May 1, 2015

My Gut Reaction: Raekwon - Fly International Luxurious Art (April 28, 2015)

In his attempt to both save face and distance himself from the Wu-Tang Clan's debacle A Better Tomorrow (not to mention the "mysterious" Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, whose existence has been handled so poorly that I'm now convinced it's just a Cilvaringz album with some Wu guest spots that he couldn't get anyone to give a fuck about until this whole "million dollar" "highest bidder" horseshit was announced), Corey "Raekwon" "Raekwon the Chef" "Lex Diamonds" "Old Man Raymond" "The One That Isn't Obsessed With Iron Man" Woods released his sixth full-length solo album, the absurdly-named Fly International Luxurious Art, this past Tuesday.  I believe the album cover art really tells you everything you need to know about the project, but I'm sure you two want an "actual review", so here goes.

Fly International Luxurious Art was announced way back in 2013 as F.I.L.A., which also seemed like a dumb-ass title for Wu stans that had been patiently waiting for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Part III.  That dream could be a long way off now, though, since Raekwon has been trying to ignore his Wu-Tang Clan connections as if it were his day job for quite a few years now.  To that point, the only Clan member or affiliate that even pops up on Fly International Luxurious Art is Ghostface Killah, and that seems to be more of a bone thrown to Wu stans than it is anything else, since Rae has been noticeably absent on the fifty-seven-or-so Ghostface albums that have dropped in the past two months.

The title, which works with my observation that rappers love forcing any word into becoming an acronym for something entirely unrelated, marks this album as an ode to Raekwon's "stylish" side, according to early promotion he did for it.  He also kept referring to the thing as a "lifestyle project" and spoke of wanting to create an album with the broadest possible appeal, or "global status".  So, not a Wu album.  Gotcha.  

Aside from Pretty Toney, Raekwon has stacked the deck with guests from outside of his immediate wheelhouse, with names such as Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, and A$AP Rocky popping up.  Other critics have used that roster to proclaim this album as Raekwon looking to the future of hip hop, but aside from Rocky, all of those guys have been around for quite a while, so I'm not sure where they got that shit from.  (His 2012 EP, Lost Jewlry, which, sadly, isn't a typo, featured a collaboration with Freddie Gibbs, which would have helped that distinction make more sense had it been included here.  I've also just realized that I never wrote about Lost Jewlry, so I have to get on that, maybe.)  Production comes from the likes of Scram Jones (a frequent Raekwon collaborator), S1, Scoop DeVille, and, most curiously, Jerry Wonda, best known for his work alongside Wyclef Jean.

Fly International Luxurious Art was intended to drop in 2013, but the ever-gracious Raekwon allegedly put his own project on hold in order to focus on recording for the Wu-Tang Clan's A Better Tomorrow, which was supposed to signify the twenty-year anniversary of their debut, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), but was released instead as a tax write-off in December of 2014, a year late and a dollar short.  Since that shit tanked both critically and sales-wise, Raekwon quickly readied this shit, which was, again allegedly, completed in 2013 and released as it was, although I don't necessarily buy it.  I'm of the camp that thinks Raekwon was unable to stir up any interest or media support for the project in 2013, so rather than drop an album with zero awareness, he chose to hold off.  I believe this for two reasons: (1) Fly International Luxurious Art was released by Ice H2O, Raekwon's own goddamn record label, so it's not like he couldn't convince the back office to drop an album from the president of the fucking company, and (2) Ghostface Killah's 36 Seasons dropped one week after A Better Tomorrow, so obviously he was working on both.  And also, Ghost's Twelve Reasons To Die dropped in 2013, the very year Raekwon was gifting to the Clan's work as a collective.  So either Ghost is a dick, or someone's not being entirely truthful.

With almost no Wu involvement, and with our host talking trash to the press every chance he gets about The RZA's failed vision, it's safe to assume that this will not sound anything like his previous albums people seemed to actually like (including Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang, recorded the last time Rae was miffed at The RZA), but possibly more like the atrocious Immobilarity.

Fuck.


1. INTRO
Pretty fucking stupid. What have we ever done to deserve this, Rae? All this intro proves is that you're incapable of listening to anyone telling you “no” in a direct manner. Which, come to think of it, may explain a lot about the man's solo career.

2. 4 IN THE MORNING (FEAT. GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
The first actual song on Fly International Luxurious Art is a Scram Jones-produced ditty with an interesting beat that carries the dramatic intensity of an early 1980s cop drama. Although he actually sounds okay, our host's crime tale is woven through the bars of his narcoleptic alter-ego I call Zzzkwon: the man mumbles through so many details, it sounds like he's actively trying to throw the feds off of his scent. Weirdly. He only sounds awake while speaking the titular phrase, which makes up the hook. Rhyme partner Ghostface Killah, fresh from ruining BADBADNOTGOOD's Sour Soul, pops in to spit the final verse, and at least he remembered to pick up a Red Bull before arriving at the studio that day. This beat is pretty fucking good, though, so that's a decent start.

3. I GOT MONEY (FEAT. A$AP ROCKY)
Which is more than I can say for the store-brand-name “I Got Money”, an S1 concoction with an annoyingly radio-friendly beat and a hook that actually contains the line, “I got money, nah nah nah nah-nah!” (italics mine) repeated frequently. Sigh. Both Raekwon and his guest, A$AP Rocky, get in a verse apiece, although the Chef also closes out the track, and dear Lord is it goofy to hear him say things like, “Do that shit! Do that shit! Do it!” At least he sounds alert, though. Rocky fares a little better with a throwaway verse, and Pretty Toney pops up here and there with ad-libs, the effects of that Red Bull having not yet worn off. I sat through all of this wondering how Rae got the head guy from the A$AP Mob, inexplicably one of the more popular crews running today even though only one guy is worth a damn, another is savvy enough to be noticed but isn't so great behind the mic, and the rest are no-names (R.I.P. A$AP Yams, a topic that trended on Twitter even though I guarantee the majority of the rap world, let alone the music industry, had no fucking idea who the guy was) and still failed to make something decent, a feat fellow Wu-Tang clansman Method Man pulled off (by comparison) with A$AP Nast on “Trillmatic”. Oh well.

4. WALL TO WALL (FEAT. FRENCH MONTANA & BUSTA RHYMES)
Short version: this shit was terrible. Also, is it obvious to anyone besides me that this was clearly a French Montana solo song that somehow ended up on Raekwon's album? How else can you explain how Frenchy appears on the track more than the alleged star attraction? Raekwon's outro even goes out of its way to give props (do the kids still say that these days? “Props”?) to Frenchy. Then again, Frenchy's intro gives a shout-out to the Chef. Missing in this lovefest is the other special guest, Busta Rhymes, who probably didn't give a shit, since he spends his verse obsessed with his goddamn phone. Remember when Busta mattered? Anyway, the guest roster certainly doesn't automatically damn this song from the get-go, as that would be reductive for everyone involved: although he is by far the worst performer on “Wall To Wall”, the third single from Fly International Luxurious Art, I have a soft spot for Montana's “Ain't Worried About Nothin'”, and, um, I still like early Bussa-Bus? But the end result, complete with its derivative She da God and Snaz instrumental, sure as shit deserves a thumbs-down. Fuck this song.

5. HEATED NIGHTS
After a poorly-acted interlude that somehow continues the story kicked off during the rap album intro (and then never again, if I'm remembering the rest of the album correctly), the Frank G.-produced “Heated Nights” plays out, the first track Raekwon has handled by himself thus far on Fly International Luxurious Art (and the first of only three such songs total). It lasts barely three minutes, so it just flies by, but to the Chef's credit, he rides the beat well. Content-wise, our host says nothing new: crime raps are his bread-and-butter, after all, and besides, nobody buys a Raekwon album to hear his thoughts on dark matter. But this was alright. Forgettable to a fault, but alright.

6. F.I.L.A. WORLD (FEAT. 2 CHAINZ)
Although I do like some of Scram Jones's other production work for the Chef, his beat for this not-really-a-title-track almost goes out of its way to prove that Raekwon only really sounds good over either RZA production or gritty street shit. It's difficult to see “F.I.L.A. World” as anything but a failure: our host's flow is apathetic, and it sounds downright boring over this middling instrumental that wants to exude elegance when it grows up, but we all know it's just going to die from a heroin overdose at the age of nineteen. Also, 2 Chainz? He must only be here so that Raekwon can keep his not-well-hidden connection with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music alive. At least Tity Boi has a sense of humor about all of this, though.

7. 1,2,1,2 (FEAT. SNOOP DOGG)
I actually dig this shit a lot. Scoop DeVille's beat is an old-school-tinted monster, and both Raekwon and a rejuvenated, downright chilling Snoop Dogg have fun taking turns in dismantling it. And is that Ghostface Killah with the random ad-libs again? Why yes, it is (I'm assuming). Calvin sounds right at home over Scoop's instrumental, but the environment is also hospitable to Raekwon's brand of shit-talking, and the end result is not only the best song from Fly International Luxurious Art thus far (and, after listening to the rest of the album after finishing this sentence, I can safely say this is the best track on the whole fucking project), but also the most fun Chef Raekwon seems to have had recording anything ever. This shit bangs.

8. LIVE TO DIE
The Chef's second for-dolo joint is another S1 production, albeit one that is moderately better than “I Got Money”. At least it fits our host's default crime tale setting, I guess. The problem is that the story told on here rings hollow: this is the same shit our host has been trying to sell us since day one, and after twenty years in the game, one starts to feel that Raekwon doesn't really live that life anymore. Side note: 2015 marks the twenty-year anniversary of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Aside from that documentary that Rae is producing, how did you want to celebrate? There's got to be a cake, yes, but did you want to do a potluck, or...?

9. SOUNDBOY KILL IT (FEAT. MELANIE FIONA & ASSASSIN)
This is the second single from Fly International Luxurious Art, released nearly two fucking years ago. Of course, this project was also supposed to drop two fucking years ago, so I guess it's interesting that Raekwon chose to leave it on the album and not discard it in favor of newly-recorded material, like most other rappers might have. The beat is actually pretty decent, even if the combination of Jerry Wonda and Swizz Beatz doesn't sound the most naturally-occurring. To his credit, Rae actually does kill this shit. Guest crooner Melanie Fiona doesn't get in the way, and other guest Assassin, who has since appeared on much higher-profile tracks from Kanye West (“I'm In It”, from Yeezus) and Kendrick Lamar (“The Blacker The Berry”, from My Master's Thesis Set To Funky Jazz) , also fits in nicely. Full disclosure: I know this shit is really old, but this was actually the very first time I had ever listened to “Soundboy Kill It”. I think the whole “featuring Melanie Fiona” thing, paired with Rae's frequent rhyming over R&B tracks and his penchant for rapping with pretty much any artist that will have him, turned me away back in 2013. I know, some Wu stan I am, right? Because of that, I have no idea if this song actually holds up well two years later, but I kind of liked the way it is right now. But I wouldn't call it essential listening.

10. REVORY (WRAITH) (FEAT. RICK ROSS & GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
“Revory” isn't an actual word. That shit bothered me so much throughout the track that I had to go back to it in order to actually write about the goddamn song. It flat-out doesn't exist. Try to Google it. You'll come up with a ton of entries for this very fucking song, and maybe a city in a distant country. My best guess is that Raekwon meant “reverie”, as in “a state of dreamy meditation” or “a fantastic or impractical idea”, since both meanings weirdly fit in with the subject matter of the three rappers present, as they all spit about improbable fantasy lives. The beat's alright, and Officer Rick Ross doesn't sound horrible, but he takes up the space that should have been gifted to Pretty Toney, who performs the shortest verse on here. Although Ghost sounds pretty awful, truth be told. Anyway, bleh.

11. ALL ABOUT YOU (FEAT. ESTELLE)
The very first single from Fly International Luxurious Art, also released nearly two years ago. Rae must have really loved these older songs. Recorded ostensibly in a time when guest singer Estelle was more of a thing, the final Jerry Wonda beat of the evening takes the Chef into a poppy, radio-friendly arena that doesn't complement his style. It's weird to hear our host shout out the Wu during his second verse, but remember, he recorded this shit well before A Better Tomorrow tarnished the Clan's legacy, back when he still liked those guys. Not terrible, but I'm struggling to figure out what audience this was intended for.

12. NAUTILUS
Scram Jones's third and final beat for the project is used up for Raekwon's last truly solo offering. The instrumental is overly busy, as Scram mistakes depth for “I'm going to throw every loop I have into this bitch”, and as a result, the music overpowers our host for the entire running time of “Nautilus”, which, bizarrely, does not sample your favorite producer's favorite Bob James song. Then again, Rae (and Ghost and Cappadonna, if we're being technical, which I am, anyway) already did that with Ghost's “Daytona 500” (from Ironman), so maybe the title was meant to be ironic.

13. WORST ENEMY (FEAT. LIZ RODRIGUES)
Raekwon ends Fly International Luxurious Art with “Worst Enemy”, a storytelling effort that plays as his failed audition for Ghost's 36 Seasons. The beat, by Matthew Burnett, a relative unknown even though his many production credits for some of the biggest names in the game and Tyga prove otherwise, is a piano-driven number that stagnates the intensity, seemingly interrupting the Chef's frame of mind, throwing the energy off for much of the track, which is already not much of a challenge when the star attraction falls asleep mid-joint. The hook doesn't fare much better, loud and obnoxious for no reason: guest Liz Rodrigues most likely thought this beat was intended for Eminem. A meh way to end the evening.

THE LAST WORD:  Fly International Luxurious Art, terrible title aside, actually isn't the worst album that Raekwon could have dropped.  A lot of it isn't very good, though: with the increased number of guest stars on nearly every song, the Chef isn't given much room to work, and his lack of focus is apparent throughout.  It's also laughable that a dude who is best known for his gritty crime narratives would actively try to make an album that is blatantly aiming for worldwide popularity: even with R&B hooks, when was the last time any of you two heard a new Raekwon song on the radio?  And if he were really trying to honor the new class while staying true to his own roots, there are tons of different artists he could have involved in this album's creation: hell, just for production alone, Rae could have signed on Yeezus-era Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator (yeah, I know, I'm surprised, too), Harry Fraud, maybe even Clams Casino, and as for new-school rappers, Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, Vince Staples, Pusha T (not really new-school, but you get the picture)...there's a near-unlimited number of rappers out there.  And he chose to work with...Rick Ross and Busta Rhymes, two guys he's already established relationships with before.  So while a handful of tracks are decent enough, Fly Luxurious International Art is destined to lose its value the longer it collects dust on iTunes' virtual shelf, its promise squandered in favor of whatever the new new is.  But at least "1,2,1,2" was good, I suppose, but not "buy the whole album" good.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Catch up with the Chef by clicking here.  As for the Wu, sure.

42 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    Let me be the first to tell all Wu stans worldwide: This shit sucks balls. By far, the worst Raekwon offering EVER.

    Yes, even worse than Lex Diamond Story & Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang combined, and let me assure you, that's a lot of shit to handle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not worse than Immobilarity. THAT was the worst Rae solo offering.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

      Oh yes it fucking is. I loved Tha Infinite Arkatechz songs. ALL of em. Along with Real Life & Sneakers. Those get more replay value with me than even OB4CL2. The rest indeed was shit.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 02, 2015

      Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang was mostly pretty tight, what you're talking about?

      Delete
    4. AnonymousMay 02, 2015

      I'm talking about its beat selection, and the Chef's tendency to sound completely bored with his product.

      You think it was pretty tight. I think it's completely irredeemable. The universe didn't implode.

      Delete
    5. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

      Shaolin Vs. Wu tang is a dope album, and his best album since the first cuban linx LP.

      Delete
    6. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

      What are YOU talking about? Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang was one steaming pile of hog dung.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    I don't know what the fuck you talking about Max. 1212 was absolute shit with no redeeming qualities whatso-fucking-ever . Hell even that track with ASAP Rocky was a much better song and that track was fucking MEH.

    This album is the point where I recommend Raekwon to stick to touring and leave the solo career alone.

    Fuck this album. And fuck Raekwon for dropping it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, the beauty of varying opinions. I see we came to the same general conclusion, though.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

      The thing that pisses me off about Chef is his holier-than-thou stance on the Wu. He's desperate to convince us that he's the only remaining dude that gives a fuck about the Wu and everybody else in the Clan is slacking off, throwing shit fits at the RZA's feeble attempts to recapture magic, when, in reality, Chef's one of the BIGGEST reasons the Wu brand is dented. His hit/miss record in album output is second worst: Cappadonna's the one with the dishonorable distinction.

      I say this because, against all odds, there's still some life in the Wu brand. Chief examples being the CZARFACE series and Twelve Reasons To Die (it only came out two years ago, people. Don't write Ghost off just yet.) Also, blasphemy alert, GZA has never dropped a crap solo album.
      Yes, even Beneath The Surface & Words From The Genius. Not artistic masterpieces, but not crap all the same.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

      Honestly, Rae knows that aside from Ghost, he's the next most prolific Wu Artist.. and that's it!! Nobody else in the Clan (Besides Ghost) is putting out the amount of tracks Rae is. Front if you wanna, but Rae's mixtape game is fuckin' crazy sick. After cuban Linx 2 (overated album), it's like Rae got hungry, and started putting out dope shit again. FILA aint the album i wanted form Rae, but he and ghost are WAAAY better than ever other Wu Artist.

      As for Cappa: well, what's the last Cappa LP you peeped? 'cause he's actually releasing decent albums now. His production choices have gotten a lot more in line with what we wanna hear from him, and his rhymes sound closer to the man we actually cared about in '95-'97

      Delete
    4. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

      GZA's last album was 2008.. the nigga is slackin' off

      Delete
    5. AnonymousMay 04, 2015

      I see your point.
      Still doesn't change the fact that his output so far has ranged from pretty alright to downright classic.

      Delete
    6. AnonymousMay 04, 2015

      To the dude who's singing Cappadonna's praises...

      Why in the fuck would I wanna hear fucking throwaways from Rae when he, at his most focused, comes off as going through the motions pretty much? Why chase some random studio work when his most creative output simply no longer grabs me the way it did? OB4CL2, despite your illogical conclusion about it, remains his best work in 10 years, and signals to Rae's creative attachment to that lane. I do NOT need the rest of his material when most of it is just phoned in.

      As for Cappa, I've heard his Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre album. I stand by my point.

      Delete
    7. AnonymousMay 04, 2015

      Furthermore, anon#2, Check Masta Killa's first 2 albums, U-God's last 2 albums. Damning proof that you CAN make a good solo album if you actually be smart about its composition.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    I was so turned off by the intro, "I Got Money" chorus, and "Heated Nights" skit that I couldn't listen any more. We get it, Rae. You think you're a mega-rich international superstar. But seriously, "I got money na na na"? "You're like a god here", "they're shooting guns in celebration of your arrival"? Holy self-absorbed bullshit. He can't even be that rich, can he? I'm pretty sure Ghost has often complained that he's not paid enough, and I imagine Rae has similar income.

    Anyway, rant over. I will give "1,2,1,2" a listen based on your recommendation and hope for a redeeming feature in this album. Thanks for listening to the whole thing so I don't have to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not a fan of most non-Prince Paul skits, but the interludes on here were extra obnoxious, I have to say. He could have left them off entirely and kept the songs in the same sequence, and nothing would have been lost.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      I'm sorry Max, but this album is truly without any merit whatsoever.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      As such, it wouldn't make any difference had he left the skits off or not.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    Like u said, Max, Rae sounds best over RZA beats and hard street shit. I dont know why the Wu sometimes makes these shitty mainstream sounding songs, most of them never work out and they sound awkward. hopefully Rae makes Cuban Linx 3 & wont take a decade to put it out, but I seriously doubt it. I would still like that Rae and Ghost United album please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

      The only reason Rae sounds best over RZA beats is because the last time Rae made a truly amazing album was 20 years ago when RZA still made dope beats that Rae rhymed to.

      Delete
    2. And that's only because RZA and wu tang made that album. Rae only had like 3 or 4 solo songs and Ghostface was better on every track they did together except for Rainy Days and Glaciers of Ice. Rae was nice on there, but Wu Tang made that album. I mean Rza and Meth came up with the song Ice Cream

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    The sphinx has his face on it ._. everything that wrong with this album... also, is Rae dsylexic? It's not even boot camp clik intentionally ridiculously spelt words, it's such basic vocabulary he can't get right

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 01, 2015

    This was decent enough, but aside from a couple of songs I don't see this getting much play from me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. sicariidcMay 02, 2015

    I thought this was dope for what it was tbh but how does the wu still not get it. Most unaware legends when it comes to new music

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMay 03, 2015

    that is some atrocious (and hilarious) cover art. I actually liked Nautilus, although I agree the beat overpowers the MC.

    Blake

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      I disagree.
      Jeru is second only to Guru in his ability to match Primo's production & create magic. This song is a prime example of that.

      Delete
    2. Looks like someone had too many windows open in his browser.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      FUCK!! This is fucking hilarious. I am, of course, the commenter in question!!

      Delete
    4. AnonymousMay 10, 2015

      In all seriousness though, Rae's pen game was never in question...when he's awake. However, his downfall, every fucking time, is his beat selection. Hell, OB4CL2, while being deliciously good overall, had a few songs where I wondered what was going through Chef's head when he approved them to be on the album.

      Delete
  9. AnonymousMay 05, 2015

    I consider myself to be a pretty tolerant Wu-stan (example: take away the hooks, and I think A Better Tomorrow is a lot better than everyone likes to say it is),.... but this shit is bad. Beats are not good, Rae thinks he is Gordon Gekko, and the album name/cover is terrible. It amazes me how many rappers have absolutely no ear for beats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      That makes two of us who share that exact same opinion.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      Yeah, Chef is the one who bitched and moaned about A Better Tomorrow and the production..... and THIS is what he came up with instead?!?!

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 15, 2015

      Dude. I've had enough of Rae's so-called "artistry".

      Delete
  10. ejsteelerMay 05, 2015

    That's funny - I came into this with extremely low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. "F.I.L.A. World," "4 in the Morining," "Revory" and "1,2,1,2" are all solid in my opinion, and in 2015, a .308 batting average for Raekwon is nothing to sneeze at. I agree with the earlier poster that "Immobilarity" is unfairly maligned, due to its status of following one of the greatest records of all-time. If Rae put that out today, we'd all be singing its praises.

    Another great review, though. Always enjoy reading them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      Why thank you. In all honesty, I've spent years looking for someone that agrees with me on Immobilarity. The fact that most of its beats were premium grade shit is very true. Conversely however, Arkatechz did their motherfucking thing on that album. Looking back, they should have produced the entire album.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      Oh, and lest we forget, Sneakers is a Pete treat that ranks up there with his best work simply for its uncompromising nature.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      However I must disagree with you on this barf album. Soon as I heard its title I knew I was in for some horrendous shit. I had no idea just horrendous this was gonna be. I second the poster who said: Fuck this album and fuck Rae for making it.

      Delete
  11. AnonymousMay 06, 2015

    You guys are fags...clean out your ears. Sick of these know it all Wu "fans" thinking they the Rza from 95..got everything from wu figured out and act like they have all the answers and credit to call things out when you can even tell what a good verse or beat is. Your opinion is your opinion but get real, you havent dropped bars like Rae or Ghost, or Rick Ross for that matter ..faggot ass , backwards ass, bullshit wannabe critics

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 08, 2015

      This comment actually got some chuckles outta me. Are you kormega?

      Delete
  12. I actually thought this was ok at times, but too much of him trying and failing to be relevant to younger listeners and/or the radio. But I liked some of the songs you seemed to hate, especially Nautilus. 2.5 or a generous 3 out of 5

    ReplyDelete
  13. In all seriousness though, Rae jumped right back in my good books once I heard that "Return of the Savage" track. That song alone eradicated any memory of me listening to this abysmal album.

    ReplyDelete