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
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.
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.
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.
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