Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II in Bloomington, MN

Like the original,
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2
sets the stage with the intro, but here it's some
Raekwon
history courtesy of
Papa Wu
. On
Pt. 1
it was fictional dialog introducing a loose concept album. Besides the introductory dialog and the album's look-alike cover -- tinted purple, as if it were a
Cash Money
screwed & chopped mix of
-- the only traits this sequel shares with the original
Linx
is that it's the
Wu
rapper in top form, spitting out rhymes worthy of the
logo and pushing his guest list to work harder, as evidenced by
Ghostface
,
Jadakiss
, and
Cappadonna
all sounding at the top of their game. The productions are equally magnificent, with
Pete Rock
the Alchemist
, and even
Dr. Dre
all living up to their lofty reputations.
Inspectah Deck
and
secret weapon
Mathematics
out-
RZA
the RZA
on their
36 Chambers
-flavored cuts -- the awesome
"House of Flying Daggers"
"Mean Streets,"
respectively -- but if it's possible to create a poignant beat track, it has to be the soulful loop on
"Ason Jones,"
a tribute to
Ol' Dirty Bastard
made all the more moving when you notice the beat comes from the late
J Dilla
.
's lyrical highlights come back to back as
"Gihad"
slaps the current rap scene for all it's worth while
"New Wu,"
with
Method Man
on production, renews hope that the
Wu-Tang
dynasty will return with a vengeance. If it looks long at 22 tracks, it'll still leave the
heads wanting more. This sequel may have little to do with the original, but if the title helps to point out this is the Shaolin poet's best work since 1995's
, then so be it. [
was also released in a clean version with explicit content removed.] ~ David Jeffries