It’s somehow fitting that a decade that began with one classic Wu record would go out with another. Back in the first month of 2000, Ghostface dropped Supreme Clientele, an album that gave the Wu-Tang brand some much needed reinvigorating. The ensuing decade for the Clan was colorful, but not dominant. They released three albums, all good in their own right but none classic. Ghostface became a bona fide star, GZA became an indie rock darling, and Method Man continued to be more interested in smoking weed than making albums any where near as good as Tical. Raekwon faltered in his solo pursuits, with the spectre of his long-rumored Only Built 4 Cuban Linx sequel hanging over his head.

2009 finally saw the release of Chef Rae’s behemoth follow-up, and it did not disappoint. It’s almost too much to take in at once, a 22 track monster with production from RZA as well as Dr. Dre, J Dilla, Mathematics, and others, and featuring guest spots from the usual suspects, as well as Beanie Sigel, Jadakiss, and Busta Rhymes. With all the hype and rumors surrounding the album, it could’ve been a disaster, one more overblown, underwhelming rap album long in the works but ultimately not worth listening to. It could not be further from that, hands down the year’s finest rap record (competition was slim, to be fair), as well as a true piece of artistry from a man who continues to be a leading voice in hip hop almost 20 years into his career. Despite the various producers with notably disparate styles, the album flows cohesively like a Frank Miller book, a grimy, seedy piece of underworld mobster rap. It features, among other things, the continued ascent of Method Man as a guest rapper, a gravelly and surprisingly poignant verse from Jadakiss (“the economy is down / so you already know there’s gonna be a lot of hommies in the town”), and by far the most touching and real tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard to date, which may be the finest tribute track to any late rapper, ever. Ghostface displays his ultimate yin and yang, turning in his most impassioned and emotional rap since “Impossible” (1997) and then next time up spitting one of his downright filthiest verses in a career dotted by awesomely filthy verses. But though other characters show up and steal the spotlight for a verse or two, it’s ultimately Raekwon who remains the one inevitable constant on this record. He’s never been a punchline rapper like Ghost or Meth, or even Inspectah Deck, but just drops his flow, devoid of one-liners but mesmerizing as it interacts with the beat. Quite simply, he shows up, punches in, and goes to work, often times murdering the beat, but rarely leaving any evidence. If the rappers here are posing as mafia dons, then Raekwon will most certainly be the last one standing. He is, as rappers go, the polar opposite of Lil Wayne. And if Lil Wayne wants to make rock records, then fuck it: let him. We’ll still have Raekwon, “anti-Auto Tune,” as he declares on this record, making streetworthy rap noir.

What’s probably most remarkable is that here, just shy of his 40th birthday, Raekwon sounds just as original and fresh as he was 15 years ago, if not more. We’re entering an interesting period in hip hop history, where we’re going to see how some of rap’s elder statesmen hold up as they reach middle age and higher. We’ve seen in rock music that artists like Bob Dylan (68) and Bruce Springsteen (60) have remained relevant and even original (depending on who you ask) as they’ve aged. But if 60 year old Jay-Z drops a verse in a forest, will anyone even give a shit? Nas and Eminem have taken significant strides to make themselves artistically relevant before 40. But Raekwon here sounds classic, timeless, and ruthless. It is, truly, as if no time has passed. Or; he entered some time warp that took him back to 1995 where he recorded this album. But, no. 2009 Raekwon is 1995 Raekwon. These two artists are the same, one man capable of summoning up a world so vivid and enthralling to us that it keeps us coming back. Can we imagine a world in 2024, when Cuban Linx III comes out, pregnant with anticipation and weighted by expectation? This time last year, that notion would have been laughable, unimaginable, nothing more than a joke to be told around the 2008 Christmas tree, chortled at, and forgotten. But now? The only thing unimaginable is that Raekwon might make us wait 15 more years for his next masterpiece.

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Download: Raekwon feat. Ghostface – Cold Outside