Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
RaekwonAsking 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.