Concept: Raekwon speaks up to complete his small saga a decade after the first installment, and as with anybody working with the Wu-Tang Clan he’s got company.
Sound: The samples are what you can expect, with Kung-Fu pulp, graphic sound effects, and all kinds of backing tracks from dark, spare jazz to raw soul to Minaret calls. Raekwon and his guests have the right inflection, and they can match the energy of the music. Raekwon might actually bring out the best in them.
Lyrics: Despite the one-track mind, the rappers have such an eye for detail that you can’t help but feel they’ve experienced it. The only things that distract from the work are the conversations and re-enactments between tracks. It makes things more cinematic than storytelling. Otherwise, the album is transportive in all of its grotesque glory.
Quick And Dirty: A solid if overdramatized addition to Raekwon’s career. I should mention that guest star Ghostface will always hold a place in my heart for pushing 50 Cent down a flight of stairs. (♦♦♦½)