From the release of Wu-Tang Forever to the release of 8 Diagrams, the Wu-Tang Clan and its members have released 30+ albums, only 3 of which have captured the same energy of the group at their height: No Said Date, Fishscale and Supreme Clientele. With 8 Diagrams in 2007 we were given a completely different sound from the Clan and what seemed to be a return to form. Method Man, RZA, GZA and Wu-Tang Clan itself have all released albums that seem to have shaken the cobwebs of the past 10 years, and in recent interviews the members seem more self-aware and energetic. So with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II Raekwon sees himself at the fore-front of the Clan with his much hyped album, which has been in the works for the past 4 years, and with a title that harks back to his stellar first album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

The album is definitely a movement in the right direction for the group. It starts off with sample from North Star (Jewel) - the last song from OB4CL - and dialogue from Popa Wu concerning how he hopes Raekwon will progress, and then enters House of the Flying Daggers, a thumping track produced by the late, great J Dilla. The song is certainly a reminder why Wu-Tang Clan are so great, with a handful of members on the track and a killer Kung-Fu film sample. It also sets off the tone for the rest of the album, which is certainly a dark one where Raekwon ditches the fictional storytelling of past albums and exposes himself a bit more.

The album progresses with certain ease as the narrative is continued thoughout by a wonderful lyrical display by Raekwon. This is some feat if you consider all the producers that worked on the album - Dr. Dre, RZA, The Alchemist, Peter Rock and J Dilla, some of the greats of the rap industry. There are some great highlights; New-Wu and 10 Bricks being some of the great hip-hop tunes of this year, and Ason Jones being a heart-filled tribute to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and this album definitely has some of the great songs by Raekwon.

The guest appearances on the album are certainly amazing (Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes are two such names brought on to this album), but it’s definitely the Wu-Tang members that stand-out as the greats. Like the first OB4CL, Ghostface Killah appears on the cover and on a good proportion of the record, certainly making his presence felt. In addition, Cappadona and Method Man drop some brilliant verses.

The only weak parts of this album are, surprisingly, Dr. Dre’s production and Slick Rick’s very cheesy guest appearance. The 2 songs by Dre are mediocre, but in a 24-song album we should expect some filler. Well, it’s not because they seem like filler, it’s because they seem completely out of place with the tone of the album. The songs are mainstream West Coast songs that would seem more comfortable on a 50 Cent album. Slick Rick’s appearance was mentioned throughout the hype, and when you finally get to the song it’s just him doing an injustice to Queen’s We Will Rock You, by singing the terrible “We Will Rob You”, and you can actually feel yourself cringing. Thank god these are only minor points and the album can put into the Wu-Tang canon with a definite feeling of pride.

- Peter Downey

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