Well after some 5 years in the making, here it is finally. was it worth the waiting ? Here's the review :
1/ Return of the norh star :
Good soulfull intro, with knowledge brought by poppa wu, ok. But the instrumental changes like three times and suddenly rae starts talking… Let’s say it’s too long and confusing for an intro.
Instrumental 7/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
2/ House of flying daggers
Oh my ! finally a wu banger ! The instrumental is easy, repetitive and yet blazing fire ! All guests spit fire with special mention to Deck who outshines any other guest on this album. Extra bonus for the great visual on the video.
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
3/ Sonny’s missing
Ok. I get the story. I get the connection with one of the best producers ever. But it just doesn’t work that much. Could expect a better production from Pete maybe. Plus no hook… MMMh
Instrumental 6/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
4/ Pyrex Vision
I just love this track, the sample, the flow switch, except it’s not a song, just a snippet of what could have been a highlight of the album. Too Bad…
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
5/ Cold Outside
The instrumental isn’t that spectacular, but the feeling and the theme are interesting. Ghost is pure heat when it comes to describe the violent bitter of the street. Rae can thank Suga Bang Bang for that hook. Good track.
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
6/ Black Mozart
We all know the sample already. Diddy used it, Ayatollah used it… but hey, it’s the godfather anthem ! You can’t make a classic mobster album without mentioning
Coppolla’s masterpiece.
Problem is I can stand that fuckin’ chorus ! Deck kills it again. RZA did the minimum on the production though.
Instrumental 6/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
7/ Jihad
One question : what if this track never been on the album ? Would it have been a loss. I don’t think so. Baby production, classic rhymes and theme, lazy chorus. Don’t feel it at all…
PS : Shout out to a horny Ghost on the joint !
Instrumental : 5/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 6/10
8/ New Wu
I’ve been crazy for this joint since its leak. Great inspiration by RZA, a nostalgic/classic chorus by Meth, plus he kills it with his own verse : “… And two divas with the tops missing, now that’s living to me, I’m what this kids killing to be, but I don’t want my children to be…” think about it…
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 9/10
9/ Penitentiary
Classic 50/50 track Rae&Ghost on a old boom breakbeat, I can walk with those two mastering teachers in OZ !
Instrumental 7/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
10/ Baggin’ Crack
I can smell the coke cookin in the kitchen with this track. Got that old 70’s funky crack era shit, really great production by Sermon. Could’ve been better with a chorus though.
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
11/ Surgical gloves
Ok, ALC & Rae. Been waiting for this collabo since I heard Alc will be featured on the productions. But ALC didn’t come really fresh with this and I really find the chorus lazy as hell… disappointing. Prodigy would kill this beat.
Instrumental 7/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
12/ Broken Safety
Highlight over here man ! Waw, Jada is a beast as he always is on a feature, but the biggest surprise is the production which is really interesting with all that snare switch and shit. How about a Nas verse on this ? Funny how people always call Jada and Styles for features, never Sheek Louch… wonder why…
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
13/ Canal Street
Track takes way too long to begin, can stand those strings, Rae could have skipped this one. Mixtape song.
Instrumental 6/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
14/ Aason Jones
I have a problem with this one. Lyrics are all sentimental and shit but this beat is so perfect without a voice on it ! Sorry just getting my producer geek shit ! Dilla RIP !
Instrumental 10/10 – Lyrics Vibe 8/10
15/ Have Mercy
We are back in the 90’s with this right here ! Anyone agree with me that blue raspberry never knew how to sing ! I had that joke with Qrazsirs about Blue singing and humming in the studio without listening to music and then RZA would just put her voice to any random instrumental.
Really good verse by Beanie.
Instrumental 7/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
16/ 10 bricks
Those horns at the beginning of the song are so vintage ! love that one shot guitar riff, it smells like heroin ! Thx Dilla, I love u man ! Cappadonna is lazy though (how about a scarface feature on this ?), but the construction of the beat is really good and makes you forget everything. too bad it was already on "Champion Sound" album..
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
17/ Fat Lady Sings
Again a baby production from RZA ,but the sample is so addictive, so 70’s, so fitting the album concept that you just can miss with this one.
Instrumental 7/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 9/10
18/ Catalina
Wow ! Smells like chronic ! Na really DRE is a beast with this and Rae just doesn’t miss the connection. It’s dope, it’s dre, what more can I say ? Special dedication to that intro “don’t disturb the doctor”
Instrumental 9/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 9/10
19/ We will rob you
One of those Wu collabo’s that you find in any solo album, really great verse by GZA… but was Slick Rick necessary ?
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
20/ About Me
A little less blazing production by DRE, but there is Mr. bus a bus in this and his verse is simply nuts ! I love it when he spits with that deep laid-back flow.
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 8/10
21/ Mean Streets
Except Deck’s verse, there’s really no need for this track. Allah used to bless us with better productions.
Instrumental 6/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 7/10
22/ Kiss the ring
Really good final track, thank deck for the chorus and the verse, acknowledge the wu as the greatest and kiss the ring bitch…
Instrumental 8/10 – Lyrics/Vibe 9/10
Overall :
Instrumental : 7/10
Lyrics/Vibe : 8/10
Conclusion : I have been waiting for this album for the last 5 years and I can’t say I’m disappointed nor glad with the result. Rae has always been a great rapper to me, I even recognize him as the best lyricist on Wu-Tang’s Forever double LP, but after more than 15 years as a hardcore wu fan, I’m kind of had enough of all the coke stories and robberies.
It’s like all those mafia movies, you can’t always have a godfather or a scarface. That shit happens once in a decade. Even served with some great productions this album has some flaws and there are a lot of tracks that could(must) have been trashed.
So here’s my advise if you still wanna make it up with Rae’s album and switch into a new classic : redo the final tracklist as followed :
1/ Return of the north Star
2/ House of flying daggers
3/ Sonny’s missing
4/ Pyrex vision
5/ Cold outside
6/ Black Mozart
7/ New Wu
8/ Baggin’ Crack
9/ Surgical gloves
10/ Broken Safety
11/ Have Mercy
12/ 10 bricks
13/ Catalina
14/ We will rob you
15/ About Me
16/ Kiss the ring
Try this at home… Peace God !
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