Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II is Raekwon‘s magnum opus. The beats, the rhymes, everything works seamlessly to create an instant hip-hop classic. So, when Raekwon offered the Gold Deluxe Edition of the album, we weren’t sure how anything could make this slice of perfection any better. And then we heard “Never Matter To You”.
The track (probably done when ‘Kwon wasn’t busy becoming friends with Kanye West and Justin Bieber) is a study in contrasts. A heartfelt, light jazz ditty, complete with the soulful siren call of a husky-voiced singer, plays gently in the background while Bun B and Raekwon lay out some of the most gangster-esque lines known to man. But more than calling out snitches and putting people in their place, there’s a great undercurrent of actual pain and emotional resonance to their rhymes, as opposed to meaningless words other rappers just repeat.
Enjoy the track below courtesy of Hypetrak.com. ‘Kwon’s Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is due out in September. Stay tuned more news on that and any other releases.
