Reviews (page 5 of 8)
My older brother listened to wu tang when I was younger so this was a great listen, clears all modern rap easily.
Solid
Yeah. This is pretty freaking great!
6/10
Better than expected and I didn’t know what to expect
I wish i liked this kind of music. Alright I guess
Sounds like...a Wu Tang Clan album. If that's your thing -- then great. But it doesn't break much from the mold. They're tremendous rappers, but there's only so many times I can hear about drugs, guns, and being a gangster before it all turns into mush. Unexpected bangers: Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell, Criminology
Love the second half of the album. Those songs sound more like wu-tang
Part of the classic run of Wu-Tang albums in the mid-90s. Rap doesn’t get much better than this.
Just not my cup of tea...
Perhaps slightly bloated as many 90's Hip Hop albums were, but there is no question that there are classic songs all over this.
Just... whatever I guess. Not really something I was impacted by. It's long? And okay???
Hip Hop, 22eme album => 1/5 J'ai arrêté au 4eme "morceau", vraiment aucun intérêt musical.
not for me
Shut up Ray, you are horrible.
7/10
Very good
Like so many records in this genre from this time period, there are so many genuine moments of interest that just get lost in the length and sameness of the production. 3/5
Not as good as Tical or Liquid Swords as it's a too long for what it is. It would probably be better if they cut out some songs. It's still a great album with iconic production by RZA and aweome collaboration with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Enjoyed listening to it. Not my jam, but a good jam nonetheless
I don't like rap and this album did nothing for me
Great beats and flow, specially the last songs.
WU TANG 4 EVER
I liked this much better than i thought I would. Based on the reviews i was expecting underwhelming stuff but I saved a lot of songs from this one. And Raekwon is amazing. Maybe a little bloated and all over the place but the beats are good the flows are niice. I liked it
very solid 3.5
Oh buddy. An album I have in my personal collection??? I think it’s the first one. A lot of pressure here Mr. Chef. Well. More so Ghostface. He’s the glue. I’ve heard a lot of this already. I’m expecting stripped back beats and violent vocal delivery. Please break the curse. Even the intro has energy. Shouting random oddities. Right into loading a gun presumably, although it could be a stapler. No. It’s a gun. Ghostface has my favourite “flow” of any rapper. He kind of saves this song. The beat is too laid back for an opener. The piano riff sample is not what I would’ve gone with, but thankfully I’m not producing rap albums. Also, I dont want to harp on this, but I don’t like bootleg Wu-Tang members. U-God and Cappadonna specifically. Very bad. Anyway. Not a bad start. Now this is a beat. Wartime racial slurs aside the way this one kicks in is electric. The eerie “don’t worry ‘bout it” accompanied by the baby cry has always been so cool. Claiming New York was ancient Babylon. Selling coke straight out the bottle. So many quotes. So much menace. This is the god damn best. The first song I heard from this album. Cash rules, everything black around me, as you can see. This review can just be quotes I think. I retract my statement, THIS song is the god damn best. I don’t know what this sample is. I know I’d lose my mind if I came across it though. That’s always a fun moment. Anyway. This song is more laid back, but it’s super cool. Kind of floated by. Still good somehow but not a high point. This is a high point. Incredible. One of the greatest of all time. Everybody is fantastic. How did this group come together and how is everybody so unique and talented? Taking the worst song from 36 chambers and making it fantastic? That’s one of the better things this album has surprised me with in this listen. I don’t like the vocal sample, and never have, but the rapping on this really takes it to an aggressive place. Still trails on too long, but this is a good one. He will approach you. Keep it real, get your own shit. Uh oh. I copied it word for word. Anyway. On to the song where he talks about ice. Unfortunately, Cappadonna is here, but fortunately, we start with Ghostface who calls himself the black Jesus. I’m not convinced that isn’t true. This song is divisive. The tweaker beginning is always fun. Is he talking about popular British shoe brand, Clark’s? I have never had one clue what he’s talking about. Clogs? Anyway, the screaming sample is out of place, but the beginning is very good. Ghostface and Nas????? Just add Mobb Deep and it’s the best. I hope the Infamous is on this list. This song was disappointing considering the participants. I HATE this chorus. It’s so disgusting. Why do you have to sing about sex? It’s virgin behaviour. However. This beat and Ghostface? He could be rapping about hating me specifically and this song still rips. A fine song. And not in an old timey really nice way either. Just ok. Uh oh. Mellow times. Not believing in heaven because you’re living in hell is a well meaning, albeit ham-fisted concept. This song isn’t good. Very skippable. Yikes that last song sucked. I seemed to remember the last side of the second LP was a drag. I think it’s a good time to say I think music requires repeated listens. First time listen 3’s and 4’s could grow to be 5’s. Even 1’s and 2’s (as much as it pains me to say) could blossom into enjoyable releases. I have heard this album many times and it is great. Despite not being a “Cuban Linx,” I secretly enjoy this album away from the prying eyes of Chef Raekwon and the elusive “Killah,” who produce what is a fantastic, aggressive and might I say mafioso-tastic waltz through the one of the many chambers of Wu-Tang’s hallowed catalogue. 4-4.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Knowledge God, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Criminology, Guillotine (Swordz), Can it Be All So Simple (Remix), Ice Cream
I'm getting too old for this shit.
Hell nahhhhhh
This is one of those that isn’t my sort of music, but I can see the quality in it.
I feel like this is another one where, although it clearly shows skill and is very well done, its just not for me. Sorry Raekwon.
it was fine i guess. not really my thing.
This album is really good and has a lot of compelling storytelling and gorgeous tracks. It’s not the kind of music I would seek out on its own, as in I can’t see myself returning to this often just because I don’t really listen to story albums like this so much and I can’t picture adding these songs to playlists. That being said I still think it’s pretty good and I like hearing him say places in New York :)
En 1995, l'onde de choc du Wu-Tang Clan continuait de secouer la planète hip-hop. Après l'explosion collective de 1993, les membres du Clan commençaient à s'échapper en solo, comme des ninjas partant en mission. On avait eu le charisme enfumé de Method Man, la folie pure d'Ol' Dirty Bastard. Et puis, le 1er août 1995, est arrivé le troisième homme : Raekwon, surnommé "The Chef". Et le plat qu'il nous a servi n'était pas un simple album. C'était un film. "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…", souvent appelé "The Purple Tape" par les initiés (car la première édition K7 était en plastique violet), n'est rien de moins que l'acte de naissance d'un sous-genre entier : le rap mafioso. Un album entièrement centré sur l'imagerie de la mafia américaine et du crime organisé. Raekwon et son acolyte de toujours, Ghostface Killah (présent sur la quasi-totalité des morceaux, au point que c'est presque un album en duo), ne sont plus de simples rappeurs. Ce sont des personnages, des gangsters tirés à quatre épingles qui sirotent du Cristal et portent du Gucci, naviguant dans un monde de deals de drogue, de trahisons et de paranoia. Et le réalisateur de ce film sonore, c'est le grand manitou du Clan, le producteur RZA. Et quel film ! On sent l'influence des polars de John Woo à chaque coin de rue. Le paysage sonore est sombre, tendu, incroyablement cinématographique. RZA est au sommet de son art, il découpe des samples de vieux disques de soul, des dialogues de films, des cordes dramatiques pour créer une atmosphère qui suinte le danger et la mélancolie. On n'est pas dans le G-Funk californien et ses rythmes festifs, on est dans une ruelle sombre de Staten Island, au milieu d'une transaction qui pourrait mal tourner à tout moment. L'album est un classique du Clan, et donc, par définition, un classique du rap. La narration est brillante, l'alchimie entre Raekwon et Ghostface est télépathique, leur flow est complexe, leur argot est si dense qu'il faut parfois un décodeur pour tout saisir. C'est un disque qui ne se livre pas facilement, il faut y entrer, l'apprivoiser. Alors, pourquoi "seulement" un 4 sur 5 pour un album si important, si influent ? Parce que sa plus grande force est aussi ce qui peut constituer sa limite. "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…" est un album exigeant. C'est un bloc, un film qu'on ne peut pas regarder en picorant des scènes. Il faut s'asseoir et l'écouter du début à la fin pour en saisir toute la richesse et la cohérence. Il y a peu de "tubes" évidents, de morceaux qui sortent du lot pour faire bouger une soirée. L'album fonctionne comme un tout, une longue montée en puissance qui suit les hauts et les bas de la vie de hors-la-loi. En 1995, j'avais 25 ans et je me souviens de l'impact du disque à sa sortie. Il était moins immédiat que les autres projets du Wu-Tang car il demandait un effort. C'est un disque que j'ai appris à aimer, à décrypter et c'est là que se situe ma légère réserve. C'est un chef-d'oeuvre de construction, une démonstration de force lyrical et sonore. Mais il lui manque parfois cette étincelle de fun, cette folie spontanée qui rendait les disques d'ODB ou de Method Man si attachants. C'est un album de "connaisseurs", un disque pour les têtes chercheuses du hip-hop. Un 4 sur 5, c'est la note du respect absolu pour un album majeur, un disque qui a changé la face du rap et dont l'influence se fait encore sentir aujourd'hui. C'est une oeuvre d'art complexe, dense et sombre, qui mérite sa place au panthéon. Mais pour atteindre le 4/4, il m'aurait fallu un peu plus de lumière, un ou deux moments où l'on sort de la salle de cinéma pour simplement danser sous la boule à facettes. Un classique, sans aucun doute. Mais un classique qui vous fait travailler les méninges autant qu'il vous fait hocher la tête.
I love finding old school hip hop gems on this project. I've heard most of Wu-Tang's big projects but haven't really explored the individual artists' catalogues. This album is just straight fire from front to back. I really feel like this east coast style shines through here.
ripetitivo fino alla nausea, uno di quelli di cui proprio non capisco l’importanza
It was really good, but likely I won't come back to it - loved a lot of it, but was checking to see how long some songs had left, and it was just quite long? I also felt like it ran out of things to say in a way I hadn't felt hearing Dead Prez, Death Grips, or Gang Starr? 3 is a good score in my head though, not bad at all :)
Gangsta rap as a genre is a relentless assault on the senses, more for the lyrical content than the music. This album from Wu Tang Clan alumnus Raekwon has some good points - the track Rainy Day featuring vocals by Candi Lindsay (aka Blue Raspberry) is gorgeous and the John Wu samples are always fun. However, the between track recordings of (apparently unscripted) conversations are hard to listen to. It’s a grim lifestyle with only one way out.
Once you go beyond the lyrics (that are still part of the genre, I give you that) it's a pretty solid hip hop album from the mid 90s; it's well executed, the flow is right, the background music is really good. Not a huge fan of gangsta rap, but clearly a good record.
With Lenneth’s stance on swearing I’m over the moon he didn’t listen to this. I never would have heard the end of it! 2.4
Not for me.
This has not aged well at all. If indeed it was any good when it came out.
I don't really listen to much hip-hop, and I wasn't familiar with this artist at all before listening. I'd heard the name somewhere in the past, maybe, but that's it. Maybe this was groundbreaking at the time, or something, but I just found it boring as hell now. The music behind the rapping was dull, and the rapping itself sounded like a lot of shouted, monotonous droning to me.
Apparently started mafioso rap subgenre and was very influential to hip-hop. Quite cool, I should really actively listen more to these hip-hop albums.
Mir ist das zu aggressiv. Heute habe ich nicht den Nerv dafür.
I'm not sure if it was a good thing this was as influential as it is claimed to be. There's a lot of random talking and garbage skits on here that I just skipped. Otherwise, this seemed like pretty generic rap to me, but I also don't care for rap so it all sounds the same to me. 1/5
Love the Wu-Tang Clan and this is one the best albums coming from the group and it's members. Rae sounds unstoppable at his best with a relentlessly listenable flow. Some of his rhyming on this album sounds somehow both meticulously crafted and completely effortless. I didn't really get the gangster movie concept but oh well. If I didn't read about that I'm not sure I'd have been aware it was even a thing. RZAs beats and the guest spots are amazing too. Obviously Ghostface is most prominent but the Blue Raspberry track adds a nice change of pace too. This has got to be 5*
Wow this reminds me of high school. I can taste the residual blunt papers
This passed me by without anything grabbing my ear
Noooo
Hip-Hop.
It was alright
Like.
Surprised at what this actually sounded like. I thought it would be so different. Better than I thought but just not my vibe.
There’s a lot going on in this album, it’s supposed to be a story but I can’t tell you what it’s about. It sounds like someone put a bunch of TV channels in a bucket, mixed them up and then rapped over it. It wasn’t for me 1001 album worthy: No - 11/21
I don't know man, it's either this album isn't for me or it just sounds pretty bad, there's one song I at least like but forgot the name of it.
Not my favorite style of rap but can clearly see( hear) the how this album influenced the genre. Probably not an album I would revisit but also did not dislike the experience.
This was ok.
Just not for me
I'm probably not doing this album justice, but this genre of music does very little for me. I've heard a lot worse than this and it's put together well enough for this style of music, just really not my thing.
I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities for this album
held my attention the entire time, which is a compliment given its length. loved those RZA beats. a really solid release!
I will not include the "North Star (Jewels)" bonus track in my review of Raekwon's debut solo album. That still leaves an album that is 69 minutes long, albeit one filled to the brim with excellent wordplay from Raekwon and his Wu-Tang Clan brother Ghostface Killah. The two have amazing chemistry throughout these tracks, trading bars about their rough upbringing in Staten Island. Along with them, other Wu-Tang members old and new hop in on a few tracks to good results, and even Nas as a non-affiliated guest dropped a dope verse on "Verbal Intercourse". Aside from the long runtime, my only complaint is the album's dated feel. That sentiment includes the early Wu-Tang Clan production style courtesy of RZA, and some lyrical choices that haven't aged well such as Ghostface Killah's verse on "Verbal Intercourse" with the line "Flashbacks of the day room, mop wringer style/Your f----- ass got bashed trying to turn the dial". It's an unfortunate byproduct of what was considered acceptable language decades ago. Still, I had fun with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as my first exposure to anything related to the Wu. It's worth a listen.
I liked listening to this but in the grand scheme of the Bowie discography it felt less than essential.
Hip-Hop / Gangsta Rap - not too bad, sounds like a film soundtrack, but at the end of the day, it's still Hip-Hop / Rap.
Usually rap loses me, but this one just robbed me and walked off with my respect.
Honestly this is one of the better rap albums in the history. Maybe one of the best...
An album featuring mostly my two favorite Wu Tang members? Yeah this is another banger.
Really did not give this the focus it needed…. Need to revisit…
Ik ben geen rap fan. Dit album heeft wel leuke beats en leuke melodie, maar het is ook niet iets wat ik graag zou luisteren. **
Not without merit but not my jam.
I can imagine this growing on me with concerted listening, jury’s out.
I wanted to like it but I found it pretty impenetrable, like so much of RZA produced stuff from these earlier years. Ice cream and Wu-gambinos (particularly the RZA verse) stood out, and the skit about how to dye your clarks wallabees was pretty funny.
3☆/5 11.19.2024
I respect Wu Tang Clan, but this was just dull and boring.
Of the Wu-Tang solo albums I have heard, I've enjoyed Method Man's more. I feel like Raekwon relied a lot more on guests than doing the rapping himself. There weren't as many skits, but that intro... that could have either been shorter, or non-existent. I just felt there was a better flow in MM's work. And even both used the n-word pretty prominently, it didn't seem to bother me as much in Method Man's album. T0p tracks: "Knuckleheadz", "Glaciers of Ice", "Verbal Intercourse"
Just look up my rating for the other Wu Tang members on their debut solo effort. It's pretty good, it's definitely ambitious, it runs with and sticks to a concept, but it's not exactly going to keep me coming back over and over and over. Hard for me to put a finger on a track that really stuck with me, other than maybe Criminology. At most it'd max out at 3.5.
Good 90s rap. Just not something I think I'll turn back to much.
Nope
Bastante monótono.
Top tier. Up there with Illmatic by Nas, which should let you know how great it is !
Reviews set me up with low expectations. I'd say it hit this. The music and flow were not bad. But lyrics and tone are just another gang and drug glorifying derivative of the genre Dre and Snoop made famous in the 90s. Nothing stands out as worth hearing a second time.
This kind of hip-hop isn't really my style. The heavy focus on lyrics over beats and melody gets lost when English isn't my first language and I can't relate to the messages in the songs. This just isn't for me.
A bummer - was excited to hear this and it was just meh. 2/5
Was wel prima eigenlijk
I liked this, it was musical and wasn't too 'gangsta' or misogynist.
I like this kind of music, must be my upbringing, while it's not the best example of the genre, it's not terrible.
I did not connect with the music. I did not enjoy the interludes. This album just wasn't for me.
Never heard this album before and I really enjoyed it the skits are to a minimum and not long. Good beats just solid work. Stand out tracks: - Knuckleheadz - Knowledge God - Criminology - Rainy Dayz - Guillotine - Ice Water - Wisdom body - Wu-Gambinos
Sexist, misogynistic, and homophobic lyrics. Very dated and uncomfortable listening! Favourite song: I didn’t really like anything Least favourite: All of the tracks Album artwork: not for me
Day293 - i don’t love every track but my head does bob on most of them.i do wonder if they change the trump lyrics during concerts nowadays?
Not one of my favorite Wu members solo records (hard to say solo when Ghostface is in basically every track). I know this is considered to be one of the best but I find it boring, overlong, and the production is muddy. Just not for me.
Typical WuTang fare...as expected. 3/5
Not for me; crass language, and the music was boring.
Yo, son. I did not like this album. Know what I'm sayin'?
Dense, murky and verbose. Never really could get into the extended wu-universe despite a general love for NY boom bap.
Incredible samples, unmatched flow, great verses from ghost face, storytelling matched by not many
Really good, but about 25 minutes too long
I'm not used to listening to 90s rap so this might just not be my kind of music. As an album, it's too long and so many songs were indistinguishable to me, it got a little repetitive. I liked the beats and the rapping was good though Favorites: "Criminology", "Guillotine", "Verbal Intercourse", "Ice Cream", "Wu-Gambinos"
not interested
I enjoyed this listen, but I wouldn’t say it’s amazing. You get a number of songs that, in my opinion, start to sound similar. And every song sounds as though it could be off a Wu album. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I guess I was hoping for some more individuality with a solo release, even though it heavily featured other members of Wu Tang. Still good though.
203/1001 🌗🌑🌑🌑🌑 WHAT A PIECE OF SH1T!
ikke min smag
This one completely failed at capturing my attention. I don't think it's a bad album fundamentally, it's just not for me. It's a clearly great album that overwhelmingly fails to activate the parts of my brain that makes me care and pay attention Standouts - 2/5
This sounds like lots of other albums in a similar vein. Wasn't offensive, but nothing here really grabbed me. If you've heard RaekWON, you've heard 'em all.
I focussed on the beats, not so much on the lyrics. A head nod of album. I looked bloody ridiculous in doing so, wearing my wfh clothes.
I remember how fresh these beats were when this was 1st released. A classic
Ça fesait un boutte qu’on m’avait généré du Hip-Hop, je commençais à être un peu tanné des albums rock psychédéliques. Hélas! Quand j’ai vu qu’il avait été créé par des membres du Wu Tang Clan, j’ai tout de suite regretté ce que je venais de dire
Of the various Wu-Tang adjacent albums on this list, this seems to be the most uninteresting. The misogyny and homophobia are additional turn-offs.
A little TOO much gangsta for this sensitive soul ;)
Lyrical genius! Thoroughly enjoyed listening, and appreciate the heavy influence Raekwon has had in the Rap/HipHop genre.
Yooooooooo Raekwon the Chef Dik
Only positive about this album are some of the reviews on here some of which are truly hilarious. Just noticed that today's album is Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here one of my absolute favorite albums. Not going to listen to that today, probably on the weekend with a nice drink and really enjoy myself.
Another long hip hop album
Good but a little raw for my taste.
A really, really, really horrible album.
Was feeling this today. Some good vibes here and definitely worth the listen. On the 4 side of 3.5.
Nope. Not for me. tried it but can't get into it at all
Nope, stopped in the middle, not for me... Did not hate it, but it's just boring and I will never listen to it again.
Meh.
Rap
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this one, but I did enjoy the listen and added a couple of tracks to the rotation.
Damn hip hop is one of the worst genres when it comes to bloat. Is your ego so big you think all of this shit deserves to be on an album? A handful of decent beats surrounded by shit along with shit lyrics raining down Rating: 1.6
Mostly unmemorable, sometimes annoying
19/9/24 I always wondered what my first one star album would be. This was utterly terrible.
Det är för långt. Men det är bra flow på det hela. En stark trea.
I can’t tell the difference with most of these current rap albums. They all sound the same.
Nope. Sorry. This is just more stereotypical, self-aggrandizing, misogynistic hip hop that all sounds the same. The lyrics are stupid, the music is bad and monotonous, mixing is uneven. There are no redeeming qualities in this at all. I don't connect with this kind of music whatsoever. A waste of an hour and 13 minutes. 0/5
Easy 5
Take RZA out of this and i'm not sure you'd have much
Love de wu tang, solo hebben ze ook echt nog enorm goeie albums. Het zou een 5 krijgen als het iets unieker was, en hier en daar klinkt het wel hetzelfde. Hoe dan ook, keiharde bars en keiharde beats
Good rap album. Didn't know Raekwon was part of Wu tang clan
I dunno if it's an off day for me or what, I usually like Wu tang stuff but this one is just not working for me. Will I listen to again: 1%
I’ve been a pretty big fan of Ghostface Killah for many years, he’s one of my favorite rappers easily. Enter the Wu Tang is obviously a classic masterpiece in rap music, but outside of this I don’t think I’ve really listened to anything by Raekwon specifically. This album is absolute fire from start to finish. It’s carefully crafted, flows great from song to song, and works incredibly well as a whole. The rapping is amazing throughout, with Raekwon and Ghostface trading bars in top form and guest appearances that add a lot of value, especially Nas on Verbal Intercourse. If I had to complain about anything it’s that it starts off kind of slow (though not bad), but it gets the weakest parts of the album out of the way in the first three songs and it’s brilliant from Criminology all the way to the end. Best songs: Criminology, Verbal Intercourse, Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell
Not my jam.
There’s a certain type of hip-hop that sounds hard, “gangsta,” or even has a Bump In The Whip™️ energy, but when you pick it apart, it’s actually closer to the Lyrical Miracle Spiritual Spherical Backpack Acrobats Rap Attacks™️ bullshit. Y’know, rap that feels significant because you can party to it and break down the lyrics, but when you actually break it down, not only are the beats pretty standard issue for the era in question, but the bars are actually….not saying a goddamn thing. On paper, this style of hip-hop feels strongly technical and detailed, but the execution lacks a message, a statement of purpose. There’s people like this today (Megan Thee Stallion in particular, as much as I hate to admit it), there were a million of them throughout the 2000s in the underground with MF Doom and everything, but also with Cam’ron and Jadakiss, and even in the long Golden Age, there was a lot of this shit. And I think Raekwon is the textbook example of this, with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as a sort of blueprint. If we’re talking about pure talent, there’s no debating. And if this was just a collection of Wu songs like 36 Chambers, then maybe pure talent would be enough to win me over. But Cuban Linx insists that it’s conceptual, and that is just straight up not the case. The “concept” is as flimsy as airline single-ply. This isn’t mafioso, this isn’t cinematic, and it certainly isn’t a concept album. It’s RZA beats from the mid-90s, but not even like where he’s sampling certain genres or adding in references to other genre films; every beat here could be a B-side beat from 36 Chambers. So yeah, it’s still great, but it also doesn’t feel particularly…special? Unique? Then there’s the rapping. Raekwon is a good technical rapper, no doubt, but the dude has very little to fucking say. Across 18 tracks, you get a sense that Rae has literally exhausted his pen game. Even if new flows and new experiences came to him in a dream, the man would be rapping about getting money and driving around in his black ac, y’know what I’m sayin’? But unlike, say, Pusha T, who avoids the single-subject critique by having the most charisma anyone has ever had on a mic, Raekwon kinda fades into the background. Maybe it’s the guest features. First, Ghost — now, even though I think Ghostface took a while to find his voice has an artist and he is not there yet on this album, the man has always had a presence, which again, works against Rae here. The rest of the features, though, are standard Wu solo album fare. Besides a non-Wu Tang feature from Nas — who is good because he’s Nas, not because it’s his best verse ever — everyone else is as good/as mid/as bad as you’d expect based on how well remembered their first round solo record is today. GZA is great, Meth has good hooks and decent verses, Deck is fine, and the rest are present and accounted for. I’m ranting like I hate Cuban Linx. I don’t. A good first-round Wu solo album is a good album, no question. When a song hits, it’s very good. But every time, it’s simultaneously a good song and mediocre Wu Tang cut. To me, none the high points of Cuban Linx match the high points of any other above-the-fold Wu solo project. And its low points? Well, the low points are the skits, which are horrible, even for hip-hop skits, which is saying a lot….but the low points that aren’t skits are pretty forgettable. I’d say 45% of this album falls short, and again, even its highs feel oddly low to me. Is it a good album? Yes. Is it a technically well-made record? Absolutely. But if you stripped it of its context — removed it from the Wu Tang lore, removed the reason why the Nas feature matters, removed our pure adoration on ‘90s RZA production, removed the concept it claims to represent — is it still a classic? No, because it just isn’t at that caliber. Just because it sounds deep doesn’t mean it IS deep. Swap this with ODB for me any day.
sad its Raekwon's best solo piece outside of the Wu. STUPID production, lyrics have you re-reading like your favorite book over and over again.
I'm not sure why a lot of hip-hop artists love to scatter skits throughout their albums, and that's their prerogative, but I'm not a big fan. A great album otherwise. Some really solid classic rap.
I expected to like this more.. there's so many lyrics it's like they didn't give the songs room to breathe. The rhyme schemes and production quality were both way worse than Nas, which I felt like I was constantly comparing them to because of the sound similarity. The voices were kind of muddled with the beat too. The little intros where they're just talking and stuff are pretty cringy. The old movie sound bites also felt forced. The songs were all extremely similar in tempo and tone.
Of all the rap super groups, nothing touches the depth and consistency of Wu Tang. Not only do they combine like Voltron, their independent contributions are full of classics: Liquid Swords (GZA), Supreme Clientele (Ghostface), Return to the 36 Chambers (ODB)... Helps that many of their solo entries share common production in RZA, making for a cohesive superhero-like universe. This is actually one of their solo projects that has completely flown under my radar. Love Ghostface as a "co-star" here. His higher pitched and sharper delivery contrast Raekwon's huskier flows perfectly. Knuckleheadz is a great opener track -- classic RZA production with silky, but powerful delivery from all 3 members involved and plenty of fluid wordplay. Criminology is another classic Wu track. It's got the minimal, dusty drums, orchestral bits, and movie dialog samples. Back to back with Incarcerated Scarfaces -- another jam touting their mafioso ties. Guillotine is another standout here with a deeper posse cut including Inspectah Deck and (more importantly) GZA. Love the beat built around an off-balanced guitar loop with unsettling string jitters. Ice Cream is an unexpected, late album standout -- instrumental is cold as fuck and eminently head-noddable. Meth only comes on here for one feature, but he kills it with his distinctively crusty spoken word overlay. This is some prime Wu Tang tapping more into the mafioso side than their superhero or kung-fu personas. Only knock I could have is that the tape runs a little long at 73 minutes -- but if I'm being honest, I welcome any excuse to step into the Wu's world and more importantly RZAs production. His minimal dusty drums with key loops and string flourishes are always so tasteful and make for a premier canvases for the clan to spread themselves over. Raekwon rocks the helm well with great support. You can see repercussions of this album to this day, most notably (and recently) with Griselda (Westside Gunn, etc.). Easy 5 / 5 for me.
I give this a 3.5 stars. I hate all the random in between sounds and talking like normal rap albums but this had some songs with good flow and were interested. never heard of this guy.
Another solid rap album, but nothing really special to me. It is a notch below the recent Ice Cube album.
Very solid album by someone who I didn't know was in Wu Tang but quickly learned when I saw all of the features. Pretty much exactly what I look for when it comes to 90s rap. Not my favorite but still a high 3
Raekwon the Chef! This is probably my favorite from "solo" Wu. Nas guest spot is sick also. Love the callbacks to 36 chambers
Rating: 9/10 Amazing album overall. The production and lyricism from Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are fantastic throughout. The duo was focusing on gangster themes while still tying in their own personal struggles, making for a unique experience lyrically and production-wise. Most of the skits seemed unnecessary and overall the album is a bit too long; still one of the best solo Wu-Tang releases. Favorite songs: Knuckleheadz, Knowledge God, Criminology, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Guillotine, Ice Water, Glaciers of Ice, Verbal Intercourse, Wisdom Body, Wu-Gambinos, Heaven & Hell. Worst song: Rainy Dayz.
Inner city woes with old school beats.
This album sucks, you know what I mean?
Big time boom type stuff. Guillotine (Swordz) grabbed me. The mythology of the Wu Tang stuff is just so deep and convoluted. Ice Cream is another good one. Without a deep dive into the lyrics, I cant see the full depth of this album. Grooves are great though.
This was just boring. Not sure if I even stayed awake for this one.
Lame attempt at a rap album. Not only did they suck, they sucked for 18 tracks. The beats are boring and the rap is sloppy. The only thing worse than their rapping is the font on the album cover.
Gets pretty monotonous. Like repeating piano themes but with zero variation.
Listened Before? N Wow, another awesome 90s rap album I haven't heard! The lyrics and delivery are awesome, and it's held up better than most "gangsta" stuff. Loved it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Knuckleheadz
Not my kind of music. Liked the beat of it though.
great rap album
While some of the samples are nice, this is... Like, come on, I am a well-functioning adult. I don't have time for this.
NSFW, solid rap
Through this project I've been able to engage with more rap and hip hop than I'd expected to, but not this one, sadly. I can get angry about some of the same stuff as the writers, but it's the genre itself that I can't often click with (Public Enemy being a recent exception, I enjoyed that one). I gave up half way through, so probably shouldn't be rating it.
Für Rap gut, aber nicht meine Musikrichtung 2/5
must we hear every album produced by members of the wu-tang clan
Yet another waste of an hour. I'm going to listen to Tigermilk again so I can feel happier about life.
the most 90s rap ever to 90s or to rap
Lyrically dense, loosely cinematic, and a showcase for almost every single member of the Clan, Cuban Linx is possibly the definitive Wu-Tang album. I was on edge waiting for that absolute banger that never arrived, but nonetheless this is clearly an influential album in the hip hop genre. It's not great by any means to me but being OK isn't a bad thing.
Favourite songs: Ice Cream, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Wu-Gambinos, Criminology, Knuckleheadz Least favourite songs: Striving for Perfection, Shark Niggas (Biters) (fuck skits), Knowledge God (what's with the looped sound of someone snuffing snot into their nose...) 3/5
My neighbor has a truly delightful lawn sign this election season: "Presidents Come and Go, but Wu-Tang is Forever!" I prefer GZA's Liquid Swords but this is pretty good, too. Not always in the mood for this many N bombs, but then again not sure if grey haired suburban dads isn't Raekwon's core audience, or maybe just on weekends?!? 😅
I'll admit I never really got into (or even really listened to) the whole Wu-Tang phenomenon, so this is all new territory to me. I can see why this got a lot of critical acclaim, and the whole mafioso theme makes for good cohesion on the album, but I didn't really connect to the songs or the album, unfortunately, and it felt like a bit much to slog through. I can see why this was considered influential, as it sounds like a lot of other music that presumably came after it; sadly, I feel like whatever freshness and uniqueness this album had is largely lost to me, listening to this album so long after it came out. But kudos to RZA for an impressive job producing this and many other Wu-Tang solo albums, and also kudos to the extensively-documented Wikipedia article on the album for giving me every chance to learn so much more about the album and the players.
enjoyed this a lot though wish the n-word hadn't been dropped as much as it was. Still, liked the mix of voices, attitudes, tempos, etc.
1990s hip-hop, with some good beats but overall it was too boring and mysognistic for me. And it's a too long album.
He's the guy from Wu Tang that I always forget was in Wu Tang. It's okay.
Didn't really enjoy this. But in typical 90s fashion (and especially bad with rap artists) the album is 30 minutes too long. Did they all need to fill 70 minutes worth of content with 40 minutes of material? No they didn't.
Was not sure what to expect but pleasantly surprised.
At first it was pretty good, but it just kept dragging on and on and on. The lyrics are stupid, but I like his flow. Favorite song: rainy dayz
No thank you not listening to this
I sure wish there wasn't so much sexism and homophobia. Otherwise it's great.
this was a good rap album, it ran a bit long though but the songs were decent, i feel a few fell to just sound similar to the others and it felt a bit repetitive as i don’t tend to listen to this style much
It's alright and gripped me enough. It'll end up in the forgettable pile, though.
I don’t get it. Seriously. Basic uninspired beats with seemingly mediocre production and lyrics that I couldn’t connect with. I can only assume that my feeling about this mirrors somewhere someone’s feelings about 2/4 A-E-D rock and roll.
p756. 1995. 1 star. Not going to lie, this is the first album on the list that I gave up trying to listen all the way through. Tedious, foul mouthed garbage from guttersnipes. It's fucking horrible.
Love Wu-Tang, but most of the spin-off albums aren't great.
This sounds like your generic hip hop album from the 90s, I was hoping for at least one stand-out song from this 18 track album but there were none
Didn't click. The beats were slightly off. The delivery was so-so. The lyrics were mean. The skits were pointless. Pass.
Got bored halfway through. Didn't finish
Great album overall. But probably a bit long Standout songs: Knuckleheadz Guillotine Verbal Intercourse Wu-Gambinos
I'll be honest, I found this rather hard work. But I've listened to it now and I doubt I'll ever feel the need again.
No idea why this is in the list. Just seemed weak all around
Starts alright but gets boring quickly. Entirely one-note and way, way, WAY too long.
Solo WuTang member album with full features from the clan. Sharp lyrics throughout and influential mafioso style
Like many Wu-Tang projects, this album solidifies itself in the history books for its solid production and angry, inspired bars. If you don't feel invincible while listening to this one, listen again.
Mafioso Rap Revelations, a.k.a The Book Of Gambino Genesis, a.k.a Optimally Built 2 Culturally Last.
Extra star because I heard an avalanche sample, but way too long in betweeny bits
It’s really a Wu tang album. One Wu tang album is enough. It’s good though.
An 18 track rap album from some members of the Wu-Tang Clan – “urban America”. I've listened to more rap on this list in a year than my whole life and <10% lands with me. I claim no sophistication, pedigree or discernment – catchy party tunes may bring a smirk and head nod from me. But I am not drawn to these tracks of unhappy struggle, witnessing pain, or boastful war cries. I don't dance or sing to this. It doesn't do what I want music to do. Now this. Still unrelatable, but more polished slower, thoughtful variations in tonality – seems worth a listen. Its certainly less ear splitting and painfully harsh. Consistently produced the whole album holds together very, very cohesively. I do sense this is definitely better quality than most rap. Theya re good at what they do, but it doesn't touch me. Even the very best Rap, has a low ROI for me. I’m tired.
I love Can It Be All So Simple for the inspired use of a sample from Gladys Knight & The Pips’ live version of the Barbra Streisand classic, The Way We Were, from their I Feel A Song album, which I did flog mercilessly in my mid-twenties. But, overall, I really don’t understand the hype about this. Probably a generational thing.
Oh joy. Another Wu-Tang solo album. Apparently, this record is Patient Zero for the appearance of Cristal in hip hop. Well, there's a claim to fame. I don't mind the lofi, cinematic production style, but the ceaseless glorification of the hustler lifestyle just wears on me. I don't need another album about the day-to-day life of a street level drug dealer, with the violence and misogyny that goes with that. I understand that this was very influential on Biggie and Jay-Z and a 1000 lesser rappers over the subsequent decades, but that is not a good thing in my opinion. While this was what a lot of hip hop was in the 90s and 2000s, there is so much more that hip hop could be. I'm just a bit over listening to records that sound just like this.
Yeah. No.
A cinematic, expansive epic of narrative Hip Hop. I prefer Wu Tang’s Shaolin side (Liquid Swords) to its Mafiosi side (OB4CL) but the influence of this record is undeniable. An undisputed classic.
1.33
Couldn’t get into this one, partially for the length.. 1.5/5
I thought this was pretty dull.
I found this fairly dull. I also (as is usually the case) could do without the skits.
Solid hip hop album
I don't know man. I would like to abstain. So, 3.
It never ceases to amaze me how many critically-l acclaimed hip-hop albums this project conjures. Despite my initial efforts, it’s crap like Cuban Linx that leaves me adamant this genre will never occupy space in my heart. To hell with you who rave about how “culturally important” these songs are or how there’s “strength and presence in the message”. This is purely awful, vulgar, mind-numbing garbage.
Cool 90s hip hop from one of the Wu Tang members. Well themed. The lyrics are more impressive than the beats. Some skits ala Wu and Doom - not my favorite kind.
i dunno..
Pretty good, some good samples. Nothing that jumped out at me immediately but I think I'd like to give this one another listen down the road.
-pretty interesting early rap feel -Favorites are Guillotine, Can It Be All So Simple, and Spot Rusherz
Not a fan of the wu-clan gang. All interchangeable gutter lyrics and beats
Didn't stand out compared to Liquid Swords and others.
Yeah, I didn't quite get this. Not terrible, but maybe it's a thing that needs time to sink in.
Not my thing. Seems highly competent but not for me.
I always like hearing old rap or r&b albums that didnt get as much mainstream attention when it was released. This was a bit of a tough listen, Raekwon brings a lot of Wu-Tang aesthetic to this album and doesnt really seperate himself, it seems like an album of songs he made for the group and he decided to rework them for a solo project. It also runs long. Heaven & Hell is really good though. The whole album has a bit of a murky feel to it I cant shake.
This has always been one of my least favorite Wu Tang solo albums from that initial run. I’ve just always found it really one note and boring. Also it’s way too long. This listen did not change my opinion
Wu-Tang is not for me. knowwhatimsayin?
The world if 90s hip hop albums were 40 minutes long: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FA3fij1XMAANQMx.jpg ...He's doing what to cats?
Bem, este álbum foi difícil. O início foi terrível, a voz de um ponto de vista melódico é terrível, de um ponto de vista rítmico também, parece que nunca encaixa no ritmo da “batida”. Isto é constante durante todo álbum, mas porquê digo que o início é algo tenebroso, porque as melodias de fundo não são boas, mas não são mesmo. Para o final tende a melhorar com a inserção de alguns coros e alguns traços de uma música mais comum ao nosso pobre ouvido. Sinto-me um disco riscado, sempre com as mesmas críticas, mas todos estes álbuns de Rap têm os mesmos problemas e ninguém parece se importar. Passo a enumerar, desconexão entre a “batida” e a voz, os senhores parecem falar e por cima de uma melodia, a melodia, batida instrumental, como queiram chamar é repetitivas, não têm tempo para amadurecer e já esta a ser repetida, os álbuns são muito longos, de um ponto vista musical metade do que se passa lá não acrescenta valor mas o álbum tem 1 hora e 13 de música só deus sabe porque. Falando agora mais do artista, optei por inverter a ordem das coisas desta vez. Então este senhor pelo que me parece era dos Wu Tang Clan, uma banda de Rap old school. Para além disto, suspeito que o senhor esteja envolvido com os auriculares da Raycon, nas isto são somente suposições. Lá fez este maravilhoso álbum solo, que tem em quase todas as músicas um tal de Ghostface Killa, que também não é muito bom nisto da música. Mas é isto o que acontece muitas vezes, pessoas que parece que não são muito fortes na musicalidade têm estes rasgos de sucesso que não consigo compreender. Mas estas afirmações podem ser pesadas e injustas, mas realmente não encontro muitos elementos positivos nestas cantigas. Ponderei genuinamente em dar 1 ao álbum, mas para o final com os coros e as melhorias significativas na instrumentação, significativas, mas nada de por aí além, fazem com que dê o 3 a esta obra. Se calhar o problema seja eu que sou apenas um individuo de outro espetro musical. Mas não consigo dar mais do que isto. A melhor música do álbum talvez seja o Incarcerated Scarfaces e a Wu-Gambinos. Mas não são muito boas mesmo assim. Nota: 3/10 Data: 20/06/2024
Some good songs if a little long at times
I enjoyed this! But I like Wu Tang and East Coast Rap so…
There’s nothing wrong with it and I like the mafia (I think) aspect, but this never stood out to me like other Wu-Tang projects for some reason.
Boring
I never realised how much some of the samples were recycled from one Wu project to the next.
An okay album but not something I'd listen to again. I'm not really into Rap.
So good. Ghostface Killah la botó en todos los feats que tenía, un fucking duro. light 9/10.
I didn’t really connect with anything here. Same issue I have with some 90s hip hop albums, too many tracks, too long, not enough variety. Fav Track North Star (Jewels) Light 5/10
Pretty mediocre, know what I'm sayin? 3
1995 was a pretty huge year for Wu Tang Clan, and this record dropped in between a solo album from the unique, charismatic ODB and the cinematic masterpiece that is Liquid Swords by GZA. Cuban Linx is probably my least favourite of the three - it’s the hip-hop purists’ album and its legacy is undeniable (influencing Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G among others) - but just doesn’t have that innovative spark that makes so many other Wu Tang projects so memorable
Sounds kinda rough in places, enjoyed this though.
Not my fave
This had its moments with instrumentation, samples used, and the flow of the raps, but is still so not my jam.
Pre listen: alright, Cuban Linx, here we go again. Another try at getting this album to click. After listening: it’s about where it always is for me, around a 3.5. I’m rounding up to 4 today, other days I’d round down to 3. Verbal Intercourse is the standout track every time, which is probably just me preferring Nas.
As with seemingly all of these Wu-Tang releases, the production is the redeeming factor to what are otherwise often sexist and seemingly meaningless lyrics. However, I will at least appreciate the mafia backdrop throughout the album, as it works extremely linearly within the context of Wu-Tang's Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang fighting style storylines. It's neat in theory, but feels not totally fulfilled in practice, not really worth the length. However, still enough to enjoy that I understand why it is considered one of the best of the group's solo projects, although I feel I've listened to most of the big ones at this point, and none have stuck out enough for me to understand what makes these worth listening to in conjunction with the 36 Chambers.
I just listened to Tical a couple of albums ago so I know what a good version of this is supposed to sound like. This just missed everything. Even if you enjoyed this I can’t see how you could listen to the whole album with all the unnecessary and momentum killing skits.
Really solid rapping, too many skits
Yup. I could have passed on this one.
Never heard of Raekwon before, wasn’t sure what to expect until I found out he was in Wu Tang. 80% of this is really good, with plenty of little riffs and fills that get stuck in my head. Aye, a lot of it is samey, and the tracks with Ghostface Killah are the standout tracks, but overall it’s pretty good. Would be a solid 4 if they trimmed some of the filler tracks. Not sure how fast I’ll be back, but I did enjoy it. 3.5
The best parts of this are everything I want from old school hip hop, great beats and flow, sounds so cool. Unfortunately as usual I find it hard to get past the content, the spoken bit at the start is a prime example of how little is actually being said. I think the message was they just want to look after their family, which isn't really the message for the rest of it. It's very long too. Dont think it was as good as the Wu Tang album but overall, okay. 3.5 but more a 3.
Bit long, but overall decent. The beats were good, flow was solid, didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics so I presume they are a bit spicy. Great production too, sounds sharp nearly 30 years later.
Think this has borrowed bits and pieces from 36 chambers, but it does not reach the same heights at all for me. I think this strays too far into the gangsta tropes for me, too much guns and bling, whereas 36 chambers treaded the line nicely. Still enjoyed it, but not sure I'll be back
Hip-hop. Se me ha hecho pesado... Un 2.
Rollete.
Oh boy, i don't mind 90s rap and hip hop but after 5-6 albums they start becoming extremely repetitive. As someone who listen to the beats more than the raps i feel like this is more on the side of poetry than music. Because every beat is more or less just background music often utilizing dissonance to evoke a scary or unsettling beat. Very little variation in both pitch in the rap and the beats makes it extremely repetitive for me. It feels like everybody had the same checklist of things that had to be included: - Self hype and go tripping to ad nauseam - Gang related small skits with one voice sounding like he just woke up - 80% of songs need to be about gang violence. - skits and intros with random "Hard" conversations I know that it is a part of the genre and the songs are not bad. but you get reeeeeeally tired of the same formula after a couple of albums.
Rawkwon is a Master MC. Amazing flow and writing skills. Unfortunately he was one of the best out of all the rappers rapping the same style and way. I love this album but its not innovative or stands out from others from the same era. Great rapper but just similar to the genere at the time. Good album to listen
Wow, that's a lot of vulgar language. They sure tell a story, though.
This one was Striving for Perfection. Can It Be All So Simple?
Raekwon is importante in 90s hip hop but I didn’t vibe with this one
"C'mon son, yeah son, foreal son, Yo son. hell son. Hold that shit son. This is the remix son." God damn, 69 mins of this. I like 69'ers but not 69 mins of this. Cant say i enjoyed this at all. Maybe im not built for hip hop. Maybe you need to be there or something. Do i need to be a gangbanger? It just doesnt do anything for me. Rating 1/5.
definitely out of my wheelhouse here, not particularly vibing with it partially because i can't really relate to anything about these songs and it's just not my style of music. people who already like hip hop would probably have more to say about this but i'm just leaving it at a 2 because it's not bad music at all, it's well produced and clearly influential in the rap/hip hop scene, just not my thing. didn't end up finishing the album because i was busy and ended up zoning out/not really listening beyond the first 5 or 6 songs.
Once again, the list delivers really high quality in 90s Hip-Hop fare. I only (currently) know the tip of the Wu-Tang iceberg, so adding more context and background is definitely a rewarding process. The production is excellent and Raekwon plus an array of guests add superb vocals throughout. The quality rarely dips although it is a long old album to get through at times.
Another record that just isn’t made for me. I can’t say it’s awful. There seems to be quality beats and rhymes. But I didn’t enjoy even one second of this. 2/5
Nothing here for me.
No hooks, no creative sampling, nothing.
Criminology Incarcerated Scarfaced Ice Cream
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: Wu-Tang-Anhänger an schlecht beleuchtetem Party-Schnappschuss zweier bester bester Freunde in Flammen 😬 (*cringe emoji*) Mix: dröööÖÖÖöööhn Musik: die besten Tracks haben immerhin das Zeug zur ausgemusterten Wu-Tang B-Seite ("Ice Cream", "Guillotine") Wertung: 🍦🍦/5
There are strokes of genius on this record, interesting beats and good rapping, but this album badly suffers from unneeded bloat, from the pointless talking parts to just annoying songs
Way better than I’d hoped
A little too lengthy there Raekwon
Here we have an album with the signature grimy Wu-Tang hip-hop sound, but with the spotlight on Raekwon as opposed to the whole crew. Though the RZA is still on production and other Wu-Tang MCs are scattered throughout. The beat on "Incarcerated Scarfaces" goes so fucking hard. The guest singer on "Rainy Dayz" was a bit all over the place. Wtf is that black-and-white movie gun sound effect on "Can It Be So Simple (Remix)" lololol. Now I know where the "Avalanche Rock" sample comes from. It's a very good, albeit not perfect hip-hop album.
I don't love most gangster rap, I'm definitely tribe over wu tang, but for the most part this one was a little smoother and I enjoyed most of it. Something I like about this era of hip hop vs modern is actual annunciation, and raekwon is a great example of this. 7/10
This album was not made for me, but I appreciate the artistry!
A common problem with a lot of 90s hip hop is the bigoted lyrics that haven't aged well. Sadly, Raekwon is also guilty of this, as the album is littered with examples of racism, homophobia, misogyny, and obsession with proving their sexual worth. It's not the worst offender by a long shot, but it's there and needs to be mentioned. That aside, the beats are great and the lyrical style is impressive. Once again, the Wu Tang bring their unique style to another project. It's not as strong as some other entries on the list though, particularly GZA and Ghostface Killah, but it has its moments. As a side note, this album cover is rough. Out of focus, both people's faces partly covered in shadows, a weird assortment of fonts, and a headache inducing color scheme. They look like they're pretending to rob someone's bottle of wine. And the background is, I guess, a Wu Tang necklace on fire? Or is smoke coming off of (Chef) Raekwon's head? I know we're reviewing albums and not artwork, but yikes...
Samples are original and the raps are very intense and all. Can imagine you find this the GOAT. But not my music, get bored....
Excellent chill hip hop album from a Wu Tang legend. A little heavy on skits, but great album overall.
Kyllä ihan tasalaatusta räppiä. Mikään kappale ei silleen kauheen erikoinen, muttei huonokaan. Vähän agressiivisia biittejä. Parhaat: Knuckleheadz,
Decent, long album though. 3.7
Favorite Tracks: Ice Cream Guillotine (Swordz)
Flawless
I enjoyed some of the beats but all in all it was a little to gruff and aggressive
RZA has always had a cinematic vision and no album in the wider Wu-Tang scope epitomizes that vision more than Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the debut album from Raekwon with guest star Ghostface Killah. In over an hour, the world is yours saying that was flown over the blimp in Brian de Palma's Scarface is woven in a tapestry of realization, hustle, emotional tolls and full on braggadocio as Rae and Ghost showcase and crystallize their ironclad chemistry with some of their absolute greatest bars and flows in their discography. Add the contributions of the fellow Wu-Tang members and the only non-Wu member to appear on any of their records (Nas) and what one gets with Cuban Linx is the aural equivalent of a Scorsese flick; one that is guaranteed to amount to as many replays and rewatches as possible. 1995 may have been the peak year for the Wu-Tang Clan and this record stands as the example of not just the group's brilliance but hip-hop's as well, as its seeds grows one's seed as it marries the other's seeds, keeping it all in the family.
Easily the best solo Wu-Tang project. Rae and Ghost are such a great duo, love hearing them over this type of production. Only weak song on this is Spot Rusherz imo.
Pretty good hip-hop album, but as always, filled with ‘skits’ and pointless trash monologues. Opening statement on the album appears to be two dudes in a competition to say ‘man’ or ‘son’ as much as they can in a few minutes! So son, to sum up man, y’all unnastand man, that this time son, y’all better hear me son, y’all betta unnastand son, that man, y’all hear me son, right man, y’all better unnastand son that it’s a three and nothing more. Son.
Meh, okay
Not bad for rap.
I remember this being better
Ég hlustaði á alla plötuna og mér fannst ég næstum því hafa bara verið að hlusta á sama lagið á repeat því þau voru öll eins. Ég skil alveg að fólk finnist svona tónlist skemmtileg en ég er ekki í þeim hópi. Mér hefur alltaf fundist þetta vera svo yfirborðskenndir og útúrkreistir töffarataktar. Alls ekki minn smekkur.
It had some solid moments (Ice Cream Truck), but the beats were not very memorable. Wu was missing its Tang
I get it. I lived in Appalachia for over a decade. There are many that have done this better and not so tired, but hard to deny impact. Entry level people; Try Hank Williams for melancholy and Bill Monroe for the mojo
1 hour and 15 minutes of rap. Fucking hell.
Another 1+ hour-long, 90s gansta rap album. Here we go.
Cool old school hip hop. Heaven & Hell stood out for me most, surprisingly. I liked Ice Cream too. Raekwon is a recognizable name for me, now. It wasn't before.
This is the first solo album from Raekwon, who is in the Wu Tang Clan (this came about 2 years after the Wu Tang debut album). This is one of those things where I can tell the guys are super talented, but it's just not really my thing. It seems to be considered as an early "mafioso rap" album, and that pretty accurately describes the subject matter. It's a pretty harsh sound and frankly just not very relatable to me (like, obviously). Plenty of stuff on here that's perfectly good, and very little I feel like I need to hear again. One positive, Ice Cream is a pretty hilarious song though (and it's pretty catchy compared to the rest of the album). Favorite song: Ice Cream Other: Knowledge God, Criminology, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Wisdom Body, Heaven & Hell 4/10/24
3.5/5. Solid but wouldn’t call it a landmark hip hop album, pales in comparison to Wu Tang’s catalogue. Raekwon is a certified g though, can’t take that away from him.
Raekwon creates a vibrant universe here, with excellent flow and some solid grooves, although the lyrics are dense and sometimes hard to follow. Quite well done as a concept, but it needed to be shorter. He lost me somewhere on the back half. Fave Songs: Knuckleheadz, Heaven & Hell, Knowledge God, Criminology, Glaciers of Ice
I'd rate it 0. Mostly because of the talking bits. Music was fine, but uninspired.
Some of this is pretty musical, but very little of it is entertaining. For me, no. Just no.
Easy 5/5 an all time classic! Used to rock the purple tape daily when it came out and it still hits today! This was the Wu at the height of their powers, they were untouchable.
Absolute classic record and one of hip hop’s iconic albums of all time. A pivotal moment in the shaping and progression of hip hop to help cement its place in music as such an important style. Long live the Chef!
Some filler and very heavy on the language, but a better album then I expected
I dug it, gnome sayin?
generic hippity hop
Fine but forgettable
knuckleheadz knowledge godz criminology incarcerated scarfaces guillotine (swordz) glaciers of ice ice cream wu-gambinos
Great work! It definitely has the Wu Tang vibe.
"Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." by Raekwon sits at a precarious 2 stars, showcasing that even the smoothest beats can't always save you from the pitfall of excessive skits and lyrical roulette. The album's soundscape is a lush terrain crafted from samples that would make any audiophile's heart skip a beat—Earl Klugh's "A Time for Love" in "Ice Cream" is a case in point. However, the skits are like that friend who keeps interrupting a great story to ask irrelevant questions. And the lyrics? They oscillate between genius and filler with the unpredictability of a mood ring. In essence, while Raekwon serves up moments of auditory gold, the album as a whole feels like it's caught between aspirations of greatness and the reality of musical ADHD.
Not a fan
Raekwon is a great lyricist that can paint a vivid picture. But the beats are relatively bland and it’s too damn long! Rappers, please, 75 mins is almost 30 too long!! 5.2/10
Not my thing.
A bit sweary!
Liked this one. Sometimes Wu Tang can get a little muddled with so many people on tracks. This was more direct. 3.5/5 Most likely will listen again
Great hip hop from my youth. I really like this album.
Didn't finish.
Not my cup of tea, and I’m not sure what would classify a good rap album.
Ei toimi kokonaisuutena vaikka 3-5 hyvhköä biisiä.. Huutaa ohi…