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As any chef worth his stuff will sum up: you can’t rush fine cooking. Granted, most recipes don’t require 14 years of preparatory time, but Raekwon obviously wanted to make sure he had the sequel to his all-time classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… done just right. 14 years is a few lifetimes in Hip-Hop, and the Wu’s admitted, slow steady drift from the center of the Hip-Hop universe had critics rightly questioning whether another Cuban Linx… would sully the legend of the original Indiana Jones 4 style. Luckily for Hip-Hop fans, the wait is worth it. With Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II, Raekwon has created a reflection and re-imagination of the original with the same cinematic storytelling, fire-spitting guests, and grim beats that made the Wu legends in the first place.

In the world of Cuban Linx, not much has changed from 1995. Once again the urban cocaine trade and its perils form the plot of the album. In the world of Hip-Hop however, coke rap stories are no longer a novel subject, putting an extra impetus on Raekwon to separate himself from the dozens of other MCs touting themselves as ghetto mafia crack dons. He accomplishes this though, through vivid storytelling, rattling off detailed rhymes to bring scenes to life. “Sonny’s Missing,” exemplifies the violent narrative poetry on display as his describes a gang interrogation: “Chunk of meat flew off his cheek bone/broken teeth/had a hole in his ‘Lo shirt/and took all his weed/Untied him/he fell legs weakened, son wouldn’t tell/now it gets deep/son start falling asleep…”

The album zooms in close on moments in the life of a dealer on select short tracks. Rae muses over the baking process on the hazy “Pyrex Vision” and revisits street mathematics for the ominous “Baggin’ Crack.” What’s crucial to the authenticity of these rhymes is the impersonal style Raekwon’s takes. His street narrator role brings him close to the action, but not necessarily part of it—he’s more David Simon than Avon Barksdale. Rather than bragging about his own exploits, he focuses on the carnage the coke trade creates around him on tracks like “Cold Outside.” The only time Rae breaks character is the poignant ODB tribute “Ason Jones,” which shelves the sappy wistfulness of 8 Diagrams’ “Life Changes,” for a more balanced look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Wu’s tragic figure.

As on all Wu albums, guest appearances play a vital role, and if the album has a weakness, it’s that Rae is too often outshined by his right-hand men. Ghostface may be releasing an R&B album, but on this joint, he’s as raw as ever. “Gihad” finds the dynamic duo at their best with Rae putting in dirty work on one side of town, while Ghost shames white women in the funniest way possible on the other. They trade rhymes with gusto on the grim “Penitentiary,” proving that even jail bars can’t stop their hustle. Other Wu members bring their A-games as well. GZA comes out of nowhere to steal the limelight on “We Will Rob You.” And Method Man and Inspectah Deck bring the ruckus on the tone-setting, militant opener “House of Flying Daggers.”

The changed element of the Cuban Linx sequel is the lack of RZA’s dominant musical presence. The fading Prince of Shaolin contributes to the eerie “Black Mozart,” but Rae opts instead for a mix of older and newer producers to create the soundtrack to new Staten. As is always the case, multiple producers means a little less coherence, but Raekwon’s consistency and vision holds everything together through 22 tracks. From Icewater’s pianos of “Canal Street,” to Dr. Dre bangers “About Me,” and “Catalina,” the producers of the 2nd Purple Tape create a sound that reflects the original while fitting comfortably into the modern era.

Cuban Linx Pt. II takes nothing away from the legacy of the original. Indeed it will likely add to the significance that album, Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan hold in Hip-Hop’s history. Few artists in any genre have shown an ability to make quality music over such a long time period. No you won’t hear these tracks on your local radio station, but no matter. Wu-heads and Hip-Hop fans worldwide can rejoice in the fact that the Chef’s still cooking up some marvelous shit.

4.5 CIGARETTES

Previously Posted — TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Raekwon Featuring Ghostface | Raekwon Feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah & Method Man – “House Of Flying Daggers” Video | Raekwon Feat. Method Man & Ghostface Killah – “New Wu” Video | Raekwon – “Walk Wit’ Me” Video