Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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.
I sure wish there wasn't so much sexism and homophobia. Otherwise it's great.
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
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.
Starts alright but gets boring quickly. Entirely one-note and way, way, WAY too long.
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.
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.
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?
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
Boring
Not my fave
This had its moments with instrumentation, samples used, and the flow of the raps, but is still so not my jam.
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.
Hip-hop. Se me ha hecho pesado... Un 2.
Rollete.
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.
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
No hooks, no creative sampling, nothing.
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
This album was not made for me, but I appreciate the artistry!
Meh, okay
I remember this being better
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.
Some of this is pretty musical, but very little of it is entertaining. For me, no. Just no.
"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.
Didn't finish.
Not my cup of tea, and I’m not sure what would classify a good rap album.
90s hip hop. I quite liked the orchestral elements in some of the backing tracks, but otherwise little grabbed me. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Ice Cream Date listened: 17/03/24
Not for me
I can respect this as a concept album, but it's not for me. Heaven & Hell is the exception, but I've never gotten into Wu Tang or their members' solo work. Granted this was made in the 90s, but the use of f****t and blatant lyrical sexism is jarring.
01) Striving for Perfection - 1,0 02) Knuckleheadz - 7,5 03) Knowledge God - 7,0 04) Criminology - 6,0 05) Incarcerated Scarfaces - 6,0 06) Rainy Dayz - 6,5 07) Guillotine (Swordz) - 6,0 08) Can It Be All So Simple - 5,5 09) Shark Niggas (Biters) - 1,0 10) Ice Water - 5,0 11) Glaciers of Ice - 5,0 12) Verbal Intercourse - 5,0 13) Wisdom Body - 5,0 14) Spot Rusherz - 5,0 15) Ice Cream - 5,0 16) Wu-Gambinos - 5,0 17) Heaven & Hell - 6,0 18) North Star (Jewels) - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,17 (52/100) So, they do drugs, they do guns, they do bitches, you know what I'm saying? Boring repetitive samples, then some more shooting, drugs, bitches, endless talking. You know what I'm saying? The first half was better, or maybe I had more patience. You know what I'm saying?
A bit angry for my liking. Lots of shouting
It's decent. I never really liked the Wu Tang clan nearly as much as other 90s rap.
Not my thing.
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.
Really quite bored of Wu-Tang. 3 maybe 4 albums in? Hardly anything has grabbed my attention. Its not bad, but it all feels quite samey. The albums are always bloated. Fave Track: Glaciers of Ice (maybe) 2.3/5
Wasn't a huge fan, probably the weakest of the Wu Tang Clans group/solo albums on the list. 2.5/5
I början tyckte jag att albumet hade en bra vibe, men det blev väldigt uttjatat efter ett tag med tanke på att albumet var 18 LÅTAR LÅNGT. För att albumet skulle fått lite mer poäng från mig skulle det behövas kortas ner en hel del eftersom många låtar skulle helt kunnat skippas. Ska även tilläggas att man inte ska fokusera på låttexten, då kan de bli lite väl mycket. Favoritlåtar från albumet var: Verbal Intercourse. Albumet får 2/5 stjärnor
Basically a Wu-Tang album but didn’t enjoy it as much
# Playlist track - Criminology (feat. Ghostface Killah) # Notes - The album starts with 2 minutes of nonsensical phrases that end with "son". Awful. - Read the wiki, thought it was a cool idea, but it doesn't hold itself together. - There are nice beats and melodies here and there, but after the album is over, I don't want to hear nothing that rhymes with "son", "man", "dog", and "sayin'" for 3 months. - Also, horrible singing in "Heaven & Hell"
not my style
nah not my thing
Demasiado largo
I think I could have survived without ever hearing this one. 2.5
Un novuel album de ice cube hip hop, un nouvel album absolument rincé.
I did not understand this on any level
Another rapper. Mid 90s. Should be like half skits. This guy was Wu-Tang right? This stuff tends to date really rapidly (kinda like that album cover) but let’s see what we got. Striving For Perfection - word. Son son. Our first predictable skit. 1/5 Knuckleheadz - First song ending in z. They might have already hit their cussing quotient within 20 seconds. Oh yeah, this is rap from a different era. Feels very languid. Ok. 1/5 Knowledge God - this is a step up. Like the beat, the flow. Dope, guns and money. Always a good combination. Rap is background music isn’t it? 2/5 Criminology - oh man, is Ghostface Killer killing it or what? 3/5 Incarcerated Scarfaces - distinct lack of skits so far. Good. This album is getting in its groove. Who’s the Black Trump? Funny, but fuck Trump. 3/5 Rainy Dayz - z song #2. This is fine. One of a billion soul/rap crossovers. 2/5 Guillotine (Swordz) - z to the third power. Shadow boxing! Awesome! Song’s ok though. 2/5 Can It All Be So Simple - gunshots! It’s gangsta rap bingo in this bitch. Don’t trust little kids with guns. Eh whatever. Album is hitting that over saturation point, I’m not even halfway done. 1/5 Shark N****s (Biters) - I love how every song is an Explicit tag. Skit though. Keeping it real by forcing me to listen to a skit. 1/5 Ice Water - Yawn. I think even in the 90s, these albums were never really meant to be listened in one sit-through, but instead be shuffled with other CDs or skipped the songs you liked. 1/5 Glaciers of Ice - I’m tuning out a bit here. It has an interesting beat, but I’ll never listen to this again. Not willingly though. Boring. 1/5 Verbal Intercourse - just keeps boring me. I think rap is so focused on business that they do it like business - flood the zone with shit until something sticks. Bucket load of homophobia. That’s definitely 90s rap. 1/5 Wisdom Body - can’t really tell what is going to work on this album. 2/5 Spot Rusherz - zzzz. I guess there were only 4 z’s on this album. The rapping in the background of this intro was 10x better than the last 6 songs. Proves my theory that this is suppose to be background music. Like this one, and the black Lex Luthor. 3/5. Ice Cream - spuds Mackenzie! That’s a deep cut. Not at the time. This is finally a fun song. Is that Method Man? He knew when to show up. Easily the best song. 4/5 Wu-Gambinos - I literally see a half dozen guys just walking around a stage with the mic in their face. I mean, are rap shows interesting? 2/5 Heaven & Hell - this has got a groove. I can see this playing in my background. 3/5 North Star (Jewels) - it’s fine. 2/5 Definitely a 90s Wu-Tang album. About 1/5 of it, good maybe even genius, 3/5 to 4/5 boring and repetitive and 1/5 skits. This album has some real skit-restraint. I can appreciate that. I’m sure this was hugely influential, but I just don’t know enough about hip hop to give it props for that. Honestly, I don’t ever wanna have to sit through the whole album again, but there are individual tracks that I’d put in rotation. In fact, I suspect in a mixed genre playlist all these tracks would play well. All together it’s just too much. Or maybe I just need to tune it out into the background. I dunno. 2/5
Not for me some tracks we’re fine but I don’t think wu tang solo albums are really worthy of 1001 personally so…2/5
Okay. Not as good as original wu-tang clan
Often rap doesn't work for me because of the misogyny, and this had that, but mostly it just wasn't very good.
Oh my god idc about these features. An ungodly amount.
Long and bad
just way too long
probably a 2.5, didnt really enjoy it, stick to Wu
Une intro ridicule. Après la même rengaine se déroule, avec des samples parfois accrocheurs, comme le riff de piano de “Knuckleheadz”. Les sons sont assez variés avec par exemple des boucles de violon par moment. Ca rompt un peu la monotonie mais je passe. Et putain encore plus d’une heure… Ils savent pas faire court.
No es el mejor rap que he escuchado, eso está claro. Si este disco está entre los 1001 mejores de la historia, algo está mal.
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx I am familiar with the Wu-Tang Clan. I'm familiar with lots of their solo albums. I was not familiar with Raekwon's. This was a very interesting album. However, it's a product of it's time and place, the 90s. As with most hip hop from this time period, there's a lot of homophobic lyrics and use of the F-slur. Plus in today's political climate, I can't stand hearing any song name dropping the orange clown. I am also well aware that I'm not the target demographic, and that I may not feel a lot of the songs or lyrics. But the production by Rza is so good. And like most hip hop albums in the 90s, there are so many skits. I'm glad that this trend isn't as big as it used to be. 2/5
So I know that Wu-Tang is for the children, and I'm learning album after album that I am not the children. I don't like the group stuff and I don't like the solo stuff, either. I wish I was cool enough to appreciate it, but I don't.
The interludes sound like a parody of GTA San Andreas dialog.
Ihan okei rapsetti
Not the greatest hip hop album I’ve listened to, very mid Top tracks: Ice Cream
Didn't connect with this one at all really, doesn't start brilliantly and doesn't end well either. There's some decent stuff in the middle, but it's not particularly consistent - the odd great landing line or perfectly judged sample, but they're too few and far between IMO. 2/5.
Not for me, high point Incarcerated Scarfaces
I typically don't like rap and gangster rap even less so. I didn't hate this but I failed to hear why it was so important that I had to hear it.
Not my thing.
Just kinda passed me by
Not really my brand
Supposedly one of the hip-hop masterpieces of the 90s. Well, sounds as boring, predictable and disposable as the rest of hip-hop masterpieces of the 90s
Built ONLY 4 Cuban Linx, and I'm nowhere near Cuban Links... 18 tracks of mid 90s braggadocio hip hop, if that's your thing. Features nearly every member of the Wu-Tang Clan in some way shape or form and it's widely know that they are nutin' to fuck wit, so I won't.
I don’t think I’ve heard any solo Raekwon songs. I’ve obvious heard Wu Tang Clan before, and do quite like Ghostface Killah, so I go into this fairly optimistically. Looking at the track list, Ghostface seems to feature on almost every song. That’s a bit odd innit? Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Incarcerated Scarfaces Perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood today for this album, but I found it rather dull. I expected, and wanted, to enjoy this but it just wasn’t the case. There weren’t really any catchy hooks, no attention grabbing lyrics, and generally nothing to really make it stand out. It’s not that I hated it, I just expected it to be a lot better. It’s fine to have on in the background, but listening to the whole album felt like a bit of a chore.
Homophobic and too long… pick a struggle
very funny, not something I could listen to often though
2. Better than some stuff but I don't really like it
I don't get it
Cool drum beats and the rapper dude(s) have a good flow. Enjoyed it, sort of, but will never feel the urge to revisit. 2.5 rounded down to 2, 'cuz it sho' ain't a 3, know what I mean? Do ya? Know what I mean?
Just ok. Not up the alley of rap I tend to like. Some good beats.
Not really my thing
Boring album. Didn't care for it at all. 1.5/5
I didn't like this one very much, none of the songs really stuck.
Tykkään ei-luotaantyöntävästä aggressiivisuudesta. Muuten ei jäänyt mitään mieleen. Paitsi jälleen perusvirhe: liian pitkä. Hyvä lopetusbiisi kyllä.
Shaolinit vetävät tyylillä "hyvä biitti ja räppiä päälle", ja kaikki kuulostaa vähän ahdistavalta, samoin kuin elämä jota sanat kuvaavat. Onko hip hop muka jotain muutakin? On, ja siksi on perusteltua torua levyä siitä, että se ei ole kiinnostunut koukuista. He tietävät, eipä siinä mitään.
Not ma vibe.
Almost a one
i always thought wu-tang was kinda overrated and this record might be the best example for me. pretty ordinary stuff both in terms of beats and rhymes.
I wonder whether anybody tried telling him that you need enough good songs for an album that's 1h13m long . Half of it is filler material
I like ghostface as a rapper, raekwon a bit less. Has some cool flows but as an album it doesn't do it for me
Prefer the follow up album, Only Built 5 Venezuelan Ocelot. Still good beats and rhymes but suffers from all the chit chat between tracks and a good bit of filler.
Didn't hate it but it quickly became back noise.
Man, this was disappointing. The fun parts of the album are simply relative to the rest of the album, and they're in fact pretty much just average 90s rap tracks in the grand scheme of things. Favorite track: Guillotine (Swordz)
lol Tony Stark
Maybe it's just not for me, but it was quite samey and no single track really stood out :(
Damn the 1001 generator is really not gonna rest until we’ve heard every 90s hip hop album from every group and every solo album from each member of each group. And they all sound the fucking same
It's ok it got old very and tedious quite quickly. Problem is with Hip Hop/rap I tend to like 2 maybe 3 songs on album and the rest is just ehh.
I think I would need a better background in Hip Hop to really enjoy this. I wish the skits were separate from the songs so i could skip them. Seemed really long.
The best part of listening to this album was finding out that Raekwon and Ghostface Killah started the hip hop world’s obsession with Cristal. A restaurant they were at didn’t have the best wine in the building. They asked for the next best thing, got Cristal, and liked it. The rest is history. The album is not for me.
Unrelatable, boring hip hop that I'm wondering why it's on this list. The songs all have a sample that repeats on loop throughout. The beats are fine I guess, but the rappers are mediocre and the braindead banter in between songs is laughable, nomsayin? Lots of N-words and some gay slurs too.
I mentally tuned out even before pressing play on this record, after seeing that it was 1 hour and 13 minutes long. There are some interesting beats and rhythms throughout, but not enough to elevate this to anything above a 'meh.' It feels like an album that would only be good if you were already a hip-hop fan, or if you were someone who had some sort of nostalgia for Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan. I am neither of those, so I didn't care for this album much at all.
In z'n genre zal dit wel oké zijn, maar ik vind er niet veel van
I had trouble with this one. The beats were too monotonous and while the flow was alright, it was not really a stand out. This seems like a weaker Wu side project. On the surface this is fine, but I wouldn't say this is a top 1001 album. It's just sort of meh. Also, a lot of these lyrics have not aged well. Which is kind of normal for 90s hip hop. But the homophobia and misogyny was rather pronounced here.
This album is mid ya know what I'm sayin?
So long and just doesn’t stand out much.
A bit too rap for my liking
Just 90s rap lols
This was just not for me I guess. This wasn’t an enjoyable listen. It just felt boring. Most of the songs felt the same and blended into an hour and twenty minute slog fest. Trim half the songs to make it the best half and only forty minutes and I’d rate it higher.
Not for me but fine really
Not even that shit just so boring
I like Wu-Tang and the beats on this album but found the lyrics draining. It got boring fast with. Not for me
Meh. Didn't hate it but not something that appeals particularly either.
I like hiphop. I respect Raekwon and Tribe et al. But this was too too. Not for me.
Soild 90s rap album, just a bit long for me to fully enjoy. Would rather just listen to some Wu Tang.
The old college try.
Std rap álbum
not doing it for me
This album wasn't great... I liked the beats and sometimes the flow, but every some is, like, three minutes longer than it needs to be. Also don't really like half of the songs starting with a minute of talking. My favourite song was Heaven and Hell.
Respect this from a production standpoint (thanks RZA)- the western/kung fu samples are out in full force, and songs are woven together to keep a consistent energy throughout- but it’s ~20 mins longer than 36 Chambers and not as engaging to me. There’s definitely highlights, but “mafioso rap”, as Wikipedia described it, has generally been the hardest rap subgenre to get into for me. HL: “Criminology”, “Guillotine”, “Wu-Gambinos” March 23, 2023
eh....
i do find it amusing that inside of one week, i get two solo albums of wu-tang clan members when i hadn't gotten them before. i do enjoy other wu-tang clan members showing up in multiple songs! overall, i found myself unimpressed. some of these beats were absolutely great. i definitely think this album went for too long; i don't know why it is nine minutes over an hour. i can't comment on the fact if it was that influential or meaningful of an album. i don't know if it deserves a spot here. i suspect it's uncreative but not bad. i've definitely heard actual garbage on this list, and raekwon's only built 4 cuban linx was not garbage.
Apparently this is a Wu Tang week for me; first GZA, and now Raekwon. It is going to be hard for me not to compare, but I will do my best. As I understood it, this album was meant to play out like a film. I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but a lot of the background music and soundscape is what reminded me most of a movie. At times, what was going on in the background reminded me of film noir or even a Bond film. I can see where this album is regarded highly in the hip hop community. The style here is much more progressive and stands the test of time from a sound perspective than albums from other hip hop acts of the early 90s; this album sounds a lot like the kind of hip hop music that would become prominent into the 2000s. I didn't hate this, nut really, as someone who already has a very light, mostly non-existent relationship with hip hop music, this album was just too long and just not really my thing.
Decent gangster/mafia rap
Second wu tang/affiliate experience in as many weeks. Has the same dark energy issue I can't get around
I'm a Wu fan, but Raekwon while good has never been among my favorite. On this album he is consistently outshined by the features. RZA's beats are solid but not among his best. 2 plates of pasta for the Mafioso wannabe. 🍝🍝
Hip hop. Coñazo.
No
this definitely wasn’t the worst thing i’ve heard in my life but it wasn’t spectacular. i don’t love the little “side convos” if you will- it takes away from the experience and kinda ruins it. The actual rap was alright, a little aggressive to be honest, but eh.
ehh i know there's a big cult following around Wu Tang and the various acts (e.g. Raekwon) but this is not in my realm of favourite hip-hop styles; I'm much more inclined to love something more musical (e.g. Tribe Called Quest / Public Enemy) - this is way too attitude / gangster / guest feature-y for my taste. I don't love the actual rapping either - I suppose it's the style, maybe a little of the mix that makes it all a little less-clear. Then again I'm not that into the subject matter either so lack of clarity could be a feature. I'm not much of a skit fan at all either or with all the staged "conversations" - jeez guys just get on with it already, stop screwing around - stop playing with that 4 track and lay down a song dammit :P I'm not sure why I'm being so kind, I actually kind of hate this. Its laconic style and lack of absolutely anything catchy musically almost angers me. This album is just boring and tired and I found myself rolling my eyes multiple times, just get me to the end - it doesn't distinguish itself in any way from the better albums of the genre. Hard pass and the only thing keeping me from marking this a 1 is the existence of Lou Reed and a ton of shitty low-fi 90s rock on this list :P 3/10 2 stars.
Not a fan of rap, so this was really a drag (over an hour long). I could barely understand the words, so any political or social commentary was lost to me. Musically it's just meh.
Yes, I know this is an influential, some say one of the greatest hip hop albums. But I was just bored the whole time.
First reaction. Aw yeah! But then I forget that there's like 1:44 before anything of substance kicks in. I've never been a fan of skits on albums in anything but the comedy genre and the first track cuts a little close to that experience. There's a critique to be made of the lyrical content of this record, etc. but I'm not the audience Raekwon is speaking to, nor am I the content police today. When I focus on the delivery, the flow and beats I enjoy the album. I think I own it, even. But therein lies an ambivalence. It's not a record I return to with any kind of frequency anymore. It was never "a favorite" either, it's always been a Wu-Tang-along for me.
Well, it’s clearly too gangster for me but I did get into it at times - Criminology and Verbal Intercourse had good beats, for instance. I don’t know Wu-Tang well enough (or at all, really) to properly appreciate/differentiate their various guest spots.
Boring gangsta rap with gunshot and police sirens samples.
Pas vraiment de personnalité, beaucoup de violence.
Meh, je préfère ce qu'a fait Method Man ou encore Ol' Dirty Bastard. L'idée de faire comme si c'était un film est bonne, mais l'album est très long, j'ai perdu l'intérêt rapidement (sauf pour Wu-Gambinos qui rattrape un peu la fin). Encore une fois, j'aime les clins d'oeil au Wu-Tang et l'esprit de bande qu'ils ont tous sur leurs différents album. Je comprends qu'il figure sur la liste, mais je n'y reviendrai pas.
not great not terrible. ultimately not for me. 2.
OK, would not listen again
I want to like this, but it's just not doing a lot for me. long intros and skits don't help, but I understand it was part of the deal. 'Guillotine (Swordz)' was tight though.
Where's @BORT?
This isn't my kind of thing in general... but it's not too bad. Some nice beats in there.
I’m Fred Armisen in the hip hop episode of Portlandia, trying to learn the roots of the genre. Clueless.
Just before this one I listened to another WTC member solo album and gave it 3 stars because I didn't have the urge to skip songs (which is saying a lot for me for a hip-hop album). This one is also definitely not among the worse half of hip-hop albums I've heard. But I do still have the urge to skip songs and stop listening after a couple of tracks.
Mixing in R&B with hip hop and mixing male and female vocals was the variety that made the TLC album good. This Raekwon album shows us why variety is needed.
Not really my bag, some okay songs though
Didn’t really suck me in
Nope
Not really for me. Went on too long, not much light and shade, felt pretty generic rap.
hip hop.
🤷♂️
This is wasted on me. While some of the tunes are cleverly constructed I just don't like the rapping on most of them. Aside from one or two half decent tracks - Rainy Dayz, Glaciers of Ice, Heaven & Hell - this has just bored me silly.
I'll give it props for its production and beats. Very well done and suits the lyrics nicely. However I just couldn't get into it deeply as I would have liked to. Not one of the 18 tracks I listened to just then made me go "yes, that's the shit" or made my head bop.
Struggled a bit with this one tbh
2/5
Couldn't get into it.
I don’t think I’m the demographic.
Pretty hardcore and not quite my sound. It's well made, and his voice is super solid, but I don't like the vibe.
Ну ничего так. Не цепануло
There were some interesting and enjoyable musical and rhythmic moments. However, I found it mostly pretty unpleasant and distressing to listen to. I really had trouble finding a track that wasn't quite problematic to me.
This record stressed me out, I did not enjoy listening to it, and it was long.
Most of this album is too hard for me to vibe with, Guillotine was my favourite.
Went in with an open mind. Didn't love it, but I can appreciate some of it. The production is pretty terrible. 2/5 - Nah son.
Minimalistic production paired with easy-going bars. Nothing too memorable lyrics or backing-track wise, which is especially a disappointment for an album of this length.
Audição de album de rap não é pra mim.
A lot less appealing than a proper Wu album.
Rap concept album, very samey.
2/5 Do not really like the pre-2000’s rap
Hip-hop. Se me ha hecho pesado...
A rap album
I liked Wu-Tang Clan's work, in a group, and also the solo productions that I know. However, this one is a very bad job. I didn't like it at all.
Some 'songs' just sounded like recorded jam sessions. A couple good songs, but overall dislike it.
About halfway through. Not my cup of tea. Beats are ok, but I'm not getting the subject matter. Worthy of 2 stars.
I couldn't get through this album. There is a surprising amount of repetition of a few "choice" words. Some of the beats were okay, but the samples and repeated sounds weren't enough to draw me in. The background music of an old Nintento game can be catchy and intersting at some level, but why would I choose to listen to that for 70 minutes? That's how I feel about this album. This music wasn't for me. The music did not draw me in, and the lyrics pushed me away. I give you permission to skip this one too.
This just never hit for me
Nel... ya chole
Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention, but not sure much of this stood out to me! Perhaps it wasn't bad and I don't know rap well enough to differentiate what I do and don't like.
I found this quite hard to get through. It wasn't bad as such just felt long and I really hate those little skits of vocals they have between tracks on rap albums.
I've heard worse, but this one is not for me.
Just never got into Rap but I have a few groups I listen to. Not into the Mafioso or bravado stuff, more interested in interesting lyrics and creative use of the artform but this wouldn't be my thing. Definitely not a fan of the points where they're just talking, as it seems to go on too long.
Lo deje a medias. Quizá entendiendo las letras hubiese ganado, tampoco es que estuviese mal
Decent hip hop, not much else to say.
Apparently this is really popular amongst wu tang clan fans, though I got lost really quickly in the album. I guess narating hip-hop/rap is something I should listen more to.
not a fan, might come back to it.
This album has everything going for it with its ties to Wu Tang, but ai just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll come back to it one day
Kinda mid ngl
Not a big fan of this.
Ik kon mijn aandacht er niet bij houden. Weer zo'n WuTang-gevalletje.
hmmm Hiphop, niet echt iets waar ik veel mee kan, maar het was ook zeker niet heel slecht.
Kennelijk soloding van Wu Tang lid. Iets teveel 'yo yo', 'bro' en 'ho' en niet echt in de stemming hiervoor. Heb het dan ook maar kort geluisterd.
Heeeeel lang uitgesteld en nu uiteindelijk toch maar een keer aangezet. En mijn voorgevoel was correct: stoer doen. Heel stoer doen. Pief-paf-pow ik schiet jou jonge! 🥱
Ik werd gestoord van dat ge-nigger de hele tijd.
3/10.
I listened to this going to sleep. A wreak on my ears. Plenty of cussing
Yeah, son. I don’t know, son! Probably not really something I’ll listen to more than once, but what do I know, son?? Did he call himself “the Black Trump?” I wonder what the temperature is on that particular nickname at the moment. Son.
I just don’t get it
Definitely not my favorite genre, but I listened with an open mind. Didn't love it, but I can appreciate some of it. 2 stars.
Honestly it just didn't do it for me.
rap...
rap . old . nothing great . okish
Listened to about half, skipped through the rest. Okay, but percussion tracks really boring, and kick sounds like it's being amplified through a shitty sub in a lada riva and recorded from underneath the car using yoghurt pots and string instead of a mic.
Yeah nah
I'm so bored with rap now.
A lot of same same going on. Lyrics are very basic nonsense.
1/5
Not the sort of sounds I had hoped to be listening to in the car on our way home from a weekend away! For the sake of this whole venture I attempted to listen to some of this nevertheless once home. Since I couldn't get past 15 seconds of the first few tracks without being bombarded with swearing just for the sake of it and as I couldn't understand most of the other words used when dipping into several other tracks (probably fortunately!) I thought "what's the point". I'm clearly the wrong demographic for this sort of audio (I refuse to call it "music"). It gets close to making me physically ill to hear this though so please excuse another low rating and accept that for some people this is just totally off limits.
I didn’t enjoy this. It was really long (over an hour). I really like hip hop, but this is not my kind of hip hop. I didn’t find the songs entertaining.
2/10. No me gusta el rap yankee en general, menos si están todo el disco puteando y las bases son medio malas, el peor disco hasta ahora.
Orka ikke hele.
We tried listening to this three times. All three times we turned it off because it was horrible. I have no understanding as to why this was included in the list.
No thanks. I don't like most modern rap artists but what I hate even more is the older rap album from the 80s and 90s. I only listened to the first 4 or so tracks but I could just feel already that there wasn't going to be anything interesting for me here. Same beats with varying instruments which could be nice but his flow sounds the same for every song too. 1/5
More than an hour of pretty much the same song and trope rap. No thanks
This was a long album. Not my style. I found myself just trying to get through it.
Meh
1 - not for me
So this started off with a negative impression - the dialogue of the first track just babbling nonsense f this and n that. It then settled down some, more or less a mid-version of mid 90s west coast hip hop, at least as far as my less experienced ears are concerned (lots of tracks sound like that Snoop-Doggy-Daawgh song). So I’m waiting for something notable or interesting. And then a spoken track Shark N-word comes on and I last about 20 seconds. Record over, I’m done. Don’t need to hear anything more. I am far from a prude. And I think in certain setting language like that can be effective in conveying a certain emotion or make a point. But when you aren’t really saying nothing at all then why do it? It’s the equivalent of 13 year olds sitting around bragging about their Fortnight skills. Pure shit. And I refuse to listen to it. 1/5
Finns det noll på skalan?
Yeah I was not fcking with this one, ca tourne en rond, getting bored real fast with more than an hour of the same songs. You cannot stay on the same shouting tone for an hour, who can listen to this fully without having a seizure ? Trying to do and say way too much. Cover : It's not it
I’m not built for mumble-y, violent hop hop
This sort of album cover, complete with the "parental advisory" label, tends to be a fairly bad omen. Not to mention it's also terrible as a standalone piece of art. Do these guys think they look cool? Replacing "s" with "z" in the album title and several song titles is also dated and cringeworthy. Get better, Raekwon. It's pretty hilarious that "golden age hip-hop" artists are forced to add little whimsical semi-catchy elements to their music (such as the little keyboard licks in Knuckleheadz and Knowledge God, the vaguely melodic singing in Rainy Dayz covering that terrible screechy noise, the muted trumpet line in Verbal Intercourse...) to distract from the fact that the lyrics are the most horrific things ever uttered. "Yo, lay on the crime scene, sipping fine wines, pulling .9s on UFOs, taking they fly clothes, they eyes closed / We getting loot, no doubt, check the word of mouth / Unheard about, guns go off and now a murder route / I'm out, my raps play the part like a Get Smart secret agent." ...Okay? What am I supposed to do with this? Agree with it, and then get (rightfully) arrested for conspiracy to commit murder? Other than psychopaths, who the hell is supposed to relate to this? Not to mention the production is weak – particularly that of the percussion, which is far too compressed for its own good. I don't like the vocal delivery, either; "All bitches are the same, just like my hoes, you know / I keep 'em broke / Wake up one mornin' with some money / They're subject to go crazy you know? / I keep 'em lookin good, pretty and all that / You know, but no dough / When I get a bitch, I got a bitch." Holy shit. Put this misogynistic creep behind bars. Heaven & Hell is the strongest track here, because it actually sounds okay. But it's one of the few that does. I've been hijacking a lot of reviews lately. They speak my mind better than I ever could: "Too much aggressive fronting and misogyny for me this early in the morning. I cannot connect with or relate to any of this and the album artwork is an assault on my eyes." 1/5 Key tracks: Criminology, Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell
So flagrantly unappealing- non-melodious and repetitive, overlong and dated. The instrumentals were weak. The verses were so uncharismatic. The gimmick works when the entire WTC are together. Favoring one member over the rest results in tedious garbage like this
Not for me
So far, this is the second album I've listened to containing the f slur. Please tell me there aren't any more. Please. Why are albums filled with pure bigotry able to be considered the best albums of all time? Shit like this makes me almost want to quit this project.
That’s not music, that’s toilet noise.
This was very much not for me. I don’t enjoy this genre much regularly and this was no exception. I wanted to rate it higher, but even the beats and music were rather one-note and not interesting. I didn’t care for the lyrics. And it was entirely too long. 1/5
Not for me. Just don’t get it. 1
I don't know it, read top review. "mafioso rap"? Put in bin now to save time? No, I will listen, it might have music I like. (I don't automatically hate all gangsta rap - I can listen to eg drill when the music is good enough.) What I get hear seems like a lot of yelling in my face, without much music. This album is very, very rap oriented - I like my hip hop when music is a central part of the action (then lyrics I might like are a plus) - in this case I don't get much at all from the music, and the lyrics on this album are not remotely attractive to me. If you like Raekwon, you might like this, but for me it's Bad, 1/10.
Too much talking, then mediocre music. Even the decent songs are just insufferable (e.g Guillotine) 3/10
More gansta. Hate it. Next...
The Good: This is an album about building things! The Bad: That I have to tear it down… The Ugly: The rubble left behind… 5 days in a row that I will be giving a 1* rating… On a positive note, I’ve seen the album which I am supposed to listen to today, and I doubt that that one will get such a low rating… I hope. The weird thing is that I rated the freshman album by the WTC with one of my higher ratings for a hip-hop album, and to a certain extent I was curious when this album was presented yesterday morning… the curiosity faded away pretty fast. You’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all… If you like the style, you are happy, if you don’t, well then you give a 1* rating. That’s it, no need to keep reading further...
As all this rap is shoved down my throat in this 1001 challenge, the less I like it and this album in no exception. Yuck.
No stop this please. This whole 1001 albums thing started so promisingly. Hopefully this stream of dirge is just temporary.
Thought I’d like this. Turns out I didn’t
I had low expectations of this album and it met them. I don't get the glorification of guns, drugs and expletives.
To już za dużo jak ja moje uszy.
Is not for me
There was absolutely nothing here for me.
Rap = Boring samey old rubbish.
I’d like this more if there wasn’t 30-50 seconds of rambling before half the songs. Also got hella listening fatigue.
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. On the other hand, musicians often choose their own album covers. And when I look at this cover and consider the genre, which I dislike, I feel a strong aversion to even listening to this album. I'll spare myself that. Hip-hop isn't music. 1/5
Wu-Tang for never!
Didn’t get this at sll
Can’t get through this album fast enough.
1.0 Boring, obnoxious, generic, and it takes 1:15 to do it.
Fuck this shit
Dnf
Eighteen tracks is an endurance test I didn't sign up for, but the aggressive fronting just exhausted me before my coffee even kicked in. The misogyny is heavy and makes it impossible to connect with anything here. It’s loud, angry, and drags on forever. Even the aesthetic feels like an assault on my eyes. I have zero reason to ever hit play on this again. Just miserable. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Ice Cream
This album put the crap into rap how did this Album make it onto the list
My only exposure to anything involving Wu Tang Clan was the excellent Liquid Swords by GZA, which I gave a 4 but in hindsight should’ve been a 5, so I had pretty high expectations going into this. My God was I disappointed, I did not enjoy this in the slightest, it felt like it went on for an ETERNITY. For all I know this may be regarded as an all time rap classic but it wasn’t for me.
Le rap US, je ne peux pas.
only took about 30 seconds to hear the phrase "mutha f**ker" - turned it off.
Im not the target demographic for this
Why was this over an hour
Puhelaulu ei oo mun musaa yhtään. Tällä levyllä kiroillaan ja uhotaan liikaa jopa mulle. Ei valitettavasti ollut mun kuppi teetä, ei vaan maistu.
Not for me
East Coast HipHop celebrating aggressive fronting, misogyny and racism in a street like atmospheric texture with gritty drum loops.
Guess it seems crazy that I like a lot of rap from different decades, but for some reason I just can't get Wu-Tang. It all sounds the same to me. Know what I mean? Even though it says Raekwon, this is just another Wu-Tang project and it leaves me flat. Know what I mean? Musically, it doesn't bring anything new. Know what I mean? And the voices are gruff, sometimes mumbly and never very interesting. Know what I mean? Some folks like it and that's cool. But I just can't see what's there to get. Know what I mean? It's a 1 for me. Know what I mean?
Det her orkede jeg ikke mere end fem numre af. Kedelig rap.
This tired formula AGAIN? *Yawn* Debut rap album? Check. Runtime over an hour? Check. Weird intro track? Check. Stupid skits throughout? Check. Macho posturing? Check. More padding to write a book of 1,001 albums? Check.
Nope
*no music, just RAP and filthy language
Man. This one was so explicit it was hard to find a good time to listen to it. I think I'd give it 0 if I could.
Album 918 of 1089 Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995) Rating : 1 / 5 This one gave me just about everything I dislike in a lot of hip hop - the constant posturing, the machismo, and the overblown attitude that always seems to come with it. I tried to find something redeeming, but it just wasn’t there for me. I understand that it’s a landmark album for many fans of the genre, but for my taste, it was a tough listen from start to finish. Just not my thing at all.
Just awful. I dont like this type of music so am biased. But it's just unimaginative dross.
I listened to the original release, which is 17 tracks. If all the offensive words were removed from this album, then the album would only be 30 minutes. Seems like there haven’t been any hip hop albums on the list recently, so this one is a dramatic shift from the recent music we’ve heard. I just couldn’t be bothered to listen closely enough to follow the lyrics. Sorry Mr. Raekwon. The best part was the female singer, and even that was too repetitive, knowImsayin?
Gets extrememly close to being amazing, but the production is just lacking. I am sure this is considered a great album, but doesn’t do it for me. 1/10
hmmmm, wanted to like it but it became like too much text on the page and it just grays out . . .
DNF!
I got halfway through my second listen and decided I had heard enough. Meandering, unfocused, long, and unexciting. Hate to give it 1 star but I just did not like this album at all.
73 minutes of rap-profanity is not something I wish to experience again 0/5
Péssimo, odiei!
Incredibly boring.
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 ⭐️
Ein Platte, so schlecht wie Tasmania Berlin. Nimmt sie aus der Liste raus.
Not much of interest here. Musically basic and rhymes are not very interesting to me. 1.5 stars
Musikalsk siger det mig intet. Volds- og kriminalitetsforherligelsen i teksterne trækker yderligere ned
Not my cup of tea
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.
Not at all for me, son.
Nothing special here. No clue why it’s on here.
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 don’t like rap music
Why???
Terrible
Как для рэпа неплохо, но я такое не слушаю
A lot of talking. Repetitive and dull beats. Maybe make it shorter and then we can aim for a two star.
Awful.
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.
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.
This was so bad.