The key to enjoying this, the first track to leak from the perpetually forthcoming Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2, is ignoring Raekwon, which he renders an incredibly easy task by doing a perfect impression of himself in ’95 after swallowing an entire bottle of Nyquil, delivering a performance a number of notches below the caliber of his Fishscale (2006) cameos. Oh, and the beat, consisting of bland chants and canned drums, is pretty lifeless. Not even the now-standard “random clip from a gangster flick” could fool the most delusional Wu apologist into seeing this as anything more than an unremarkable affair; it’s certainly unfitting as a component of a sequel to it’s predecessor.

Enter Ghostface, donning his Superman duds after the Clark Kent-ly mediocrity of Big Doe Rehab (2007), spitting veraciously about, erm, spit dripping down his balls, whipping blowjob anecdotes into some impossibly epic yarn that makes 300 look like one of Mother Goose’s nursery rhymes. Boisterousness abounds, Ghostface Snarl at its malevolent pinnacle, and apparently miffed at his Ironman cameo being cut (it’s a travesty, ‘Face), Tony Starks delivers lines like “She take a bone like a ribeye steak” with a turbulent hyperactivity, shallow indignation masking a boyish smirk that bleeds through during the track’s guffaw-inducing adlibs (“Put some bologna on your face or sum’n”).

What, exactly, a seemingly rejuvenated Ghostface (I mention this only due to Big Doe Rehab being so utterly horrid) means for OB4CL 2 is perhaps not nearly as interesting as what it means for any future release from the Wally Champ himself. While we’re waiting, file this verse next to “Wildflower” and feel free to rationalize over how pretty good Raekwon’s low-budget follow up might be.

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