2. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
Fucking finally. This could have easily been a cynical ploy for money or an ill-fated stab at ’90s rap heyday nostalgia, but instead it’s the colossal banger that we all wanted but never really thought we’d ever get. Seriously, when the fuck does that ever happen? Raekwon’s New York powder war narratives and Mafioso raps are as sharp and vitriolic as ever, full of venom and flying daggers. The same could be said for Ghostface Killah, his partner-in-crime and the frenetic spitfire ying to Rae’s tempered, icy growl yang. In fact, everything here seems to be ferociously on point, from the deluge of grimy, cinematic beats to the impressive assembly line of producers, Wu-Tang affiliates, and guest emcees that inhabit the album like so many street soldiers lying in wait. To say OBFCLII surpasses the original classic would be blasphemy in some circles but it comes pretty fucking close, and that speaks volumes about just how gritty and dynamic this album really is. Raekwon’s always been a master storyteller, but here his tales of crime, drugs, poverty, and violence seem to have hardened and crystallized into something deeper and more meaningful than the usual ego chest-thumping and “I keeps it real” braggadocio. This is the voice of a man filled with resignation, one who’s witnessed the bitter tragedies of street life and survived to tell the story.
More Info:
MySpace: www.myspace.com/raekwon
Twitter: www.twitter.com/raekwonicewater
Nice list, love that fucking Future of the Left. Totally tits. Not buying that Puscifer shit, though. Weak.
excellent list for the most part. i whole heartedly agree with number one. my future ex-wife.
p.s.
pucifer is garbage. i want to fight maynard.
Yo Noose,
Why you hating on my man? You just can’t deal with the prog-rock.
it’s not so much the prog, as it is music that i can’t remember. and the over produced, over effected non-chorus having crap. P. U.
“jupiter” is one of my favorite records of all time, and it’s uber prog.
in your face!
I hear you, Cinn-Sen, especially on the later albums. I actually thought the first few Tool albums and all the A Perfect Circle stuff was really catchy in its way. “Jupiter” was/is pretty fucking fresh.
Fight Amp, Future Of The Left and Converge! Woo-hoo!