Prodigy of Mobb Deep - H.N.I.C. (November 14, 2000)

I've been waiting for a minute to pull the ol' switcheroo here on BBR and tackle a run of my choice in reverse chronological order. Due to the tragedy of recent events in hip hop, this next short run cannot be more perfect for such a flip.

I gotta be honest: I shared many a head in limiting my hip hop rotations strictly to material written by the recently-deceased legend Albert Johnson bka Prodigy from the ageless Mobb Deep, with the exception of my recent two subjects of course. During this time of hip hop loss, I revisited exactly why he was one of the earliest MCs whose lyrics I obsessed over. Nay, I reflected back on said reasons with a more developed ear for this game of ours and was even further amazed at his talent for visualization. Literally listen to any song he participated in off the Infamous, Hell On Earth or the Episodes Of A Hustla EP by unofficial 3rd Mobb Deep member TaJuan Perry bka Big Noyd aka Pizza Dude. (Lots of Mobb Deep fans haven't even heard of that last choice. Shame really, as its rightful reputation should be that it's every bit of a classic offering as those two projects.) And I do mean any song: Son was on a tear that very few MCs throughout hip hop history share. What made all this absolutely fascinating is that this skill for imagery came virtually outta nowhere, because nobody expected P (as many liked to call him) to become anything of note when they heard the Mobb's debut Juvenile Hell (which certainly had some surprisingly strong performances, despite every single piece of bad publicity it got.) In short: The man became an undisputed legend within the space of three years. Like I said: Fascinating.

So now, Mobb Deep are on top of the world. Critical acclaim and commercial success was piling in and the brand was gaining significant exposure, mirroring the trajectory of fellow label mates the Wu-Tang Clan. Of course, P was no bonehead, because he paid very close attention to the business model they pioneered: By spreading their group members within the industry as solo artists, they ensured maximum exposure to their brand. He took one look at the resulting influence they gained and decided now was a good time for a solo project.

Which brings me back to why this is the perfect post for me to tackle this next run in reverse chronological order: Prodigy actually started working on his solo debut, now titled H.N.I.C. (Head N**** In Charge, which was apparently what his legendary grandmother called herself. Why I say legendary? Do your Googles.), way before Mobb Deep began production on their most commercially successful project Murda Muzik. And it all began with one song: Quiet Storm, tka White Lines. That song was originally slated to be his debut single as a solo artist, so he wouldn't let anyone touch it for almost two years, while he crafted the rest of the album. However, the song eventually made its way out into clubs across New York and they went apeshit for it. Which led to his Mobb Deep partner Kejuan Muchita bka Havoc and the late Chris Lighty to convince him to give it to Murda Muzik instead. It was for the best, really, because that song alone made that album go platinum, which would've never happened with P's debut solo. Why?

Because P tried his damnedest to fill the gaping hole that Quiet Storm left, resulting in some focused sessions with frequent collaborator Alan Maman bka the Alchemist. (who would actually end up pretty fucking crucial to preserving the Mobb's legacy following Hav's beatmaking fall from grace. That's right: With all due respect, I still haven't budged in my opinion that Hav's slacking production was instrumental to P's later lyrical decline) Hav himself lends a couple of beats, while the rest is handled by various other producers P crossed paths with in the industry. Despite losing Quiet Storm, HNIC would wind up selling five hundred thousand units Stateside in one month, faster than both the Infamous and Hell On Earth.

Let's start this, shall we?

BARS & HOOKS (INTRO)
Self explanatory. Skip.

GENESIS
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that P himself produced this, proving that his ear for music, responsible for his initial prowess behind the boards, was still very much intact. The fact that he was a very specific type of fan of confusingly versatile rock band Genesis continues to blow my mind, as nobody from mainstream hip-hop, then or now, is checking for progressive rock. At all. Speaking of Genesis, I'ma be honest: I was itching for another reason to bring up Phil Collins again here on BBR and P has so generously given me such an opportunity. You see, I've already declared on this here blog my belief that songs like In The Air Tonight, Mama and many more during both the career in Genesis and the solo ventures prove that, very similar to P himself, Phil flourished most when the music he wrote, co-wrote or performed was straight up visceral. So, it speaks volumes that P chose to loop from the live version of a Genesis prog classic and turn it into one of his best lyrical displays ever: From the jump, everything one would ever enjoy about Prodigy's contributions to this art form are on full display here. I cherish this song.

DRIVE THRU (SKIT)
...

ROCK DAT
So, yeah, remember when Prodigy had some amazing music pushing him to achieve new lyrical heights every time he spit? What do you mean that was one song ago?! In all seriousness, this might be one of the worst beats P has ever rhymed over, courtesy of Bink Dawg, who should've known better than to give him a beat that sounds like those bumass instrumentals prepackaged with your production equipment. I cannot bear a mere minute listening to this song and neither will you.

WHAT U REP (FEATURING N.O.R.E.)
Prodigy has collaborated with Hangmen 3, production team of respected Boston crew The Almighty RSO (of which fuckwad Benzino is a member) various times, where he would body everyone sharing a track with him each and every time. So they decided to return the favor via a minimalist early-oughties gem of a beat sampling Roy Ayers that is their best Havoc imitation. Naturally, P annihilates his guest, but NORE uncharacteristically does pretty well for himself. Nice!

KEEP IT THORO
Listen, I know how beloved this song is, and I like it too as it's cherished for a reason. But this definitely didn't deserve lead single status, as there were infinitely more worthy tracks recorded during the same period. The fact remains that this song is cherished for a reason: P goes completely ham with his punchlines, adding more vitriol to his performance with each passing second. All this is done to Alchemist's Jack Mayborn-sampling beat while P was recovering from a fairly nasty cold. He was simply that MC. All in all, this is the worst Alchemist beat on the album and it's still addictively fucking good. That should tell you what type of rapport these two had.

CAN'T COMPLAIN (FEATURING BIG TWINS & CHINKY)
The skit opening this song is pretty useless, to be honest. I don't care if it's directly related to the subject matter, you can cut the skit and the narrative wouldn't miss a goddamn thing. No disrespect, but Chinky doing her Queen Latifah interpolation is no Crystal Johnson, which is the only thing I'll ever say about her on this blog. Yet another example of P's fine-tuned musical ear, this time flexing his production technique as the sampled Love Unlimited Orchestra classic actually spends its entire duration utilizing a completely different scale than how it was looped. Hat's off to P the producer, man. Son had skills. P & Twin both delve into a well-told tale where they have a particularly memorable encounter with the cops and how they spent the rest of the day enjoying the resulting good mood, hence the title. You'll enjoy this song, too.

INFAMOUS MINDED
Basically P rhyming over a beat that's meant to invoke the feel of hip hop staple Criminal Minded by BDP. You won't feel the throwback, though, as it sounds fairly forced. That all I gotta say.

WANNA BE THUGS (FEATURING HAVOC)
You remember this?! Jump to my review of the song Survival there to find exactly what I think of this song. And now that P ain't no longer with us, I feel songs like Wanna Be Thugs are even more disrespectful to his legacy, as Hav is somehow even worse on the mic as a result of his horseshit beat. P can only do so much before succumbing to the same trite. Fuck this garbage.

THREE (FEATURING CORMEGA)
Seriously, I feel that musically Al and P had developed a symbiotic relationship with each other in the later periods of both of their careers: Together they're legendary, apart they're just not up to par. This wasn't the case back when P was the man though, because this beat, sampling Latin American legend Marco Antonio Muniz, was built when Al was trying his absolute best to impress P. Needless to say, he shone in doing so, because P and Cory McKay bka Cormega deliver that boom bap thuggery storytelling, the love of which forced you to come to this site. As always, the focus of P's tales is never glorification but condemnation of these circumstances, one which Mega shares with him on this joint. Another album highlight, and definitely a superior cut to Keep It Thoro.

DELT WITH THE BULLSHIT (FEATURING HAVOC)
Havoc must've sensed that he shorthanded fans with the earlier piffle he produced, because he brings the fucking business in looping current GZA collaborator and notorious recluse Vangelis. The resulting beat is as sinister as anything Hav produced for the Mobb during their heyday, and trust me: That's saying a lot. Hav also redeems himself on the mic, until P steps up and obliterates his shit with too much ease. Misspelling of 'dealt' aside, wouldn't've sounded outta place on a proper Mobb album, this.

TRIALS OF LOVE (FEATURING MZ BARZ)

Let's get one thing straight: I personally come from a place where a union between a man and a woman is quite literally a matter of life and death. Cheating would utterly destroy the lives of everyone even remotely related to the couple. So on the strength of that alone, I simply cannot relate to the subject matter of this song. That being said, whatever worked for P and his wife (Yep. Mz Barz is actually P's current widow Kiki Johnson in her lone recorded appearance.) is absolutely none of my business. As such, this song was supposed to be some type of therapy they'd put themselves through to maintain their relationship. Which apparently worked, because they remained married for the next 17 years. Strictly song-wise though, this joint is done really well: Alchemist's Lou Bond-sampling beat sounds exactly how a boom bap beat about broken relationships is supposed to. And P wrote his and his spouse's rhymes with a startling degree of detail, proving just how talented the man was at describing human emotion. Final verdict? This never got me nowhere near fathoming salvaging a relationship after infidelity, but those who don't mind said issue will find a truckload to enjoy here. Hell, it would be a better take on infidelity woes than whatever Jay-Z and Beyoncé are attempting these days. Especially when considering that back then, Jay’s hypocritical ass actually laughed at P for taking on such subject matter in his music.

H.N.I.C.
EZ Elpee & something called a 'Corparal' bring P a sample from Saint Tropez that would be a staple throughout the 00s. Best thing about the resulting beat is that it leaves ample room for P to simply talk his shit. Everyone who has been a Mobb fan knows exactly what that means: Another trademark braggadocious performance from the late legend. This is really all you need to know to enjoy this.

BE COOL (SKIT)
A throwback excerpt from the classic Education Of Sonny Carson film, made famous by Ghostface Killah's Ironman. Skip, though.

VETERAN'S MEMORIAL
Another Alchemist production, sampling Puerto Rican icon Lucecita Benitez. In this album's case, this means you need to brace yourself for a truly timeless song. Sure enough, this is two of the most gutwrenching verses you will ever hear from Albert Johnson, set to one of the best beats Alchemist has ever made, and without question his best contribution to HNIC. I dare those who know how to properly listen to hip hop to tell me that they didn't feel a thing while listening to P reminiscing here about the loved ones he lost. And the shoutouts closing out the song will hit you in the heart even harder, please believe. To top it off, his death brought a whole new context to this slice of music. If you ever claimed love for this man, this art piece is essential listening.

DO IT
This track is notable for proving that the beef between the Mobb and Def Squad was effectively done & buried, as Def Squad's Rockwilder produced it. Literally nothing else.

LITTLES (ACAPELLA)
Alfredo Bryan bka Littles would go on to have a nasty feud with P that was thankfully reconciled before his death, but here he was P's prize protege. It's obvious that this was modeled after the acapella cypher on the Infamous between P and unofficial 3rd Mobb Deep member Big Noyd. Littles ain't nowhere near the level Noyd was back then but he was aight. P was fantastic as usual.

Y.B.E. (FEATURING B.G.)
This may very well be the lone time I review a rapper from the cash money roster (I deliberately mentioned them in small letters because they ain't worth respecting) on BBR so here goes: The beat by P & Nashiem Myrick from the repugnant Comby's jolly bag of Hitmen is typical shiny-suit-era sewage, P brings a lackluster effort as a result and that cash money dude is typically garbage.

DIAMOND (FEATURING BARS & HOOKS)
Just Blaze brings an OK beat sampling Syreeta that is absolutely trashed by the song's ridiculous subject matter. This is really a far cry from the poems P wrote about how humans felt pain in his street tales. I'm sorry but there was no way this was going to be anything but a forgettable embarrassment for all parties involved. I really hate saying this when P ain't here but he wouldn't've respected an opinion of one that never speaks his mind. I owe it to him to say that this song is a failure.

GUN PLAY (FEATURING BIG NOYD)
Now this is more like it! Rockwilder brings a fair improvement of a beat to his previous contribution, heralding the sonics of his mentor, the iconic Erick Sermon of EPMD fame. And I must say: Even though Rockwilder is far from a Havoc, he's still savvy enough of a producer to bring the electric chemistry which P and Pizza Dude are known for outta them! I was pretty tough on this song in the past but I'm man enough to admit that it has grown on me considerably!

YOU CAN NEVER FEEL MY PAIN
Queens producer Ric Rude brings this Angela Bofill-sampling gem to our late host, who commits his most personal and relevant song ever to wax. This is the song where he takes you through the suffering that the condition that would ultimately take his life put him through, and naturally his spite at this condition comes flying off his lyrics, lashing out at anyone attempting fake understanding or sympathy. In light of his passing, this may effectively be the closest window we'll ever get into his darkest condition, which may very well explain his talent for describing pain. As such, you'd be an absolute fool if you somehow skip this. I remember hearing the boneheaded Ibrahim Darden talk about how he feels that except when explicitly mentioned, P was aiming all the vitriol he displayed in his legendary career at sickle cell, which is kind of awesome if true. As appropriate an album ender as I can think of, I would not be surprised in the least if this track somehow becomes the celebrated anthem of sickle cell patients worldwide.

H.N.I.C. (OUTRO)
A simple uttering of what the acronym stands for. Worthless.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Again, I feel like I owe it to P to keep my opinions honest. Which is why I say that this was a fairly good album, even though it has quite a fair share of useless skits. The reason why it simply can't be viewed as a classic album is unfortunately because P just wasn't successful in keeping the beat selection cohesive: Imagine how strong this album would've been had Alchemist, P himself or both handled the production back-to-back. We surely would've had that solo classic that an MC of P's stature deserves. Instead, we have to settle with an uneven album with lows that will make your skin crawl and highs that remind you why so many people were absolutely spellbound by this dude's lyrics. However, this album is effectively a solo album, meaning that P gets to talk about shit he normally can't on Mobb albums. Personal matters such as beliefs, eulogies, health and infidelity woes are all fair game without sounding out of place. And it's during those moments where I feel P shines the most here, as the change of direction, when done right, felt truly refreshing as it breathed new lyrical life into him. Lyrical life that I regret to say we've lost as hip hop in its entirety mourns yet another legend. RIP Albert Johnson.

WORTH IT? Even with the horseshit very present on this album, you owe it to yourself to acquire HNIC if you were ever a Mobb Deep fan. This album houses many songs where P delivers his end of the bargain and in spades. Again, don't expect the Infamous-Hell On Earth levels of consistency tracklist-wise and you'll be just fine.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
POWER RAP
An HNIC/Murda Muzik throwaway, added to the QB's Finest compilation curated by Nas, this Havoc-produced dark gem of a one verse-wonder is exactly what people thought of when the idea of a Prodigy solo album was unveiled to them. And really, count me the fuck in, as the brooding piano-pounding Havoc instrumental clears the path for a one-verse thuggery typhoon by the man who called himself Cellblock P. I just want to know why the dude's consistency with these dazzling performances regressed to the point where one has to comb numerous albums with varying levels of relevance to find them. Still as I said, both beat and rhymes are flawless and they gloriously mesh together.

DON'T BE A FOLLOWER
Off the Black & White OST, a movie which I still don't know how to feel about. Prodigy flexes his production chops hard on this one as he loops a simple-but-effective dusted violin sample for a beat that's the closest he'll ever get to the Wu-Tang sound. (God, they're prevalent in this review, aren't they?) On the mic, it's imagery city as P delivers a one-verse wonder that's hella heavy on imagery. It's songs like this that make me miss him a little more because man did he ever have a talent for painting pictures with his words.

SELF CONSCIENCE (FEATURING NAS)
Another lyrical marvel by both Prodigy and guest Nas yet again added to the abovementioned compilation, this time produced by the Infinite Arkatechz, who established a fan-fucking-tastic chemistry with Loud labelmate Raekwon on his rightfully-trashed sophomore album Immobilarity. Why do I credit this track to P, you ask? Because even though Nas brings a stellar contribution, this is truly the Albert Johnson show, all the way. With P arguing with himself in a compelling 40-bar verse while Nas brings a dope ass 20 bar reflection, this is one of the few tracks where these two share mic time and there's a clear standout, because normally they're neck and neck, but not this time, though.

For more of P's lyrical triumphs as part of Mobb Deep, here.

Wu-Tang Clan - The W (November 21, 2000)

Finally! The last review related to the Wu-Tang Clan for what may very well be a long friggin' while. Don't like it? Go engage in your analities somewhere else please. I'm pretty proud of myself, actually.

So when all this Wu business was but a pipe dream in one Prince Rakeem's head, he gathered his two cousins The Genius and the late legend Ason Unique, along with a tad more people, and convinced them they'll be millionaires in five years' time. Sure, they went along with it, but nobody expected it to alter the topographical map of hip hop as they knew it. The plan was to remain under son's dictatorship for said period as he maneuvered their every move within the fickle hip hop industry, and then he'll let them go and waste all that money in 72 hours pursue their solo careers in the artistic direction most fitting of their respective personalities. Upon one condition: Whenever he throws the flag up, they reconvene under his dictatorship once again to craft a new LP every now & then. Ultimately, it would gradually grow more & more difficult to bring them back for each successive album, to the point that many mainstream pundits consider this timeless movement to be a thing of the past. If so, how is it that Wu members continue to find ways to reinvent themselves? Enough rambling.

Like I said, the string of Wu material that followed the Clan's magnum opus Wu-Tang Forever was so excessive, none of the fans knew where to focus on. Well, except for Supreme Clientele, the success of which caught everybody by surprise and breathed new life into the unfairly-stagnating Wu brand. I say unfairly because albums like Method Man's Tical 2000, GZA's Beneath The Surface & Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance, while not quite Ghostface Killah's sublime sophomore, really do deserve a fresh & honest second jam session. Maybe it's because they were released the same time as that when truly horseshit albums from their Wu brethren attacked the helpless masses. You know, gems like RZA's In Stereo, where he debuted that stupid-ass Bobby Digital gimmick. How about Cappadonna (aka Cappachino The Great aka Papi Wardrobe aka Oh Donna aka that dude who almost ruined Wu-Tang Forever aka he who was kicked out of the Wu camp for a long time and had to resort to driving a goddamn cab until he got back into the Clan's good graces) and his gleaming Pillage experiences? Truly timeless album, that. (Admittedly, some songs on there were among the best the Wu as a whole ever came up with. Go figure.) Let's not forget Mr. Uey's pearl of an album that was Golden Arms Redemption. Oh, dare I not mention Raekwon's national treasure, Immobilarity. All solid examples of one timeless lesson: Dont be a bonehead.

Alas, it was that time again. RZA had another one of his absurd whims after the roaring success of Ghost's sophomore, so he called for his brethren to assume their positions in the Wu Mansion. Once again, they were to reassemble under his rule as he temporarily reestablished his dictatorship, bringing in only one Wu-Element, DJ Mathematics, to assist in production this time. One absence was painfully obvious, though: ODB's demons, brought forth by his gimmick, have landed a critical blow, which involved numerous instances where people would shoot him, including one where the police shot him for merely pulling out his cellphone. Other problems included living on the run for a while and finally a miserable prison term in Riker's Island. The abuse he suffered there remains very notorious, and it is absolutely appalling that the people responsible for said injustices are still without a shred of accountability. Nevertheless, the Wu would find a way to include Russell on the proper album, now branded the W.

The W would go on to sell one million units stateside, doing so in less than a month. Compare that to 36 Chambers, which took a year and a half to achieve the same feat. It also received a heap of critical acclaim, though not quite as unanimous as its two predecessors.

True story time: I left the US for good in 1997 as a preteen. Since then, the one time I set foot back there was in the summer of 2011 for two weeks, residing in LA for one and in my former hometown of Boulder, CO for the other. During those times, four albums or their worth kept me company: Aquemini by Outkast, Royce's Primo & Bad Meets Evil collaborations and most of all, this album and its successor, Iron Flag.

The W, boy/girl (pick one):

INTRO (SHAOLIN FINGER JAB)/CHAMBER MUSIC
The Wu were apparently listening to the feedback to their solo material. Because RZA goes on a mission to create the dopest instrumental from simple kung fu samples, whether dialogue or music. And you know what? It worked better than expected. A lot of people forget this beat when talking about their favorite RZA productions and hey, I'm occasionally one of them. Anyway, Raekwon has apparently had enough of his Clansmen bodying the fuck outta his verses so he has come with one scorching opener. Seriously, this verse is one of his best ever. Of course, GZA and Mef still outclass him with their respective verses, with Mef in particular being the standout here. Masta Killa shows up as well, but his verse is uncharacteristically average. I loved the way how the reference game is on fire in this song with GZA referencing dated music piracy tool Napster and Mef especially referencing the post-Forever era twice through his own sophomore and Deck's debut. This continues the Wu's often overlooked streak of brilliant openers.

CAREFUL (CLICK, CLICK)
Already you arrive at one of the best songs on the album, courtesy of RZA spreading out numerous excerpts of Rufus Thomas through the song, including the awesome drum break, while mixing them with music from various kung fu movies from his prized collection. I genuinely believe that these two cuts house his best usage of kung fu samples yet. Yes, even better than 36 Chambers and Forever. RZA and MK both rely on referencing previous landmarks in the Wu canon, with MK particularly privy to his own contributions so far. After which Cap, GFK, Uey and Deck all come with their best imagery servings with surprisingly equal potency. See? I told you Cap and Uey, when controlled, deserve their place within the Clan. This track and its predecessor are one of the finest one-two combos in hip hop history.

HOLLOW BONES
Over RZA's soulful Syl Johnson loop, RAGU and Deck attempt to relax your mind with a story apiece. Stories about the perilous hiccups during criminal activities. Yeah, that'll chill me the fuck out when I just wanna smack the teeth outta my smug boss's mouth. Still, a pretty entertaining song with all three flexing their flow muscles something proper. Not as good as the previous two, of course, but fairly good nonetheless. A short kung fu sample leads into...

REDBULL (FEATURING REDMAN)
Redman resurfaces on a Wu-related project once again. And it's an official Wu album. Yes! One thing though: Wu stans seem to criticize the hell outta RZA's beat, which utilizes this Hugh Brodie drum break, to which I say: Y'all brain dead fucks prefer Stroke Of Death to this?! Some people really don't deserve nice things. The beat is absolutely masterful in highlighting the barrage of punchlines that Red, Mef and Deck (here he is again!) rain down upon you. Unsurprisingly, Deck hangs with the two punchline giants pretty comfortably. RZA has made a pretty weird choice to replace a traditional hook with simple shoutouts from RAGU. And by God, do they do him proud. This of course neither adds nor detracts from your enjoyment of the song. Once again, if you're not one of the brain dead fucks who prefer Stroke Of Death.

ONE BLOOD UNDER W (FEATURING JUNIOR REID)
By flipping the James Bond theme by John Barry & Monty Norman and forming a timeless banger out of it, RZA provides the perfect backdrop for Masta Killa to have his "Aight, I'm done playing with these motherfuckers" moment. If this song doesn't convince you that Masta Killa is a lyrical BEAST, then you should probably leave my blog right now. This really felt like his coming out party. Hell, it felt like the entire Clan were bowing to him in acknowledgment of his efforts within the collective so far and admiration of what he brings to the table, and by God does he bring the lyrical bloody business here. He even throws a scathing line towards future radio-whore Curtis Jackson aka Gorilla Curt. RZA even leaves his trademark of letting his beat ride after MK's done disembowling it in the most violent way, which I always love if the beat is worth said gesture. Junior Reid is also in fine form here, as the Wu pay tribute to his One Blood anthem, six years before The Game even thought of the idea. This song is a serious contender, alongside the two album openers, for the best song on the album. One of my favorite songs from the entire Wu discography.

CONDITIONER (FEATURING SNOOP DOGG)
You hear a short ballad excerpt from, um, The Ballads, where the late great ODB vents about his recent legal problems with, of all people, Snoop Dogg ad-libbing in agreement with him. Following which the blandest of all Bobby Digital beats stops you dead in your tracks and throws you completely the fuck off the enjoyment train you were riding so far. Think about it: RZA managed to make a beat that renders Snoop Dogg and Ol' Fucking Dirty Bastard (in his lone appearance on this album and his last on a Wu album during his lifetime, mind you) sound boring as fuck.  Further salt is rubbed into your wounds when you realize the lengths the Wu went to acquire this ODB verse during his incarceration. They had to go and record his verse at Rikers from those phone-like things you always see in jail visit scenes in movies. Think of how frustrating it is for everyone else to have RZA piss all that effort away with his maddeningly generic shit. After the song ends, a distorted Roy Budd sample attacks your senses in the best way possible. It's then that GZA drops one of the hottest 16s you'll ever hear, with Inspectah Deck playing cleanup with a hook. the second beat and Gary's verse don't last very long, but they damn sure purge the sorry experience preceding them outta my brain.

PROTECT YA NECK (THE JUMP OFF)
The lead single, which RZA backs with a fusion of samples by Albert King, Lowell Fulson & the team of Otis Redding & Carla Thomas, along with some Chinese music thrown in for good measure lest you forgot what made this clique so memorable to begin with. The order was planned deliberately to mirror their debut single 8 years ago. All present bring their a-game as expected. Interesting thing is that the beat switches completely to a low-key Bob Digi beat that thankfully keeps its predecessor's thumping nature when Golden Arms takes to the mic. Cap is once again brought in to fill ODB's painful absence. Unlike the original Protect Ya Neck, though, Deck takes this with his shoutout to ODB at the end of his opening verse. All in all, it ain't Triumph or anything but it lives up to its namesake well.

LET MY N****S LIVE (FEATURING NAS)
Following an excerpt from the forgotten 70s prison drama Short Eyes (which is sampled multiple times throughout this album), where  RZA brings yet another distortion of the same Roy Budd sample GZA bodied earlier for Nas' return to a Wu-related album. Listen, I know Rae opens the song with a solid verse, but the true money's on the duel between Nas and the Rebel. They're even stylistically similar so it'll make a damn good spectacle. And call me crazy, but Deck matched Nas' wizardry blow for blow, even outperforming him at points. So yeah, Deck takes it, despite Nas putting up the best fight he can.

I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP (FEATURING ISAAC HAYES)
RZA lets the opening minutes of Walk On By by the legendary guest of this song himself, the timeless Isaac Hayes, play in their entirety. Which is all to set up GFK’s inspiration to peak and bring the absolute best outta him. And he succeeds in said endeavor, as GFK sheds a verse exhibiting every quality that drove Wu stans to state that he carried the Clan on his back during those years. Really, the mesh of tragedy and thuggery mixed with that peerless delivery pitch of his never ceases to be a refreshing experience every time you hear it. RZA is apparently influenced a great deal by said pitch as well, because he also delivers his heartbreaking verse as if he was bawling too. In fact, RZA's verse is so effective it eclipses GFK’s shit. Props to the late great Mr. Hayes for his hook. A true epic in hip hop form and a damn fine followup to Tearz.

DO YOU REALLY (THANG, THANG)
DJ Mathematics, the lone Wu-Element to appear on this album, chops up some David Porter to cook up one hell of a banger. Forget anyone telling you that Masta Killa or Golden Arms is the forgotten Wu member, because that distinction is  Streetlife's, by far. Still, him being a legitimate Wu General means that he was, or maybe still is, nice with his shit. His verse here definitely proves him such. And for the first time in his career, he fucking bodies Mef on a song. Speaking of which, the beginning of Mef's contribution is a mere whimper of a Snoop Dogg interpolation. He does gradually improving with each bar, though. His hook's pretty good, as well. Masta Killa does his thing of blending imagery with some pretty convincing thuggery, moving the song along pretty effectively. And it's here where you experience a true shocker: Inspectah Deck brings the absolute worst verse of the bunch. That's never happened before. Still, the song's pretty entertaining regardless.

THE MONUMENT (FEATURING BUSTA RHYMES)
We switch to a skit where Golden Arms shows up for what seems like forever while RZA gives us a special Fat Larry's Band interpolation over one of his dope original compositions. He starts to rap a bit, gaining momentum until GFK orders the song to be paused as he reveals it to be part of the skit, following which RZA scarpers off to unveil the real beat: A keys mashup of Black Heat & Electric Prunes. Busta repays RAGU for the cameo they did on his Large Professor-produced The Heist with as good a tongue twister of a verse as he can muster. Rae gives his traditional flossy crhymes performance, leaving plenty room for GZA to sweep in and body both of his costars with the sheer power of thought behind his shit. Another song hated by braindead boneheads who prefer Stroke Of Death. Yeah, I got a chip on my shoulder.

GRAVEL PIT (FEATURING MADAME MAJESTIC)
RZA sets you up for a party with a short Grant Green interpolation, followed by a clever loop of a classical piece by Antoine Duhamel as your club banger. Which is funny to me because the lyrics are anything but club friendly. Mef's punchlines and GFK’s assonance are appreciated but it's Golden Arms who steals the show here. I swear, with It's Yours and Cherchez LaGhost, son must have a penchant for shining on club records. Even though Cherchez LaGhost was absolute garbage. Thought you'd catch me slipping, didn'tcha? The song ends with the second and final excerpt sampled from Short Eyes, setting up the following track

JAH WORLD (FEATURING JUNIOR REID)
Junior Reid returns, but his performance here isn't as crisp as his earlier showing on the album, which weakens this song's bite a bit. The second GFK/RZA slow combo of the album also touches on similar subject matter and themes as the first, and while the beat is ingeniously crafted from cheesy kung fu flick music to achieve a genuine sense of sorrow, I still feel I Can't Go To Sleep was the better song. Sorry but it is what it is.

CLAP (HIDDEN TRACK)
DJ Math returns in this song, hidden in the same track as Jah World, armed with a Dionne Warwick loop that isn't neither bad nor good. It just is. The hook is the part of the song that's atrocious, to the point it almost kills your interest in the shit's lyrics. Upon further inspection, however, you find that RAGU & Mef play their parts right. Overall, this was no way to close the W but as a standalone, it's aight.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Weird fact: Some Wu stans actually trash this album now. Maybe it's because it started off with such a bang that it's hard to measure the rest of the project against those first few songs. Once again, though: the latter half has some overlooked gems that just need a closer look. Situations like this can only be caused by poor tracklisting. Really the downfall of many albums with a good collection of songs. Because this was crafted with as much care and fine-tuning as the previous two proper Wu albums. This leads to some absolute scorchers that fly under some radars like One Blood Under W and Let My N****s Live. Hell, even cuts like Gravel Pit surprise upon further inspection. Leading me to believe without a shadow of a doubt that The W is the most underrated Wu album during their heyday. Well, aside from the debacle of including ODB on the album. That really should've been handled better, RZA.

WORTH IT? I say this with the least bit of bias I can muster: Absolutely. The highs of this album are as good as any this legendary crew achieved during their career span. The lows? Well, RZA should never be allowed near a honey-dipped blunt again.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
THE W
The song playing in that Monument skit. Added as a bonus track to Iron Flag, which never made sense to me. Of course it's the exact same beat, which is fantastic, but this time RZA commands Uey to perform the interpolation he was soldiering for dolo with him. GZA, Mef, Uey & Rae show up for lyrical duty. Uey's verse never should've left the cutting room floor, I'm afraid, as his negative capability here is absolutely embarrassing. As for Mef, performances like this are what he's talking about when criticizing his form during the early years. God I wish he used his bars on that Fast Shadow joint, because he was the lone amazing MC on that song. Rae, despite giving a scorching offering, never seems to catch a break because the Genius unsurprisingly bodied everyone with his opener. Poor Cheffy. But yeah, I really liked this song. And we're done.

The Wu's extensive saga continues here.