If you're a fan of concept records, then have Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge got a album for you. The pair has teamed of for a second time, offering Twelve Reasons To Die II as a sequel to the first version of the title. The record is due to be released on July 10 but hip-hop fans can check out the entirety of the album at the website of The New York Times (marking a shift in the music culture, for sure).
First some context on where the plot picks up: Ghostface plays the role of Tony Stark (one of his many aliases during the '90s). Stark worked as a legendary goon for the DeLuca crime syndicate in New York City, but he was murdered by the family at the end of the album.
So where does that leave us for Chapter 2 in the series? Apparently the remains of Stark were used to create a series of 12 vinyl records that, when played together, bring the enforcer back to life. Apparently after rising once again, it seems that a black gangster, Lester Kane (played by Raekwon), has risen to challenge the DeLucas. That's about as much of the plot as we're given, but we assume that Stark and Kane join forces because A) the DeLucas murdered the former, duh, and B) Ghostface and Raekwon are like best buds in real life.
Other guests on the album will include Vince Staples, Bilal, and fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA. Younge is noted most for his score for the film Black Dynamite as well as contributing to "Picasso Baby" and "Heaven" from Jay Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail.
You can check out the full tracklist below, and try to piece together a plot from it.
01) Powerful One
02) Return of the Savage feat. Raekwon and RZA
03) King of New York feat. Raekwon
04) Rise Up feat. Scarub
05) Daily News
06) Get the Money feat. Vince Staples
07) Death's Invitation Interlude feat. RZA
08) Death's Invitation feat. Scarub, Lyrics Born, Chino XL
09) Let the Record Spin Interlude feat. RZA
10) Let the Record Spin feat. Raekwon
11) Black Out feat. Raekwon
12) Resurrection Morning feat. Raekwon and Bilal
13) Life's a Rebirth feat. RZA
