Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele (February 8, 2000)

 

If you ever loved hip hop with any sincerity, then these last few days were absolute torture to you.

The world lost a truly gifted mind in one Albert T'Chaka Johnson, author, theorist, visionary, publisher and what started it all, poet Prodigy of immortal hip hop duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was one of the very first MCs whose lyrics I obsessed about, simply because of how much he enforced an expression we've learned round these parts: 'Oratory can be magic'. There was a six-year period where Prodigy wasted zero words in his lyrics: Each and every line he delivered then was a timeless quotable enshrined in hip hop history.

I've already raved about how much of an impact dude's material left on my psyche, and undoubtedly countless others. So what I choose to highlight today is another side few people focus on when studying greats like him: Business mentality. It's no secret that P wasn't given the tools to be a Dr. Dre or a Jay-Z in his business life. But he did find a workaround, eventually. I recently watched his interview with Elliot Wilson where he talks about his numerous recent business evolutions, from a publishing company to a record label, and it struck me just how much he bigged up my subject for today in that particular field. See according to P, it was actually the Wu-Tang Clan who schooled him on how to move within the industry, how to establish relations with figures from various fields and learn as much as possible from each field so as to have more control over your shit. So I feel it's only appropriate to continue talking about the second most important time period in this act's business history. That, and the fact that P's last public appearance was headlining alongside Nas and two Wu members. This post is for you, Cellblock P. Rest In Peace, Albert Johnson.

'Twas the dawn of the new millenium. The Y2K craze turned out to be one monstrous disappointment of a hoax, and George W. Bush was about to force America into yet another war.

In the rap industry, however, the once-mighty Wu banner has been nearly forsaken by their most ardent supporters. The blame was shifted around within the camp, with arguments ranging from too many Wu-Affiliate material to lacklustre projects from some Wu Generals such as RZA, Cappadonna, Golden Arms and Raekwon to horseshit promotion of worthy albums from the likes of Method Man, GZA & Inspectah Deck. Everyone was pointing fingers at everyone else. Only one member stood silently in the shadows, observing everyone else and patiently plotting his next move. His name? Masta Killa.

You didn't think I was going to imply that Dennis Coles bka Ghostface Killah aka Ironman aka Tony Starks aka Pretty Toney aka P.Tone aka The Wallabee Champ aka Ghostdini The Great would sit idly by and watch this happen, did you? Patience is not a trait this man is particularly known for. Simply put, when Dennis saw all this mess unfold, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Add that to the fact that GFK felt that his previous work on the revolutionary twin albums Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Ironman wasn't properly compensated, and you've got one driven human being. Hell, I'd be that pissed off as well had I had an album credited to me sell over one million units without me getting enough to show for it.

Also of significant incentive to GFK is the fact that when all the dust settled, it was his partner Raekwon who was awarded all the media hype and all the perks that came with it: accolades, guest appearances, etc. Meanwhile, GFK was restricted to Wu-related albums only, with a very marginal few crediting him for the scorching venom he was spewing on albums like Wu-Tang Forever (the Wu's best material ever, group or solo) Of those few, however, was one who knew just how to disperse all of GFK’s woes moving forward. That, of course, was his brother-in-law (Former? Current? DKDC) RZA. RZA pimped the ever-living shit outta GFK’s verses on various Wu-related albums, further wetting the appetite of ravenous Wu fans who still believed in the product. Interest continued to grow while GFK soldiered on with his amazing Forever form, until he appeared on Blackout!, the debut collaboration album between Mef and Hit Squad general Redman. The exposure that album received rubbed off on GFK’s image and it was finally time to make an album.

Now, since RZA relinquished dictatorship over the Wu's solo careers post-Forever, every Wu General who released a solo album after that made it a point to diversify his beat selections. Naturally, fans didn't know what to expect from GFK. So when he brought in dudes ranging from Junkyard Juju from the motherfucking Beatnuts to the UMCs' Haas G to familiar Wu collaborator Carlos '6 July' Broady, people initially thought nothing of it. Everyone gave our host his beats and left the building. It was then that RZA decided to step in and rework every single beat given to the project, which was done to establish consistency very quickly dwindling from the rap scene then. Which must've been great news for GFK, as one of the songs supposed to be on the album, Cobra Clutch, was relegated to the Wu vanity album The Swarm.

Don't think for a second that this move hurt GFK’s reputation, as the song drove hip hop heads worldwide absolutely apeshit for it, hailing it as the best song off the gold-selling compilation. (You read correctly. A mere compilation record from Wu and friends sold five hundred thousand copies on the strength of the Wu brand alone.) Less than a year after that, the DJ Mathematics-produced Mighty Healthy was unleashed on the masses and it drove people further into delirium for this project. Suddenly, there was a possibility that GFK was sitting on the album of the decade. Literally.

Interesting of note, GFK actually left the States and spent some time in Africa to write the album's lyrics, with RZA following him there to tighten up everything. This was done to parallel his trip with Raekwon to the Bahamas to write Cuban Linx, where RZA followed them there as well. Maybe it's a viable inspiration tactic. Maybe it's an excuse to splurge the label's money. Who knows. Thank God, I'm not a rapper.

Supreme Clientele sold five hundred thousand units within one month only in the US alone. Also, it shared the year of release with the Wu's third opus The W. From hereon out, GFK would continue to release a solo album every year the Wu dropped to this very day. Time to find out if his gamble here paid off and if it really was the album of the decade:

INTRO

RZA places a couple of bits from the Ironman 60s show. This would later come back to bite GFK in the ass.

NUTMEG (FEATURING RZA)
Black Moes-Art, producer of the timeless Soul In The Hole OST title track (Seriously. If you haven't heard it, go do so now), blesses Dennis with an Eddie Holman-sampling banger. GFK busts out the gate as if he's never proven anything to anyone in this rap game, spitting two verses so chock full of references they perfectly exhibit just how peerless the stream-of-consciousness style can be when done right. You'd also notice that he's continuing the eviscerating flow change he introduced in 97 on Wu Forever. Bobby was so excited by said verses he simply had to jump in for the third verse. Already, this album's off to a fantastic start.

ONE
It's about damn time the Beatnuts were shown love here at BBR! Juju loops a Sweet Inspirations sample and transforms it into a goddamn True Master-style scorcher of beat. GFK launches into a storytelling rap describing a day in hood life. What's different here is that Ghostface meshes so many styles of MCing into this one song that the lone track become a full-blown saga of episodes, twisting and turning with every listen. Props to his dazzling display of assonance in the second verse. A magnificent continuance of the strengths GFK displayed in the 5-year plan. This shit will take your breath away.

SATURDAY NITE
A short but sweet tale describing GFK being harassed by cops, set to a sped up Lamont Dozier loop by 6 July. By now, anyone who read about Ghostface Killa on this blog should know how devastating his imagery showcases can be. It won't matter in the slightest that the whole song is a little over a minute and a half long.

GHOST DEINI (FEATURING SUPERB)
Let me mention that depending on which version you hear, the experience of this track will differ greatly. Because there are two versions of this track out there, both apparently sampling the same Michael Masser material. Difference is, one houses a timeless loop. The other's simply aight. Anyways, allow me to address a certain controversy insinuated in the past and one that hasn't really been addressed properly as far as I'm concerned: Former Wu-Affiliate and American Cream Team member Superb, currently serving a bid for raping a young girl for the second time, has infamously claimed to have written the entirety of this album. One look at this song's lyrics and you will immediately recognize that to be a fallacy. GFK rips his guest's contribution to shreds with patented lethal combinations of imagery and punchlines, while Perby settles with spitting his most well-known verse. I don't care if the verse was fairly good, son gets no props. Still, a timeless GFK display.

APOLLO KIDS (FEATURING RAEKWON)
The second single & Haas G's lone contribution to Supreme Clientele. This very well may be his best production ever, as he masterfully reworks a Solomon Burke excerpt into the thumping drum break. Then again, maybe that was RZA's doing. As I said: he did rework every beat on the damn thing. To every rapper in the mainstream today, fuck you for not learning more from this song in the effective ways of 'styling on punks'. Matter of fact, anybody thinking about making a braggadocious song for his catalog should thoroughly research the lyrics present here from both MCs. Prediction: You'll love this song.

THE GRAIN (FEATURING RZA)
RZA finally enters the fray of producers for the album, armed with two Rufus Thomas samples. Lyrically, he joins Dennis in another acclaimed tag team showcasing how hybrid the Wu really were back then. The way their visions interweave, with GFK’s stream-of-consciousness dream sequence clashing with RZA's vivid tale of GFK’s ugly run-in with the cops, prove once again the steep history of these two's friendship, dating back to their old stomping ground Stapleton. Storytime: I played the ever-living shit outta Def Jam: Vendetta and its sequel Fight For NY. As of this moment, I just realized that this song has been blasted into my brain a killion times already, but I was too dumbstruck to realize that until I researched GFK's video game appearances for this review. That factoid makes me appreciate this song a whole lot more. This be my shit.

BUCK 50 (FEATURING METHOD MAN, CAPPADONNA & REDMAN)
RZA is really out to redeem himself for his failure of a solo debut, being the gojazillionth producer to make a classic outta hip hop goldmine Hard Times by Baby Huey. And what better use of the smash of a beat than as background to a trademark Wu punchline posse cut that allows me to write the following: I finally get to review a Reggie Noble verse! Especially with him and Mef repaying GFK for his cameo on their exhilaratingly successful collaboration album, Blackout! And also, Cappadonna (aka Cappachino The Great aka Papi Wardrobe aka Oh Donna aka that dude who almost ruined Wu-Tang Forever aka he who was kicked out of the Wu camp for a long time and had to resort to driving a goddamn cab until he got back into the Clan's good graces) returns to BBR. Have no fear, though, everyone (even Oh Donna. Because this time, RZA contains his horseshit, see.) comes correct with said punchlines. Mef sounds inspired as all hell, which I always love since it tends to bring out some amazing lyrics outta the fucker. Also, I loved the way that Reggie interrupts Cap. It's almost like he's forcefully showing him how to body the beat. Furthermore, Dennis spits two amazing verses on here. This is one of the best posse cuts the Wu have ever made.

MIGHTY HEALTHY
So, if you know the Wu at all, you've heard this song or of it. Why? Because it's probably DJ Mathematics' best production ever. I'm not exaggerating. He apparently handled the dope-ass animation in the music video, as well. Not surprising since he is the one who designed the Wu-Tang logo. Flipping a Sylvers sample to the hip hop staple Synthetic Substitution drum break coupled with some trademark Kung fu sampling, Math gives GFK the perfect layup for the lyrical dunk of the decade that is Supreme Clientele's lead single. And best believe, Dennis appropriately came correct something lovely: He launches into two of his patented style-meshing verses, once again providing sagas within them that twist and shift upon each listen. By far, the Wu-est song on the album. Never come back to this blog again if you don't like this shit.

WOODROW THE BASE HEAD (SKIT)

Fuck this skit, fuck Perby and fuck GFK for including this horseshit on the album.

STAY TRUE (FEATURING 62ND ASSASSIN)

I find it absolutely hilarious that GFK called this throughout the album's crafting process 'Deck's Beat'. An acute window inside the mind of our host, who was so enamored with the beat to Deck's Elevation that he decided to jack it wholesale and call it said name, laying said fact out bare. Anyway, Dennis spits one flossy-ass one-verse wonder that still retains his incredible talent for off-the-wall references. Yet again, another song by a Wu General ends with 62nd Assassin singing something that neither adds nor detracts from said song. Remember Glaciers Of Ice?

WE MADE IT (FEATURING SUPERB, HELL RAZAH & CHIP BANKS)

After another excerpt from the 60s cartoon, an admittedly-dope 6 July beat, which is yet another hip hop example of how to sample a Syl Johnson classic, unveils itself. I'll also admit that I loathed this beat the first time I heard it, but it gradually grew on me so tread carefully. Maybe it's because friggin' Perby is the first voice you hear on the shit. Seriously, what was so special about this Perby cat that made RZA feature him so heavily everywhere back then?! Lyrically he's on par with friggin' Hell Razah from Sunz Of Man, which damn well ain't nothing to be proud of. Very few tag teams in the Wu camp are worse than the aforementioned two to share this song with. Oh well: At least Hell Razah isn't a convicted rapist. On the plus side, GFK and the late Chip Banks, one half of the Harlem Hoodz and leader of Raekwon's American Cream Team, bring the ruckus on here. All in all, a good song if one can somehow cut Perby the fuck out of it.

STROKE OF DEATH (FEATURING SOLOMON CHILDS & RZA)

Apparently, Chris Rock and some respectable bloggers are fans of this song. Well, allow me to tell Christopher Rock and said bloggers that they are fucked in the brain. The Harlem Underground Band sample is scratched for the sole purpose of giving you a brain tumor. What pisses me off even more is that the performances by GFK and RZA are absolutely sublime. Solomon Childs, however, sounds nowhere near as good as he did on the Pillage, so there's that. Sorry, RZA, but fuck this song.

IRON'S THEME - INTERMISSION

RZA commissions a Gap Mangione loop, where GFK sings along to its tune. Yes, he sings. I think that's all you need to know about this shit.

MALCOLM

Something called a Choo The Specializt produced this song, bookending it with a dope Malcolm X sample, with the actually dope instrumental a beautiful mesh of a John Coltrane & Duke Ellington loop with an Isaac Hayes sample. Come to think of it, maybe the Malcolm X excerpt is RZA's doing. Whatever. Dennis the Menace here decides it's time for him to dream himself into Malcolm's shoes when the latter was guarding his family, then add a few events from his own into said dream. Bet you won't find songs like this on a Jay-Z album.

WHO WOULD YOU FUCK (SKIT)

This you would find, however. Skip this barf.

CHILD'S PLAY

RZA brings a George Jackson-backed instrumental for his final beat on the album and backs away as GFK brings you a truly breathtaking session of storytelling about one of his crushes in his younger years. You really need to listen to this multiple times, actually. The sheer skill in storytelling he displays on here is simply mind-bending.

CHERCHEZ LA GHOST (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS)

Unlike this dead-on-arrival horseshit. Carlos Bess, then already a young drumming legend, tries to bring Ghostie and Goldie here a club hit. To top it all off, you'd think that Goldie's the reason this song's absolute garbage but it's actually our host himself: GFK bit the first two bars from Mef's verse on the old I Gets Down For My Crown way back when, and proceeded to spit the most uninspired 6 bars I've ever heard from him. Uey follows up with a much more competent 8 bars utilizing his patented negative capability skills. None of this matters though, as the majority of the song is the vocals of some random R&B chick RZA probably picked up outta the blue and thought she was the next Aretha Franklin. And she calls herself Madame Majestic. Yeah, that'll convince everyone. Bottom line, her Cherchez LaFemme interpolation, along with the oh-so-original subject matter, ruins the entire song. Fuck this fake ass clowning.

WU BANGA 101 (FEATURING GZA, RAEKWON, CAPPADONNA & MASTA KILLA)

Now, this is more like it. DJ Mathematics is hell-bent on including kung fu samples on his beats here. Also, he samples a smooth Gladys Knight hit and turns it into a barren coliseum for the five Wu Generals to lyrically duke it out. And please believe, they duke it out something rough and rugged. Anytime Gary Grice sets off a Wu posse cut, the people following better bring their absolute A-game to the table, because he comes through with yet another of his timeless MCing lessons. This is also another Wu posse cut where GFK spits two sublime verses. Here Oh-Donna is even more contained than on Buck 50, which means his verse is even doper here. My lone gripe with this song is that Masta Killa's contribution was cut incredibly short because he was his usual immaculate self. Best song on the album, easy.

CLYDE SMITH (SKIT)

OK, so you already know this is Raekwon responding on behalf of the Wu to Gorilla Curt's How To Rob. Which is why it's absolutely hilarious to me that neither the Wu nor Gorilla Curt never carried out their threats against each other throughout the years. Alas, GZA definitively finished the job in 08 with his Paper Plate track. Also of absolute hilarity to me is the fact that outta nowhere, Gorilla Curt decided to post a recent pic on his IG where he's chumming it up with them. Yes, Cheffy's in the picture.

IRON'S THEME - CONCLUSION

A myriad of the opening skit, another excerpt from the cartoon and the abovementioned intermission.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm saying it right now: RZA didn't even show this much care to his own solo debut. Something about Ghostface Killah's hunger for the spotlight led RZA to hop on board this project and ensure that it was a timeless record. Because you bet your doughy and warty ass this is what a proper follow-up to a five-year plan classic Wu solo should sound like. All the factors are there: consistency, brilliant material, skill. Best of all, GFK was notably learning how to be his own entity and still function as part of the bigger Wu umbrella. Don't get me wrong, Mef, GZA & Deck already accomplished this with their shit. But GFK is the only one to remain in fruitful collaboration with RZA while doing so. For that, Supreme Clientele gets the nudge ahead of the others' still-dope material. However, I guess this means that it still can't be recognized as a true GFK solo project, though. Nevertheless, everyone who heard this album and praised it to the heavens were not bullshitting you this time. If you haven't yet heard a Wu solo aside from the 5-year plan releases and you're pretty confused as to which one you should start with, this is definitely the one I'd recommend. UPDATE: Jamel Bibbs aka Lord Superb passed away in October 2018 after falling into a coma and never regaining consciousness. I will never speak ill of the dead on this blog, as what I wrote was when he was alive. Any future mentions of Lord Superb shall be just that: mentions.

WORTH IT? Read the sentence I wrote before UPDATE and go burn this album into your brain. Beat a dog senseless if you have to.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
COBRA CLUTCH
I'm pretty sure GFK is the only rapper in history to make a shampoo brand fit perfectly in a hardcore rap song. And what a lead single this could've been: DJ Mathematics samples Lyn Collins in the perfect compliment to GFK’s confrontational lyrics. This is where people started to notice that he was continuing his devastating upgrade to his style, one which he introduced on Wu Forever. Furthermore, the video perfectly showcased his goofy side, where he and RZA brilliantly and hilariously acted like a couple of damn fools. Is it me or are the scenes playing in the background of the video excerpts from RZA's long unreleased Bobby Digital movie?! That's right, he actually made one.

STAND UP (CHARLI BALTIMORE SONG)

The album housing this single went through a very weird form of development hell. Even the album itself is damn weird if you ask me. For one, there are a lot of hardcore Boom Bap producers on the shit. Two, RZA produced two songs for her. One of which is this single, complete with a video and everything. Charli and GFK begin the song with some sexual banter, until Charli ruins it for everyone by producing a very painful image as a sexual act. Oh, you'll know what I'm talking about when you hear it. GFK and Charli then proceed to demolish the track together with braggadocio that'll crack your head open. Well, maybe that applies to GFK a bit more than it does to Charli. OK, a lot more. Still, she really holds her own.

WISE

I mean come on: There really was no way in Hades this was gonna make the proper album. Now that that's outta the way: This song is the tits. The very first time where GFK commands his producer, RZA this time, to just let a certain R&B track play while he rhymes right on the shit. This would become a Ghostface Killah staple for a good goddamn reason, as these songs usually feature GFK at his most inspired. It all started here as Dennis eulogizes his fallen friend Wise, who may or may not be the late leader of Killarmy. You've already heard how potent GFK was on Impossible, so yeah that's what you're getting here. One of the best songs I've ever heard in my life. And we're done.

If this whipped up a ravenous appetite for more GFK, gahead.

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (August 1, 1995) / Ghostface Killah - Ironman (October 18, 1996)

Surprise, brodie!

Nothing beats the feeling of revisiting material that you've grained into your head so much that you've lost the ability to unbiasedly critique it, right? Well, boy/girl (pick one), today I'm attempting to settle a debate that has been raging in my head for YEARS.

See, the mid-90s was very, very kind to one of my go-to hip hop groups, the Wu-Tang Clan: They debuted with a timeless classic, then splintered its output to include the following: a quality punchline album that is still critically underrated to this very day, even though it sold a shit ton of copies; one of the most experimental albums ever released by an artist that solidified the Wu sound in a way no other work has; and a bonafide work of fucking art. The Wu also implemented a strategy that would promote two artists to legendary status in a fraction of the time needed for them to achieve said status, and I'm frequently baffled by the genius of its sheer simplicity.

Funny thing is, Corey Woods bka Raekwon aka The Chef aka Louis Rich and Dennis Coles bka Ghostface Killah aka Ironman aka The Wallabee Champ aka Ghostdini The Great (I can go on) couldn't even stand each other at the start of their careers. I'm talking full-fledged beef. Although it probably was due to the fact that their respective project crews were at war more than a strictly personal conflict. Which makes what the RZA achieved with these two all the more amazing. By releasing Can It Be All So Simple as a single and adding it right after Raekwon's debut single Heaven & Hell on the 1994 Fresh OST, which was released before Method Man's debut and also included GZA's haunting single I Gotcha Back, he made sure this duo was stuck in the consumer's head forever more. And thus began the reign of RAGU. (Rae And Ghost United. Me neither.)

Obviously, RZA was on to something, as these two became inseparable from then on. Whenever one of them featured on a fellow Wu member's album, the other mostly followed. And whenever one threw a hissy fit regarding anything around the other guy, you'd bet your bottom dollar you'd be dealing with two hissy fits. Heartwarming stuff. Hell, they even shared opinions, as they very famously argued against RZA's continued control on the Wu sound multiple times.

Let's rewind a bit to my introduction to Raekwon the Chef. 'Twas during my years of not knowing shit about this style of music and harking back to my early Electronic Gaming Monthly obsession. I had just seen this review about the then-new Wu-Tang Shaolin Style game, and being that this was during the beginning stages of my martial arts nerdiness I saw the name Raekwon and thought: 'Hey, maybe he styled his nickname after Taekwondo!' I was in my early teens so cut me some fucking slack. Fast forward to my reintroduction to Method Man in the underrated Def Jam-AKI wrestling series, I was just starting to get the hang of Wikipedia. Long story short, I go to the Wu members list and I find his name right alongside Tae- ahem sorry - Raekwon. I leave it at that for a while. Then, I dive headfirst into the PSP’s GTA: Liberty City Stories and as I'm rampaging through the story mode, I stumble upon The Liberty Jam: A hip hop station entirely dedicated to mid 90s hip hop songs. Of course, one of said songs was the timeless Incarcerated Scarfaces but thing is, I hated the song and Rae's delivery of its lyrics at first. I originally thought that the beat was too minimalist and Rae's flow was too jumbled for me to understand anything. Of course I no longer follow that train of thought and I'll elaborate in the review. (As if I hadn't rambled enough)

So, Cheffy here always wanted that spotlight given to the Mefs and the ODBs of the world, to the point that he jumped at every chance that came his way to bug the ever-living shit outta RZA for that spot. Meanwhile, GFK was too busy not giving a fuck about none of that. He was just glad he made it out the projects, yo! Anyways, after that Fresh OST proved that these two actually delivered when it was game time, RZA swatted away Rae's hands and told him: "Now, we've already talked about this, Cheffy. Mef goes first, then ODB, and then it's your turn. But, you have to bring GFK along. Otherwise, no solo for you. Don't forget to say thank you to Uncle GZA for giving you his spot. There's a good Cheffy." Let's not forget that GFK in happy land is a very obedient GFK, so he agreed to whatever RZA wanted.

What neither of them knew at the time was that RZA was brewing up some of his most concentrated productions for the entire group. And when it was Rae's time, he gave him and GFK some of his lushest productions, keeping in line with the theme introduced in Can It Be and Heaven & Hell. RZA's ultimate plan was to successfully revive mafioso rap, the subgenre effectively pioneered by the immortal Kool G Rap during his years with DJ Polo, but he wanted to expand its use to a full album. And herein, loyal reader, lies one of the core reasons why the Wu reigned supreme in their early years: Their high chemistry together. RAGU wrote the exact material RZA needed for such revival, relying on their past experiences in the projects of Staten Island for inspiration. Some these lyrics also ingeniously doubled as metaphors for survival within a cutthroat industry such as the music business.

Nerdy tidbit: Rae took it upon himself to issue mafioso-esque nicknames (Wu-Gambino aliases as he'd like to call it) for each and every other Wu member on the album, starting with himself as Lex Diamonds. His co-host GFK was Tony Starks, GZA was Maxi Million, RZA was Bobby Steels, Masta Killa was Noodles, Inspectah Deck was Rollie Fingers, Golden Arms was Lucky Hands and Method Man was Johnny Blaze. Ol' Dirty Bastard may he RIP unfortunately sat this album out, even though he was still branded as Joey Bananas. Out of my own involuntary nerdiness, I'll be calling each Wu member by their respective Wu-Gambino aliases for the rest of this first review.

Upon release, the resulting album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (Originally called Only Built 4 Cuban Linx N****z) caught the New York hip hop scene and the rest of the country by storm. Critics hailed it as an instant classic, and fans ate the shit up. More importantly, the album struck a chord with Lex and Starks' contemporary rappers in the Rotten Apple. The years that followed saw a buttload of albums utilizing very similar themes, imagery and metaphors, some while being heralded as classics in their own right. Drawing blanks, all of a sudden, are ya? AZ's debut Doe Or Die? Obviously, Jay-Z's debut Reasonable Doubt? Nas' It Was Written? Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth? The Firm's loathesome eponymous debut? The late great Biggie's bloated Life After Death? Yeah, all borrowed from Cuban Linx, or as fans affectionately call it the Purple Tape. Well, the case can be made that the aforementioned Kool G Rap was merely continuing his own brand with his solo debut 4,5,6 but I find it too convenient that the friggin thing was released a month after the Purple Tape dropped. Within the Wu, however, things were quite different. After Cuban Linx, most of the group tried its best to distance itself from that aesthetic. Except for Lex, bless him. He just kept on galloping ahead with the same crime narratives he's been pumping so far, only without a Bobby Steels figure to really guide him towards recapturing his debut's brilliance, so he kind of had to figure his sound out as he went along.

Side note: I always mention the rappers featured on every song, credited or otherwise, as long as they contribute a verse or a hook. Well, these two reviews are where I draw the line a bit, because the two albums are technically duo albums between Lex Diamonds and Tony Starks, not solo albums. Hell, Ironman almost wound up being a trio album, but we'll get to that later.

Bottom line, you're still reading this to see if this shit is still deserving of all that praise.

STRIVING FOR PERFECTION
This is the second Wu solo to dedicate an entire listed track to a fucking skit. I will say that the skit is a thematic fit for the rest of the album by establishing our duo's fictional drug game hustle as a metaphor for their true hustle, which was the music business. The skit borrows music from John Woo's classic crime flick The Killer.

KNUCKLEHEADZ (FEATURING LUCKY HANDS)
And you enter this track with yet another skit, (even though this one's funny as shit to me!) as, after a heist, Lex uses an old Tom & Jerry routine and Starks and Lucky hilariously call him out on it. As Lex is defending himself from the other two, (during which Starks shouts: 'Don't play like I got a flowerpot head, kid!' Genius!) Bobby Steels' bass sample of a Dramatics record kicks in. Then as Lex begins to spit, Steels' piano interpolation of said record unveils itself, provoking all three artists to get their storytelling and imagery game on proper. Lex spends his sixteen describing their characters’ daily job of crime, Starks describes two successful heists brilliantly and Lucky Hands returns for the first time since Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' with a scorcher of a verse that makes use of a technique called 'negative capability' and ends with his character dying from a car crash. I told you he had excellent rhymes in him.

KNOWLEDGE GOD
You hear the sound of heavy sniffing, followed by a sped-up Stanley Black loop. The famed Make It Funky drums are then unveiled atop an ominous piano cut to you, the unsuspecting listener, as Lex launches into two brilliant solo verses that tell two vivid stories respectively. It's weird but the first time I heard this, it was like the beat was telling me that this song was going to be a storytelling entry. The first verse is Lex' take on the One Love formula introduced by Nas after some brief introductory bars about drugs in the hood, while the second finds him continuing a timeless mafioso staple, again introduced by Kool G Rap: Eliminating a potential threat. Poor Mike Lavogna never saw it coming. Typical, really. After Lex finishes, Bobby leaves the beat running for a bit more than a minute, which has developed into a habit of his by now. I'm only fond of the practice if the beat is worthy of it, and unfortunately that is no longer the norm since the 5-year plan ended.

CRIMINOLOGY
God damn, I love this song! Steels hit the jackpot with his combination of a sample apiece from both Black Ivory and The Sweet Inspirations, with the result kind of sounding like music straight out of Enter The Dragon by Bruce Lee if it wasn't for that beautiful Scarface excerpt in the beginning. My coverage of Steels' productions so far tells you he knew exactly what he was doing here. Starks returns with a leviathan punchline performance filled with his patented talent for imagery that simply blows past anything Lex brings to the table after it. Not to say Lex came up short, but there's simply no topping that verse on this song. Hell, the legendary DJ Muggs called Steels when they released this as a single preceding the album and told him that this verse was getting Starks recognized in the game as a monstrous lyrical threat. And, you know what? I agree with Muggs. A braggadocio classic.

INCARCERATED SCARFACES
The b-side to the third single, Ice Cream. You're introduced to your first Killer dialogue sample of the night. What's more, you get two! After the samples, you're thrust right into the instrumental in its entirety. Now, let's get back to discussing why I changed my mind about this song. You see, I was listening to it out of context. The song just belongs as a sequenced part of a puzzle. By the time I was finished with the previous three tracks, I was amped to hear what was coming next. The moment that familiar warped Koko Taylor sample over those Detroit Emeralds drums registered in my brain, my hate for it transformed into very strong fondness and association. Funny thing is, this beat wasn't even meant for Lex. Bobby was hard at work tinkering with it enough to fit in Liquid Swords! That is until Lex walked in the studio, fell madly in love with the beat and wrote the classic rhymes that have endured for the past 20 years in fifteen minutes. His mission statement? A continuation of the rap game/drug game analogy he effectively introduced in the album's opening skit. A smashing success as far as statements go.

RAINY DAYZ (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
Blue Raspberry returns to the Wu albums on Lex' fourth single with her second-best performance on a Wu album to date. Sorry, but there's no topping her haunting showing on Johnny Blaze' Mr. Sandman. Here you hear her crooning for a bit before the familiar Killer musical notes, followed by a dialogue sample. Then, you hear a beat that's very heavily violin-based. Now, debates on Whosampled still rage on about whether the violins you hear are sampled or played live. Hell, some are even saying Blue Raspberry herself played them (!!), yet I seriously doubt that. Anyway, the beat is haunting enough to pull two harrowing verses out of our starring duo. They both describe their thoughts, motives and background whilst threatening to pistol whip meat-heads. Whatever the fuck that means. Blue Raspberry performs a Barbara Streisand interpolation that describes what these dudes' female counterparts go through in the turbulent waters of both the drug life and the music life, and she knocks it out of the fucking park. This is my second favorite performance of hers for a goddamned reason.

GUILLOTINE (SWORDZ) (FEATURING ROLLIE FINGERS & MAXI MILLION)
Here you are knocked firmly back into Wu world with that exquisite kung-fu sample that would be utilized infinitely better on Maxi Million's Shadowboxin' later. After said sample, hey! It's that beat that you heard on Blaze' album and desperately wanted him to rhyme on! Well, too bad, as Blaze is nowhere near this song. The world survived. Let me reiterate for the umpteenth time: There's a good fucking reason my favorite Wu MC is Rollie Fingers, and here he displays plenty of it once again, setting shit all the way off with his patented blend of punchlines & imagery. Tony Starks, as if in a track and field race, picks up right where Rollie left off and gallops ahead upping the imagery ante as he goes along. After a dope kung-fu interlude, Lex swoops in with a continuation of the imagery battle for supremacy, after which a very valuable Maxmil' guest appearance ends the MCing imagery lesson for the track.

CAN IT BE ALL SO SIMPLE (REMIX)
You've read my 36 Chambers review, right? If you had, then you know how much I love the original version of this track. Well, thank God that Steels and our duo did it justice with this remix. For Bobby's part, he tweaked the original instrumental just enough for it to feel different to the listener without him swapping any ingredients he already might've used. but it was Lex-N-Starks who pulled off the feat that impressed me most, as Starks traded roles with Lex as the negative stereotype, while Lex took on Starks' former role of positive role model. If one took this as a sequel to the original song then it's all the more poetic how each one ended up fulfilling the other's original ambition, with Starks corrupted by Lex' final statement in the earlier track, and Lex himself cleansed when seeing what transpired with Starks afterwards. A masterpiece of a saga. Props to the intro where Starks gets shot, too. Very well done.

SHARK N****Z (BITERS)
Ah yes, the infamous Biggie dis. Our duo were kind of being dicks to Mr. Smalls here, but everything else they said about originality rings very true. Especially today.

ICE WATER (FEATURING CAPPACHINO)
From there, you enter into one of my favorite tracks on the entire album. Bobby loops a Delores Hall sample brilliantly slowed down to achieve a haunting effect, and boy does it work. Lex-N-Starks choose this occasion to invite a very special guest. Darryl Hill bka Cappadonna (aka Cappachino The Great aka Papi Wardrobe aka Oh Donna aka that dude who almost ruined Wu-Tang Forever aka he who was kicked out of the Wu camp for a long time and had to resort to driving a goddamn cab until he got back into the Clan's good graces), for all you Wu nerds out there, was supposed to be in the original Wu lineup but, similar to Lucky Hands, got locked up. Unlike Lucky, however, Cappa wasn't released until after the original nine had already formed. Guess who took his slot? Johnny Blaze! That's right, reader. The world could've suffered Oh fucking Donna instead of enjoying Method Man. The world certainly dodged a bullet there. So how does this not-so-new newcomer fare with our hosts? Pretty fucking awesome, actually. See, during 95-96, Capp' was relatively on fire when it came to spitting on Steels beats, and that started here. He even says that this was the very first verse he recorded on wax, though he was obviously an MC way beforehand. Or else he surely wouldn't've (didn't know double contractions was a thing until now!) been considered for a slot within the fucking Wu, y'know. Anyways, Tony Starks still outshines everybody on this record, although Capp' and Lex keep up admirably. A pretty good song to base your company's name on. Right, Lex?

GLACIERS OF ICE (FEATURING NOODLES, BLUE RASPBERRY & 60 SECOND ASSASSIN)
Steels was on fire on this beat, dammit! This was the B-side to Criminology and it got the video treatment, too. As such, it provided Noodles with the perfect platform to hit after his performance on Joey Bananas' Snakes. And boy, does he look awesome in that fucking video. Lyrically, this was a big step up from Ice Water, as all involved brought their absolute punchline best. Starks' final two bars actually immortalize themselves after this song, if that's even possible. I must admit that Blue Raspberry's Patti LaBelle interpolation wasn't as successful as her earlier Barbara Streisand attempt. Oh, and 60 Second Assassin drops by to sing some unintelligible shit that neither adds nor detracts from the song. This song is simply the tits.

VERBAL INTERCOURSE (FEATURING NAS)
Here Steels go again with his obscure sampling ways! This time, it's an exquisite Emotions four-second excerpt, slowed down to achieve a soothing effect that contrasts with the violent imagery that Nas, Lex & Starks bring to the song beautifully. A lot of hype was generated for Nas' contribution and, while it really is that good and meshes with Bobby's beat perfectly, many people eschew the fact that Starks blacks the fuck out on this record. Seriously, the man fits three movies' worth of imagery in his storytelling verse. Lex was basically continuing Nas' vibe. This is definitely an album highlight.

WISDOM BODY
Let it be known that this here track is the reason why most fans associate Tony Starks with blaxploitation flicks. For, in case you missed it, this is the very first Starks solo song, complete with an intro from the 70s classic The Mack. And what does he choose to talk about? A chick he met. You get the feeling that him and Lex were jealous of their brother Johnny Blaze and of how his Grammy-winning duet with Mary J. Blige turned him into an target of female lust nation-wide. The thing these two boneheads don't understand is: That song came about organically and unplanned, with Blaze initially writing those two verses for private ears only, which only added to its appeal. Starks, on the other hand, clearly wrote this one-verse extravaganza as a reaction to some slut he saw at one of the clubs he and Lex wasted themselves in back in the day. As such, the lyrics are obviously pure misogynistic crap. Furthermore, is it me or does Bobby Steels have a habit of wasting some of his absolute best beats on crap like this. Way to build a crime narrative, you three. I will say that Starks' abilities as an MC allow him more range than his portly cohort. Although in Lex' case, it's probably for the better that he doesn't dip in this well very much. The results could be truly disastrous.

SPOT RUSHERZ
From a Starks solo to its Lex equivalent, although this is a return to the criminal tales filling this album so far. A one-verse performance was all it took for this song to click with its custom-made Steels beat, and, you know what? That's good enough for me. Moving on.

ICE CREAM (FEATURING CAPPACHINO & JOHNNY BLAZE)
I spoke too soon. Remember what I said on Wisdom Body abut Lex dipping into a certain well. Well, I present said dipping. Bad enough that they're attempting this type of record on a fucking mafioso concept album, but people are seriously treating this as the breakout single of the fucking summer. Granted, it doesn't commit the same sin as its Biggie counterpart Big Poppa does by aping the G-Funk sound in the most wackass way possible. Hell, this is yet another example of Steels wasting one of his finest beats on a song promoting misogyny, (Seriously, that Earl Klugh acoustic riff is sampled to distorting perfection. I just know you thought it was a piano riff, right? You don't care as long as it's dope? Oldest copout in the book.) one even primer than Wisdom Body since (as I've mentioned earlier) this is officially the third single. With the video treatment and all. Bit hypocritical dissing Biggie for being unoriginal on the same album housing this horseshit contractual obligation, if you ask me. Oh, and before I forget: Blaze? Shame on you for ruining your honest perspective on women which you've marvellously established on All I Need. Really, your chorus here is just atrocious.

WU-GAMBINOS (FEATURING JOHNNY BLAZE, BOBBY STEELS & NOODLES)
It's going to take a track from the elite annals of hip hop history to drag me out of the mood I'm in following that Ice Cream fiasco. Thankfully, this posse cut just so happens to fit the bill. After the longest Killer dialogue sample on the album (one punctuated by dialogue between various Wu-Gambinos that effectively transports you into Starks' mother's real-life apartment back then where he and his boys are watching said Killer scene.), Blaze sets out to redeem himself with a real chorus, so real that I find myself humming it endlessly while I wash the dishes when my wife's sick. Aren't I a sweetheart? Blaze also does us a huge favor by setting the song off with just the right amount of punchline venom combined with a lethal dose of haunting imagery, as he was incredibly prone to doing back then. Lex follows suit with an equally enthused performance filled with crime imagery. Steels finally steps out from behind the boards for the lone time during this album and delivers one of his wordiest verses ever. Dude hits you with a full-blown MCing lesson, thereby taking a page from his cousin Maxi Million's many such performances. Noodles swings by to deliver his ever improving bars with a majestic confidence that shines through his imagery-filled bars. Starks is chosen by all present to end the song, and he does so emphatically with a verse twisting between imagery, punchlines and a story in the final bars of this shit. I edge this song out as the better posse cut on the album simply because this one lasted longer and had more contributors to it.

HEAVEN & HELL
Six seconds from Syl Johnson. That's all it took for Steels to craft this nostalgia masterpiece. Remember what I said about Onyx' Live!!! single here? The very same shit applies to this instrumental. It just forces the emotions out of you to come spilling out. Lex-N-Starks captalize on this opportunity to tell a street tale in the back-n-forth style popularized by Run-DMC and perfected by the very underrated EPMD. Our duo would later use this technique a few more times in the following years. Back to the story told here: Ending the tale with the eponymous hook instructs you to divert your focus from the events to the surroundings, which has been done before. Making this a very worthy addition to the hall of fame of hip hop storytelling raps. The album could've ended here and it would've been glorious.

NORTH STAR (JEWELS)
Alas, Lex had to give you one more jewel. I didn't think it possible, but Steels absolutely eclipses his magnificent work on the previous song to deliver a timeless composition made out of various cuts from the same Barry White record. The result evokes a sense of destiny, as Popa Wu (whom I utterly abhor) harps on about being proud of Lex for coming this far in the game. (Which game? That is graciously left up to you.) Also, he fucking sings that 5% bullshit in the background, and trust me, boy/girl, he is resolutely not the best singer of all time. Imagine a middle-aged boar had transformed into a middle-aged male human while still somehow keeping his boarish voice. Now imagine that hideous creature attempting to sing a song about the Five Percenter beliefs. You'd still be light years away from how truly repulsive his shit sounds. Thank God, Lex starts to tell a haunting story of revenge for one of his incarcerated friends' murdered wife. The revenge killing seemingly has no effect on Lex as he returns to the environment giving birth to such tragedies, showing that his senses of morality have vanished because of this criminal life. This final song could've been timeless, had it not been for Popa Wu's incessant need to ruin these records with his 5% crazy babble.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, the trio of Lex Diamonds, Tony Starks and Bobby Steels certainly achieved their goal of making the penultimate mafioso rap album that all future mafiosi-esque rappers aspire to recreate, flaws 'n'all. This album gave us a concrete introduction to Lex-N-Starks, the duo. They would henceforth be forever linked together whenever one's name came up. And with good reason, as their chemistry together is pretty fucking potent. Most people, however, forget that Bobby Steels was the third and most important factor of this album's success. With him handling its creative direction and wall-to-wall production, the album achieved a cohesive sound that is yet to be found on any of Lex' following releases. I will also reiterate that this album, while definitely a timeless classic, is inferior to Liquid Swords, that's for damn certain. There were NO contractual obligations on Liquid Swords whatsoever, and every single Wu-Gambino was involved on it. In contrast, Joey Bananas (aka ODB) was painfully missing from Cuban Linx' proceedings. For a hip hop family, that's a very distinct flaw. I still state, however, that the Purple Tape remains a timeless classic. I've also acquired with this review some hard data to compare against the next release in this trio's discography, Ironman.

WORTH IT? If you have functioning ears, can clearly read the above and are into hip hop, then I would assume the answer is yes if I were you. If not, go buy Views and listen to Hotline Bling all the way to your humble abode in the fiery pits of Hades.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
RAINY DAYZ (REMIX)
I have to admit I did not know about this song until I got the hang of Discogs three years ago. I must ask, though: Why wasn't this remix issued by Bobby Steels? Nothing against Mr. Dalvin and I'm a huge Diamond D fan, but Steels was throwing out remixes left and right on every single his crew released up to that point, so why not this one? Oh well. Mr. Dalvin & Diamond D take a soulful Blue Notes sample and freak it beautifully for Lex-N-Starks to spit their shit. And spit their shit, they do: Lex starts us off with two crime-filled verses of pure gold and Starks ends the night with one long-ass verse that has any flavor you want: hilarious punchlines, inspired imagery, stories, the whole shabang. I highly recommend this. And we're done.

No, we're not! I was just kidding! I don't care if you think this is cheating, this makes sense to me, dammit! Moving on...

As I've mentioned previously, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... made such an artistic impact that the only course of action that made sense to the Wu was to move in as much a different direction as possible with the next solo shot. (I'm conveniently choosing to forget that Liquid Swords was released in between the two albums I'm reviewing here because it makes more sense this way. What do you mean, I'm living in denial?!)

After said Purple Tape's release, Ghostface Killah (Hey! The original nicknames are back! You won't have to worry about the Wu-Gambino aliases anymore. At least, until I get to Cuban Linx 2. *Evil sneer*) was being hailed as the best thing on the shit yet he still toiled in the underground as a solo brand while Raekwon was racking up the features that normally come with such exposure. RZA, the producer of Ironman's entirety sans a single song, decided it was high time he did something about it. He decided to focus on giving GFK the exact album formula he gave his portly cohort, although knowing RZA, a thematic change was rapidly due.

In place of the Killer samples, RZA makes room for the distinctive choice of The Education Of Sonny Carson, a heralded 70s biopic based on the controversial activist's best-selling autobiography describing the struggles of his early life that embody the still-very-relevant troubles of hood life. This choice, along with various other 70s blaxploitation samples and a group of very inspired snippets, successfully associated GFK with sensitivity a tad more than his peers. Not that GFK is a softie, of course, (just ask all the Mases and the Wish Bones of the rap game.) but he really did wonders to enhance that image by releasing All That I Got Is You with Grammy machine Mary J. Blige as his lead single. (Ugh. I have nothing against Mary herself but the mere mention of the fucking Grammys always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.) The single swiftly became one of the saddest songs in hip hop history, scratch that, in music history. And yes, I have heard the critic-proof Dear Mama by 2Pac. I'm telling you, this song is right up there with it.

As was the status quo with Cuban Linx, GFK's album Ironman was structured exactly the same when it came to featured MC's: GFK gets four solo tracks, Rae gets a singular solo track and the rest is various posse cuts. Unfortunately, RZA committed a COLOSSAL mistake in this particular aspect, and believe me, I will address that shit when it's time.

The RAGU brand benefitted immensely from their abovementioned previous album together, so they naturally wanted to do it again. This time, however, RZA decided to add a third member to the team: Cappadonna aka Papi Wardrobe himself aka Cappachino The Great aka Oh Donna aka that dude who almost ruined Wu-Tang Forever aka he who was kicked out of the Wu camp for a long time and had to resort to driving a goddamn cab until he got back into the Clan's good graces. This addition was simply to throw a bone Capp's way because of his earlier reputation as the DMD Crew's battle rapper. I'll take this opportunity to state that because his name is printed right alongside the Chef's on the friggin' front cover, I will also refrain from crediting his name where he shows up. Bite me.

Quick autobiographical detour: I must mention that I also didn't know shit about GFK when I first heard of him, which was on the Def Jam-AKI wrestling video game series. Let's forward to 2005, I'm in my Linkin Park obsession period so naturally I was a diehard fan of Fort Minor, Linkin Park pseudo-rapper Mike Shinoda's hip hop side project. I remember listening to We Major, the promotional mixtape of the lone Fort Minor album The Rising Tied, almost religiously. On that mixtape, I heard a little song called Spraypaint And Inkpens, which was Mike featuring Lupe Fiasco and our subject for this half of the double review. That was my first taste of GFK's incredible talent for storytelling, even if the story he told on that particular song is a bit tame compared to his heights in retrospect. Naturally, I was mesmerized. Although I wasn't mesmerized enough to remember his distinct high pitched voice when I heard Protect Ya Neck several months later. Jumping to 2006, I'm just beginning my Youtube and Wikipedia voyages, I begin familiarizing myself with Wu lore and the rest is Wu-nerd history. Back to the review.

I will be reviewing the first release of the CD version, as it contains both the original final track of the album and the final track of its re-release the same friggin year, which is the mistake that best shows how dumb Epic Records were when it came to managing a prospective talent. I'll explain in the review.

Ironman, lady/gent. (Again, pick one.)

IRON MAIDEN
The Sonny Carson sample really adds character to this braggadocio exhibition, as if this track is your initiation to the world of Ghostface Killah. RZA really wants you to feel the Al Green influence by sampling two of his most distinct tracks, and it works beautifully. This is hands down one of his most energetic concoctions up to this point. On the lyrical front, our trio deliver the business proper. Rae in particular stepped his flow game the fuck up, improving in that particular aspect in a way that just couldn't be found on any of his work on Cuban Linx. Subject matter? Crime imagery as usual, which does the job quite well. GFK weaves one of his trademark tales where he executes a great escape with his lady friend by his side, still finding time mid-narrative to brag about himself without sounding disjointed. Art. After RAGU's display, you'd think Capp would somehow come up short based on his current reputation as the worst member of the Wu. (a reputation I do not endorse, by the way, but whatever.) Yet he is every bit the prior duo's equal here, with a more traditional display of punchlines, if you will. Still, some pretty scintillating stuff from this guy. All in all, a fucking classic. Props to Derrick Champ Ford's turn as Wolfe, man. He was my favorite actor from the Sonny Carson film.

WILDFLOWER (FEATURING JAMIE SOMMERS)
After a quick sample from JD's Revenge, a blaxploitation film which partly inspired the Snoop Dogg vehicle Murder Was The Case, you hear two bars from a certain T. Shivers who calls herself Jamie Sommers, after which GFK unveils his one-verse sequel to that unnecessary Wisdom Body love rap on Cuban Linx. And from the looks of it, things went south pretty damn fast. He lyrically tears his former lady friend a new one in one of the most revolting displays of misogyny I've ever heard. I don't care if it's a better showcase of his 'broken heart': There are many ways to express the flaws of an individual without falling back on the tired and quite frankly disgusting rap trope of bashing women. As expected, RZA wastes yet another gem of a beat, one which brilliantly samples Johnny Mathis, on this horseshit. Fuck this garbage.

THE FASTER BLADE
Reminiscent of Cuban Linx yet again, you transition from a Ghostface solo to a Raekwon solo, with a beat capably sampling The Persuaders that was screaming for GFK to jump on throughout the entire song. Furthermore, Rae's adlibs in the beginning didn't show him as the kingpin brimming with confidence he was on his own solo album. That quickly changes once Rae starts with his one-verse exhibition, as he repeats the feat he accomplished on Iron Maiden with his flow. This needs to be heard to be fully appreciated. Subject matter-wise, this is more of a retelling of Spot Rusherz sprinkled with a few punchlines that reflect the track's status as a metaphor of Rae taking other MCs out with the quickness. Taken as such, it's a pretty fucking awesome showing.

260
Now you return to regular programming with another Wolfe sample from the Sonny Carson flick segueing into another vintage RAGU tale of friendship. Ah, who am I kidding? It's another crime story vivid with imagery from the duo over another sombre Al Green-sampled instrumental, where the two crimeys describe a drug deal gone horribly wrong with heavy reliance on Five Percenter terminology to paint their pictures, making this a real jigsaw of a puzzle back in the day. Now, Rap Genius may have rendered the entire schtick moot, yet it's still an entertaining tale that ends with a pivotal scene sampled from The Usual Suspects, a massively underrated film.

ASSASSINATION DAY (FEATURING INSPECTAH DECK, RZA & MASTA KILLA)
The scene plays right into a Crying Freeman anime sample, yet another underrated work of art, before unveiling the custom-made beat, crafted with no sample to speak of. As such, this beat is a goddamn masterpiece. You can actually hear the Pac-Man sounds RZA sprinkles on the beat, by which point you must ask yourself: Where the fuck does this guy get these ideas from? After which a very in-form Inspectah Deck obliterates the song with a verse that really signals his transformation into a very imposing hip hop force. No lie, this is where he officially hits the stride he began on Liquid Swords, that which gave him such critical acclaim on Wu-Tang Forever. In short, this is my favorite guest verse of his. Yes, even better than his Above The Clouds work. Matter of fact, the only work that surpasses this is his work on the Wu's group albums, but we'll tackle that later. RZA steps from behind the boards to give us yet another powerful example of why he's a master of both beats and rhymes. Rae then takes the mic from the Abbott and sprawls into yet another one of his patented crime rhymes, crhymes if you will, with Masta Killa, the closest of all to the assassination theme present in the title, ending the song with one of the most effectively ominous lyrical performances in hip hop history. Plus, his proclamation of the title in his bars is sprinkled throughout the track brilliantly, similarly to the way RZA used two of Rae's bars on Iron Maiden as said track's hook. Masta Killa's performance rounds up one of the best Wu posse cuts ever. And precisely here I ask: This is supposed a Ghostface Killah album, right? So, um, why the motherfuck wasn't Ghostface Killah on this song again? This oversight by RZA is the COLOSSAL mistake I spoke about in the intro to this album's review, one I will not be forgetting anytime soon. This song was on par with the posse cuts on friggin' Liquid Swords. It's that fucking good. Except it's, once again, on a Ghostface Killah album, and the star player is fucking benched? Unforgivable oversight on your part, RZA. GFK's brand within the Wu really takes an L with this omission, an error that would be rectified pretty damn soon, as it should've. And speaking of Ls, why didn't you just move out of that cursed basement when the first flood hit, RZA? The world could've had a GLORIOUS INS debut album during your precious 5-year plan.

POISONOUS DARTS
You won't be winning any favors from me by placing a Ghostface solo here, RZA. Oh, a kung-fu sample from the Mystery of Chessboxing! All is forgiven! Well, not really but I'll be damned if that kung-fu sample doesn't feel like home during this part of my Wu journey. GFK spits two verses filled to the brim with his patented crime blend of imagery, storytelling, braggadocio and punchlines over a beat that contains the very first precursors to the Bobby Digital sound. As such, the production is leaps and bounds better than some of his future experiments in said sound. All in all, a very entertaining solo shot from GFK.

WINTER WARZ (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS & MASTA KILLA)
This track is one of two pulled from movie soundtracks and into this album, the Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood OST (One of my favorite Wayans parody flicks!) in Winter Warz' case. People were very familiar with this song by the time Ironman was released since the OST came out 9 months before the proper album did. This practice shouldn't be frowned upon as both Liquid Swords and Cuban Linx pulled their lead singles from the Fresh OST. On the album version, you hear Rae echoing GFK's final word from the previous track, after which the beat gallops full steam ahead with its ZZ Hill-sampling ways, daring the featured MCs to catch up. Rae spits the hook quickly, then gets the fuck outta the way as Golden Arms comes through swinging. This dude has something to prove here, as his 'negative capability' rhymes force themselves on the listener, rape his ear and pillage his brains. Rae comes back for the hook, until GFK impatiently interrupts it by blowing past him with yet another of his unique verses. One that really showcases the fact that he was already a fully formed MC way before Supreme Clientele's formation inside Mr. Coles' head. See, RZA? This is how you do a posse cut on a Ghostface album: You fucking include the star attraction. After GFK conculdes his verse efficiently, Masta Killa enters the fray after Rae's hook, (which he thankfully finished this time) with a repeat of the feats he displayed on Assassination Day. Two bars into Rae's following hook, Cappadonna suddenly decides it's his turn to rhyme. And dude keeps going and going and going... His eventual 50 bars end up taking forever. And while his flow is pretty basic throughout compared to the others, his rhymes are still pretty fucking dope. Overall, a definite highlight.

WU WILL SURVIVE (FEATURING METHOD MAN & STEVIE D)
I'm well aware of what the tracklisting says, thank you not so much. You might also remember that the original tracklisting stated that the track featured Streetlife, not Raekwon. I found this title on the instrumental album, where this song's beat (more on it later) is called the title you see above. Anyway, RZA: I know you want me to feel that this album is brimming with a 70s blaxploitation vibe, but Goddamn these R&B intros are fucking annoying. Thankfully the Force MDs' own Stevie D is interrupted rudely by the impending instrumental, before which Rae orders his peoples headphones, all of 'em. Whatever that was. Anyway, this is the first of three songs with a beat that switches up completely mid-track. This one features two completely original RZA compositions, where the first beat is totally eclipsed by the awesome, hard-hitting second once Rae sets the song off. And boy, does he leave an impression. His braggadocio thuggery brand is only matched by his co-host, who effectively demonstrates such with his following 12 bars. They're both highly outclassed by Mef who spits his elevated brand of classic punchlines that he's sustained since Wu-Gambinos. I cannot overstate how much the beat felt like it was pushing the three MCs to outdo each other, which you can sort of hear when GFK adlibs Rae's final bars before spitting his own shit. This banged something lovely. The beat with a few Mef adlibs transitions into...

FISH
The lone song not produced by RZA, yet sounds just as classic as anything he did in his prime. Derrick Harris bka True Master already debuted with a banger when he did Brooklyn Zoo but this is where he cemented his reputation as a beatmaker, as this track is truly an elevation of his sound. By tinkering and chopping up various sections of an Otis Redding classic, Derrick successfully crafted the result into sounding like a battle theme from Far-East Asia. Before that, though, let's delve into how awesome that Crying Freeman-sampled intro is: This is a premium display of why the intros are what set the themes for all these braggadocio songs apart. For example, Fish is a self-deprecating taste of braggadocio simply by taking it into the intro's context, while a song like Iron Maiden is more of a baptism-by-fire display, again because of the intro's context. On the lyrical front, our trio give us a taste of what they're good at: GFK with his braggadocio blend of imagery and metaphors with a sly line of social commentary at the end, Capp with his traditional punchline display, and Rae rounding out the bunch with his patented crhymes. (I'm liking that term too much, aren't I? Watch me not give a fuck.) In the end, you're left with a friggin classic on your hands. Another highlight.

CAMAY
For all the bragging about this album being the soulful of the bunch, it sure knows how to waste a layup. I mean, it's Ice Cream 2.0: How can you not utilize your obviously strong connection with the Force MDs here? Not that I give a shit, as this is truly Ice Cream all over again. There is one difference that matters to me, though, as the beat here is all sorts of ass. I mean, I can't begin to comprehend how a producer of RZA's caliber can fuck up a sample like that I've Been Watching You bassline. Yet RZA coupled it with a poorly-chosen Teddy Pendergrass sample with the result being one of the most jarring, off-key beats I've ever heard. I'm sorry but that qualifies as ass in my review. Please refer to my Ice Cream review above for my opinion on the lyrics. Moving on.

DAYTONA 500 (FEATURED STEVIE D)
Again with the putrid R&B intros? Stevie D makes the stupid choice of interpolating Michael Jackson, and it backfires on him big time. Thankfully, he redeems himself with a smarter interpolation of Vicki Sue Robinson on the hook. Our trio run roughshod over the Nautilus-sampling beat, with some expert scratching by RZA that washes the remnants of the previous song out of your ears. The real story, however, is how this song's classic Speed Racer video came to be. Now, most would think that it was a RZA stroke of genius yet again. Most would be wrong, see, as there really was a video being shot. However, the director was apparently giving GFK too much lip. You can probably guess what happened afterwards: Director gets smacked something horrible, production gets shut down, and you get the timeless video you know today as a last-minute resort. Funny how art can come from the simplest of reactions.

MOTHERLESS CHILD
The second and final song pulled from a movie OST, in this case Sunset Park (another favorite), on this album. This song also received some ample airtime for 6 months before Ironman's release, but because I'm such a nice person, I'll run you through it anyway. RZA makes this song the OV Wright show by sampling him three times, one of which gives the song its name, and samples a piano riff off of one of the remaining two samples, tinkers with its speed and adds a drumline. Presto! Classic beat crafted. I know that this song credits Raekwon but he's only with us for eight bars, then he moves the fuck out of the way as GFK ploughs through a 40 bar story about a rather violent tale of beef, filled with his unique talent for imagery. I especially liked how he leaves the story open-ended, although he does adlib that 'shit was horrible' after his verse. I consider this a Ghostface solo because, as I've mentioned, Rae's only there for eight bars. I still love this friggin song, though.

BLACK JESUS (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS)
After the last song's high, in no way do I ever need a followup rant by fucking Popa Wu, of all people. The fact that the shit went for a full minute before any sort of song begins only adds to my frustration. Admittedly, an album review on some unknown's blog is surely not the place to factually confirm if what he's saying checks out or not, but fuck if it didn't stop the album's momentum dead in its tracks. Not the kind of intro I was looking for, RZA. Once he's done, though we're greeted with an inspired sample of the Blackbyrds doing their thing, followed by some beautiful low-key strings that set the stage for RAGU and Golden Arms to spit their 9-to-5 in the second song to switch up the beat mid-track. Rae starts with his best GFK impression by reaching for the most off-kilter imagery he can think of. He does an admirable job, until GFK schools him with his verse, with images like the birth of Kunta and pilgrims "G-in' Pepperidge Farms from out of millions". This juxtaposition would become vintage with GFK later in his career. But the true revelation of the song is Golden Arms coming with a particularly special addition to his arsenal of 'negative capability' verses. I will not stop posting this link because of how prevalent it is in proving this man's talent. I confess I hated the song at first, mainly because of the bloody intro, but it definitely grew on me.

AFTER THE SMOKE IS CLEAR (FEATURING RZA & WILLIAM HART)
The lister immediately gets treated to four seconds jacked wholesale from a Jimmy Ruffin record and looped as the beat. Of course, the sample is not the only element, as a very in-form William Hart of the Delfonics lays a foundation of vocals that enhances the instrumental greatly. RAGU & RZA take turns displaying their very different brands of hip hop: GFK with a verse split into a story, his distinct bragging and some abstract rhymes glued miraculously together for 22 bars. This verse is also where he originated the title of his famed sophomore album. Rae then drops in for just eight bars yet again then takes off as RZA delivers an unexpectedly introspective verse. Think along the lines of CREAM and you'll get the idea. Overall, this song was a step above the previous song.

ALL THAT I GOT IS YOU (FEATURING MARY J. BLIGE)
After a gut-wrenching scene sampled from Sonny Carson, the final time it's sampled on the album, you hear the lead single in all its glory. If you're even remotely familiar with Ghostface Killah, you've heard everything you need to know about this song, and how it's basically a crime against humanity to critique it in any way, shape or form. And I side with the massively-popular opinion on this one: This is one of the few songs that made me legitimately cry in ANY genre. the Jackson 5 song from which the sample came from isn't even that sad to begin with, but trust RZA to change that. As for GFK? You get the first real look at the real Dennis Coles, and his one-verse wonder is such a masterstroke with such vivid pain that you'll get worked up each and every time you hear this song, period. I don't care if you keep listening to it for 50 years, it'll still have that effect on you. Blige sounds a little uninvested by her lofty standards, and I'm still pissed that she snubbed GFK in the video, but she got the job done. Hell, even Popa Wu miraculously didn't ruin the song, with his tangent somehow contained by his standards, which only adds to the song's timelessness. A definite highlight of his career.

THE SOUL CONTROLLER (FEATURING JESSE LEE DANIELS)
Probably the most underrated gem of GFK's 20-year career, and the third and final song to switch up the beat mid-track. The reason why it's underrated is because it was supposed to be the proper end to Ironman, but the dreaded sampling issues had to rear their fugly little heads and rob the fans of this classic's potential as a timeless song in his catalog. RZA goes real fucking left with his sampling of the first few seconds of Adagio, the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major. He furthers it by playing the notes on a goddamn flute. The second beat was built from the ground up by RZA, with the result being a genius amplifying instrumental. That's much more than what GFK normally needs to craft a classic, so imagine what he eventually does with these ingredients. He goes in on an introspective tale that sounds semi-autobiographical to me and he includes his flavor for punchlines and imagery in the mix, resulting in a truly wondrous mix of emotions. Add that with Jesse Lee Daniels, who tags in for his Force MDs cohort Stevie D and blows his vocals out of the park in a homerun of a Sam Cooke interpolation which sets the tone of the tale every time you hear him. The song then ends with the final scenes of both Carlito's Way and The Usual Suspects, two very different yet equally awesome flicks that really tell what RZA's vision for this album was more than any other scene he sampled on the shit. And let me tell you, it's friggin' glorious and felt like the true culmination of a continued narrative that inexplicably links Ironman with Cuban Linx, even though both have very distinctive thematic differences. Fuck you, sampling issues. This song along with All That I Got Is You comprise my two favorite GFK solo songs bar none.

MARVEL (FEATURING RZA)
You remember how I said about the tracklist being changed in the intro to my review of this album? Turns out a misogynistic song was the label's replacement. Fucking why?! RZA, as usual, wastes another dope beat on this one, also a precursor to his Bobby Digital sound. Furthermore, he makes you cry tears that burn their paths into your cheeks at what could've been had the subject matter been worthy by, and I've mentioned this in the Purple Tape review, letting the beat ride for the remainder of the song after they finish their lyrical embarrassments. Speaking of which, I don't even want to waste more of my time on some ignorant lyrics by GFK and RZA, especially off some fuckery that is forcefed down a fan's throat in a rude effort to replace the glory of the previous track.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Moment of truth time.

One thing that surprised me was how Ironman was more battle-oriented with its content than Cuban Linx, when it's supposed to be the 'sensitive' album, especially with GFK unfortunately emphasizing his obsession with misogyny throughout both albums. While the Purple Tape was more planned out when it came to album structure, Ironman's smarter movie sample choice combined with GFK's unconventionally endless lyrical creativity, displayed with ease that's almost stream-of-consciousness, gives it a colorful edge. Also, on Cuban Linx GFK was not the decision-maker of the duo, so he didn't get to set his wildly chaotic pace that everyone enjoys so much from him. I will say, though, that the Chef has GFK beat when it comes to flow. In just about every other lyrical category? Sorry, Rae, but you've always taken the L. It almost feels like Rae was focusing on certain aspects of MCing (which did end up making him a beast on that mic, don't get me wrong) while GFK simply threw away the rulebook and came up with his own aspects. This dichotomy between these two makes me appreciate the depth in the entire Clan's style set back then, whereas now, everyone aside from RAGU, RZA & GZA have somewhat fallen back to traditional methods of lyrical wizardry. Oh well. Speaking of our producer, he seems to have taken more risks by not relying on samples as much on the Ironman album, whereas on the Purple Tape his beats, while timeless, are played safe every time with his still-ingenious sample use. That risk-taking has contributed to his growth and displayed better results from him, and those results would benefit him greatly on his impeding venture with the Wu as a whole. 

So in lieu of my above breakdown, the verdict's in: I'm most probably in the vast minority here, but Ironman is simply a more satisfying album to me and its tangents more humane, if you will.

There. Debate solved. Back to other useless wastes of my time.

WORTH IT? You just read me telling you to go to hell if you hate Cuban Linx, the 'inferior' album in my equation above. What does that tell you about my opinion here?!

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
WHO'S THE CHAMPION (FEATURING RZA)
Another soundtrack contribution by GFK, The Great White Hype OST this time, which would fit seamlessly on the album had it not already included two songs pulled from OSTs. Over yet another beat he built from scratch, RZA invites GFK to a particularly violent song about, as Rae brilliantly puts it in the hook, shooting the one-on-one. RZA and GFK tale a vivid tale each about a beatdown they gave to two very unlucky souls respectively. GFK's tale was, predictably, more descriptive and had him include his usual sprinkles of punchlines and imagery and yet I couldn't pick a verse better than the other: RZA really let loose with his venom, and if you've been following the man's lyrical career, you know this dude can get quite nasty. This is another one of those glorious moments.

BOX IN HAND (FEATURING STREETLIFE & METHOD MAN)
See? I told you the tracklist was fucked up. You probably wouldn't find this song unless you searched for its more popular titles these days, When You Walk or Deadly Darts. I'm still pissed that this was left off the proper release, even though, unlike The Soul Controller's situation, I fucking love its replacement Wu Will Survive. Here, RZA gives us a very soothing piano sample, which is an unconventionally tame choice by his standards, and the three featured MCs respond by turning in some of their most vicious punchlines and braggadocio on the beat. GFK as usual sounds inspired, Streetlife proves yet again why Redman is actually the 12th member of the Wu-Tang by flowing just as confidently as the rest with his punchlines, and Mef ends it with what he's been doing since his Purple Tape cameo. Need I say more?

KB RIDIN (FEATURING METHOD MAN, SHACRONZ & SUGA BANG BANG)\
Now this is off the 2002 Wu compilation album The Sting, and yet GFK and Mef's voices clearly sound like their 1996 counterparts. Another takeaway from 96 is that the beat is the exact beat that kicked in once GFK launched into his third verse on The Soul Controller. If you heard that song before, you know how blood-pumpingly awesome that beat is, and to hear Mef and GFK rip it to shreds is a very glorious experience. Of course, you'll have to tune out the grating hook, sung horribly by Suga Bang Bang (Inspired. Really.) and the horrendous third verse by Shacronz, Popa Wu's son, (That explains a lot, actually.) but you won't mind one bit since you'll get to hear Mef and GFK first. This was friggin' awesome!

FAST LIFE (FEATURING ANDRE RISON)
The song on which GFK's fantastic relationship with DJ Mathematics truly began, and all it took was one fantastic verse from our star over a fitting Isaac Hayes loop that morphs into an adrenaline-surging instrumental. He is joined, however, by former football star Andre Rison who derails the fucking song with his horrendous attempt at rhyming. Add to that the uninvested female vocalist's lazy-ass interpretation of the Crusaders' Street Life, and there might be many who would eventually end up cursing my recommendation. Yet, as a GFK nerd, I have to remind you of how well his verse sounds on that beat. It's the true precursor to their later legendary collaborations, while simultaneously being the reason why GFK usurped control of all future guest appearance choices on their collaborations from the producer, who will produce for anybody, it seems. Anyways, I loved GFK and Math's rapport here, and you should, too.
And we're really done.

For more Wu-ness, here. To continue Raekwon's story, here. And to follow the path of the Ghostface Killah, here. However, if you're brave enough to venture into the dark waters of Oh Donna's discog, go ahead. You've been warned