Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Second wu tang/affiliate experience in as many weeks. Has the same dark energy issue I can't get around

one of the wu-tang guys old school hip-hop tons of skits for some reason

generally speaking i don’t love old school rap but this wasn’t bad!!

Tried to give this the benefit of the doubt, but nah, not for me, but then why would it be.

3.5/5. Pretty good 90s hip hop.

yoo

Dope we

This album changed my life. It was so aggressive and made me feel anger I've never felt before, so I went outside, punched a toddler and ended up in Police custody. I am writing this between my bail and sentencing date. Thanks a lot 1001 albums. See you on the other side.

Too cliche and reliant on Nbombs and misogyny imo, although not a bad listen as with most old school hip hop

very indifferent on this one

I wasn't expecting a Trump shout out. Was there a Trump shout-out? I don't fucking know. I'm tripping. On a goddamn school night no less. What has this trip taught me? I need to leave my wife. I'm leaving my wife. Maybe it's a Sunday night thing. Maybe it's this album. It's surely this album.

Chillll

Only Built 4/5 Cuban Linx

För långt men helt kiva

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.

Extra boring.

pusha t, freddie gibbs, griselda, or any other mafioso rapper would probably not exist if it wasn't for this album. the beats and the lyrics work so well together and i love the gritty atmosphere of all of it. despite this being a raekwon album though, i feel that the person who really takes the show is ghostface killah as he has the best verse on nearly every song on this album. but don't get me wrong, everyone on this album does great. there are still some problems i have with the album, namely some of the outros going on for too long and a lot of the homophobia as well. but despite that, this album definitely deserves it's classic status.

Filmiskt bra. Bättre än det mesta jag hört i genren. Men varför envisas de med samma versmått? Nog mycket därför jag inte är så förtjust i hippetihopp.

Hooklös enahanda nyoldschoolrap när det finns så mycket bra? Jag har väntat på första hiphopplattan och har en hel del förslag om de behöver.

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.

Pretty good, quite samey

zzzzzz

I don't listen to a lot of hip hop, but when I do... I want it to be hip hop like this. Love this era. Whether it's the more socially conscious stuff like Tribe or street-wise Wu it's just too damn good. boom

Yes, I know this is an influential, some say one of the greatest hip hop albums. But I was just bored the whole time.

I'm a sucker for 90s Wu Tang. RZA in a creative fever pitch. To me his beats are THE quintessential hip hop sound.

Points for the conceptual slant and the beats are great. Maybe it's my mood but the execution of everything didn't do as much for me as I wanted, but I can see why people love it.

🥷🏿

LP

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.

pretty cool album - 3 stars

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.

This and Liquid Swords are usually regarded as the best Wu-related solo albums. It's really good, but I personally prefer GZA's album over this one. Still good though.

Boring gangsta rap with gunshot and police sirens samples.

I had high expectation since most hip-hop album in the book are really great. It's unfortunately not as good as I though. A bit to repetitive

It's a good album, but my expectations were maybe too high considering the line-up on this. It's more average hip-hop than innovative or groundbreaking. The biggest concern is that IT'S TOO LONG WINDED.

Ooof, that was one, hard battle, to get through this album. It took less than 30 seconds into any of the songs, and my mind was drifting away. Not even a one beat or mix hooked me in, nothing seemed enjoyable or interesting. They style of rapping also wasn't my favourite, it was in fact a bit boring, I really couldn't focus on the lyrics that much. I have read about this album as being one of the best in Wu-Tang Clan's members solo career, and also very influential to new generation of hip-hop. Unfortunately, I couldn't see anything of value when listening to this record and all can I do is question the placement of it on this list.

Staten Island is really only good for two things - The mob, and the wu-tang. This kind of wraps up and connects all that shit into a modern gangster mobster rap 90s thing. Anyway, its a good album. 4/5

Grimy hip hop at its best - feels like steaming city sewers and darkened alley ways populated by Shaolin and Samurai - battling leather clad spiked epauletted hoodlums for street supremacy. It gets better the longer you listen to it - and while on first listen it might feel special - it’s a hauntingly awesome album with great beats and rhymes and deep cut hooks.

Pääsääntöisesti eu-tang on parempi osiensa summana, kun erikseen. Ei tää huono ollut muttei mitenkään erityinen mun korvaan. 3/4

Huh, julmetun kovat biitit jälleen RZA:lta. Teknisesti hyvää räbää myös, vaikka lyriikat aika lörs. Ehkä 3,5/5, mutta pyöristyköön ylös, kun tämmöiselle todella on paikkansa taustamusana. Säälihän se, että niin monessa musiikillisesti upeassa rap-klassikossa sanoja ei jaksa kuunnella.

Wu-Tangista tuttua laatua. 3/5 ei oo kuitenkaan mun genre

Old school hiphop, rene bars, chill beats, wu-tang-vibes

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.

Eh. A decent record.

Sounded good to me

ever heard this album before. Great stuff. Hard to top the beats and musical production on the stuff I've heard from Wu Tang members. Definitely on the "return to" list.

Raekwon was part of the Wu-Tang Clan, which is nothing to mess with

not great not terrible. ultimately not for me. 2.

My lack of appreciation for 90s hip hop continues to shine here. This sounds like wu tang man which is good but I’m having a hard time really connecting with the older sounding rap

It was a fine listen, run of the mill wu-tang affiliated project. Lots of Ghostface. Raekwon’s flow is gritty and harsh. The sparse sampling and simple beats was a nice touch. It was dope hearing some Method Man. It still fell flat with dumb skits and a few bloated tracks. I don't know if it’s better or worse than 26 Chambers, but it’s still worth a listen if you like slimy,NYC street rap.

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.

Idk kinda hit, sore throat td, nervous about apt, let’s chill

Not my cup of tea

i wanted more from this. its solid, well produced and well performed but there isn't enough of a reason for most of the tracks, i'm not saying there needs to be a massive chorus or hookline but a lot of them just were there. maybe the purpose is in the lyrics, but i'm not really one for prioritising lyrics over the music, and besides trying to listen to hip hop intently listening to lyrics would be some serious mental exercise due to the sheer quantity of words used and unreferenced slang.

Ripped my old woman a new arsehole whilst this played on the stereo. An exquisite Thursday afternoon. A noticeable smell of pussy was in the air and wide brimmed smiles were glued on the faces of all involved.

Where's @BORT?

It's Raekwon's name in big lettering on the front cover but this very much an introduction to the flourishing bromance between Rae and his former street rival Ghost Face Killah (former rivals to such an extent that Rae was the perpetrator that shot up Ghost's mom's apartment as mentioned at the start of this album). Both step up their game massively here, finding their voices individually, as a pair and as part of the wider Clan. As with Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) before it and Liquid Swords shortly after it, the album excels in creating its own unique world. In this case gritty neighbourhood street life is blown up into a widescreen mafioso world. The mafia trope has been revisited and mined to the point of cliché ever since by innumerous rappers, from Jay Z to Freddie Gibbs, but it was done first and done best here. The album's cinematic quality speaks to the rapid development of RZA's production skills from the grimy beats showcased in 36 Chambers which was released less than two years before. When there's conversations about the best producers in the game, it seems to get overlooked what a stupidly high level RZA was operating at in the early '90s. Not only was there constant quality, there was an absurd level of quantity. This is the second of three Wu Tang adjacent, RZA produced albums in 1995 alone and it is generally considered the best of the Clan members' solo efforts (although Liquid Swords just about edges it for me). With this album Wu Tang changed the game...AGAIN.

This isn't my kind of thing in general... but it's not too bad. Some nice beats in there.

Beats 5, lyrics 2, overall 3

Dope af

coolio

Pretty disappointed in this one. I found most of the songs to be quite bland and grating to listen to. Lack of any hooks or catchy melodies kind of just pulled me to sleep. 5/10

I did not listen to this album today, but since it released in 1995 I have listened to it too many times to count! Known as the "Purple Tape," this album not only is an important album for the Wu legacy but is also an important album for the whole hip-hop legacy.

I’m Fred Armisen in the hip hop episode of Portlandia, trying to learn the roots of the genre. Clueless.

I was only able to access a few songs, not the whole album. It was ok. It is good rap, but it is also rough on the ear drums

Was familiar with a few tracks. Holds together well as an album and has a distinctive sound that is Wu Tang-adjacent but breaks new ground.

Non è male, ma non riesco a seguire i testi. Bella 'Rainy Dayz', probabilmente per il feat con la voce femminile di Blue Raspberry

I fucking loved the Purple tape when I was 13. Loved it so much, my Dad took away my CD and told me to play something else. And it still hits hard, lyrics are dense and complex. Rae and Ghost are in their prime here, hitting every track with haymakers. Love Nas's guest appearance. This brought back a lot of memories.

There was some good stuff here but over all the album was bloated and would have been better with less. The spoken portions sound like false bravado and forced, but that's probably just my ignorant take. Ice Cream sounded delicious.

This is a great record, arguably the best Wu Tang "spin-off". It really only has one flaw: it's too damn long. I don't know precisely what I'd chop off of this album but as enjoyable as the songs are, fatigue sets in for real. It's a great record that I will certainly continue enjoying, but I prefer to do it as a sundae rather than an entire half gallon tub. Damn album's got ice cream on my brain.

Fresh lyrics

Is Raekwon the most boring member of the Wu-Tang Clan? All signs (including this album) point to yes. Best track: Criminology

Not my preferred style. Put together very well.

Rap, but I liked it more than I thought that I would.

Not my favorite solo wu album but super solid

Classic! Raekwon is one of my favorite emcees. Time for another listen.

Ugh. No, i just can’t get into rap as a form of music.

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.

It's not bad, I hadn't heard of these guys before, but very similar to the rap I grew up with.

Another dreadful album being offered to me. Not even a genre classic

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 my style but it's good

Solid but dated.

Rubbish.

fever dream 90s hiphop. like a road trip that's slightly too long

Lot of good songs that make this 4 rather than 3.

The peak of Wu-Tang shone brighter than the sun in the mid-90s. The fact that multiple albums were lost when Rza's studio flooded likely means that there were more albums of this level of quality that the world never got to hear. Can't spend your time thinking about might-have-beens, though. Built for Cuban Linx is one of those albums that I had heard about for a long time before I listened to it. On it's face it seemed like a strange thing. Raekwon didn't go on to the level of success that other member of the clan did, so it was hard to believe that one of the best solo albums came from an artist who isn't in the top 5 most highly regarded members of the original Wu-Tang clan. When you put this album on, it seems baffling that Raekwon didn't manage to break through to the main stream. So much of what made 36 Chambers great is here, the samples that only seem to work through a form of alchemy, the lyrical storytelling, tracks filled with different voices that come together in a powerful way. Cuban Linx is incredible, right from the first song. I'm not in love with the skits between the songs, but that's how things were back then, and it does work well with the cinematic approach to the lyrics. 5/5 An absolute classic

For some reason this album gets loads of plaudits from the same type of hip hop fan who bang on about Illmatic. It's actually one of the weaker early Wu-tang efforts whilst still having the identity and enough strong tunes and production to drive it.

Not sure how this is one of 1001...

Not really my bag, some okay songs though

Didn’t really suck me in

Nope, I still can’t stand hip hop. And while I don’t mind swearing, and practice the practice a lot, it does feel like a kitten dies each time this singer utters another salvo of unnecessary swears.

Nope

For the most part the production is great. The album is a bit too long for my liking, however it's pretty damn solid. I liked more songs than I disliked, so that's a win in my book. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I'll happily round up to 4.

A classic 90s rap album. Raekwon created a great solo album to show his skills outside of Wu Tang. While still heavy with Wu Tang members. This albums shows Kwons strong lyricism and good selection with beats. The album is a real street style rap that gives a look to Raekwons insight. One of the better solo albums from Wu. This is a great rap album that’s easy to listen to. 7.7/10

East Coast Hip hop for a long time

Pretty good and emblematic of the era. I spent about half the album thinking it came out in *1985* and was VERY IMPRESSED. 1995 is more sensical. I like it and would listen again, but also was not totally swayed by it.

I thought it was decent but nothing gamechanging. I liked all the Wu cameos. Especially Ghostface was all over the album. Is this the original version of the rapper/mobster/villain/mastermind persona?

Rap. I always have a problem because rap is not a genre I listen to. The skits are annoying. The samples are fresh and sparse. The F-Ratr is v high. Lots of lyrics about tough life in the street. The album is also way too long . Some of th be tracks are kinda pleasing. 3

The offbeat samples (some syrupy – almost woozy – classical strings, old movie soundtracks, eerily repeating bells over simple drum tracks, classic soul) make the record, but maybe don’t make it quite the cinematic or novelistic experience its creators intended. Does this record reflect the height of gangsta’s baroque period? Still, it’s an interesting listen.

Few decent songs, but just couldn't get fully into it.

Great album, the length was definitely an issue, the songs are all classic.

Not really for me. Went on too long, not much light and shade, felt pretty generic rap.

It's not a hiphop subgenre I listen to that much, but it's alright. It's too much to listen to an hour of though

I just love this type of rap

hip hop.

It sounds like they were learning how to use the recording equipment as they were recording and decided to release the results. It also sounds like the recording sessions didn't go so well as there was a lot of swearing and anger captured. It also sounds like the kid brother was messing around on the keyboards. I think this pissed big brother off because there was lots of ranting. But kid brother kept on playing. And they kept on recording. And they kept on swearing. And so on. Meanwhile, just outside the studio, the Russian's have invaded so there is the occasional sound of gunfire and the rumble of tanks in the background. As a result the city has just began a lockdown, so the hero's in our story are trapped. Giving the perfect excuse to keep recording. They might well be annoying the neighbours. But then so are the Russians. But who is going to complain when the have AK-47s, a MIG and T72s and you have a super soaker filled with yesterday's bathwater, a gone off scone (aka a rock cake) and a six pack (of eggs). Finally the Russians gave reached the studio door. There's chaos, there's smoke, there's pandemonium but thankfully the end of the recording session is in sight. Following this there's lots of people on there knees, pleading. "Please, take anything, take our lives but please don't steal the tapes for our masterpiece". There's good shit and there's bad shit. Then there's the kind of shit you want to not step on and walk around it. There is also the kind of shit you just need to flush down the the toilet because it smells like .....shit. There's shit and then there's shit. Oh and my train has just pulled in to it's final destination. Have a nice day y'all.

The kind of hip hop I don’t like

I started listening to this album thinking oh here we go again, gangsters and hos from one of the ol Wu Tang lot. But by the end I was hooked, what Raekwon did was take those dissonant and melancholy sounds married to some beats and spoke elegantly to it all. It was like a hip hopera the highs and lows. Dirty deals and need to succeed and get out. And while the lyrics were no Gill Scott Heron they were right and concise. Yes this was very good well done Raekwon from 2 decades ago.

Mixed bag for me. By the end I was coming to appreciate it a bit more but mostly it just seemed a bit of a mess

A lovely accompaniment to the Wu Tang docudrama on Disney+ It's all guns, bitches and homophobia, which is not my jam. One liners in foreign slang with great rhythms and samples does tick my boxes though.

🤷‍♂️

Well, if that isn't another hip hop album. Just add it to the pile. 1/5

18 tracks, are you kidding me?! That's too much. 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. Do not like.

You've heard one W-Tang related album you've heard them all. Lyrically and musically tedious. Probably the least talented of the Clan?

When Raekwon and Ghost Face Killah conclude on this LP’s closer, ‘What do you believe in? heaven or hell? You don’t believe in heaven cause we’re living in hell,’ I believe it. 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' features heavenly talent traveling through hellish scenarios, the stuff of which this genre of rap is known for: violence (both on the street but also the lauding of gangsters and the martial arts), materialism, drug (soft and hard) and alcohol use. Words tumble out of the lyrically prolific Raekwon like a pair of dice tossed in desperate hope against an alley wall. Each song is a little vignette into the world in which he and his crew (an array of hip hop artists including several members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Blue Rasberry) live and move. I was surprised, pleasantly, at the minimalist background instruments and samples, often only a simple drum beat, one or few notes played repeatedly on the piano, and a simple synthesized string part. Some rap can get a little too busy, over produced. 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’s' space was much more Spartan in its delivery, or perhaps, more appropriately, Zen Buddhist (in the aesthetic sense rather than as a lifestyle.) From the git-go Raekwon is self-admittedly ‘Striving for Perfection,’ and claims he’s going to give this one last shot, and is encouraged by his crew to ‘Keep our heads up.’ ‘Let’s do it,’ Raekwon announces, with nothing left but conviction, confession, and talent, qualities the denizens of heaven share themselves. In addition to the circumstantial hell Raekwon finds himself in, might it be helpful for him (and us) to further consider just how much of that hell is self-imposed?

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.

It's not for me, but I'm not the target audience. I didn't mind Knuckleheadz, and North Star but didn't dig too deep into any of the songs.

Raekwon definitely goes for the throat of the entire New York scene here. Ghostface features on this and his touches are well paced and perfectly placed.

Kolejne wutangowe zaskoczenie na liscie, tym razem padlo na debiutancki material Raekwona, czyli only build 4 cuban linx niggaz z roku 95, znany takze jako purpurowa tasma, bo pan Raekwon jak przystalo na jednego z bardziej gangsterskich czlonkow skladu chcial czyms wyroznic swoj towar, wiec kasetka byla kolorowa, podobnie jak na innych materialach ekipy piecze nad produkcja sprawuje pan RZA, a wsrod ficzurow mozna znalezc wiekszosc skladu, z mocnym naciskiem na pana Ghostface, ktory jest druga gwiazda krazka pojawiajaca sie na prawie kazdym utworze, album opowiada historie gettowego zycia wsrod przestepczosci zorganizowanej i dazenia do lepszego zycia dwoch chlopow, a to wszystko opowiedziane ciezkim flow nafaszerowanym slowami zagadkami odnoszacymi sie do piecoprocentowcow, album ten mial byc punktem w ktorym do zycia wrocil mafijny rap na wschodnim wybrzezu, jak chocby debiut pana Jaya czy zycie po smierci Biggiego grubo czerpia z cubanowych linxow, a jest z czego zbierac notatki, bo plyta ma prawie 70 minut na 18 trakach lub 16 odejmujac dwa skity, jest to chyba najbardziej chambersowo brzmiacy album wsrod solowej dyskografii czlonkow grupy, beaty brzmia rownie brudno jak na pierwszych komnatach, chociaz mniej jest samplowania wschodnich filmow, to jednak calosc brzmi rownie szorstko, na plejke raczej nic nie dodaje, bo i tak juz szesc trakow mam, ale hajlajtowymi momentami jak dla mnie to ficzur inspektora decka, wiec guillotine, verbal intercourse, ktory jest jednym z niewielu utworow z kims z poza klanu, bo na beacie pojawia sie pan Nas, ciezko wybrac ostatniego, bo choc materialu jest sporo to jest on rowny i nie czuc filerow, a RZA na produkcji sie nigdy nie nudzi, bo potrafi on wyczarowac harde boom bapowe beaty, ale tez cos prawie funkowego z klawiszami, organami, ktore tworza linie basowa, a do tego wokale rodem z r&b, ktore zamykaja kompozycje, jak ma to miejsce na traku heaven and hell, ktory jest przed ostatnim lub ostatnim utworem plyty i jest dobrym zakonczeniem tego jakze filmowego winylaka, zaraz sie okaze, ze to wu tangi beda liderami w ilosci pozycji na liscie, jesli zliczyc materialy solowe grupy razem, byloby to mile zaskoczenie

Horrible. 1/5

Don't like anything with the "F" word.

Yeah the beats and flow are pretty good, almost like another Wu album as so many end up on here. Solid rap album.

Thumping beats, coke slinging rap, classic soul samples, RZA creating that dark, dark mood and Ghostface and Raekwon spitting darts. This is grade A stuff. Like a movie for your ears.

Добротный прямолинейный альбом, образец олдскульного звучания, нотки которого в русском рэпе можно было слышать и в середине десятых годов.

Exactly what I imagine this to sound like.

cool

First listen to this, Good among other albums of the time, but not really for me. Favourites: "Knuckleheadz", "Ice Cream", "Heaven & Hell"

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.

A solid album brought down by the annoying 90s-era shtick of "skits" throughout the album.

Didn't leave much of an impression on me

Did not like

While I love that 90's hip hop, there was way too much talking on this album and worse, a lot of it was on songs that also were singing so there would be a minute or two of a skit that would also have a song which I didn't like.

"I am your Ghost and your Rae, this is my Purple Tape." Pusha T's shoutout to this album, a staple of the classic Wu-Tang era. It's often called the Purple Tape because, well, it was released on a purple cassette tape. Just like Liquid Swords, this is one of the solo outings from Wu-Tang that I prefer to their group work (even though this feels like a group project at times). Ghostface is a frequent presence, and there are excellent features from the likes of Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and GZA. I think Cappa Donna's feature sounded like Phife to me, and Raekwon almost sounds like MF DOOM a few times on here. I love this vintage hip hop that feels dark and gritty, that energy ages well. I don't know what to say other than I really, really dig this and a lot of the tracks on it. Any hip hop on this list is a breath of fresh air, but this one is especially nice. Favorite tracks: Guillotine, Glaciers of Ice, Ice Cream, Knowledge God, Knuckleheadz, Spot Rusherz, Rainy Dayz. Album art: Seemingly just a picture of Raekwon and Ghostface, nothing too special. The color scheme and the matching text has given this a permanent feel, and I think it has become instantly recognizable. Still, I do think it's a pretty weak cover. Almost hot to the touch, but nothing crazy. 4.5/5

Slaps hard

Rating: 7/10

Good beats, fun and sometimes recognizable samples, solid rapping.

Definitely one of the best solo Wu-Tang albums. I'm not huge on gangsta rap but this album is one of the ones I like more than most. Some amazing beats and raps that flow perfectly with them.

Struggled a bit with this one tbh

2/5

70 minutes of boredom. The beats and background samples are numbingly repetitive and snooze inducing.

Four stars An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own many years after it was released. The only grudge I have against this album is that it's too long compared to other early Wu-Tang solo outputs such as Genius/GZA's *Liquid Swords* or Method Man's *Tical*, which are straight to the point and offer a more rewarding experience on the whole. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. *Only Built For Cuban Linx* is just a timeless gem for anyone who has even a remote interest in rap and hip hop. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 952 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 22 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 12 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 15

Chop this in half an it’s a easy 4 stars, but it couldn’t hold my interest for over an hour. I like RZA’s production but it gets repetitive after a while and even ghostface’s Gousto can’t elevate any tracks to really stand out . I really like Wu Tang but this feels a bit boring and bloated.

Really fantastic stuff here.

Catchy, groovy, through and through. Thought I would like it after “Tical” and was happy to be right.

Couldn't get into it.

I don’t think I’m the demographic.

Most of the beats are really boring or just plain bad, and just gets tiring to listen to over and over again for 5 minutes, with no variation. When you reuse a 5 second loop for 5-7 minutes straight, you can at least make it a bit pleasing to listen to. I'll never forget when I first saw Wu-Tang at a festival, worst performers I'd seen and the fans were infinitely worse. Love their incorporation of little snippets of sound from movies and other media to represent their own vision of being fighters in their own life. But the execution is so off that I can't bump it up because of that. 1

The cover plus the fact that it is 18 explicit songs in a row let me know what I'm in for. I don't know any Wu Tang, not that I've been avoiding them, I'm just a white girl from suburbia. But this project has exposed me to several hip hop albums I've enjoyed so I've got my mind open. ...and we're off to a rough start. Ooof I am not the intended audience. They clearly aren't serious, by which I mean the lyrics aren't autobiographical or aspirational, more like a rock opera. Which I can certainly respect. The songs are all of a piece and flow remarkably well. I respect the accomplishment. But I'm unlikely to listen again.

I need to listen to more Wu-tang

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.

First listen for this album. Definitely one that benefits from repeated listens for me, and focused listens at that. Today, I could only make time for two run-throughs...it is a little long (not just in literal minutes). I like the beats and the production level is top notch. The repetition of the lyrical themes left me wanting something a bit more, though. I could see coming back to this in the future, but I am not sure when that might be...would probably spend the time with Wu-Tang directly.

This record stressed me out, I did not enjoy listening to it, and it was long.

This album is “Only Built for Cuban Linx” - so as an interloper here do not feel like I can comment in much of a meaningful way on this. It has a cinematic approach to rap with dialogue and quotes sprinkled throughout and a guest-starring credit on the cover. The original last song “Heaven and Hell” sounds like the credits should be rolling over the end of it. I was thankful for the variety as this had a pretty long runtime. The production level seemed high to me. As is often the case in this genre, the lyrics often make me cringe and I’m never sure how offended I should be. I’m on the outside looking in at something I don’t, maybe can’t and probably shouldn’t understand.

I love the dark, grimey sound across this record. It might not be my favorite Wu album, but it's definitely up there.

Some of that classic grimy east coast hip hop. Raekwon floats over RZAs production and the Wu Tang features just add to the feel. So much influence from this album on late 90s/early 00s hip hop with the mafioso wave.

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.

Sure.

Solid, didn't love it

It’s hard not to think of this album as a Wu Tang Clan album with its cinematic interludes and mafioso centric themes. RZA’s production is phenomenal and Raekwon’s vocal performance with its dynamic flow and shifting rhythms make this album stand out and place it in the upper echelons of 90s east coast rap. I loved this album.

“Essential listening for anyone interested in the Wu-Tang Clan.” Not me, then.

No me interesa

Absolutely fantastic. Love everything Wu

I can see how it has influenced other rap albums in the 2000s

Meh. A bit like that recent Wu Tang album but less interesting and even more like a couple of stoners mumbling over some beats.

A lot less appealing than a proper Wu album.

Nope

It's like a what-not-to-do-90s-rap-album. Too many skits, bad tracks, nothing going on. Boring repetitive guff.

-Nice flow in "Guillotine" and "Incarcerated Scarfaces" for like a shirt amount of time -"Ice Cream" has a cool voice at the beginning -Just a not interesting rap album

Wie der Ghost Dog Soundtrack 3.4

Alright, this works. Aggressive but this would be great to work out to, if I did that.

Like a fat man struggling to buckle his seat belt, the first few tracks just couldn’t click for me. But by Criminology we were off on an amazing and thrilling ride, all the way through Ice Cream, at which point it ran out of gas fast. If this was just track 4-15 it might even be in the running for a 5, but the bloat surrounding it drags it down so hard.

The big standout here is RZA, whose production maintains such a rock solid ambience for Ghostface and Raekwon to play around in. Raekwon and Ghostface are definitely delivering bars, but unfortunately something about Ghostface's vocal delivery is just not my favorite. I respect the differentiation, but it still sticks out enough to drop down a star for me.

Really not for me

Rap concept album, very samey.

2/5 Do not really like the pre-2000’s rap

Hip-hop. Se me ha hecho pesado...

Competent and pretty enjoyable on the whole. But also unremarkable. Too long and samey and full of ridiculous skits

A rap album

Vocally and technically on point throughout - nothing bad on it and enjoyable but equally nothing stands out

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.

Hip-hop en estado puro. Sin trampa ni cartón. Parecido a otros discos del mismo estilo. Poco innovador. Se deja escuchar, porque tampoco es excesivamente agresivo.

46 year old white male, hard for me to relate. Just not for me.

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.

A lot better than expected! Again, I do have...opinions when it comes to rap and hip-hop, but I like to think my tastes are malleable and not super stagnant. Anyway, I could not get over how much I loved the hooks and the beats. I wasn't paying that much attention to the lyrics, I'll admit that.

This just never hit for me

An album i know very very well. I grew up with this one. Criminology, Rainy dayz, Guillotine, Verbal intercourse, Glaciers of ice, Ice cream, Heaven and Hell, are all 100% absolute classics, some of the best hip hop ever made. The rest is made up of prime Wu Tang era production, with the two best rappers from the crew. Putting this alongside Ironman, Liquid Swords and Tical, all released within the same few years, is peak Wu Tang.

Not a fan. 1/5 stars.

August 31, 2021 I really did not enjoy this - it was very long and while the production was good this is not my style of music at all. It just felt like over an hour of either aggressive posturing or misogyny.

Nomesayin

Caught between 4 and 5 for this. Love the production, love the rapping and overall vibe. But.. I didn't feel like it was one that I will return to very regularly unlike the other 5s. Sorry Chef.

A tight album. Some really great bars are on here, and I love the use of samples.

Not for me. Not my genre.

Podría no existir y no pasa nada.

Nel... ya chole

Asking me to review a rap album is just looking for trouble given my almost complete lack of experience with the genre, but since it's requested I'll take it seriously. The first thing that stands out to me is the length of the album which is normally a red flag. Few artists can really fill over an hour of space without a lot of filler or underproduced tracks but in this case it feels like it really points to what I found to be the real strength of the album, the production. While I think it's a slightly weaker back half, it's not by much and closes strong. The album also flows really well for all that space. I think this particularly shows in verses where multiple rappers are layered on top of one another. With less care to the mix it would be easy for the lyrics to get jumbled or lost but everything is really deftly crafted in a way that really enhances each section. Lyrically I found parts of the album to be a bit corny but mostly in a charming way. It also felt like ideas were repeated a bit *too* often across tracks, but the style and flow of the lyrics are really well done so the content being a bit repetitive really didnt become a bother. I still cant say I know much about the genre or that it's something I would sit down and listen to beginning to end regularly, but there's a huge amount of talent here that is impossible to ignore and not appreciate.

This was not for me, but it wasn't terrible.

I usually don’t care for English rap lyrics or pay close attention to them. For this album I read along and can appreciate them on a technical level. Everything else is excellent.

I wanna learn the special technique of shadowboxing

One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time and the absolute pinnacle of cocaine rap. Still sounds as fresh as the first time I heard it. An almost flawless album, the one minor flaw being the amount of skits.

I don’t care about Scarface that much.

Lyrically dense, loosely cinematic, and a showcase for almost every single member of the Clan, Cuban Linx is possibly the definitive Wu-Tang album. Rae and Ghost (plus RZA's production) are undoubtedly the stars here, but the features are the record's crown jewel: Inspectah Deck comes through with one of his all-time verses (second only to Triumph), Nas delivers what feels like a refined sequel to his legendary intro from Live at the Barbeque, and even Blue Raspberry's vocals provide a welcome contrast to the rugged coke rhymes that permeate the album. Repeated listens over the years trained me to skip over the skits, but on this revisiting I came to appreciate how they set the stage for the tracks they precede—the intro is a primer for both the album as a whole as well as the heist Ghost describes so vividly in Knuckleheadz, and the scuffle at the start of Can It Be's remix feels like an appropriate companion to his following verse ("Opened flesh, burgundy blood colored my Guess"). You could easily drop the whinging about the Ready to Die album cover, though. Key Tracks: Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Wu-Gambinos

it's Cuban Linx. best song: all of them

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.

This was ok - it's not something I usually listen to so not sure if it's good or bad in that genre but I enjoyed it

good but I lost interested quickly. could’ve really benefited from some more female features.

I've heard worse, but this one is not for me.

No lo conocia. Es rap/R&B bien noventoso,onda chill y super escuchable a pesar de que son 18 tracks de 5 min promedio jaja. El tema Guillotine esta bueno. Las bases estan muy bien

The album draws picture of the violent street life, with colloquial dialogues between Raekwon and Ghostface Killah that introduce the various themes as if they were interviewed for a documentary. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: Ice Cream

I kinda like the overblown mafioso approach taken here, and as always like the Wu Tang sprinkling of kung fu movie samples. Found the homophobia pretty grating, though - are the regular Wu Tang records this bad for it, and I just never noticed!? Fave track - "Heaven & Hell", I guess. There wasn't really any particular track that stood out...

I'm sure fans can point out the ways this is different than a Wu-Tang album, but it has the whole group and seems same-y to me. Not my favourite.

Pretty awesome tracks with a couple lukewarm ones. RZA really shows off his production skills entirely in this album, whereas albums like 36 Chambers or Liquid Swords are built a lot on the rapping and beats. Raekwon really imposes a lot of help from Ghost, and most of the good songs use him. The features on here are crazy too. GZA, Deck, & Nas all kill their parts. Overall a tiny big bloated but great nontheless 8/10 As of July 13th 2021 Best Tracks: Striving For Perfection, Knuckleheadz, Knowledge God, Criminology, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Heaven & Hell

This was a good chance for me to branch out and listen to more hip hop.

Surprisingly good, I'm far away from the target audience but an enjoyable if overlong album.

Ice cream makes it an automatic classic. 2nd favourite solo wu-tang album. Some of RZA's best production moments imo, but overall lacks a bit of the individuality and oomph I wanted.

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.

Pretty enjoyable hip-hop album. Enjoyed all of it. Will revisit which is a good sign. 3 🌟

Chacho es que hay mucho menda tocho en este álbum, Nas, medio Wu Tang clan ahí metido. Vale, la movida es que es hip hop cubano... Yo poco más tengo que decir... Me la agarras con la mano si acaso. Me han molado muchas canciones del álbum, osea no es una joya, pero esta guapo y bueno al final hay que respetar los rangos, esta gente son padres de muchas cosas. Mi favorita diría que es Heaven & hell, es bastante big stoner energy y luego la peor diría que es Criminology quizás porque la base me raya demasiado. Pues yo que se peña, ganó Raek. Fuck raperos Pirris con swing. Bobby out

It was a good album, but I think the sound is kind of dated. It had some nice beats, but many songs started to sound the same with the same cadence and rapping style.

No me emociona el hiphop pero este está bastante de chill, not bad, pero por algo es disco de platino y con el panorama de la época la verdad es que tuvo que llamar la atención

Lo deje a medias. Quizá entendiendo las letras hubiese ganado, tampoco es que estuviese mal

Menuda racha de recomendarme porquería...

Man what a great album!

klassischer hiphop der 90 mit leichten snoop dog vibes

5/5 - Awesome

A decent hip-hop record. Something I would put up as background music because the lyrics, instrumentals, and flow are pretty great, but its not substantive enough for me to actively listen to it. 3/5.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. I haven't heard too much rap so this was a good start.

First mainstream "mafioso" album still feels as enthralling today as it did when it was thrust to the forefront of hip hop with this. It's a bit punishing as a rap album clocking in at almost 70 minutes but Raekwon's persona looming large and being engaging enough alongside Ghostface Killa makes it work. It's an important and incredibly influential album with plenty left to still engage with.

Not my thing...

Kept waiting for a song to sound like a hit, but they all sound basically the same, and that sound is not interesting

Very aggressive, old school type of sound. I would expect nothing less from a WTC member. I love hip hop, and I really like Wu Tang, but I just did not vibe with this album. I found the samples grating, I thought the songs seemed repetitive and similar.... it just wasn't my thing. Giving it 3 stars because the lyricism was still excellent.

Heard it before, issa classic

This'll be interesting. This is pretty boring. Trying to understand how it is on 1,001 albums to listen to before you die. The interludes are annoying. Some songs are better than others but overall nothing really to write home about.

Great beats and lyrics. Some great hip hop songs. I could do without the narrations in between songs.

Didn’t enjoy

banger shittt

Couldn't get hooked by this one at all. Started out strong at the top, setting me up for a concept album about a guy doing what he had to to get his family out of the life. But then it was a lot of gats and bitches and... blargh. Sounds pretty generic to me.

Did not listen entirely; not a fan of rap

Legendaran album. Top 5, ako ne i top 3 najboljih Wu Tang solo albuma. Raekwon the Chef je pokido, odlični featuringi, jedino eventualno da je skratio priču doslovce, ali valjda to ide najbolje uz taj mafioso stil.

Didnt listen the whole way through, but a decent list for what I listened to

schöner klassicher 90er Rap, eindeutiger WuTang Einschlag

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.

Enjoyed listening to the album while it was on, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to listen to it again.

I hadn't heard of the artist or album, but so glad I've been introduced to it. Great beats and super-catchy rhythms, and I plan to listen to it a few times again to really dive more deeply into the lyrics.

I can't believe I'd never heard this before. Wu Tang.

yuck, crap.. TERRIBLE

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

1st track only

This album is pretty bad, you know what I mean? Like, I read the wiki and it was clearly not meant for me. Judging by the number of dislikes on youtube, I guess others don't like it as well, do you know what I mean. Yeah this album doesn't have memorable songs - the best one is about ice cream or something you know what I mean? and how about that "song" that's just two dudes smoking and drinking and saying you know what I mean repeatedly, you know what I mean? You know what I mean! You know, What I mean is you know what I mean. You know?

Kinda mid ngl

Great rap album with good producing, lyrics, flows, everything you can expect from Raekwon. Great features over the whole album that keep it interesting. I always liked this album one of my favs in the genre 8.7/10

p good

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.

Wel goeie hip hop maar ik luister niet naar veel hip hop

8/10. This is really good, great lyrics and production throughout. Loses points because i think trimming it down by 10-15 minutes would have made it stronger, and the conversational interludes didn't really add much.

3/10.

Good production v similar to Wu Tang. Bit too long

Absolutely not for me

Quite an exhausting listen, and I'm still someone who struggles with all the interstitial skits that pepper hip hop albums, but the music itself? Quality. A fairly murky and morose album, but Raekwon's lyrical facility is superb; both he and Ghostface Killa are all over those dusty Wu-style beats.

Really good, slightly too long. 8

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

All time classic, lyricism invented

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.

Another one I can’t really relate to, but understand it. Musically it’s got some good production and some interesting samples. Also some corny skits.

8.5

Crap. Know what I’m saying’? Yo!

Honestly it just didn't do it for me.

rap...

Not my favorite member of the Wu-tang clan, but the lyricism is undeniable. It is laced with a significant amount of homophobia and misogyny, but I accept that a bit of that came with the time. Good beats, but a little too long to maintain my interest.

Pretty good but not my thing

3.5! Solid.

One of the first rap albums I loved.

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.

Classic and amazing

Very consistent, good beat choice, amazing features 8,6/10

Bad run again at the moment.