pinna storm

Raekwon Feat. Capone-N-Noreaga “Chupacabra”

Emotionally speaking, this is a difficult rap to factcheck. I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side, where Rae & CNN were no jive. Plus after all of the bitter breakups-2-makeups of CNN, it’s great to see the two great Queens rappers on the same track again.

But they need lessons in the war on terrorism.

First, we can barely — but just barely — give N.O.R.E. a pass on this claim:

I know the Taliban/ Afghanistan, Pakistan

Noreaga doesn’t know the Taliban, in either country, any more than Rick Ross knows the real Noriega. And as much as Ross took heat for that claim, to blast N.O.R.E for this would be to concede that the GZA doesn’t have a man Mohammed from Afghanistan who grew up in Iran, runs a neighborhood newsstand, and put bombs in bottles of champagne. And I’m not prepared to give that up.

This, however… Sorry, N.O.R.E.:

Then 28 days later/ al-Qaeda Noreaga/ killers from Haiti to Grenada

Yes, people, I get it. It’s a metaphor. N.O.R.E. didn’t really join al-Qaeda — he’s a New Yorker, after all.

But in order to work, the metaphor requires plausibility. al-Qaeda has no presence of any note in Haiti, Grenada, or anywhere in the Caribbean/Latin American region. Had N.O.R.E. gone in like, “28 days later/ I splatter yuh/ al-Qaeda Noreaga damage yuh/ killers from Kunar to Mirin Shah” then it’d be fine.

Noreaga, I love you, and you’re on a hot track. Next time you talk terrorism, though, consult your man al-Qaeda Jada.