My Bass Rocks

Late pass (again).

Recently copped that Purple tape sequel, and couldn’t be any more impressed with the official outcome.  OB4CL2 has been in limbo for what feels like a decade now – first in the hands of Dr. Dre and Aftermath, then independently, until finally reaching EMI.  Just as this LP reached a Detox level of anticipation, Chef Rae gave us the final street date, along with production credits, and full track list.  Not only did the hype continue, but the slowly leaked album tracks sounded nice, which helped the Wu-general’s cause.

Continue on for the full review..

WOW.  Out the gate, this album impresses and doesn’t let-up until the final track.  Every single song on this condensed LP plays a part, and adds to the overall effectiveness of the tone.  Nobody really believed that the sequel would live up to the original, but this is about as close to the first Only Built as it gets in 2009.  The beat selection is near perfect, the guest spots are notable (not overbearing), and Raekwon brings it sharper than he has since 1995.  Here are some notable highlights:

“House of Flying Daggers (Prod. Dilla)”

While the above beat sounds like vintage RZA, many would be surprised that the late-great J Dilla is the man behind the boards.  The production is too Wu-Tang to ignore, and apparently was tailor-maid for this project some years back when the LP was in its early stages (Aftermath).  I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case, because I’ve never heard this Dilla track before, and it almost works too well with Raekwon, Deck, GZA, Ghost, and Method Man spitting gems over the gutter vocal samples.

“Gihad (Prod. Necro)”

Probably the grimiest verse from Ghost I’ve ever heard.  I mean, really?  Oh, and quotables for days in the ending dialogue too…”get you a 40 too, and a pacifier.”

“New Wu (Prod. RZA)”

What’s better than an old soul loop produced by the god himself?  I’m thinking nothing.  Honestly, this is the best beat from RZA on the whole project, and as usual the Wu-generals kill everything on the track.

“Catalina (Prod. Dre)”

Not really understanding the hate on this one.  It’s obvious that this is one of those early songs from the Aftermath sessions, and the outcome is better than I anticipated.  Classic Dr. Dre with classic Raekwon.  It works for me, and provides an extra dimension to an album that is stacked with incredible music.

The best part about the overall project, is its lack of misfires.  As I noted above, there isn’t one track I could single out as being a lame duck, or one that weighs down the overall feel.  This is Raekwon doing what he does best, giving the fans that Wu Tang gutter, and hand-picking beats like no other (something Jay-Z has some trouble with lately).  It’s way too early to begin the “classic” talk, but it’s not to proclaim OB4CL2 the best hip-hop album of 2009.  It’s a complete piece of work, and unlike most hyped LP’s, actually lives up to (and proceeds) all the anticipation.  Raekwon delivered a near perfect album, which has become incredibly rare since the golden era passed.  Keep them coming Rae, and thank you for keeping it all the way real.

Overall: 9 out of 10