Quotes and Comments: Oct. 15, 2009: Kyle Green

“This album defies hip-hop’s current atmosphere of youthful cockiness and aging complacency: instead, it’s driven by the sometimes celebratory, sometimes traumatized sense of stubborn survival and perseverance, a veteran mindset that can no longer picture success without having to defend it.”

—Pitchfork Media album review of “Only Built for Cuban Linx Part 2”

Three years after the original release date, Reakwon finally releases “Only Built for Cuban Linx Part 2.”

The album’s greatest flaw is that it is not easy to get through in one sitting, at 22 tracks it definitely requires you to take some time out of your day to listen to it in its entirety.  

The album takes you through Reakwon’s personal experiences with the help of multiple producers such as The RZA, Dr. Dre and yes, even the late J Dilla, who worked on three songs on the album.  

Among the celebrity producers, there are a large group of guest stars on the album including Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, Slick Rick, and Busta Rhymes.  Much like the original record that was released in 1995, it shows a new direction in Hip Hop.  

Cuban Linx 2 is a raw lyrical masterpiece that shows the true side of the genre.  The beats are dark and demand your attention, especially the last track, “Kiss the Ring,” which samples Elton John’s, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

Reakwon stays true and avoids the flamboyant cockiness of mainstream rap that has sent Hip-Hop into a downward spiral. With songs like “Gihad,” which is a dark and violent track that could be straight out of Cuban Linx 1, and “New Wu” which is a more modern radio-friendly approach to the classic, there is something for every hip-hop fan. “Only Built for Cuban Linx part 2” is a nice break from over produced hip-hop and overused auto tune.

—Kyle Green, Western Herald copy editor

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=9986

Posted by heraldstaff on Oct 14 2009. Filed under Opinion, Quotes & Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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