Okay, let's admit it: rap lyrics are often hard to understand for the regular cat. And if you don't agree, then tell me what Camp Lo are talking about, and how often Company Flow left you with some serious head scratching. See? And people like the Wu-Tang Clan or Rakim, who decided to put some 'Nation Knowledge' into their rhymes, will have the same impression on us not initiated. But that leaves open the question wherein the beauty of lyrics shall be. Shall they be written in a way that much of the audience is able to understand it, or shall it only be written and reserved for a smaller elite of initiated, in the know, or enhanced?

This question can't be answered here. But how can we judge them, if we understand them, but don't fully grasp them or able to dig the level to it's deepness? And how ashamed do we have to feel, being left out, incompetent, lacking? Are we to be chased outta the hip hop world by people swinging with sticks, or better knowledged wisdom? Is this a "if you don't get it, it wasn't written for you", or is this a "if I don't get it, you weren't able to write it, so that I was able to understand"?

However....we start to hesitate to give Rakim his 'unquestioned' seal of approval. And even though, he tries to shove us the props he gets down our throat on the intro, this could be interpreted as arrogant, him saying: 'you are not worthy, better give me my props', or a 'man, I might not get the props this time, so I better remind them'. No one takes a stance and say: 'yo, his time might be over after all'. He still got that 'R-bonus', and his reputation manages to make criticism directed towards him sound 'blasphemous'. Nevertheless we gotta break down this album.

Clark Kent has done so many great tracks. A lot of people forget that, yes, it was Premo that did "It's Been A Long Time", but it was Kent that did "Guess Who's Back". "Flow Forever" is not one of his good tracks. But it's where Ra adapts too much of today's style going "now who the hottest is? / How can it not be this? / Baby who the cockiest? Papi is? Gracias". Nope, not what we expect from the 'God'. But Premo is brought to the album to bless Ra with some sure shot banger tracks. And while "When I B On Tha Mic" puts another solid production on Premos catalogue, it's not like this is something that will be remembered 10 years down the line.

"Finest Ones" is a track that's unmistakably destined for the ladies. But the Kent production is okay, summery, but the groaning was uncalled for. Ra himself is unexpectedly playeristic. Again, it's the sign of the times. "All Night Long" combines several elements of what's hot right now: those scratches during the verse type beat, done to shake the club, and Rakim spits a Jigga like rhyme style. And that keeps on going throughout the album: there's too much catering to the audience with the styles of now, rather than remembering what put himself on this hip hop throne, flipping that and advancing that.

It doesn't matter if it be the boring "I Know" or another club track "It's The R", or the too R'n'B-ish "I'll Be There", not until "How I Get Down", a certain excitement can be felt on the dopeness meter. The producer with the strongest, but least limelighted comeback of late, (Mark) The 45 King puts together a platform for Ra's bragging and boasting. While with "Waiting For The World To End", you wonder how often Premo wants to flip that kind of style he's now doing, until he switches things again, like he did for the "Moment Of Truth" album. Well, maybe he already switched things, and just waits for Gang Starr's next album to show his new inventions to us. Well, and to put the last nail into the coffin of this album, the usually dope Nick Wiz completely disappoints with his beat to the "We'll Never Stop", and that track makes you say 'damn, if you refuse to stop, then please at least don't go on like this'.

Okay, that's only the beats, so what about the lyrics? Rakim is definitely more on some jiggy, sexing, flossing tip, keeping his usual knowledge more sparse with every new album. Unless, I'm missing something here. I'm very incompetent after all, you know.