I am not a rap aficionado. Admittedly I am a dilettante. If I were an aficionado this album would be my number one album of the year. It is a masterpiece. Alas, metal and indie rock are my bread and butter and so this massive piece of work is where it is on the countdown and that may or may not be fair.
The basic facts of this album are this: Raekwon's "Only Built For Cuban Linx" is one of the greatest rap albums of all time by general consensus. So when the Chef made it known that the follow up was more than a rumor it was cause for both great trepidation and great anticipation; trepidation for fear that it would be a degradation of the original, and anticipation because, for gawd's sake, this was the follow up to one of the greatest rap albums of all time.
Some dreams do come true, and while "Only Built For Cuban Linx 2" doesn't necessarily top the original, it absolutely matches it ever step of the way, and that is all that anyone could ask for. Actually it is a hell of a lot more than anyone could ask for. "Cuban Linx 2" is a 22-song, nearly 80-minute slab that is one of the very few albums consistent enough to withstand that kind of epic trek. Masterful song after masterful song falls out of this thing.
"Cuban Linx 2" is also an important album, for reasons beyond the obvious. In fact, it may be the most important album of this year. Rae and his Wu-Tang Crew lay down the most massive narrative of ghetto life since N.W.A. raged out of Compton in the late 80s. Not surprisingly, this is a harrowing listen. Raekwon keeps it very very fucking real transmitting loud and clear the continuous ugly conclusion of racism in this alleged "post-racial" America. While the white American suburbanites who memorized every Easy-E to early Jay-Z rap have politely moved on from gangsta rap into dad rock and the occasional Rock Band/DJ Hero rendering of their favorite Wu-Tang song, real flesh and blood blacks are still slinging weed and crack to get by and getting capped every day in America. The Chef sings their laments throughout "Cuban Linx 2," since no one else seems to give a fuck. This is a cold dark album full of violence in the most unglorified manner.
"Cuban Linx 2" is the real black metal. Did I mention it was a masterpiece? Because it really is. And now I feel like an asshole for not making it my number one.
"Cold Outside"
Raekwon: House of Flying Daggers Official Music Video HD from Chain Gang Productions on Vimeo.
"House of Flying Daggers"
"Surgical Gloves"
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