’t get into it.
Better than Coldplay
Way too long. Not very good. 2 is being kind.
Ein Platte, so schlecht wie Tasmania Berlin. Nimmt sie aus der Liste raus.
This is as close as we're ever going to get to another classic Wu Tang ala 36 Chambers again isn't it? 8/10
Maybe the finest album by anyone from Wu-Tang. Raekwon and Ghostface Killlah are a serendipitous match, and RZA's productions never sounded better. If you wanted to argue that this is the best rap album of the 90s, I wouldn't throw up much of a fuss. I came to this in college, when people still pored over one album for months unpacking the lyrics and learning the nooks and crannies of an album, and this one more than most rewarded that time. There's a depth to the lyrics. It has the bravado and violence that were hallmarks of all of the gangster rap albums from this era, but Raekwon and Ghostface use that posturing to display a real vulnerability about what that life was like. And, importantly, it's a really fun listen. Raekwon's staccato delivery and multiple-rhymes-within-a-bar certainly influenced all of my favorite rappers (MF Doom, Andre 3000, Kendrick, etc.) This is still in heavy rotation for me.
Every man is entitled to their own opinion, but if you think this is anything other than one of the greatest hip hop albums I'm afraid you're wrong.
My West Coast shows whenever I talk about hip hop, I think, because Wu Tang has never quite really hit for me the way I want it to. Like this is fine. Knuckleheadz is a cool song. I don't ever really need to hear a full minute of... "dialogue" before every track, though, and the production on this record is murky as shit. The actual rapping is generally solid, at least, but sometimes it feels like you have to do sonic archeology to uncover the actual bars. Still waiting for a proper West Coast classic to pop up though, because this NYC shit is, you know, not as good.
78% Best: Criminology; Incarcerated Scarfaces; Can It Be All So Simple (Remix); Ice Water; Verbal Intercourse; Heaven & Hell Must-Hear? Not quite
Yep. It’s good
it has a really good flow and beat but its still not my thing 3/5
Охуенно. Лучшая песня - Incarcerated Scarfaces.
2/5
Liked it, dont know that anything stood out but not bad
Really does not appeal to me at all. So hard for me to even stay focused on it while I'm listening.
How do I rate an album like this? It's practically in a foreign language (Genius annotations were crucial in a lot of places). I don't dislike it, I'm not going to listen to it again; I respect its art, it's not my taste.
Rap / hip-hop still isn't really my thing, but this album was pretty catchy and fun to listen to. I thought about giving it four stars, but I heard too many f-slurs for that :/
the cover seemed so silly but this was good!
Not really my thing but it’s alright
Can’t say a really enjoyed this one at all; just not my kind of music. That being said it wasn’t offensively bad to warrant a 1 of courses
While a lot of these leave me wanting more in terms of song structure, there is texture to this album that I find lacking in modern beats. Action Bronson def was heavily inspired by Ghostface, very similar delivery. Favorite songs: Criminology, Ice Cream
Not much of interest here. Musically basic and rhymes are not very interesting to me. 1.5 stars
Slamming!
Det værste ved CD æren var at kunstnerne absolut skulle have et album så tæt på 70 minutter som muligt. Her er det ekstra tydeligt med alt det bras som der bliver snakket mellem numrene. Jeg var ret overbevist om at jeg havde kæmpet mig langt ind i dette album ovre weekenden, det viste sig at jeg åbenbart kun har hørt 3 numre. 😣 - Jeg kom dog igennem..
Musikalsk siger det mig intet. Volds- og kriminalitetsforherligelsen i teksterne trækker yderligere ned
Overall: 7/10 So I really love Wu-Tang and all of it's members, and this is a really solid album. For some reason, it doesn't do it for me the way that other solo Wu-Tang albums do. The beats are great, yet some of them feel a little light. The rapping is awesome (especially from Ghostface) but Raekwon has always been the weakest lyricist to me and his voice isn't as distinct as Method Man, GZA or Ol' Dirty Bastard. Overall, I do really like this album but it's hard not to compare it to other Wu-Tang albums. Weirdly negative review for an album I really enjoy. Fav Song: Guillotine (Swordz) Least Fav Song: Rainy Dayz
Still in the heart of the Golden Age of Wu-Tang, where all the solo albums were in many ways extensions of the whole (RZA producing, others guesting). This one, of course, is really a Ghost & Rae production, and Ghost has the best bars because, well, he's better, but that's no knock on the Chef. (Best single verse on the album, however, is Inspectah Deck on "Guillotine (Swords)".) Hard to ignore the importance of this album in the creation of the mafioso/coke-dealer persona that would be followed by rappers for decades (Nas predates this, as does Jay-Z, but the latter owes a ton to this record, as do Rick Ross, Clipse, and countless others). This is not the best Wu solo album (Joe Biden was right, it's LIQUID SWORDS). Nonetheless, it's very, very good, although still somewhat uneven, with a few spots that drag ("Can't It All Be So Simple (Remix)"; "Wisdom Body"), but it has some absolute bangers, especially "Crimonology," "Guillotine (Swords)," "Ice Water," and "Wu Gambinos." It's not on the level of 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords, or Supreme Clientele, but it's excellent.
Another one that I'm of two minds on. I like a lot of the Wu solo stuff, but for some reason Raekwon never clicked for me. I know, I know, I'm wrong, but that's where I stand. Maybe I think the mafioso-reimagined-as-gangbanger thing that seemed to have a lot of presence after this album was just Too Much and I'm a white kid from the suburbs. I've seen enough de Palma Scarface posters on dorm room walls to last a lifetime. Thanks, Rae. I wanted to give this album a fair shake since I haven't revisited it for a loooong time and you know what? It still doesn't grip me. Ghostface is good, but he's better elsewhere. Raekwon isn't bad, but he doesn't have the...authority? that Ghost does. My mafia-themes dislike aside, the storytelling is prime, with the ambiguity adding a lot. You know what the real problem is here, and it pains me to say? I just don't think the RZA's beats here are good. Sounds like he's sleepwalking through this shit, attention directed at the great beats he could be making for guitar center. I get it's an accomplishment, but it just doesn't build for me the way I want it to. I paid a lot more attention this time around, and it's certainly better than I remember, but I just don't feel it the way I do other solo projects. To out myself, when GZA's verse came on, my ears perked up immediately. There we go. Wanna give it a 3, but I have to give it a point for ambition.
Not my cup of tea
The beats and the samples are deep and well done. Lots of references to the past and what was happening in Europe at the time. But man. 18 songs of a pothead trying to be hard. Its a lot.
I think it is pretty clear to me by now (and to anyone that has read any of my reviews) that I am not really a fan of Hip-Hop music. Listening to this album made me like it even less.
Wu tang is forever
I didn't like this. I like Wu-Tang, but something about this didn’t click. Glaciers of Ice sounded so familiar, I finally had to see who sampled it. The Avalalanches! Duh, they literally say the song title in the sample used. That's one of my favorite albums ever so I wouldn't zoot this one out of existence or anything. Butterfly effect and all that. But after one listen, I'm good.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM SM! Perfect in every way. Beautifully crafted. One of the best albums of all time. This is 100% getting replay. Faves: can it all be so simple, ice water, wisdom body, wu-gambino
Did not love the album, but liked some of their other stuff better.
Not at all for me, son.
Nothing special here. No clue why it’s on here.
Clásico del Rap gringo.
Not a big fan of Wu and its offsprings
Going into this album, I had high hopes because of Raekwon being a member of Wu-Tang and it being a rap story. Also, a lot of the reviews I heard about this album almost make it sound as if it is the greatest rap album to date since its release. But after listening to it, I didn't really think much of it. Honestly, the beats really are great to listen to and defiantly has that Wu-Tang style, it even had little movie scenes as samples in there songs. But it really had a lot of boring moments and it felt so damn long. Also, the lyrics can be really dated, especially some of the sexism and homophobia. Production also feels kind of bland to me, even with RZA producing. It just didn't feel like anything amazing or different, almost as if its just an expanded edition of a Wu-Tang album. Another point that makes me not like this album specifically is its narrative. Narratives in albums aren't a new thing, this was perfected around the 60s and 70s with bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd and even got transferred into rap with albums like To Pimp a Butterfly or mm...Food. This album seems to lose its narrative mid-album and doesn't really elaborate on the gangster/mafia theming of the album. Also, I don't know if it's me but does Raekwon say "You know what I'm sayin?!" every song. It just was a big pet peeve that I had throughout the whole album, it almost felt like he was saying it every two seconds like it was a catchphrase. It should go without saying that is nowhere near the level of the 36 Chambers but again, basing off the reviews makes it sound as though it is around that. Favorite Tracks: Knowledge God, Ice Cream Rating: 3/5
Not for me
This album would be a good example for writing an essay about why I find rap hip hop disgusting. But of course, I'm not writing an essay about it; this sticker on the cover is enough. Although I do think all this crime-glorifying shit should be banned!
I put this one off for a while. Just not for me.
I don’t like rap music
Why???
Wu Tang forever
This is the greatest Wu Tang album, a monument to and of the idiom, an encyclopaedia of their strengths and flaws. I was feverish when I first heard this, a state suitable for the delirium, excess, non-sequitur and exhaustion. The RZA’s sorcery - his stated intention was to infest minds with his sounds - is present, along with the teetering skyscrapers of percussive words, the flashes of mad imagery, the exquisite rubbing against the raw. “Glaciers of Ice” is the best song. The album would’ve ended more elegantly there. They don’t know when or how to stop. Those towers of words are filled with rambling conversation and grandiose nonsense. I engage it as I would some absurdist construction. Yet I’m compelled to return to this addled masterpiece.
There have been a fair few Wu-Tang member "solo" efforts on this list so far. All seem to follow the same template: - great samples and production, with some odd sounds incorporated to keep it interesting - distinctive rapping (I can always tell it's a Wu-Tang album) - dumb lyrics with adolescent obsessions (superheroes, kung-fu, crime, the Mafia) - too fucking long
I had a lot of trouble getting into this. Like we were saying, it sounds a lot like a Wu-Tang album, which is great. But I guess because of that it didn't really grab my attention. Again, would really like to give this 2.5 or 2.75 stars.
Like Enter the Wu-Tang..., this album has a LOT going on, though the production isn't as dynamic as the material warrants. Everything kind of sounds at the same level, and some of the vocals sound surprisingly rough. Regardless, this is one of the landmark albums of '90s rap, even though it's overlong and overstuffed. I think it rewards repeat listens, though, because it's easy to miss everything packed inside it.
Such a GREAT ALBUM the production is ridiculous and so atmospheric!
RZA is the coolest guy.... The Killer sample kicks so much ass
big album for me as a lad... really love the production on this album and how simple it is... gives raekwon lots of room to absolutely glide over these beats
Way too long and repetitive themes. This album could have been at least 30 minutes shorter and it would have hit harder.
Terrible
It is hip-hop. And it is quite o.k. But way too long regarding the fact that nothing remarkable happens on.
I think I'm just not a Wu Tang person
I am not really a fan of this genre but I always give whatever comes up a good go and a fair chance. However, with album I struggled to connect with this at all and just didn’t enjoy it.
Incarcerated Scarfaces is a standout. I didn’t like this as much as a lot of rap from this era.
I'm not a Wu fan, maybe you need to be to appreciate this. Sounds like old school hip hop with an edge, comparable to PE, NWA, etc. Doesn't sound cutting edge, the beats are below average, the bravado is on full display but it's not catchy or banging. Weak shit from an old white guy who was groovin' to Miami hip hop since Day One. The most popular songs "Guillotine" (boring and "lame ass" as he mentions in the lyrics) and "Ice Cream" (put you to sleep beats) were unmemorable. "North Star" & "Heaven & Hell" are so bad. Crap, not worthy, please explain why this is a must listen?! 2 stars since I didn't hate it.
It's an album I would probably enjoy a lot more stoned. But I've rated all the other albums sober, so that would be unfair It's all too slow for my liking. Criminology gave it a bit of needed energy but that's one track out of 18 - about 5 minutes out of 73. Everything else just dragged on and on because the beats held no interest in me and the basslines were equally as unenthralling. I also felt the rapping itself wasn't great. This was reinforced when during the Nas feature, which was one of the few bits of the album that actually held some interest, and was far better than anything else. The length of it didn't help either. TLDR - mid album mad worse by being too long
Nice, mid 90s rap! Let's check it out. I really like this dude. Ghostface Killah is so good. This album is fire. 5 stars
hood
Okay album, definitely see how its influenced music todqy but at its core its storytelling music. Love skits too
Smooth and creamy masterclass in sampling and rapping
Rainy Dayz has some very beautiful female vocal. Others are kinda meh to me.
not really my vibe, skipping thru the album why they sniffin in my ears in Knowledge God :( the flow(?) in Criminology is aight cba listening to the rest of the album, i skip to Ice Cream, the most listened to song and call it a day it was ok...
я всё ещё в поиске офигительного продакшна, обычным текстом не заманить человека который не слушает тексты
Awesome hip hop album. Production and flows are sick.
A classic! These dudes were undeniable in this early run, full group, solos, just bangers after bangers. The only thing with these older albums in general is the skits never hold up for me.
Kolejny rap. Ten mnie nie bujał wcale. Nie było w nim nic charakterystycznego a bity były takie, że bujać to mogły tylko do snu. 6/10 i już nie pamiętam ani kawałka.
2.5 stars. 90’s east coast hip hop that doesn’t quite reach the levels of Wu Tang. Enjoyed some of Ghost Faced Killa’s bars.
Without a doubt one of the best releases by a solo Wu-Tang Clan member. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have this wonderful interplay and have the right stories for the streets that go into deeper territories than most other rappers before and after them went into. Listening to it after many years I do think it's still solid and deserves to be on this list, but it also reminds me again why I don't listen to too much hip hop anymore.
I was making cyanide in a dingy motel room that two girls I knew from high-school were going to stay at after a dance. They showed up early and there was a lot of me fumbling the empty cyanide container around until I ended up digging through a trash can. The girls were never meant to stay the night at the motel but they bitchingly insisted where I ended up in a small schair squeezed between them and the chair. They kept insisting it was their chair. Then I heard my mom's voice and I felt like she would be mad at my situation. I look across the room and it's still the dingy hotel room but also my mom at a table laughing. The way she did when she did when I did something funny or stupid. Outside were three friends of mine David Christian and the were making meth a d selling it outof the parking lot. Arian was mad that Christian was outselling him. The whole thing was weird bc those guts hated meth. Christian's mom was giving him advice and he,ping him out whi h that made sense. If he did do that she would help him. Then things went south and I jumped into a car with Christian but then it Arian a d briefly David was in the back seat. One of them taught me how to drive a stick shift.
Как для рэпа неплохо, но я такое не слушаю
too many skits, sick beats tho
Heck yeah
Listened to the first three tracks of incoherent noise. The rap was ok, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to the rest.
Some great songs, some wutang vibes, song with nas was great. bit long though and the interlude skits were kinda killing momentum for me
Wu tang
Decent one.
So good. I get why this is a classic. I wish it wasn't so long. I don't know why every '90s hip hop record is like an hour and a half with a million interludes. But it's very good.
This isn't an album I come back to very often but it is class. Maybe a bit too on the gangster side for my taste. But the rough, rugged rza beats were rarely better, and Chef and Ghost do go off. Come to that, why isn't it credited to the both of them? Minor mystery. Scoring harshly today but it is a justified classic.
Might have faded into the background while I was doing tasks around the house today, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I've gotta wonder if I even like the Wu-Tang style of East coast hip hop. I mean, I'll tell you that in general I find that I prefer West coast hip hop to the East coast stuff. G-funk and all, y'know? STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON and THE CHRONIC and so on. But at the same time, I do like my share of East coast material. I liked Nas's ILLMATIC a lot when my group got it, and I really enjoy Biggie's READY TO DIE despite Diddy refusing to shut the fuck up with his mumbling over everything. It's just... Something about the Wu-Tang specifically I have such a hard time gelling with. Now, for context, this is my group's fourth album from a Wu affiliate — no, we haven't gotten ENTER THE WU-TANG yet. Which is kinda crazy, y'know? That RNGesus decided we'd be just fine listening to LIQUID SWORDS, FISHSCALE, TICAL and now this all without having that debut better in mind. I mean, given what my reactions to these albums have been, I'unno how much it woulda helped, but still, y'know? But yeah, I have been... Pretty lukewarm on most of these albums. I found LIQUID SWORDS outright boring; TICAL didn't really inspire me too much; and I **did** enjoy FISHSCALE, though more for the beats than anything else. Just saying, if it wasn't for FISHSCALE, my average with these things would be a flat 3. So now we come to this — what is, in my mind, as I'm writing this, probably the East coast equivalent of THE CHRONIC? Just in the sense that it's without a doubt the biggest solo album spun-off from the main group, and that, with the features on it, it's practically another guy's album, too. Yeah, just like THE CHRONIC heavily featured Snoop Dogg, this album outright credits Ghostface Killah as a guest star — and just like THE CHRONIC did for Snoop, this album was a massive boost to Ghostface's career and popularity. And it's like, yeah, if any Wu album is gonna show up on a "greatest album of all time" list besides ENTER THE WU-TANG, without fail, it's gonna be this one. I've seen LIQUID SWORDS show up, too, but never in as high of a regard as this thing's been held. That's a lot of expectations for this thing to live up to. So, what — did it? Did this help me crack the code on the Wu-Tang and Shaolin styles? Am I more confident now that I'll actually give a glowing review to ENTER THE WU-TANG? Fffffhhh... Look, I gave it a shot. Honestly, I did. I tried my hardest to tune into the lyrics and get down with what they were saying. But not even halfway through this thing... I just couldn't put in the 100% effort like I wanted to. As with every other Wu album I've reviewed, it's not bad. Even if LIQUID SWORDS and TICAL didn't completely hold my attention, I wouldn't call either of them bad. It's just... The tone of it all can kinda get to me. Like, for a moment I wondered if I just found these mafioso raps to be uninteresting, but really, when you get down to it, they're just slightly classier gangster raps. They're still about selling drugs, killing people and not respecting women — and besides that last thing, I enjoyed hearing about all'a it on THE CHRONIC. On paper, this shouldn't be any different. The difference is, THE CHRONIC is G-funk. It's shit you bump in your car on the way to get blazed with your buddies. It's party music, y'know; it's fun. I'm not saying that ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX... can't be bumped, but it's clearly aiming to be taken way more seriously. The Wu-Tang style — it's rawer, it's grittier... It's more "dirty streets" than Dre's "gangster beach party." And it's less hook-y, too. And being the "melody first" creature of being I am, I just find it so much harder to latch on to something like ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX.... I mean, I'll give the album this: I haven't liked the beats on a Wu-Tang affiliate album this much since FISHSCALE. There's good stuff on here — except for maybe "Verbal Intercourse". I tell yah, the vocal snippet in the sample made it actually kind of hard for me to pay attention to Nas's so acclaimed guest spot. I really did wanna give it a shot, but dang it, I had no idea what the sample was saying and it was driving me mad. Other than that, it's solid across the board. But without a good hook on top of them to reel me in, I just generally can't give the words as much attention as I would otherwise. Like, even a Bad Boy production has hooks, y'know? You can call me shallow for that, for valuing hooks over the flows and wordplay... But I'unno, it's just the way I am. I mean, I know they're good at this stuff, and I wanna give props and credit to Raekwon, Ghostface and all of the other guests on here regardless... But yeah. Just how it is. And I'll tell you, it does leave me worried about how I'll receive ENTER THE WU-TANG — just on reputation alone I hold some reverence for that thing, and I'd hate to be the only one in my group that wasn't 100% for it... Though we'll see about that when we get there. In the meantime, as for ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX...... Yeah. I guess I ain't a Cuban Linx — well, y'know. It's a dime I wish I was more into.
Wu-Tang still ain't nothin' to fuck wit, and Raekwon (plus Ghostface Killa) show it damn well. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll just barely bump up to a 5. Rap albums are the hardest to write reviews for, especially when you get every single solo album by a Wu-Tang member on the list before you get “Enter the Wu-Tang”. I can only really compare this to the other members of the group, but I think that feels sort of unfair in its own way. These guys have their own styles & philosophies, and even with Ghostface Killah acting as the Luigi to Raekwon’s Mario here, it still doesn’t feel right to compare this to Fishscale, Tical, or Liquid Swords. With that said, this is probably my second favorite solo Wu-Tang project on the list behind Liquid Swords. It’s not an indictment on quality, just a matter of enjoyment, and I just enjoyed this one a lot. Hard to write about it though; when you’re in the zone with a rap album like this, it’s hard to write down any intricacies. It basically boils down to “how good was the flow, how good were the beats, and how good were the lyrics”, and in this case, the flow was great, the beats were pretty cool (if a little simple at times, lacking some of the flash on other Wu-adjacent stuff), and the lyricism does a pretty good job with storytelling, though it doesn’t really have as many cool one-liners as something like Tical or Liquid Swords. If I have any complaints… it’s just a long one, you know? 18 tracks in 1995 is a tough ask, and I do feel like this album circles the bases on a few topics a few too many times. It’s a really fun listen, don’t get me wrong, but… I dunno, I think it could’ve been trimmed down a bit. Past that, there’s some lyrics on here that just feel really out of place 30 years later, as per the course, but even for its time, this is a little heavy on the homophobia, isn’t it? It’s honestly enough to make me consider dropping it a point, but I’m gonna give some level of grace here. I do wish I could just hang it at a 4.5, but the entire stretch of “Glaciers of Ice” to “Wu-Gambinos” is simply too damn good to not give this a bump up. It clicked nicely for me, but I can also see an argument for this being one of the weaker solo Wu-Tang albums, especially if you just fucking hate Ghostface Killah for whatever reason, or if the production style doesn’t feel as tight. Hell, there are moments here where the “cool” mafia imagery of the Wu-Tang Clan can just feel a little bit yappy. For my tastes, I really enjoyed it, flaws and all – it’s a 4.5 that will just get the bump up to a 5, though if someone wants to bump it down, I wouldn’t blame them.
A lot of talking. Repetitive and dull beats. Maybe make it shorter and then we can aim for a two star.
There’s some really crisp beats and his ability to actually rap is very solid. Not sure if it was really a Raekwon album or just a Wu Tang album with Raekwon focus. Looking at the tracklist it’s all Wu features. I enjoyed it for the most part but it could have been trimmed by 20 minutes. It started getting pretty repetitive. “Politicking” came up a lot, as did a few homophobic slurs. After a while the beats sounded similar, the raps sounded similar, the songs and lyrics sounded similar. 1 hour 13 minutes is a long run time if you run out of stuff to say. 6 songs with no features, 12 with Ghostface Killa on them, 9 of which had multiple features. Cool experience but it’s just Wu Tang lite at that point.
i feel like Raekwon, Gza, and any other Wu Tang album is such a good rap album to throw on and just have it on. I know so much of a good rap album is predicated on good lyrics, but honestly I was okay to just let this album wash over me as I worked. its just such a good listen, through and through. glad that this came across our path!
Really good, enjoyable album. I wasn’t listening very intently during the commute, but this album had the ability to continually pull me away from my other thoughts just to think “Damn, that’s awesome”.
I was enjoying it but wasn’t listening super intently to give higher or lower than a three.
I know Raekwon is a legend, there just wasn’t much that held my attention with this album. It’s always fun to listen for the samples that later rappers have used when listening to thirty year old albums, and other than a couple tracks, that’s about all I was listening for by the end. Not bad by any means, just doesn’t separate itself from some of the other 90s rap in my opinion.
Definitely not my favorite rap album we've got so far. The beats are pretty straight forward, so these songs are carried mostly by their lyricism. To be fair, they are good, but that doesn't really help someone like me who struggles paying attention to lyrics. I can see why someone would like this album, but it got old for me pretty fast. Not great especially when it's over an hour long.
Too long
Music cool. I work inna school. Too much cussin.
Rap isn’t something I listen to an overwhelming amount anymore. High school and college is when I listened to it the most, mainly guys you would hear on the radio - LL Cool J, Dre and Snoop, Young MC, and later on Eminem. Never listened to Raekwon and though I’ve obviously heard of Wu Tang Clan, I’ve never listened to them much either. So I didn’t know what to expect from this, though the rampant explicit ratings certainly gave it away. To my surprise, I kinda dug this, even if I am probably a bit removed from the target audience. There were a good amount of songs I liked. Criminology felt like something off of a Public Enemy album (who I really like). Incarcerated Scarfaces had a LL Cool J type of beat to it. Guillotine was excellent. Beyond this, it has a bit of a movie type of feel to me, which tied it all together. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
classic hip hop album. rae and ghostface were incredible throughout, and rza had such perfect production for this album
It’s all about the RZA beats for me. The slightly off timing of his chopped up samples, the vinyl need sound effects, the relentlessness of the grooves that allow the MC to play as long as they want. It’s all so hypnotizing. GZA and Co. do a masterful job of delivering the content to supplement. Surprised to see NAS on the album. Is this just rebranded Wu-Tang since everyone seems to be here?
Seems good but not my thing
Awful.
Juvenile rap.
I enjoy the Wu-Tang Clan's music every now and again. This solo album? Not as much. I can't really say I truly enjoyed any of the tracks. There were good ones, yes, but nothing incredible. After reading what the concept of the album was supposed to be, I don't think I ever would've guessed what it was by listening alone. I think it's safe to say that this album just wasn't for me.
Another classic Wu-Tang spinoff that doesn't stand out in particular, but has that signature East coast hip hop charm directed by RZA's productions.
The rap is good and so is RZA’s production - though not as interesting as it usually is. It might be 90’s hip-hop fatigue on my end, but very little caught my attention in the end. Also I get the feeling that there’s as much talking as there’s rapping on this. There isn’t, but you can’t convince me otherwise.
I really didn't need to listen to that
Classic. One of my favorite hip hop albums of all time. Top 3 solo efforts by a wu member. OB4CL vol2 also great.
Dun-dun-duuuuun-dun-dun ….
I know it’s a product of its time but sheesh… the homophobia made this an uncomfortable listen. Skits are boring, beats are dull. Couldn’t really see past any of that.
Not as good as the last hip hop album i got.
Surprisingly catchy. I can't really hear the lyrics over the beats, and I'm not a big fan of the sketch interludes. But damn, this is good. Better than 3 but doesn’t quite rise to the level of 4. 3.5
Too much samey 90s production and not enough variety for me
De luisteraar zet het album aan, gaat weer aan het werk, maakt even wat scannetjes, drinkt er een koffie bij, en vergeet dat hij deze muziek überhaupt op had gezet. Nou, dan heb je als gangsterrapper echt wat bereikt toch? Behalve als er dan toch weer wat bedenkelijk taalgebruik langskomt, dus we geven dit maar weer een 1.
Het moet blijkbaar een film beleving zijn. Die beleving heb ik niet. Ik kijk eens terug naar mijn eerdere bemerkingen en stuit op Ghostface Killer. Het Wu-Tang-lid dat Raekwon het meeste meeneemt op dit album: "...eentonig kunnen we dit niet noemen. Als Wu-Tang-lid ben je wel in het voordeel natuurlijk. Hulptroepen zat. ... Uiteindelijk zijn de losse nummers niet bijzonder goed. Maar is het die afwisseling die het interessant houdt om een keertje te horen...." Dat geldt nu ook wel weer. Meneer heeft wat mazzel met het collectief. Ik zou zelfs zeggen dat met zoveel medespelers achter de hand, dit wel iets interessanter had kunnen zijn. 2,5 ster en het het verzoek om dit in de lijst te vervangen door een schijf die iets toevoegt.
Ik meldde gisteren al dat mijn taks qua hiphop bereikt is. En prompt krijgen we weer een rapplaat voor onze kiezen. Het grote boek weet te vermelden dat dit een van de eerste gangstarap albums is, oftewel ik zet me schrap voor een hoop kinderachtigheid. Ook zie ik dat ze er weer meer dan een uur van maken. Man man man, houdt die crap dan nooit op. Ik heb ongelooflijk veel zin om het klassieke "Muldertje" over te toepen: zonder uberhaupt te luisteren direct op die eerste ster rammen en gewoon wat lekkere muziek opzetten. Het begint al gelijk met 2 minuten gelul. Flikker toch op man, you know what Im sayin, n****! De kinderachtigheid neemt nog niet de groteske vormen aan van 50 cent, maar ik hoor verder ook alleen maar n****, modderfokker en schijt. In het 3e en 4e nummer komen al wat gunshotgeluiden voorbij. Wat een intense treurigheid. Precies wat ik had verwacht. Ongelooflijk dat deze troep zo hoog ingeschaald wordt. Ik heb genoeg gehoord, krijg de tering maar en een dikke 1.
So good
This goes pretty hard
Solid ganster rap album 👌🏻
5/30/25. One of my favorites in the Wu Tang universe. Love the beats, flow from all the artists, and overall production. Can always revisit at any time.
This was so bad.
Hands down a classic
Pretty underwhelming rap album. Definitely some solid tracks, but weighed down heavily by a lot of bloat and pretty shoddy production. Maybe would be better with a remaster, but a lot of the album is skippable. Easy example of less is more. Top tracks: Incarcerated Scarfaces, Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell
I'm usually not a hip-hop fan, but this was amusing.
Great album, probably my favorite of the Wu-Tang associated albums honestly
some reallyyy good beats but also something's lacking but im not sure what
fav: heaven & hell least fav: none 8.3/10 really good album but all the songs sound very simillar
Nice
Splendid! Absoluter klassiker mit wu-tang vibes ohne ende 🖤
don't know what to make of this. I fought my way through to track 11 but then was too annoyed to continue.
Solid project
Need to listen to this at least 1,000 more times.
Really liked a lot of the rapping. However, a lot of the beats were mind-numbingly repetitive. Hard to keep much momentum in most of the songs
KNICKS IN FIVE
I appreciate the cinematic style and the influence this album had on future albums, but from a listening perspective, it's a couple of bangers and then mostly not my cup of tea
I like Wu Tangs’s hits, but I’ve never gone deep on their material, let alone their solo work. After this, I don’t think I’m changing my ways.
So, this is the third album by Wu Tang alumni that I’ve had in the last fortnight. Still vaguely underwhelmed. Still puzzled that the two best solo ventures by members of the collective (Tical and Return to the 36 Chambers) haven’t featured.
Wu-Tang Clan will forever be one of the greatest dynasties in hip hop. 36 Chambers is one of my favourite hip hop albums ever, and I still get an itch to play the occasional track of off Wu-Tang Forever. However despite my enjoyment of their group efforts outside of GZA's Liquid Swords and an early Ghostface Killah album I haven't really given their solo work much of a shot. Raekwon has always been a bit of a standout for me, but clearly not enough for me to check his stuff out. As the trend seems to be with the hip hop albums I've generated so far, this album seems to be a bit on the longer side. Expecting quality, though am a bit apprehensive as to the length. I won't be shocked if I get bored of it towards the end. Striving For Perfection It's a bit of an atmospheric intro to the album. Has some cinematic qualities, feels like the start of a play or a movie. Unrated/5 Knuckleheads Classic RZA production. Love the density of the bass. It's a bit of a theme setter for the rest of the album I feel, expecting to hear more of the hardships of hustle and drug culture throughout the album. Feels animated with a hint of theatre, though also sounds very serious. Great flows and deliveries. Decent. 3.5/5 Knowledge God The sample at the very start of the track sounds like an old movie score. I also like the way the piano sample transforms the beat into something a lot more ominous. Definitely sounds like NYC. Really getting the mafia vibe they're going for here. The verses are mostly good, though I feel like there are parts of the second one that feel a bit stagnant, might be the lyrics losing some steam. Decent. 3.5/5 Crimonology The first verse has a very hard and raw delivery. Feels like they're trying to rile you up. Definitely has great performances, aggressive and memorable, they really own the beat. A very character driven track, pushing these hard, unflinching, dangerous gangster personas that really play into the fantasy of the style of hip hop they're trying to achieve. Decent. 3.5/5 Incarcarated Scarfaces The intro sample promises something really narrative driven. Two Trump references, feels weird to hear his name in this context in 2025. It's a gangster rap song with gangster rap lyrics. The flow is really good though, really enjoy the hook. Again RZA's production is astounding, love how atmospheric it sounds. Decent. 3.5/5 Rainy Dayz Really appreciate the softness and melodic qualities of the intro. The production on this is crazy. Feels really off, has some almost horror like qualities to it. Love the female vocals against the beat. Has some pretty creative rhymes. Good. 4/5 Guillotine (Swords) Vintage Wu-Tang sound. Really lyrically dense, hard to follow. Struggling a bit to keep up, but I'm really liking the way they end their verses. The samples from old martial arts films never get old. Each performer brings a distinct energy, and it's fun to hear them approach this simple all be it effective beat. Decent. 3.5/5 Can It Be All So Simple (Remix) Hmmm this is familiar... Yeah the sample is still great. but I'm not sure how needed this is. Feels a bit like they're repeating themselves. Probably novel at the time. It's transformative, but I feel like the original iteration has a bit more of a kick to it. Fine. 3/5 Shark N***** (Biters) It's a bit of a rant. I respect that he's passionate about his own image and art. Unrated/5 Ice Water The beat is pretty stellar. There's a lot of good rhymes in here, especially on the final verse. Fine. 3/5 Glaciers of Ice Has an entirely different energy from the rest of the tracks on the album due to the sample on the beat. Love the vocal sample. Carried by the production. Love the ending. Decent. 3.5/5 Verbal Intercourse Was not expecting a Nas feature on a Wu-Tang project. The beat kinda overshadows the vocals. Cringe lyrics at times. Average. 2.5/5 Wisdom Body Kinda weird. I guess it's a bit refreshing to have another topic to listen to. Stellar production yet again. Fine. 3/5 Spot Rusherz Decent storytelling. Has interesting flows here and there, and is easy to follow along to. I like the buildup. Decent. 3.5/5 Ice Cream Sounds a bit chaotic. I appreciate that there's a hook in here, though it isn't great. Pretty fun track. I like the features, breaks the monotomy a bit. Fine. 3/5 Wu-Gambinos Has a great Ghostface peformance. It's a very lyrically dense track. Lacks some dynamism, becomes a bit monotone. Fine. 3/5 Heaven or Hell Love the samples. Has a great hook. I like how the track kinda has a reflective nature to it, feels a bit more genuine than some of the other tracks on here. Has an ere of finality to it, works great at the end of the album. Good. 4/5 North Star (Jewels) Feels like a bit of an extended outro. Feel the one verse on here was a lot more thoughtful than I might've expected. Has some really soulful production, which helps it close out the album as well as it does. Fine. 3.5/5 After a long and exhausting listen I'm left with mixed feelings about this album. First of all, it's long. Not specifically the runtime, as one hour and thirteen minutes should be managable, but it just feels long. I guess it's the density of the lyrics, the aggression and the lack of melodic breaks that makes it feel longer than it actually is. Despite this I must recognize that these are some of the qualities that also make it great. If it wasn't for the lyrical density it wouldn't have the great rhymes and the almost liquid flows. If it wasn't for the aggression it wouldn't hit nearly as hard. And if it wasn't for the lack of breaks it wouldn't be as stylistically consistent. I'm fine with it being the way it is, but it does make me feel very drained by the end of it. Two factors carry this album: Raekwon and Ghostface's amazing chemistry with their performances, and RZA's sleek and creative production. I find it disappointing from a songwriting and narrative perspective as the gangster/mafioso themeing gets monotonous and unbelievable. I feel it overpromises on its cinematic aspects, only for them to be slightly jumbled up by lyrical content that feels too predictable at times. Luckily it's performed to near perfection, where the technicality and adaptability of the rapping sort of makes up for the underlying issues of the album. Pair that with RZA's iconic production style and you still get something of quality. The quality stays pretty consistent throughout the album, making it feel like a cohesive and worthwile listen even with its flaws. If you want an example on how an artist can elevate a sound using only their performace this would fit the bill perfectly. 3/5 Fave Track. Rainy Dayz
As poetry this is pretty good. As music it leaves much to be desired.
It takes a little time to get into 90s hip-hop but once you do, it's insane how consistent some of these classics are. Over an hour long and not a single beat or line is subpar here.
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord. Not my thing!!
I liked this as much as a suburban white girl could
I listened to this all the time in high school. This era of Wu Tang albums with lots of little skits on the album can get a little old. Like oh cool, another 3 minutes of bullshit babbling about selling crack. That being said, I love Raekwon and I love this album.
Album No.7 I don't really listen to too much rap so probably because I'm not into the genre, I didn't really enjoy it too much, and I felt like it was very long. It didn't really engage me much. Some tracks were good but I wouldn't listen to any by choice. Would give it 1.5/5 Favourites: - Guillotine (Swordz) - Ice Cream
The guy can spit rhymes like breathing but their music it ain't for me. It felt like being thrown words after words after words and I can understand where this is coming from, the East Coast vs West Coast rap and all in between but seriously this album it ain't for me.
solid rap album. no saves but a head bobber
Good
Knuckleheadz // Criminology // Guillotine // Glaciers of Ice // Verbal Intercourse // Ice Cream // Wu-Gambinos //
zwei bis drei
Only really enjoyed the first 3 tracks, rest fell off for me.
I feel like I write the same review about a lot of 90s hip hop albums. There are some good songs in here, his flow is good and I like the aggressive delivery, but I find myself focusing more on the dumb skits and casual misogyny than those songs which makes it impossible to enjoy.
Ok, I was fully prepared to hate this. But I’ve added a bunch to my favorites. The parts that are music are genuinely good. Overall, the chatter was unnecessary. It always breaks up the flow on a record. But, the music bits are solid.
Word up
I'd have to be in the mood to put it on, but if I am, I'm happy to let the majority of it ride. While admittedly not being into Wu Tang at the time, this is a nice dose of nostalgia.
If you need evidence that most people using this site seemingly don't have any idea about music, it's the fact this is averaging less than 3 at the moment. A rap masterpiece with the Wu Tang Clan firing on all cylinders; some of the RZAs best production and vivid wordplay from all the crew. Genuinely can't comprehend listening to this and not feeling energised and in awe.
Just middle of the road but gets dragged down a star that it had to be 70 minutes long. 2 stars
I found it boring and it's too long.
I usually love 90s rap but this was pretty forgettable until Nas showed up. A few good songs towards the end but it's such a long album that it feels like a real chore to get to that point. Best songs were Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Ice Cream, and Wu-Gambinos. I saw a lot of people mention Blue Raspberry as a highlight but I found her vocals annoying and distracting. I have mixed opinions about skits on albums. If they're used right, they can really add to an album, but this wasn't that.
Hot take, but I’m not a huge fan of this album. It’s good, but for me not at the heights a lot of people give it.
Gonna need to give this one more listens. Love me some Wu Tang and this scratched the itch. 3.5 stars.
Prob good just not for me
Solid but won’t come back to it
Hard for me to be objective as this is definitely not my jam....
I've listened to this two or three times (counting today) in the last year or two... It's always better than I remember but I would never seek it out. The problem is there are just better albums doing a bunch of the same stuff from the same era.
Not a fan.
As expected. Absolute shit from start to finish! Talentless diarrhea!
Dope jams.
In my top 5 rap albums of all time and one of the greatest concept albums I've ever heard. Raekwon took a massive step up from 36 Chambers, RZA bent his production style to show his versatility, Ghostface played the co-star role perfectly, and the rest of the Wu all brought their A game on their features. “Criminology” is one of the best rap beats of all time and “Incarcerated Scarfaces” is some of the best bravado rapping ever. Just a dope album from front to back that helped start the mafioso rap genre that inspired legends like Nas and Jay-Z.
I’d give a 2.5 if I could. I really enjoyed the WuTang Clan albums I’ve heard but this wasn’t for me. Far too long and bloated, maybe I’d give a 3 if it was 25 minutes shorter. It doesn’t have as much to say as 36 Chambers and wasn’t dynamic enough to keep me engaged for the entire (long) run time
Great beats, great lyricism, waaaay too long though
Why are hip hop albums always so long? This could've been a 5 with a trim but as it is we will stick to 4.
The only thing this album gave me was a horrible headache.
Great album. Wu Tang has it's own style and it definitely shines on this one.
Not bad, but not as interesting as other rap albums on the list.
An essential listen.
striving for perfection- 5 knuckleheadz- 5 knowledge god- 5 criminology- 5 incarcerated scarfaces- 5 rainy dayz- 5 guillotine- 5 can it all be so simple- 5 shark n- 5 ice water- 5 i feel like this had all the parts of a good rap album but they just couldnt bring it together. nothing stands out
Pretty good stuff. Not as good as his stuff with wu tang.
Raekwon, with the help of Ghostface Killer, put out a great hip hop record here. Absolutely excellent flow and beats on display here, clever lines and unfortunate interlude skits that put a slight drag on this record. 4 stars
Cinematic is the word that seems to come up the most in relation to this album, and I totally get it. Love the bass. Great lyrics. Fantastic edge and energy. Very long. Favourite tracks: Knowledge God, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Ice Water, Verbal Intercourse, Spot Rusherz, Heaven and Hell
i know next to nothing about rap and even less about 90s rap, but i really enjoyed this album. it's conceptual without being up its own ass and the beats and samples slap quite hard. it's over an hour long and dragged on a bit for me but that's in part because I'm just not usually into rap. overall i felt like i experienced some really good music that i wouldn't have sought out otherwise, and i think that's what this project is about. 4/5 woot aang
I don’t know, I forgot I was listening to this multiple times throughout its runtime. So homophobic. Guillotine was good I guess. I sure didn’t enjoy this one. Good flows but boring.
This album was awesome. Although it was long, the journey and length of the album felt appropriate. Beats were great. Lyrics and rhythm were spot on. I don't know why I didn't know about this wu-tang offshoot work. Best songs: Incarcerated Scarfaces, Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell, Ice Water Strong 4
Look this thing is too long and the Raekwon talks too much in the skits, but there's something about this I really like. I like the contrast with Ghostface on just about every song, except Rainy Dayz. That was kinda buns and went on too long. I really liked Verbal Intercourse once they got done with the gibberish. There's just a shit ton of songs on here Probably won't revisit though unless I get super into Wu-Tang, which if it could happen to Shkreli, it can happen to anybody.
An album 60% as good as 36 Chambers gets 60% of the score 36 Chambers will get.
When you say F@%K and MOTHER@&%*ER words enough times in every song, you can record a rap album?
3/10
A bit empty, but fun.
I feel like this is everything gangsta rap should be. Good beats, good flow, great skill on display, and good interplay between Raekwon and Ghostface.
Przeluchalam jeden utwór Nie miałam ochoty na rap
The best part of this album was when it was over.
Nicht meins
Much like films with heavy Scottish or Irish accents, I need to listen to this type of gangsta rap with the subtitles on to fully appreciate the lyrics. While I can respect the creativity and artistry of rap music, these types of albums with side/ background chatter and colorful / explicit lyrics just wear on me. I like some hits from this era of rap, but I didn’t find any here.
I can appreciate the concept here, but in the end it all just runs together and is too long. And I guess if you’re ever stuck for lyrical creativity, just throw in yet another “know what I’m sayin?” and it’ll fill the void. Know what I’m sayin’?
Thought it was solid and consistent. Good beats and rhymes but nothing really stood out as great. Could do without all the lead ins and talking before songs though.
I’m down with this but it does drag a bit and starts to run together. 3/5
CUBAN LINX BABY. RESPECT THIS ALBUM. IF UR GONNA LISTEN TO ANY OF THE WU-TANG SOLO ALBUMS, IT'S THIS, LIQUID SWORDS, AND RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS. GRAVEDIGGAZ TOO IF U FEEL NASTY. U RUN THIS THRU UR SPEAKERS LOUD AND LET THE BASS RUMBLE. BARS HARD AS FUCK. THIS IS CULTURE. THE RZA DELIVERING THE GREATEST BEATS OF THE '90S. FUCK THE OLDHEAD SLANDER, WE RESPECT THE CLASSICS. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO HAD THE GAME ON LOCK. THIS IS THAT MAFIA RAP RECORD. TOP TO BOTTOM HEATERS, NO FILLER. RESPECT IT.
Definitely a classic. For some reason, this wasn’t on my radar back in when I was listening to tons of wu. But this is rightfully one of the best
Absolute rubbish . Know wot I’m saying…son
Crap
Every time I get a Wu-Tang record I feel the need to watch the 36th Chamber of Shaolin after. The only thing I didn’t like was the “skits” between tracks. Although these were shorter and less problematic than most on 90s hip hop records.
Yes, have some.
good beats. wu tang legend status. Need to revisit at some point
Gangsta shyt ah
Fav: Heaven & Hell (feat. Ghostface Killah) Least Fav: Spot Rusherz The most impressive part is 18 songs and no misses, with some fantastic and varied beats on top of that
It's whatever
inmaculate flow
Rap mixed with dialog as if he's acting in a play / movie
Liked this more than I was expecting.
Gangsta rap is not really my thing. I like the groove in the last couple of tracks: "Heaven & Hell" and "North Star (Jewels)". But I don't feel much desire to return to this album.
I aways want to rate rap and hip hop albums higher, just because I'm excited for the change of pace. Overall, I did enjoy this, even if a lot of it felt like Wu-Tang B-sides.
RZA's production is so great - spare but haunting samples and loops that feel as much like its scoring a movie as supporting Wu Tang offshot projects. Maybe not as strong as GZA's entry on this list, but still added quite a few of these to playlists: Rainy Days, Guillotine, Ice Cream, Wu Gambinos (I mean, Method Man shows up and I'm in.)
solid album. i am a fan of this era of rap and i thought that raekwon was really good on this one, as well as all of the guest rappers. you can definitely feel how this one influenced a lot of rap music that came after it. i liked the production, but thought that maybe it could have been a little bit more. a lot of times it felt a bit subdued for the bombastic rapping that was happening over the beats, but i enjoyed this one well enough despite that.
Respect, but this is not for me.
Yo dogg. Bit too gangsta for me. Naaamsayin?
I'm not a Cuban link, so I don't think this albums was meant for me haha. Overall I enjoyed it, the length and seeming repetition did take it down a few notches for me. Definitely an angry 90s gansta rap album. I haven't listened to much WuTang so hopefully the other WT albums on this are better. Standouts: Ice Cream, Guillotine Rating: 3.5/5
Well, he was definitely right - this wasn't built for me. People love Wu Tang. People look at Wu Tang as being some of the best to ever do it. I know next to nothing about them going into this. I've learned a lot about hip hop and rap through this project, which I love. But I don't think I was ready for this. I honestly don't have much to say. Part of me wants to be really dismissive of this, but I don't think that's fair. Just because I don't relate to this on a cultural level doesn't mean it's bad. There is so much here I don't understand. Hell, I don't even understand the tone of this most of the time. It all sounds so serious and aggressive, but maybe there's humor in here for all I know. I also found it kind of interesting that this was a solo album by a Wu Tang member, but features a ton of Wu Tang members anyway. Is it really a solo album then? I don't know. I couldn't get into this. Doesn't mean it was bad, it's just my experience. Two stars. Standout Tracks: Incarcerated Scarfaces, Guillotine (Swordz)
I've made peace with the fact that I will never be able to appreciate hip-hop for as long as I live, though I do have somewhat of a respect for the 90s stuff. My passing impression of contemporary hip-hop and it's adjacent genres has been that both styles of music are very feminised and neutered, with there being very little of a semblance to the older stuff beyond the vague notions of hedonism and staunch manliness. Say what I will about this album, but I can respect that it at least has the balls to be outwardly anti-white and homophobic rather than hiding it behind 50-minute psychological, slowburn racially-conscious critiques or whatever. The "skits" that were present on hip-hop albums throughout the 90s and 2000s are interesting to me. I may have mentioned it in one of my other reviews, but I wonder if it's a ploy to establish more of an identity for the artists behind these albums. Hip-hop artists seem to have a very ephemeral appeal, with most noteworthy artists having one big, critically-acclaimed album to their name and nothing else. If I'm to give one bit of praise to this album, it would be that the instrumentals are competent on the whole. Very threadbare and unambitious, but I could appreciate most of them.
ruim. só ruim.
boas intros, bons beats, os cara entregam bem. fortíssimo esse aqui. curto muito os mano do wu-tang clan
Relatively OK.
Perfekt när man får craving att dra på sig en tvångströja och placera sig i en madrasserad cell.
There is no need to have 18 tracks on this album. I know Raekwon has a lot to say but I'm never 100% sure it should all be said at one time. I also wonder (since this album came out when tapes were still a thing) if artists who feature a track with just dialogue thinks the people listening want to hear this dialogue just as often as the songs. Seems to me like if I wanted someone to listen to my music, I would ensure these same people don't need to sit through tracks that are not music. I don't dislike Wu-Tang and I have always been fairly neutral on their music. So perhaps, even as a rap fan, this music isn't for me. Everything about this album is 90's and that's not a bad thing necessarily. There are sufficient tracks with a female singing background as the chorus repeats at the end of a track, which is a 90's rap trademark. It's a lot of music and the beats can feel repeated at a certain point, but beats are not necessarily what Raekwon is worried about here. This is no-frills 90's rap that I tend to enjoy, mostly because I grew up with it. Nas's verse on Verbal Intercouse is a strong point but there is nothing else that just sticks out about this album. It's a workman-like effort with nothing that feels like a really high point and no bad, bad tracks. I wouldn't turn this off but I also would not search this album out. It's going to fade into the background of my mind.
I think this album deserves more time to get a review. It has only been one full day since I listened to this album but it feels like a lot of this albums charm and appeal comes from really getting to know it. Like all my favorite rap are my favorite because I know them so well. Knowing the bars and keeping up mentally is like the whole appeal of rap music. So when it’s brand new, it’s never gunna hit as hard as it does when you have been listening to it for years. I guess what I’m saying is I like the beats, I like the lyrics that I understood, but I just need more time with this album for it to sink in. I can’t find any fault with it other than it didn’t completely blow me away.
The Chef serves up the whole menu
Wenn ich diese Aggrotypen schon sehe! Tausendmal nein!
не буду это слушать
8.5/10 Fave track: Guillotine
very wu tang, forever
Otro grupo de Rap de los 90 que no conozco de nada. En España hubo un poco de margen con Radio3 y la MTV, cuando dejé de tener acceso a eso me desconecté del género. Recuperar esa época es de lo mejor de estar escuchando esta lista. Al final se me ha hecho largo, alguna canción está bien pero se va a quedar en 2 estrellas.
Diluted.
havana laugh aintcha
The flow on this is incredible. Could do without some of them “skits” but, that was the time! Some of the vocal recordings are not fantastic, plosives all over the place. You can tell this was “compact disc times” an hour and 13 minutes! This could have been trimmed down to a tight 45, which would have made it a perfect album.
Wasn’t my genre in the mid-90s, but I appreciate the beats, cadence, and lyricism of it now.
Was unsure about listening to this, but have made a commitment to do an album a day. Unfortunately my preformed opinion of this genre was confirmed, it was awful. Music should inspire you to make changes for the better, but this is full of references to violent crime, drug use and physical harm to others. And personally I can't stand overuse of swearing as it becomes stale very quickly. And the N word is horrible.
I’ve never listened to any of Raekwon’s solo work before, but I do love Enter the Wu Tang. I wasn’t blown away by Method Man’s solo entry on this list, but I’m hoping I’ll connect more with this album. I wasn’t blown away by this, but I thought Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was really good. Just like Enter the Wu Tang, the beats on this album were fantastic, and I loved the samples that were used as well. The beats in samples are used in subtle way that really creates a unique atmosphere on this album. Those beats create a sound that reminds me of the simplicity of punk rock in a way; Raekwon exhibits his own sense of that ‘do-it-yourself’ ethos that sets punk apart. Enter the Wu Tang has a distinct New York feel to it, and I felt that this album was able to duplicate that feeling really well. Other than the rhyme schemes, I wasn’t too blown away by the rapping, but I’ll admit that I’m really picky when it comes to the vocals that I like on hip hop albums. “Criminology” was my favorite song on the album. The sample that was used was really hard-driving, and I thought it emphasized this album’s grittiness in an effective way. I don’t know that I would come back to this album; it didn’t really earn its hour-plus run time in my opinion, and there are just other hip-hop albums I’d rather listen to. Still, this is a really good album, punctuated by some fantastic beats and samples, but it’s just not completely my taste.
We’ve had a fair bit of hip hop now and this has been the weakest. I enjoy wu tang but the lyrics were aggressive, it was repetitive and long. Rainy days and ice cream were highlights
This really feels like the spiritual successor to 36 chambers. I really like it, and will definitely come back to it and so many other Wu Tang solos and sides. This is among the best of them.
Don’t care for rap, especially all the cursing I find unnecessary
Sounds like a mediocre wu tang record
5/5. Crazy flow and rhymes, his voice is its own instrument. The fact that all Wu-Tang members appear on this album shows that there is excellent support and creative ideas shared. The production and beats feel so clear and fresh despite its age. Sure, there is influence from previous rap groups but the skill in each track is hard to beat. This was an enjoyable album front to back even if there are some lyrics that do not age well. Best Song: Can It Be All So Simple, Criminology, Heaven & Hell
Couldn't finish this. It may be a classic rap album, but I hated it.
Really bad, can't give no stars!!!
Gangstah shizz
not my style of rap
4/5 qualche filler di troppo, però bello
Fun
#501. This is an album that exists. That's about it really. It's not something I would recommend as there's hundreds that are better, but I also wouldn't recommend against it as there's nothing wrong with it. 3/5: acceptable
Wu-Tang Clan is one of my favorite musical collectives of all time. When the gang are together, they make magic. I can even get down with their solo works. Method Man, ODB, Ghostface and the RZA have all recorded classics in their own right, but something about Raekwon just doesn’t connect with me. Even the RZA isn’t at his best here, but even him at his most mid is better than most other 90s rap producers. Of all the other Wu members, Raekwon seems to take himself the most serious. Method and OBD were more experimental, while Raekwon focuses on being hardcore. Honestly, it’s a disappointment. 2.5/5
Decent album, good beats.
Some of the best ever, not as peak as Wu Tang or NAS but still up there
Interesting but left no impact very generic feeling album
Rza is at peak here. Raekwon is a great storyteller and Ghostface is a great partner. Gangsta rap worth listening to. Smart and influential.
i really liked this. i dont know much about hip hop music but the flow was really nice :) the instrumentals accomplied his voice well! i didn't pay much attention to the lyrics but the arrangment was awesomes
Having grown up in rural Germany in the 80s and 90s - a time and place where, believe it or not, gangsta rap and Wu Tang in particular were actually kind of a big deal among a certain population of teenage boys - I guess I can never aspire to be anything more than a mere tourist in the realm of hip hop. That said, I believe I appreciate the undisputed masterpieces in the genre (your 36 Chambers, your Illmatics etc) as much as the next guy. This was my first time listening to Only Built 4 Lynx. I was somewhat aware of its reputation as possibly the best of the Wu Tang solo releases going in. I read up on it a little bit before listening and so was aware that this is considered to be a sort of cinematic, mafia-by-way-of-the-Staten-Island-projects street poetry concept album. And what can I say... Probably unsurprisingly, as a now-42-year-old guy who only ever really listens to rap maybe three or four times a year, when I'm really in the mood for it, this one didn't really connect with me the way it seems to do for a lot of other folks. I'm not one to pay particular attention to lyrics in pop music to begin with, so 95% of what apparently makes this record so special went right over my head. I can see myself putting this on in the background when I'm in the mood for some tasty boom-bap beats (and let's face it, the production on these tracks is damn near flawless), but then again, I've already got Nujabes & co for that. I feel almost a little bad giving this only three stars, because it's probably simply not for me...
No soy tan fan del rap tan crudo
The skits and mafia theme were a bit naff, but tracks were excellent. Production and flow was class. Guillotine/swordz, verbal intercourse with Nas, wu gambinos, heaven & hell 👌
I did a deep dive into WTK and their solo/side projects last year or the year before. This is held up as the absolute best of it all but only one track criminology really stood out, so I’m looking forward to giving this another go and already I’m enjoying it more Rounded up to 4
I do love that RZA sound
Wu Tang Monotonous with an occasional banger.
Meh.
It was okay
Went on a bit. Not a fan of the gangster role play audio in between tracks.
18 songs, all with an E for explicit, so takes it out of the home cooking slot
Honestly nothing too impressive. It’s was probably good for the time it came out, but other than that, the best element was probably the beats.
not generally my jam for rap, but overall decent enough sound. Maybe 2.5