Review: Raekwon - The Lex Diamond Story

One could make a convincing argument that, without Raekwon, there would be no 50 Cent or Puff Daddy. On his 1995 debut, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx," Rae pioneered both rapping in gratuitous detail about the crack game and jewelry. With RZA in his prime on the beats, "Cuban Linx" is widely considered the best Wu-Tang project. Essential listening for hip-hop fans. Et cetera. Needless to say, most musicians are lucky to make one album this influential; as expected, in 1999, Chef Raekwon dropped "Immobilarity," a disappointing sophomore effort. His latest, "The Lex Diamond Story," is not just disappointing. It's straight up mediocre. "Lex Diamond" is a frustrating album, not because it cannot compare to Raekwon's legendary debut, but because it suffers from the exact same problems that hurt "Immobilarity": bad guest rapping and bad beats.

It's not like Raekwon can't hold his own on the mic. He still brings the same scientific street talk that made him famous on "Clientele Kids" and "King of Kings." His storytelling skills are still sharp on "Pablow Escablow" and "Missing Watch." He gets surprisingly warm on "Once Upon A Time," a duet with Wu songstress Tekitha. Rae also picks his big name guests well. Bronx don Fat Joe, Havoc of Mobb Deep and, of course, Ghostface Killah all match Raekwon's grimy New York ambiance. Sheek Louch of the Lox comes through with the best line on the album, saying he needs a "throwback straight jacket." The lyrics are split evenly, however, between the talented veterans above and a grip of weak newcomers. Rae tries to sell the listener on Ice Water Entertainment, featuring his boys PC, Stumic and Polite. These kids show up on almost every track, effectively nullifying some impressive lyrical performances.

The damage Ice Water does to "Lex Diamond" could be reduced had Raekwon laced his peoples with good beats. In the past, the Wu-Tang collective has shown an unreasonable amount of beatmaking talent. Ghostface Killah's dope "Supreme Clientele" featured a plethora of no-name producers creating classic after classic. "Lex Diamond" features a plethora of no-name producers churning out bad New York club fodder that sounds about 4 years old. Even DJ Khalil, who recently graduated from the Los Angeles underground to Dr. Dre's stable, only musters up some saccharine bullshit.

In one of the several confusing skits on "Lex Diamond," Rae screams on an interviewer who only wants to talk about "Cuban Linx." His frustration is understandable, but he has nobody to blame but himself. As Ol' Dirty Bastard links up with The Neptunes, RZA makes classic movie soundtracks, GZA drops consistently good albums and Ghostface Killah rocks a giant golden eagle on his arm, Rae hasn't done a damn thing. Skip "The Lex Diamond Story."