RAEKWON THE CHEF
"Only Built for Cuban Linx . . ."
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In terms of rhyme content, cadence and sonic complexity, the debut solo effort by one of the strongest vocalists of the nine-member, Staten Island-based Wu-Tang Clan single-handedly resurrects East Coast-based hip-hop, much the same way Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" altered the West Coast rap sound.
"Cuban Linx," like Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" or De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising," breaks all of the rules of what a record should sound like: dirty beats that clang like utensils, rapid-fire rhymes mishmashed with vocal wails, heavy piano lines and sweeping, repeating bits of dialogue that sometimes bleed into the vocal tracks. It confounds and fascinates with each listen.