Jay-Z Vs. Raekwon

On September 8, 2009: Jay-Z and Raekwon, two 40-year-old iconic New York rappers, released sequels to their widely popular albums; The Blueprint (one and two) and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Both M.C.'s enlisted all-star production teams and frequent collaborators' to ensure that top-notch material was created. One of these album's would surpass all expectations and prove to be an instant classic. The other album went on to massive commercial success and global notoriety. Unfortunately, for the latter the content was largely mediocre. This lead to disappointment and more importantly for me, confusion.

The Blueprint 3:

The Blueprint 3 isn't really a "blueprint" for anything at all. Jay-Z is simply going through the motions here. He's in Kingdom Come mode (maybe Kingdom Come 2 would've been a better title), rapping piss poor rhymes over throwaway beats. His lines are memorable but for the wrong reasons and Jigga constantly talks about his "stats". On the Timbaland produced track "Reminder", complacency takes center stage: "96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, 2001 and beyond/O two, O three, O four, O five, O six and seven, O eight, O nine." Jay just "reminded" us how old he has become. He then continues, "Back to back double plat', I did what you won't/ Men lie women lie, numbers don't." Regrettably, wack lyrics don't lie either as he brags just a few bars earlier--"I crushed Elvis and his blue suede shoes/ made the Rolling Stones seem sweet as kool-aid too." Jay-Z used to have beef with Nas, now he's battling old (or deceased) rocker's Billboard chart numbers. Here is the supposed greatest rapper of all time, counting out years and comparing The 'Stones to kool-aid?

Another glaring issue I have with Hova's lyrical and creative demise, is the song "Young Forever". "Beach Chair" thinks Jay-Z is too self-righteous and stale on this track. He says things like--"Without a wrinkle for today because there's no tomorrow" and "life is for living, not living uptight, see ya somewhere up in the sky." This is like a nursery rhyme you sing to your children at bedtime, not a hip-hop track. It's rap for soccer-moms, Dockers wearer's and people who listen to soft rock [see: Bill Gates]. Some late night caller has probably dedicated "Young Forever" to a loved one on Delilah's radio show.

The grandest indictment of Young Hov really becoming "Old Hov" has to be "Empire State of Mind". The anthem is practically impossible to listen to, and if you've seen the video; virtually unwatchable as well. Memo to Alicia Keys: Take your leg off that piano bench and sit down! Anyways back to the song itself. First off, dude sounds short of breath from the minute the song starts. I was concerned from the very first line when he boasts, "I'ma up at Brooklyn, now I'm down at Tribeca/ Right next to DeNiro but I'll be hood foreva." Tribeca and foreva do not fucking rhyme, even for him that's an incredible stretch. He proceeds to spit, "You should know I bleebloo but I ain't a crip though." Seriously, freaking bleebloo (okay he says, "bleed blue" but it certainly sounds like bleebloo). And a couple verses later he drops the puzzling, "Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley." I've contacted philosophers, scientists, professors, language translators and even men of the cloth to understand this phrase. They each gave me the same response, "Huh?" All of his strange rhymes make me ask this question: Does Jay-Z have like a, like a little hand?



Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II:

"Cause I'm not tryin' to just be, sittin' on muthafuckin'
two-hundred thou and act like I'ma be a drug-dealer all my life."

Raekwon, Only Built for Cuban Linx...

It has been 15 years since Raekwon uttered those words on "Striving For Perfection" and not a whole lot has changed. Okay, a lot has changed. The Wu, once the top attraction in hip-hop, are almost an afterthought now (save for Ghostface). That's why it is so amazing that Raekwon has made this follow-up masterpiece to his magnum opus: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Chef has only released two solo albums since "the purple tape"(that's what hip-hop aficionados refer to it as), the last being in 2003. The long-delayed album seemed like it would never be released or live up to the name of its predecessor. But Rae did something that Jay-Z should take note of: he used the blueprint that made the first OB4CL a classic.

Raekwon made the cover for the sequel basically identical (only the color is purple instead of red) to the original album. The lettering and words appear the same, as does the picture of Raekwon with Ghostface pointing over his shoulders. The participation of Ghostface is another reason the album is great. The chemistry between Chef and Ghost is still dynamic and the Wu-banger "Gihad" is a perfect example of this. Like The Blueprint 3, some lines left me completely confused (but this time in a good way). Rae boasts on the first verse, "It's late for a dime season, we bought the crib next to Bill Clinton's mother cuz she fuck with the Chinese." I feel like if I try to find out what this means, I might be killed (and that's pretty cool). Then Ghost tells a story about receiving a blow-job from a white girl his son impregnated. This is classic Ghostface spitting rhymes like: "I'm like a crooked cop, Richard Gere big smirk on, gettin' my cock sucked" and "she take a bone like a rib-eye steak at Ruth Chris". The track ends with him punching his son and then demanding he get him a forty from the store. Ghost insists: "Get some bologna for your eye too"and " I don't give a fuck if your 25, you're my son." This is an absolutely timeless song between two long-time collaborators and friends.

Earlier when I said not much has changed, I meant that Rae is still hustlin' and weaving tales of the drug underworld. This helps the album immensely. He shows his hunger track after track, most likely because he is hungry, in fact he's starving. Chef hasn't had a hit record or album in a long time and his ferocity is at an all-time high on "Surgical Gloves." His vivid, grimy-street narratives, paint pictures of violence ("we blow you out your pea coats") and the rewards of dealing ("papers in Aruba, gold tuba from Bermuda"). The grainy, low-budget video is a perfect companion piece for this song...

In 2005, when I first heard he was working on a follow-up to the flawless OB4CL, I passed it off as laughable. Then nearly five years later, it was finally released and I was completely floored. OB4CL2 is darker and more sinister than the original. Any dreams Raekwon had of leaving the street life and going legit never came true. It's an album filled with grizzled veterans, who occasionally come across as bitter. Yet Chef and his cohorts always keep the business-as-usual mentality, because all they do is hustle. The album is a deeply lyrical, heavily-layered crime saga. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II is Raekwon's The Godfather, Part II, a fitting sequel to add to his legacy.

Sadly, The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z's The Godfather, Part III. Most of the same cast and crew are here but they're older and stagnant. Jay has become soft, turning his back on the streets that made him successful. The first Blueprint album seemed like it happened spontaneously. He had fresh young producers making insane beats (almost battling each other) for his approval. Hov was feeding off that energy. This, coupled with his heavyweight beef with Nas, forged the "blueprint" that constructed his seminal album. Simply having number one albums (and making money) shouldn't be his only ambition. He does have an artistic integrity to keep as well. Maybe Jay-Z should study Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II to help him rediscover his "hustla" roots. Don't forget Hov, the streets is watching.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Pt. II:



The Blueprint 3 (sorry Skip):