Here's some knowledge about DiZ: he hates rap sequels. It's a harsh statement, but consider the rap sequels that exist. You have Stillmatic, Illmatic's sequel. You have the Blueprint 2 vs. Blueprint 1. Webbie’s Savage Life vs. Savage Life 2… I know, I’m ashamed I remember those pieces of shit too. Granted, Stillmatic and Blueprint 2 are good albums, but the former doesn't nearly reach the bar of its predecessor and Blueprint 2... well, I always said that for every bad album Jay-Z did he owed me two cars, and I'm debating whether or not he owes me four because Blueprint 2 is a double disc. Not to mention Blueprint 3 is coming out soon (just finished listening to it and I'm mad that I can't hate on it like I wanted, go figure). And we're not even going to TALK about those aforementioned albums that shall not be named ever again... So how do you think I originally felt when I even heard that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2 was coming out? Indifferent. I love Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, hailing it as a classic, so a sequel can only be slightly worse or significantly worse. That's being mean: it is not likely to be (nearly) as good as the predecessor.

That's me rambling. The Wu-Tang Clan is one of my favorite stables in rap and all its members have impressed me with classic or near classic albums (not counting the various affiliates or satellites associated with the Wu) and Raekwon's opus is probably my second favorite, only after Liquid Swords. That means I've listened to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx religiously in some cases, and I consider some of its tracks perfect. At the same time, there's a change I notice between the two LPs. This change in style is one of the many pleasures of the new album, and we're gonna jump into the review right now so I don't get any more distracted.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2 starts off on a high note by continuing exactly where the first left off, with Papa Wu dropping some serious knowledge over a soulful beat before a section of the Wu tears up a J. Dilla (rest in peace) beat with House of Flying Daggers. The emcees don't disappoint and display that same beautifully vicious lyricism that the Wu Tang is known for. As a matter of fact this album as a whole is essentially a Wu Tang album, with every clan member dropping nice verse after nice verse without breaking a sweat; through all of this, however, Raekwon rarely gives up the spotlight, always shining with his partner-in-crime Ghostface Killa. Raekwon enlists a number of producers this time around, not simply relying on the RZA’s masterful productions; in truth he only calls on the RZA for three beats: Black Mozart, New Wu, and Fat Lady Sings. Of the three Black Mozart sounds just like it implies. RZA doesn’t fail to deliver and neither do the lyrical slaughterers. Other production comes from Erick Sermon, Marley Marl, the Alchemist, even Dr. “I’ll drop my album when I get around to it” Dre.

Raekwon maintains his status as the chef throughout the album, never directly leaving the topic of bagging that white too much unless bearing his soul or exerting crazy dominance over competition. To this degree Ason Jones might just be the best track on the album, a tribute and musical memorial to the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

On the occasions (loose meaning) that Raekwon calls on a guest verse (see? I’m referring to those outside of the Wu conglomerate) they rarely fail. Jadakiss and Styles P grace Broken Safety appropriately, not reaching Raekwon’s level (no surprise) but complimenting him well enough. Beanie Sigel stands toe-to-toe with the Chef on the Icewater produced, Blue Raspberry assisted Have Mercy, delivering a verse that only shows once again why he’s a possible legend in the making.

Then again, I said rarely in the previous paragraph. The Dr. Dre produced Catalina is a good enough track, but Lyfe Jennings may not have been the right voice for the hook; Anthony Hamilton would have fit the feel a bit better. Busta Rhymes’ spot on About Me is far from bad, but… there is no but; it’s a good track. Busta didn’t fail to deliver at all, showing once again why he is a possible legend in the making as well.

The album follows the similar concept to the first, coming to a close with the fantastic Mean Streets and the inspiring Kiss the Ring (I don’t know who the hell Scram Jones is but someone get him to do ALL of OB4CL 3). The crack, the bagging, the struggles, the introspection, the overall greatness of the first album IS apparent in the second installment. Here’s the big question: is it as good as Only Built for Cuban Linx? Answer…

OH HELL NAW! Sorry for being so mean about it but we have to be honest. The expanded track listing of OB4CL Pt. 2 alone makes for the mistake of unnecessary filler, even if it is good filler, and Raekwon, who defied my standards of what makes a classic back in 1995, didn’t strike twice. Some of these standards include:

1. You can’t have a classic with too many guests. I gave Raekwon the classic status before because the guests were the Wu Tang clan, and they work almost like a unit so I can’t fault him for those guest appearances. Alternatively, those non-Wu guest appearances are almost orgasmic (Nas on Verbal Intercourse) and very few. OB4CL Pt. 2 doesn’t feature a lot of non-Wu guest appearances, but none of them can properly match up to the standard of Raekwon and the Wu.
2. You can’t have another classic rapping about the same shit. Okay, this one hasn’t really been broken because Raekwon is talking about the same shit on OB4CL 2 that he was on OB4CL 1, if only from a different perspective and from a more wisdomed approach. The intro from Papa Wu (let him and Common’s dad get together and do a poetry album; that would be sweet) was a great way to start it off but when you delve into familiar territory you’re bound to know where you’re going.
3. You can’t copy a formula, only follow it. There are blueprints (not the Jay-Z albums I steadily hate more and more) that a lot of albums follow, and when it comes to sequel albums they don’t usually follow the original blueprint. That usually leads to failure. OB4CL 2 actually does follow the blueprint to a degree though, so what happened?
4. You can’t have ONE introspective track about a/an A)fallen friend, B)female, or C)amazing event. You must have at least two. So I mentioned Ason Jones earlier, one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love the tributes to the Ol’ Dirty Chinese Restaurant (rest in peace) but just one? It’s lonely. You also have Kiss the Ring, the last track and my personal favorite. Imagine sitting in an old fashioned diner and proclaiming to everyone that you’ve just taken over Liberty City. That’s an amazing event. So you have two tracks, so it should be good, right? Not so much. They’re in odd places, those tracks. Kiss the Ring is in a good spot, a great way to epically end the LP, but Ason Jones shouldn’t of been the only track like it was. Leading to the last standard I’m going into…
5. You can’t be a rapper on R&B beats. This isn’t a complaint or anything, just something I’m throwing out. Remember Heaven and Hell? Another exception to the rule of my standards. OB4CL 2 didn’t really have any R&B beats, just some laid backs ones that worked out pretty well.

Woo, this is a hard one to review. I can’t say it’s as good as Cuban Linx 1, but it’s still a great album. I won’t lie; I came into listening to it knowing it wouldn’t be another classic, but I didn’t actually start to review the album until I got rid of that mentality. I knew it would be great but it exceeded my standards (regular standards, not classic standards (some of those standards are just ridiculous)). I’ve been waiting for a good solo Wu release for a minute and this (not counting GZA’s Pro Tools) is a great return to form. Is it a perfect 5 out of 5? Nope. Is it a 4? Nope.

DiZ Rating: 4.5 out of 5