There’s an old adage that states that the sequel is seldom better than the original. Godfather II, Shrek 2, and The Dark Knight are some obvious examples that contradict that way of thinking. But for every X-Men 2, two Spiderman 3’s get made. So far, rap sequels haven’t measured up that well, either. For example, neither of the subsequent Blueprint albums lived up to the original, which is understandable considering how highly regarded The Blueprint is. Raekwon’s long-awaited Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II has quite the name to uphold, as the original, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, is one of the most legendary albums in hip-hop history. The challenge is to grade this album on its own merits, not compare it to the extraordinary piece of work that was the original.
The similarities to OB4CL are there, clearly. The album cover, aside from the colors (still with the symbolic purple), are damn near identical. Coke and criminal activity return as the prevalent theme. Ghostface reprises his role as the co-star to Raekwon’s main character. Even the cinematic feel is back, though RZA only does a few beats this time while serving as executive producer. The production is in the more-than-capable hands of legends like RZA, Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Marley, Erick Sermon, Alchemist, and the late J Dilla, among others.
The album starts off with a short skit, and then launches a full-frontal assault with “House of Flying Daggers.” J Dilla breaks the Wu-Tang off with a beat that makes you envision the Wu-Tang MCs marching with legions of swordsmen behind them. Ghostface, Method Man, and Inspectah Deck all show up and demonstrate that the Wu-Tang chemistry is just as strong in 2009 as it was in 1993. “New Wu” also grabs on the strong Wu chemistry, enlisting Method Man and Ghostface on the mic and RZA on the boards, who along with Raekwon, are the most relevant Wu members right now. “Cold Outside” brings some strong horns and an even stronger, louder hook from Suga Bang Bang. The hook may be too loud, but it works to bring home the point that Rae and Ghost preach during the song, departing from their criminal roles and taking a few minutes to address society’s ills and even the Iraq War.
“Broken Safety” brings together a dream combo of Raekwon and two of New York’s favorite crack game Mcs, Jadakiss and Styles P, and the three blend effortlessly. Ghostface would have been a natural over the Scram Jones beat as well and should have been on it, but that’s my only complaint on that song. Dr. Dre delivers, with an intro that pays homage to the skits on the original album. “Catalina” is one of Dre’s best beats of the year, and the Lyfe Jennings hook makes it all the more radio-friendly. “Catalina” screams “single,” but is street enough for the regular Raekwon listener.
Like the original, OB4CL2 is long. But unlike the original, it’s a tad too long at 22 tracks. While GZA’s appearance on “We Will Rob You” is welcome, the rest of the song falls short. The beat is basic, and the Slick Rick hook is predictable based off the title and isn’t catchy, let alone good. “About Me” with Busta Rhymes is similarly basic; the beat sounds like a basic, generic beat that Dr. Dre sleepwalked through while making it. It’s hard to believe the same producer made this beat and “Catalina” on the same album. Another complaint that numerous listeners have voiced is Raekwon’s tendency to lapse into a lazy, toned-down flow that can put you to sleep. As dope as “Pyrex Vision” is because of the JJ Band sample used in O.C.’s “Jewelz,” it’s too short and Raekwon sounds like he’s mumbling in his sleep. He’s energized on a good number of tracks, but others he sounds like he just smoked an ounce of sticky and got on the mic, minus the giggles.
While the production throughout is on point and the stories and lyrics are entertaining, OB4CL2 has its flaws, though only a few. The flaws certainly aren’t big enough to call this an unworthy sequel. On the contrary, this album is certainly one of the best releases of the year, certainly one of the best Wu-Tang albums, solo or otherwise, and is more than worthy of carrying the name of its predecessor.
87/100
Standout Tracks:
“Catalina”
“House of Flying Daggers”
“New Wu”
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Kiss The Ring! Definitely my favorite track! Dope ass album!
BP3 and OB4CL2 both disappoint. Not because they dont’ measure up to their predecessors which are both classics, but because they don’t even reach the minimum standards of each artists.
BP3 reminds me of Kingdome Come in it’s gimmiky phrases and over-the-top pop beats and OB4CL2 reminds me of the dozens of underproduced, quickly strung-together Wu Albums.
Sigh…. It hurts me to say this but I wouldn’t ‘buy’ either. Maybe they’ll grow on me, but for now, i’ll stay in the queue waiting for the 1st Skyzoo album.
I think calling CL2 underproduced is pretty silly.
OB4CL2 is that fire. Only thing about the album tho is the guest outshine Rae to a degree. Method Man sounds possessed, Ghost is Ghost, Deck must have took JB’s comments to heart, and Sigel rips his verse.
Still one of the better albums to come out.
Good write up Fred. I read this joint 5 times before it was published. Good work.
Side note…all the comments about not supporting Rae and we drop a dope review and only four comments? This goes to show regardless of what we do…can’t please everyone.
AOTY. I like We Will Rob You. About Me is the one weak spot because of Busta but that was really it.
OB4CL2 is very very good. I called it AOTY when I first heard it, back off comments, then said yes. But, I can’t forget the Finale joint. That ish is hard as nails. I love Marco/Torae’s joint as well. OB4CL2 is top 10 fo sure.
IMO best album of 2009! i just close my eyes while listening to this record and it feels like it’s the 90’s. the beats are dope but i agree that pyrex vision is too short and rae’s flow is too lazy hear and there but all in all this is another classic!
hmm…i LOVED every part of Pyrex Vision….i for one liked the flow change, it gave it a much more atmospheric feel. i could hear & feel the fatigue/frustration he was feeling while cookin up dat stuff. Beautiful track IMO. We Will Rob You is one of my favorites as well, straight up bare bones dopeness, and GZA’s son did da beat? that’s CRAZY! Album of da year definitely.
“Surgical Gloves”
“Broken Safety”
“Canal Street”
“Ason Jones”
“Have Mercy”
“10 Bricks”
is about 20 mins of some of the best music this year.
The main ingredient missing is Tekeitha, she was extremely instrumental on CL 1. They tried to use Blue Raspberry, but under used too!
Adam. Tekeitha didn’t sing on OB4CL. Blue Raspberry did all of the singing for the Wu up until Forever. Well…let me take that back she first appeared in 1996 in the video for “All That I Got Is You.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoakxO5taMQ
I remember reading that Blue Raspberry became pregnant and kinda dropped off from them. Can’t remember when I read that.
good review i argee with it but also love this album dopest release of the year next to tanya morgan! just waiting on the new souls of mischief
No question, Rae’s done it. I’ve only scanned through it and need to listen to it more closely but it ain’t hard to see that this is one of this year’s best and waaaay better than Blueprint 3. I think the only people who buy the Jay and not this are people whose notion of rap comes straight off MTV. Give Rae credit for something well-crafted. Many people argue that Jay’s for more mature listeners, but I’m 30 years old and still bump OB4CL2 over BP3 anyday. Half of the beats on BP3 are garbage, and even though there’s some filler material on the Rae (like the second third of the album, some generic LOX-type beats with heavy synths), there’s still loads of gems on this. be that as it may, I still think that people slept too hard on “The Lex Diamond Story”…
Rae did that flow on Pyrex Vision on purpose, i think the mood is perfect with the whole semi-high vibe. A completely different beast from O.C’S classic. I think About Me is a banger as well, the way the beat builds every so often is quality, plus Busta’s performance is dope.
Personally, i think the only thing this record lacks particularly is the cohesion of the original, that would have put it nearer the first ones level. Good review though, i think no one doubts the albums high quality.
OBFCL2 is definitely in my top three albums of 2009, with Tanya Morgan and De La Soul being the other 2
I disagree with you about the About Me beat. As a producer, i know i wouldn’t have been able to remake it.
Album of the year? I am not sure about that with still some big releases to come this year, but so far (along with Tanya Morgan) best album of the year so far….
Rae did an excellent job on this album and I hope he gets all the plaudits and praise he deserves.
TommyLUX
The Lex Diamond I don’t think was slept on, but people were really upset/disappointed with Rae’s sophomore joint..I’m thinking.
so far, i have not understood why album length is apart of a grading scale for music. for instance, if someone has 22 tracks of heat on an album [every song is flames but it's 22 tracks long], points will get knock off from the album. why is that?
Godfather was an incredibly long movie [so was Titanic] yet both are considered classics and what not.
i’m still trying to understand
Length isn’t necessarily part of the grading scale. But if it’s 22 tracks and there are songs that are “meh”, the album is too long. The original was a long album too, but I made sure to point out that it was fantastic cuz every song was on point
Yeah, Length itself isn’t part of the grading scale, but lets say there are 22 tracks and 8 of them are garbage, the album loses points for faulty compilation. etc.
i loved the lex diamonds album, i thought it was banging, Immobilarity was disappointing though, but hey, 1 so-so album and 3 dope ones (with one being a classic) aint bad!
I think length is important. I don’t think as an artist you want to “lose” the listener on the journey of making it through the album. What I will say their are tracks I don’t like, but I don’t skip them per se…if that makes sense.
I think some songs could have been left off tho…”Walk Wit Me” seems like a no brainier for inclusion on the album to me.
The kung-fu/movie skits were a staple of 92-97 Wu-Tang releases (that was RZA).
Immobilarity wasn’t bad lyrically, but the beats were hollow and total opposite of what was found on OB4CL. I’m not sure what Rae was thinking about making an album without RZA and Ghost.
With that said. This is a good release. I’m glad Rae is getting this love. His numbers will look good this week.
Deez, 8 tracks????????? Name them.
About Me could’ve been left off for State Of Grace.
Very Very Dope Album.
Would’ve like to have heard a Full Wu Posse Cut
BLACK MOZART
Am i the only person who thought About Me banged? Black Mozart is classic Rza, it really evokes the feel of ice water.
8 tracks, I was just waxing philosophical
trapperjohnmd…where you been at homie? You haven’t been around these parts for second.
@Victor…you might be the only one regarding “About Me.” Its a good track, but I would have rather had “Walk Wit Me” on the US version tho (and not as a iTunes only track).
Walk Wit Me is certainly the better track, ii do think people tend to go on as if it’s wack though. Would the review score be different if you did the UK version? Cos over here Walk Wit Me isn’t even a bonus cut (it doesnt sound it either tbh) The badlands is the only one and fits like one.
I don’t think the inclusion of “Walk Wit Me” would change the score…but you would have to ask Fred. I’m just whining (still) about “Walk Wit Me” not on the US version of the album. Don’t pay me any mind. lol.
Shit have y’all heard the UK Bonus track? Badlands ft. Ghostface? That shit is fucking hard! I love that track.
. . Awesome album. One of the best new albums ive heard in a LONG time.. the track im stuck on is the one with Jada & Styles.. production is on point except i really wasnt feeling the Alchemist too much.. The Kung-Fu skits make me remember playing “Techmo Super Bowl” banging “Enter The 36 Chambers”. . Good listen. .
Question; when i try to log onto the homepage it tells me something like ” Another Great site coming soon” .. or something for Exobytes.. is there any fix to it or is it just my CPU? ?. . i can get in through other areas but i prefer the homepage. ..
Damn, after going through the album thoroughly I can’t understand what I was blabbering in my earlier comment about generic synth beats, I must have confused it with another one. This album is a banger from start to finish, there’s maybe 3-4 songs I like less but the whole thing goes down like butter. Rae came through solid, no question
Hmmmm… really GftdGrooVe? Exobytes is the hosting company we were with last month when we were having all those problems. Try clearing your browser cache. Sounds like you computer isn’t resolving the new DNS, which was changed weeks ago.
I think the WU-est thing about this album is the fact that after years of anticipation. The first verse that you hear is’nt Rae it’s Deck. That is the thing about this album that really hit me ( apart from the album itself of course ). That’s up there with giving Ghost a solo on Widom Body and Ghost not even rapping on Assassination day but keeping the song on his album.
The one track that is the heater of all heater is….. Sonny’s missing produced by Pete Rock.
The production is bananas and was an excellent choice good look Pete!
i’ll never understand why the majority of hip hop fans like to live in the past so much and can’t understand the need and want for progression.
interesting review kevin, i doubt my take is important but i think that raes new album remakes an already made album, not my cup of tea. in fact it’s a disappointment to hear an artist that is so talented, become monotonous, but hey, the majority of the fans prefer that so.
thanks for having a web site i can’t help but check at least once a month, knowing i’ll run into interesting reads.
. . i know this has nothing to do with the post but i cant get into the home page still and dont know if yall have already higlighted it. (im going to take it as my CPU is phucking up). . That Slum Village / Villa Manifesto .. supposed to drop tommorow. . i see no promotion or hype for it . .is it stil dropping?
It’s not dropping tomorrow. That was the original release date but Baatin’s unfortunate death changed things.
everyone doesn’t like this album
http://the-breaks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=46140&p=3812282&hilit=the+alchemist#p3812282
ok idk what the prob is? maybe i was just much to thirsty waiting on this project but ill b goddammed if this aint the modern day purple tape!! i f*cking love this album i am very very pleased aside from bustas verse he just dosent fit in. although they sounded excellent on big bang but w/e
For me, Cuban Linx Pt. 1 was more of a movie than a rap album. Raekwon has decided to shoot a long-awaited sequel and some of the biggest critiques are OB4CL Pt. 2 isn’t up to date. That’s silly!. The mistake would have been trying to make OB4CL Pt. 2 in a 2009 setting. These are crime stories. They can be told in any era that’s best suited. I only wish Rae had patched in some unheard Old Dirty. Thumbs Up….