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 GFK'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.

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele (February 8, 2000)

 

If you ever loved hip hop with any sincerity, then these last few days were absolute torture to you.

The world lost a truly gifted mind in one Albert T'Chaka Johnson, author, theorist, visionary, publisher and what started it all, poet Prodigy of immortal hip hop duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was one of the very first MCs whose lyrics I obsessed about, simply because of how much he enforced an expression we've learned round these parts: 'Oratory can be magic'. There was a six-year period where Prodigy wasted zero words in his lyrics: Each and every line he delivered then was a timeless quotable enshrined in hip hop history.

I've already raved about how much of an impact dude's material left on my psyche, and undoubtedly countless others. So what I choose to highlight today is another side few people focus on when studying greats like him: Business mentality. It's no secret that P wasn't given the tools to be a Dr. Dre or a Jay-Z in his business life. But he did find a workaround, eventually. I recently watched his interview with Elliot Wilson where he talks about his numerous recent business evolutions, from a publishing company to a record label, and it struck me just how much he bigged up my subject for today in that particular field. See according to P, it was actually the Wu-Tang Clan who schooled him on how to move within the industry, how to establish relations with figures from various fields and learn as much as possible from each field so as to have more control over your shit. So I feel it's only appropriate to continue talking about the second most important time period in this act's business history. That, and the fact that P's last public appearance was headlining alongside Nas and two Wu members. This post is for you, Cellblock P. Rest In Peace, Albert Johnson.

'Twas the dawn of the new millenium. The Y2K craze turned out to be one monstrous disappointment of a hoax, and George W. Bush was about to force America into yet another war.

In the rap industry, however, the once-mighty Wu banner has been nearly forsaken by their most ardent supporters. The blame was shifted around within the camp, with arguments ranging from too many Wu-Affiliate material to lacklustre projects from some Wu Generals such as RZA, Cappadonna, Golden Arms and Raekwon to horseshit promotion of worthy albums from the likes of Method Man, GZA & Inspectah Deck. Everyone was pointing fingers at everyone else. Only one member stood silently in the shadows, observing everyone else and patiently plotting his next move. His name? Masta Killa.

You didn't think I was going to imply that Dennis Coles bka Ghostface Killah aka Ironman aka Tony Starks aka Pretty Toney aka P.Tone aka The Wallabee Champ aka Ghostdini The Great would sit idly by and watch this happen, did you? Patience is not a trait this man is particularly known for. Simply put, when Dennis saw all this mess unfold, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Add that to the fact that GFK felt that his previous work on the revolutionary twin albums Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Ironman wasn't properly compensated, and you've got one driven human being. Hell, I'd be that pissed off as well had I had an album credited to me sell over one million units without me getting enough to show for it.

Also of significant incentive to GFK is the fact that when all the dust settled, it was his partner Raekwon who was awarded all the media hype and all the perks that came with it: accolades, guest appearances, etc. Meanwhile, GFK was restricted to Wu-related albums only, with a very marginal few crediting him for the scorching venom he was spewing on albums like Wu-Tang Forever (the Wu's best material ever, group or solo) Of those few, however, was one who knew just how to disperse all of GFK’s woes moving forward. That, of course, was his brother-in-law (Former? Current? DKDC) RZA. RZA pimped the ever-living shit outta GFK’s verses on various Wu-related albums, further wetting the appetite of ravenous Wu fans who still believed in the product. Interest continued to grow while GFK soldiered on with his amazing Forever form, until he appeared on Blackout!, the debut collaboration album between Mef and Hit Squad general Redman. The exposure that album received rubbed off on GFK’s image and it was finally time to make an album.

Now, since RZA relinquished dictatorship over the Wu's solo careers post-Forever, every Wu General who released a solo album after that made it a point to diversify his beat selections. Naturally, fans didn't know what to expect from GFK. So when he brought in dudes ranging from Junkyard Juju from the motherfucking Beatnuts to the UMCs' Haas G to familiar Wu collaborator Carlos '6 July' Broady, people initially thought nothing of it. Everyone gave our host his beats and left the building. It was then that RZA decided to step in and rework every single beat given to the project, which was done to establish consistency very quickly dwindling from the rap scene then. Which must've been great news for GFK, as one of the songs supposed to be on the album, Cobra Clutch, was relegated to the Wu vanity album The Swarm.

Don't think for a second that this move hurt GFK’s reputation, as the song drove hip hop heads worldwide absolutely apeshit for it, hailing it as the best song off the gold-selling compilation. (You read correctly. A mere compilation record from Wu and friends sold five hundred thousand copies on the strength of the Wu brand alone.) Less than a year after that, the DJ Mathematics-produced Mighty Healthy was unleashed on the masses and it drove people further into delirium for this project. Suddenly, there was a possibility that GFK was sitting on the album of the decade. Literally.

Interesting of note, GFK actually left the States and spent some time in Africa to write the album's lyrics, with RZA following him there to tighten up everything. This was done to parallel his trip with Raekwon to the Bahamas to write Cuban Linx, where RZA followed them there as well. Maybe it's a viable inspiration tactic. Maybe it's an excuse to splurge the label's money. Who knows. Thank God, I'm not a rapper.

Supreme Clientele sold five hundred thousand units within one month only in the US alone. Also, it shared the year of release with the Wu's third opus The W. From hereon out, GFK would continue to release a solo album every year the Wu dropped to this very day. Time to find out if his gamble here paid off and if it really was the album of the decade:

INTRO

RZA places a couple of bits from the Ironman 60s show. This would later come back to bite GFK in the ass.

NUTMEG (FEATURING RZA)
Black Moes-Art, producer of the timeless Soul In The Hole OST title track (Seriously. If you haven't heard it, go do so now), blesses Dennis with an Eddie Holman-sampling banger. GFK busts out the gate as if he's never proven anything to anyone in this rap game, spitting two verses so chock full of references they perfectly exhibit just how peerless the stream-of-consciousness style can be when done right. You'd also notice that he's continuing the eviscerating flow change he introduced in 97 on Wu Forever. Bobby was so excited by said verses he simply had to jump in for the third verse. Already, this album's off to a fantastic start.

ONE
It's about damn time the Beatnuts were shown love here at BBR! Juju loops a Sweet Inspirations sample and transforms it into a goddamn True Master-style scorcher of beat. GFK launches into a storytelling rap describing a day in hood life. What's different here is that Ghostface meshes so many styles of MCing into this one song that the lone track become a full-blown saga of episodes, twisting and turning with every listen. Props to his dazzling display of assonance in the second verse. A magnificent continuance of the strengths GFK displayed in the 5-year plan. This shit will take your breath away.

SATURDAY NITE
A short but sweet tale describing GFK being harassed by cops, set to a sped up Lamont Dozier loop by 6 July. By now, anyone who read about Ghostface Killa on this blog should know how devastating his imagery showcases can be. It won't matter in the slightest that the whole song is a little over a minute and a half long.

GHOST DEINI (FEATURING SUPERB)
Let me mention that depending on which version you hear, the experience of this track will differ greatly. Because there are two versions of this track out there, both apparently sampling the same Michael Masser material. Difference is, one houses a timeless loop. The other's simply aight. Anyways, allow me to address a certain controversy insinuated in the past and one that hasn't really been addressed properly as far as I'm concerned: Former Wu-Affiliate and American Cream Team member Superb, currently serving a bid for raping a young girl for the second time, has infamously claimed to have written the entirety of this album. One look at this song's lyrics and you will immediately recognize that to be a fallacy. GFK rips his guest's contribution to shreds with patented lethal combinations of imagery and punchlines, while Perby settles with spitting his most well-known verse. I don't care if the verse was fairly good, son gets no props. Still, a timeless GFK display.

APOLLO KIDS (FEATURING RAEKWON)
The second single & Haas G's lone contribution to Supreme Clientele. This very well may be his best production ever, as he masterfully reworks a Solomon Burke excerpt into the thumping drum break. Then again, maybe that was RZA's doing. As I said: he did rework every beat on the damn thing. To every rapper in the mainstream today, fuck you for not learning more from this song in the effective ways of 'styling on punks'. Matter of fact, anybody thinking about making a braggadocious song for his catalog should thoroughly research the lyrics present here from both MCs. Prediction: You'll love this song.

THE GRAIN (FEATURING RZA)
RZA finally enters the fray of producers for the album, armed with two Rufus Thomas samples. Lyrically, he joins Dennis in another acclaimed tag team showcasing how hybrid the Wu really were back then. The way their visions interweave, with GFK’s stream-of-consciousness dream sequence clashing with RZA's vivid tale of GFK’s ugly run-in with the cops, prove once again the steep history of these two's friendship, dating back to their old stomping ground Stapleton. Storytime: I played the ever-living shit outta Def Jam: Vendetta and its sequel Fight For NY. As of this moment, I just realized that this song has been blasted into my brain a killion times already, but I was too dumbstruck to realize that until I researched GFK's video game appearances for this review. That factoid makes me appreciate this song a whole lot more. This be my shit.

BUCK 50 (FEATURING METHOD MAN, CAPPADONNA & REDMAN)
RZA is really out to redeem himself for his failure of a solo debut, being the gojazillionth producer to make a classic outta hip hop goldmine Hard Times by Baby Huey. And what better use of the smash of a beat than as background to a trademark Wu punchline posse cut that allows me to write the following: I finally get to review a Reggie Noble verse! Especially with him and Mef repaying GFK for his cameo on their exhilaratingly successful collaboration album, Blackout! And also, 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) returns to BBR. Have no fear, though, everyone (even Oh Donna. Because this time, RZA contains his horseshit, see.) comes correct with said punchlines. Mef sounds inspired as all hell, which I always love since it tends to bring out some amazing lyrics outta the fucker. Also, I loved the way that Reggie interrupts Cap. It's almost like he's forcefully showing him how to body the beat. Furthermore, Dennis spits two amazing verses on here. This is one of the best posse cuts the Wu have ever made.

MIGHTY HEALTHY
So, if you know the Wu at all, you've heard this song or of it. Why? Because it's probably DJ Mathematics' best production ever. I'm not exaggerating. He apparently handled the dope-ass animation in the music video, as well. Not surprising since he is the one who designed the Wu-Tang logo. Flipping a Sylvers sample to the hip hop staple Synthetic Substitution drum break coupled with some trademark Kung fu sampling, Math gives GFK the perfect layup for the lyrical dunk of the decade that is Supreme Clientele's lead single. And best believe, Dennis appropriately came correct something lovely: He launches into two of his patented style-meshing verses, once again providing sagas within them that twist and shift upon each listen. By far, the Wu-est song on the album. Never come back to this blog again if you don't like this shit.

WOODROW THE BASE HEAD (SKIT)

Fuck this skit, fuck Perby and fuck GFK for including this horseshit on the album.

STAY TRUE (FEATURING 62ND ASSASSIN)

I find it absolutely hilarious that GFK called this throughout the album's crafting process 'Deck's Beat'. An acute window inside the mind of our host, who was so enamored with the beat to Deck's Elevation that he decided to jack it wholesale and call it said name, laying said fact out bare. Anyway, Dennis spits one flossy-ass one-verse wonder that still retains his incredible talent for off-the-wall references. Yet again, another song by a Wu General ends with 62nd Assassin singing something that neither adds nor detracts from said song. Remember Glaciers Of Ice?

WE MADE IT (FEATURING SUPERB, HELL RAZAH & CHIP BANKS)

After another excerpt from the 60s cartoon, an admittedly-dope 6 July beat, which is yet another hip hop example of how to sample a Syl Johnson classic, unveils itself. I'll also admit that I loathed this beat the first time I heard it, but it gradually grew on me so tread carefully. Maybe it's because friggin' Perby is the first voice you hear on the shit. Seriously, what was so special about this Perby cat that made RZA feature him so heavily everywhere back then?! Lyrically he's on par with friggin' Hell Razah from Sunz Of Man, which damn well ain't nothing to be proud of. Very few tag teams in the Wu camp are worse than the aforementioned two to share this song with. Oh well: At least Hell Razah isn't a convicted rapist. On the plus side, GFK and the late Chip Banks, one half of the Harlem Hoodz and leader of Raekwon's American Cream Team, bring the ruckus on here. All in all, a good song if one can somehow cut Perby the fuck out of it.

STROKE OF DEATH (FEATURING SOLOMON CHILDS & RZA)

Apparently, Chris Rock and some respectable bloggers are fans of this song. Well, allow me to tell Christopher Rock and said bloggers that they are fucked in the brain. The Harlem Underground Band sample is scratched for the sole purpose of giving you a brain tumor. What pisses me off even more is that the performances by GFK and RZA are absolutely sublime. Solomon Childs, however, sounds nowhere near as good as he did on the Pillage, so there's that. Sorry, RZA, but fuck this song.

IRON'S THEME - INTERMISSION

RZA commissions a Gap Mangione loop, where GFK sings along to its tune. Yes, he sings. I think that's all you need to know about this shit.

MALCOLM

Something called a Choo The Specializt produced this song, bookending it with a dope Malcolm X sample, with the actually dope instrumental a beautiful mesh of a John Coltrane & Duke Ellington loop with an Isaac Hayes sample. Come to think of it, maybe the Malcolm X excerpt is RZA's doing. Whatever. Dennis the Menace here decides it's time for him to dream himself into Malcolm's shoes when the latter was guarding his family, then add a few events from his own into said dream. Bet you won't find songs like this on a Jay-Z album.

WHO WOULD YOU FUCK (SKIT)

This you would find, however. Skip this barf.

CHILD'S PLAY

RZA brings a George Jackson-backed instrumental for his final beat on the album and backs away as GFK brings you a truly breathtaking session of storytelling about one of his crushes in his younger years. You really need to listen to this multiple times, actually. The sheer skill in storytelling he displays on here is simply mind-bending.

CHERCHEZ LA GHOST (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS)

Unlike this dead-on-arrival horseshit. Carlos Bess, then already a young drumming legend, tries to bring Ghostie and Goldie here a club hit. To top it all off, you'd think that Goldie's the reason this song's absolute garbage but it's actually our host himself: GFK bit the first two bars from Mef's verse on the old I Gets Down For My Crown way back when, and proceeded to spit the most uninspired 6 bars I've ever heard from him. Uey follows up with a much more competent 8 bars utilizing his patented negative capability skills. None of this matters though, as the majority of the song is the vocals of some random R&B chick RZA probably picked up outta the blue and thought she was the next Aretha Franklin. And she calls herself Madame Majestic. Yeah, that'll convince everyone. Bottom line, her Cherchez LaFemme interpolation, along with the oh-so-original subject matter, ruins the entire song. Fuck this fake ass clowning.

WU BANGA 101 (FEATURING GZA, RAEKWON, CAPPADONNA & MASTA KILLA)

Now, this is more like it. DJ Mathematics is hell-bent on including kung fu samples on his beats here. Also, he samples a smooth Gladys Knight hit and turns it into a barren coliseum for the five Wu Generals to lyrically duke it out. And please believe, they duke it out something rough and rugged. Anytime Gary Grice sets off a Wu posse cut, the people following better bring their absolute A-game to the table, because he comes through with yet another of his timeless MCing lessons. This is also another Wu posse cut where GFK spits two sublime verses. Here Oh-Donna is even more contained than on Buck 50, which means his verse is even doper here. My lone gripe with this song is that Masta Killa's contribution was cut incredibly short because he was his usual immaculate self. Best song on the album, easy.

CLYDE SMITH (SKIT)

OK, so you already know this is Raekwon responding on behalf of the Wu to Gorilla Curt's How To Rob. Which is why it's absolutely hilarious to me that neither the Wu nor Gorilla Curt never carried out their threats against each other throughout the years. Alas, GZA definitively finished the job in 08 with his Paper Plate track. Also of absolute hilarity to me is the fact that outta nowhere, Gorilla Curt decided to post a recent pic on his IG where he's chumming it up with them. Yes, Cheffy's in the picture.

IRON'S THEME - CONCLUSION

A myriad of the opening skit, another excerpt from the cartoon and the abovementioned intermission.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm saying it right now: RZA didn't even show this much care to his own solo debut. Something about Ghostface Killah's hunger for the spotlight led RZA to hop on board this project and ensure that it was a timeless record. Because you bet your doughy and warty ass this is what a proper follow-up to a five-year plan classic Wu solo should sound like. All the factors are there: consistency, brilliant material, skill. Best of all, GFK was notably learning how to be his own entity and still function as part of the bigger Wu umbrella. Don't get me wrong, Mef, GZA & Deck already accomplished this with their shit. But GFK is the only one to remain in fruitful collaboration with RZA while doing so. For that, Supreme Clientele gets the nudge ahead of the others' still-dope material. However, I guess this means that it still can't be recognized as a true GFK solo project, though. Nevertheless, everyone who heard this album and praised it to the heavens were not bullshitting you this time. If you haven't yet heard a Wu solo aside from the 5-year plan releases and you're pretty confused as to which one you should start with, this is definitely the one I'd recommend. UPDATE: Jamel Bibbs aka Lord Superb passed away in October 2018 after falling into a coma and never regaining consciousness. I will never speak ill of the dead on this blog, as what I wrote was when he was alive. Any future mentions of Lord Superb shall be just that: mentions.

WORTH IT? Read the sentence I wrote before UPDATE and go burn this album into your brain. Beat a dog senseless if you have to.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
COBRA CLUTCH
I'm pretty sure GFK is the only rapper in history to make a shampoo brand fit perfectly in a hardcore rap song. And what a lead single this could've been: DJ Mathematics samples Lyn Collins in the perfect compliment to GFK’s confrontational lyrics. This is where people started to notice that he was continuing his devastating upgrade to his style, one which he introduced on Wu Forever. Furthermore, the video perfectly showcased his goofy side, where he and RZA brilliantly and hilariously acted like a couple of damn fools. Is it me or are the scenes playing in the background of the video excerpts from RZA's long unreleased Bobby Digital movie?! That's right, he actually made one.

STAND UP (CHARLI BALTIMORE SONG)

The album housing this single went through a very weird form of development hell. Even the album itself is damn weird if you ask me. For one, there are a lot of hardcore Boom Bap producers on the shit. Two, RZA produced two songs for her. One of which is this single, complete with a video and everything. Charli and GFK begin the song with some sexual banter, until Charli ruins it for everyone by producing a very painful image as a sexual act. Oh, you'll know what I'm talking about when you hear it. GFK and Charli then proceed to demolish the track together with braggadocio that'll crack your head open. Well, maybe that applies to GFK a bit more than it does to Charli. OK, a lot more. Still, she really holds her own.

WISE

I mean come on: There really was no way in Hades this was gonna make the proper album. Now that that's outta the way: This song is the tits. The very first time where GFK commands his producer, RZA this time, to just let a certain R&B track play while he rhymes right on the shit. This would become a Ghostface Killah staple for a good goddamn reason, as these songs usually feature GFK at his most inspired. It all started here as Dennis eulogizes his fallen friend Wise, who may or may not be the late leader of Killarmy. You've already heard how potent GFK was on Impossible, so yeah that's what you're getting here. One of the best songs I've ever heard in my life. And we're done.

If this whipped up a ravenous appetite for more GFK, gahead.

Raekwon - Immobilarity (November 16, 1999)

 

What the hell is that kid in the above cover asking for? That truly is the mystery of all, isn't it? Curiosity is burning my insides. Or maybe it's the banging honey and spices sandwich I just ate that's doing so. What do you mean, there's no such thing?! Oh well.

It's another post, and yet again we discuss the impact a hip hop act leaves on their own discography when dropping an undisputed timeless contribution to the genre. Some, like Mobb Deep, succeed in honing their craft to the point of blowing away their previous material. Others, like Nas, carry over enough qualities from their magnum opus to make their upcoming material arguably just as good.

Then, you got people like a certain Cory Woods, bka Raekwon of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan aka the Chef aka Lex Diamonds aka Louis Rich aka Cheffy, (my favorite) who drop an album considered so polarizingly against the excellence of his previous work that the lasting damage would take him years, years, to fix.

How excellent was his previous material, you ask? Well, let's just say that he participated in crafting an album with a certain allure that has reached mythical proportions. To the point that fans awarded it a certain mystique through branding it the 'Purple Tape'. I'm of course talking about Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... This album was responsible for expanding upon a concept introduced by the great Kool G Rap, where he utilizes criminal imagery as a metaphor for his music hustle, and turning it into a goddamn subgenre of East Coast hip hop, then of hip hop period called mafioso rap. Don't believe me? Many of the biggest names mainstream rap has ever seen have relied on the mafioso subgenre, including AZ's Doe Or Die, the aforementioned Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth, the aforementioned Nas' It Was Written, The Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous divisive Life After Death, the repulsive Sean 'Comby' Combs' repulsive No Way Out and one Shawn Carter's Reasonable Doubt, the latter almost identically copying the themes presented on the Purple Tape. Oh, and the following year he collaborated in making Ironman, which I consider to be the Purple Tape's superior twin.

Back to the man himself for a bit. Surely you're asking by now: But what the hell stopped him from repeating the very same feat his previous work did?! I'm glad you asked that, youngin. See, Rae is guilty of a crucial flaw in this game: Being absolutely blind to one's shortcomings. Every time I've heard Cheffy here speak about said work, he's talking as if he's the lone person responsible for its success. By now, you already know that can't be further from the truth, as OB4CL and Ironman are crucially collaborations between three equally important parties: Cheffy, Ghostface Killah and RZA, whom people tend to forget the most. You know, the guy who crystallized the entire Wu-Tang concept to begin with, came up with the business plan, dubbed the '5-year plan', that took them to the top and produced every single album they put out during said period? That guy.

The official mindset Rae mentions when talking about crafting his first true solo album, ridiculously titled 'I Move More Officially by Implementing Loyalty and Respect in the Youth', or Immobilarity for short, is that he wanted to update his sound and polish it a tad when presenting his vision. Basically, he wanted to rip off Reasonable Doubt thinking that its polished sounds fit him, too. Pretty whiny, if you ask me. Thing is, he came pretty close to achieving the desired result through his hook up with a certain production team called the Infinite Arkatechz nka Arkatech Beatz, made up of Dewar brothers Collin and Michael. These dudes had an electric chemistry with our host, manifesting in their ability to provide the best backdrops for his crhymes, aside from RZA of course. Also along the way, Cheffy decided to expand into cultivating newer artists under his own umbrella. Read: he just wanted a group of people to carry different flavors of his favorite potato chips wherever he went. So, he put on producer Triflyn and MCs the Harlem Hoodz (the late Chip Banks and one Baby Thad), Polite, Nino, Kingpin, Rhyme Recca & Lord Superb and rebranded the collective the American Cream Team. That last dude though, as much as I don't want to, will be making a return to this blog in the future. As part of their deal, Cheffy demanded that Triflyn work extensively on Immobilarity. Rounding up the production team backing the album are frequent Zhané collaborators Vo & Pop, Carlos Broady aka 6 July from Comby's jolly bag of Hitmen (who worked extensively with Wu-Affiliate La The Darkman) & some dude called DJ Devastator, who appeared once on the 1998 Wu vanity album the Swarm. That last choice was pretty interesting, since Rae apparently wanted to prove that he could make a quality album without leaning on the Wu brand. Yeah, we'll see.

With all these factors, Raekwon unleashed Immobilarity into the public, who bought five hundred thousand copies of the damn thing, mirroring its legendary predecessor in commercial performance. Do I feel it mirrors its critical acclaim, as well? See for yourself.

INTRO

Now, while this intro is obviously a feeble attempt at recreating the atmosphere of the first album's intro, the Dewar Bros. give you an awesome beat sampling, of all things, the main theme for Jurassic Park. So of course Cheffy pisses all over the golden opportunity by not rhyming to it. I loathe this practice by rappers.

YAE YO

6 July, in his lone production for Immobilarity, brings a serviceable instrumental. The way he uses that Kraftwerk drum break is dated as all hell, though. Still, the Lestat's Recitative loop is gloomy enough to move things along properly. Rae decides to launch into a one-verse wonder about a cocaine deal gone wrong. At least the lyrics are awesome and it's consistent with the opening skit? Moving on.

CASABLANCA

Arkatech Beatz are back with another movie theme-sampling concoction, this time from Schwarzenegger's Conan The Barbarian. Yeah, this one's a theatrical banger. So far, the first three instrumentals on Immobilarity are built around themes from movies, so maybe we're seeing an album-wide trend here? Wouldn't put it past Cheffy to request that from everybody. Speaking of which, he brings you another one-verse wonder housing a tale almost identical to the previous song, only with a larger scope and Rae himself being the villain. The beat and rhymes are married much more successfully this time, even recalling the highs of the awesome album cut Knowledge God off OB4CL. Nice!

100 ROUNDS

The second single, complete with a video showing him guiding the cowardly Floyd Mayweather in a training montage. Oh, you think I'm violating? Listen to this and tell me he hasn't been this chicken shit for the majority of his embarrassment of a career. Hell, this music video might be the closest you'll see of this bih actually knocking someone out. My guess is that Rae saw the videos to Mama Said Knock You Out and Second Round KO back to back and wanted to top them. The video does its job, I guess. Triflyn debuts his first production on Immobilarity, and I can almost swear that he ripped off the previous song's sample. Too bad the resulting beat sounds like it might euthanize you. Which of course means that Cheffy here wastes another batch of awesome lyrics after a pointless ass intro featuring Baby Thad. Moreover, he wastes three verses on this song. Sorry but this beat torpedoed any chance of you enjoying the overall track. It is what it is.

REAL LIFE

DJ Devastator is actually the lone producer on this entire album that is kinda related to the Wu camp, and admittedly he comes with a competent instrumental. Now, before I continue on: Cheffy? If you wanted to prove that you can write a quality album without leaning on the Wu brand, probably don't name-drop two-thirds of your Wu brethren on the damn song! It's hypocritical shit like this that plummet your legacy. Anyways, the two crime-tale-ridden verses are his usual top notch standard. All in all, the song is fairly aight, but that aspect kind of threw me off.

POWER (FEATURING AMERICAN CREAM TEAM)

Only five songs in, and it really seems to me that Cheffy has lost all hope to provide some sort of musical consistency to this album. How else would you explain Triflyn's beat desperately trying to ape the Swizz bloody Beatz sound, of all things?! Anyway, Rae shares mic time with the Harlem Hoodz, Superb and Rhyme Recca. Outta these four, only Rhyme Recca consistently showed promise. Chip Banks RIP can be pretty hit-and miss, and Baby Thad and Perby here are straight up crow bile. You know. The type that leaves a stench for decades. Motherfuck this song.

SKIT 1

Yeah, no.

ALL I GOT IS YOU PT.2 (FEATURING BIG BUB)
Rae proclaims his love for GFK, fellow OB4CL & Ironman collaborator. Fancy that! The way this album's going, it's almost as if Rae wants you to forget he ever made a classic album, let alone convince you to believe he's continuing his supposed progression in a proper manner. It probably wasn't a great idea, then, to commission Vo & Pop of Zhané fame to recreate the vibe of GFK's classic Mother's Day theme song off Ironman. To that end, he almost succeeds. The resulting beat shamelessly but effectively loops five seconds from a Lionel Richie hit. Rae actually spits a gut-wrenching verse in a genuine tribute to his mother and you feel every biting emotion he describes. Markings of a true lyricist. Unfortunately that only lasts for half the song, as former Today alum Big Bub spends its remainder in a Lionel Richie interpolation skin-crawlingly inappropriate to the subject matter. This song could've been very special. Shame.

JURY (FEATURING KIM STEPHENS)
It seems as if the only people actually working on giving Cheffy productions actually worth his lyrical efforts and investment are the Infinite Arkatechz, as they loop an appropriately moody Chris Spheeris excerpt to stay the hell outta the way of Rae's lyrics. May I add that Kim Stephens also blows her parts away. I can't find if she found any work before or after this, but she damn sure should've. You know how rare and refreshing it is to hear some actual accomplished R&B over a Wu-related track? Exactly. Back to Rae's lyrics: He decides to continue the good idea he had last song and go on diversifying the album's subject matter. This time, he spits three awesome autobiographical verses your way. Then again, lyrics haven't really been Immobilarity's problem, so far. It's the beats you'll beef with, and thankfully there's nothing to get mad at here. This shit rocks.

FUCK THEM (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
Unlike this dead-on-arrival-ass garbage. Cory, hint: Stop giving garbage producers exposure, asshole! Triflyn has been outright horrendous behind the boards so far, and this beat is one of his worst. To make matters, Wu brother Method Man's hook setting off the song is so cringeworthy it pretty much guarantees that you'll never ever listen to the full song. Luckily for you, I'm a glutton for punishment. Rae brings Mef in the booth for their absolute worst collaboration to date. The worst song on the album, thus far.

SKIT 2

Um, hell fucking no?

LIVE FROM NEW YORK
I need a proper song to wash the manure outta my ears. Now. Oh, this is produced by the Infinite Arkatechz? And it's the lead single? Sign me up! All jokes aside, many people who hated this album point to this song as its lone highlight. Well, I wouldn't say the absolute highlight but you bet your rusty sheriff's badge it's up there. IA loop yet another Chris Spheeris excerpt and bring the ruckus. Seeing as these sounds were what Rae was aiming for in the first place, he zones out wonderfully with them braggadocio he can be so devastating at. Very deserving of its lead single status & a definite banger.

MY FAVORITE DRED

At this point, I've just about reached my limit with this Triflyn cat. To the point that when he actually does bring something bearing some semblance of quality to the table, I believe that he very well may've stumbled upon it by accident. Not a good look, Cheffy. And once again, the mismatch between beat & lyrics renders the fact that Cory delivered a pretty damn imaginative tale about a thriving drug dealer who meets his end completely irrelevant. These mismatches are really getting on my nerves.

FRIDAY

Another bowel movement of a Triflyn beat, another dope-ass one-verse Raekwon crhyme. This is getting exhausting.

THE TABLE (FEATURING MASTA KILLA)

Hold up. No it's not. Boy/girl (pick one), may I present you with the crown jewel of Immobilarity, courtesy of the Infinite Arkatechz. (Who else?) I don't know why exactly did the Dewars have this raging hard-on for Chris Spheeris' material, but if it helped them produce shit like this? More power to 'em. For Rae's part, him and guest Clansman Masta Killa bring the motherfucking house down a verse apiece with their introspection. Rae's verse is much longer than MK's, but since GZA's motto (Make it brief, son, half short and twice strong) rings very true, the High Chief's contribution is infinitely more worthwhile. This song deserves to be mentioned among the absolute finest songs outta the Wu camp. I'm as serious as cancer.

SNEAKERS

After he repaid the Rebel for his favor on Tru Master, lead single of Soul Survivor, with an underrated gem in Trouble Man, Pete Rock heads to the Chef this time, wanting to repay him for his showing on Tha Game off the same album. True to form, the beat's a Jimmy Stewart-sampling masterpiece, with scratches of Rae himself, GFK, Nas, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and the late Big Punisher to sweeten the deal. Cheffy uses this golden opportunity to create a timeless ode to guess what? His lyricism is truly reminiscent of GZA, which is excellent. Another one for the good.

RAW (FEATURING AMERICAN CREAM TEAM)

Vo & Pop are back, and by God this was a downer compared to the previous two joints. This posse cut is slightly better than the previous Cream Team outing here simply due to Perby's omission. Baby Thad's still menses, though. Never confuse the fact that this shit blows, though.

POP SHIT

Are you fucking kidding me with this horseshit, Cory?! Neither his lyrics nor Vo & Pop's cheap-ass beat are anything of note! RAPEFUCK this song.

HEART TO HEART

This instrumental solidifies Vo & Pop as two douchebags that lucked into the industry and have no place on this or any other Wu-related album. Not as bad as their previous outing, but still very bloody bad. Cheffy seems to think that this part of the album is suitable for flossing his ass off and bragging about introducing the mafioso template. Some points are valid and some should be shoved back down our host's throat.

FORECAST

Triflyn closes out the album, and what's this? Is he actually coming forth with a beat worth Rae's lyrics?! Well, you could've placed this beat earlier on in the album and established a serviceable momentum, at least. This album has absolutely none, if you miraculously haven't noticed by now. And now Cheffy wants to waste a beat? This is basically him shouting out the names of random places he's probably been to in the most drunken of ways. Fuck you, Cory.

OUTRO

Goddamn, this was pretentious as all fuck.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This album truly is a fascinating case study into the trajectory of Raekwon The Chef's career. Indeed, the proof presented on Immobilarity is damning that this guy works best as part of a collaborative team, not as a true soloist. How else can one explain the numerous chances Cheffy infuriatingly pisses away at establishing a solid and fruitful partnership with Arkatech Beatz? Because aside from the Soul Brother,(duh!) they are, far and wide, the producers most in sync with him, and had they been allowed to produce the entirety of the album or at least a vast majority of it, some consistency and momentum could've been cultivated to help him realize his desired concept. Instead, we got inconsistent material overseen by DJ Devastator and 6 July. Oh and let's not forget hacks like Vo & Pop or Triflyn with his incompetent ass shoving absolute trash down our throats, thereby forever ruining the lyrics paired with said piffle that are among the best Rae has ever spit on a true solo album of his. No, Cuban Linx and Ironman do not count as such. There's a reason that Raekwon never repeated the commercial feat he achieved here: People were too heartbroken.

WORTH IT? The Infinite Arkatechz' tracks and Pete's treat are essential listening. In no way can a sane person recommend owning the full album, though. I wish I was joking. Word of advice: Avoid the Triflyn songs like the plague.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
IT'S NOT A GAME (FEATURING AMERICAN CREAM TEAM & RZA)
Surprised to see the Infinite Arkatechz pop up on Cheffy's radar again? Well don't be. Off the Black & White OST, (yet another shitty film attempting to capitalize on the commercial benefits of hip hop back then) this track can be seen as the zenith of the American Cream Team movement. Set to a menacing violin-heavy instrumental by the Dewar Bros., Rae and his team demolish the track. Yes, even Baby Thad manages to sound serviceable. RZA acts as a surprise guest, set up perfectly as the song's closer. Best part of it all, Superb's whiny voice is relegated to hook duties! Brilliant! Even if the hook does tend to be repeated a gojazillion times. Still a track that should've made Immobilarity, as it fit the aesthetic Rae hoped to achieve like a glove.

RESPECT POWER

Another Arkatech Beatz production, another song relegated to the OST of a movie zero people saw. What, did the Dewar Bros. piss you off accidentally, Cory?! Is spreading your work across OSTs of shitty flicks your petty attempt at payback?! Whatever. The Dewars bring an ingenious Ennio Morricone loop that allows Rae to cut loose with the references to grandeur, each one clinging to your consciousness harder than the other. This fits Immobilarity even more than my previous suggestion. Not saying it's a better song, necessarily. Just a better fit. And we're done.

Click here to check out Cheffy's other shit.

U-God - Golden Arms Redemption (October 19, 1999)

Come on. The moment you saw that hat, you knew. But in all fairness let me say this: LMMFAO.

Anyone reading this blog remembers how I started a certain campaign to point out how Lamont Hawkins bka Golden Arms aka U-God aka Baby U aka Lucky Hands aka U-Godzilla aka Hammer Jack aka Billy Gramz fully deserved his status as one of the nine Generals of the venerable Wu-Tang Clan. I even went out of my way to point out that his rhyming in the earlier Wu years utilized a certain method of poetry largely unknown to most hip hop heads called negative capability. His particular use of this method during said years succeeds in providing new perspectives on the various subjects he's rhymed about throughout the years, with his best work gloriously revealing itself on Wu-Tang Forever's A Better Tomorrow (NOT the title track to their critically panned eponymous 2014 album.) That song in particular showcased just how poetically devastating this method can be when used right, and Goldie's been achieving this for years.

However, the stories surrounding his laziness in writing were notorious, up to the point where Wu ringleader RZA would actually kick him out of the studio. Add that to his apparent inability to hold an interview by himself and you've got signs of another Cappadonna type, which isn't that far off considering Cap was the one who mentored him into rhyming in the mid-80s. I shudder to think how bad can shit get with Goldie were he to be left to his own devices unchecked. Where these two differ, though, is that Lamont would eventually fix this problem in a satisfactory manner, while Cap is still on some bullshit when left to his own devices.

Nevertheless, we're talking about the year 1999. A massive overabundance of material was being released from the Wu camp, whether from the main nine or from their cronies, moronically affectionately dubbed the Wu-Affiliates. Because of said overflow, many people were quick to dismiss these projects, even if most of them were actually quite good. Hell, Method Man's Tical 2000, GZA's Beneath The Surface & Inspectah Deck's development hell victim of a debut Uncontrolled Substance were tasty albums that were very unfairly shitted on, despite the first two selling a shitload of copies. It seemed that the Wu brand was falling swiftly from the public's grace. Enter Golden Arms Redemption.

For this album, Goldie wanted to introduce a few players from under his own umbrella to learn from the Wu sound school of RZA and his Wu-Elements, hoping to build them into his in-house production team, along with a notable protege on the mic by the name of Orlando Irizarry bka Leathafase. This particular guy would collaborate heavy with Uey throughout the following six years, only to later beef with him hard. I don't know if they've put this shit behind them now, but back when this album was being made, all was copacetic.

Golden Arms Redemption was released on Priority Records to universal derision, meaning that nobody bought the friggin' thing. Uey claims that the commercial no-show was due to Priority folding shortly thereafter, and I'm sure he still thinks that his bullshit answer fooled everyone. Enough talking, though: What's my verdict on Golden Arms Redemption? Read on.

ENTER U-GOD
RZA must be dead serious about not lifting a finger when seeing one of his brethren fuck up. How else would you explain him producing this cow dung intro?!

TURBULENCE
In an attempt to show solidarity, RZA continues to hand production out to Uey and brings you this. This beat sounds like the work of someone actively trying to sabotage this album, and you know what? They succeeded. It'll be a long-ass time before I forgive you for this one, Bobby. What's worse, Uey here is left confused as all fuck in the booth, so apparently he decided to spitball them garbage-ass bars. Dear lord, this album's off to a torturous start.

GLIDE (FEATURING LEATHAFASE)
DMD's Inspectah Deck hands Goldie one of his average beats. Still, it ain't really that bad. Goldie decides to debut Leathafase on this particular track in a successful tag team. This is more of what Golden Arms sounded like when serious, which is a good thing. And as much as I hate Fasey for what he eventually did to Uey, I must concede that dude got rhymes. Nice! A dialogue excerpt apparently recorded in prison leads into...

DAT'S GANGSTA
The second single, True Master finally takes the wheel and brings Lamont a beat expertly distorting and looping a Jerry Butler oldie into a rough thumper that fits him. Excrement hook aside, our host rides the beat as if his life is depending on it with negative capability galore. This was a jump further in the right direction.

SOUL DAZZLE
And we're back in 'holy shit this is bad' land. Here Lamont introduces his first producer hopeful by the name of Anthony Mercado aka DJ Homocide, who actually does pretty well with the MFSB loop he's extracted for his first of two beats on G.A.R. The same unfortunately can't be said for the lyrics. Zilla? Neffy poo? Read this very carefully: Nobody wants to hear you record a song where you pretend you're a crackhead. I don't care if he wasn't pretending shit or really was on crack, that's what this skunk barf sounds like. Fuck this shit.

BIZARRE
Bink! aka Bink Dawg produces Uey's lead single. Yeah this beat blows. Baby U's opening adlibs don't really set you up for a notable performance but ironically that's what he delivers here. Oddly enough, many hopeful producers test out their beats on the acapella of this song, with some amazing results. Really, just go type 'U-God Bizarre Remix' on YouTube and see what you find.

RUMBLE (FEATURING INSPECTAH DECK, METHOD MAN & LEATHAFASE)

Back to 1998's Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style we go! It's actually remarkable how concise that overall project was, given the fact that none of the Wu nor the game developers knew the first thing about game design to begin with. As for the song itself? Easily and embarrassingly the best song on the album. True Master is up to his ingenious ways through finding the hidden potential in a somber Dionne Warwick tune. Derrick, as he's prone to do, morphs it into a theme of war for Lamont and co to wage. And they all rock the ear piece right with their shit. Yes, even Golden Arms. It's actually surprising just how effortlessly Fasey settles in with the Wu Generals here.This song is flawless.

PLEASURE OR PAIN (FEATURING HELL RAZAH)
Here, the second producer prospect of Uey's by the name of Hakim Ali aka Hak Da Navigator brings you his first of two productions on this album. And here it becomes pretty clear that Lamont has quite the ear for beats, which will serve him well in the future. The distant future, of course, because we are talking about ol' Hammer Jack, aren't we? Speaking of which, Lamont turns into the anti-GZA with each of his two verses exasperatingly long and filled to the brim with absolute gibberish. Of course you know Sunz Of Man's Hell Razah inherently suffers from the very same problem so you must know by now how bad the lyrics to this song are.

STAY IN YOUR LANE

RZA brings another beat for this project, and boy is it ever an insulting afterthought. I don't know anyone mentioning this among their list of moderate RZA productions, let alone their favorites. So predictably when faced with a beat such as this abomination, Uey completely goes off the rail with his bullshit. Easily the worst song you've come across on this album . And that is saying a fucking LOT. Don't worry, though. It gets worse: The fucker decides that the hook should be repeating the song title a pafillion times. If this song were a person, I'd bite off his eyebrows.

SHELL SHOCK (FEATURING RAEKWON, HELL RAZAH & LEATHAFASE)

Hak is bak. This time he brings a drab ass instrumental for Goldie and guests Raekwon, Hell Razah & Leathafase to demolish, which they naturally do. Well, Razah pretends to, at least. And Rae still can't deliver a verse that eclipses those of Uey and his cronie. Rumble is by far the better posse cut, but this one is pretty tight. I must say that both of Uey's producers impressed on this album.

LAY DOWN

Which definitely can't be said for Johnny boy The Wannabe Wu-Element here. This guy really thinks he made it simply because he produced GZA's Crash Your Crew? Fuck no, Johnny boy. Fuckwad even tries to impress you through slowly revealing his horseshit beat when all he's doing is further pissing you the hell off. Our host, of course, feels that maybe you didn't understand just how stupid negative capability can sound when done wrong on Soul Dazzle, so he brings you yet another example. By the Almighty, this song blew.

HUNGRY
What did I tell you about rhyming like a crackhead, Lamont, you croaking piece of shit? Whomever Omonte Ward is, he should be kneed hard in the nethers immediately for producing such a dementedly sewage instrumental. Forget Stay In Your Lane, this is the worst song on the album.

TURBO CHARGE
RZA gets on the keyboards and, atypically and surprisingly, delivers one of his more left-field digital beats. And boy, does this one ever bang. For some reason, Golden Arms recognizes the shitty form he's been on for the past two songs, especially the previous song, and chooses this track to unleash one his best solo performances ever. Seriously, son goes off with his negative capability in such a way unheard throughout the entirety of Golden Arms Redemption. As such, the party vibe he's aiming for is reflected effectively. This shit bangs.

KNOCKIN' AT YOUR DOOR (FEATURING LEATHAFASE)
Johnny boy really brought some horseshit to the studio during this album's making, huh? The beat literally sounds like a fly's repeatedly shitting in your ears. Where do they get these guys? It won't matter in the least that Goldie and Fasey bring very respectable contributions respectively, with Goldie bookending Fasey's cream filling of a verse with lyrics of equal entertainment value. That beat will ruin the entire song.

NIGHT THE CITY CRIED
DJ Homocide closes out this weirdly uneven album with a sinster beat that aims for a sense of noir. Which was apparently what Lamont was aiming for, as he launches into a tale of betrayal, survival and vengeance that ends with a cliffhanger, promising to continue on the next album. Yeah, he entirely forgets he ever wrote this. For what it's worth, though, the lyrics are very well written and detailed, with some funny images thrown therein. However, dukes still has that annoying disregard for rhyming on beat, which he displays multiple times throughout the album, that never fits him. Resulting in this song sort of becoming a mixed bag: If you can forgive such an oversight here, you're rewarded with a gripping tale that I honestly thought was beyond our host's capabilities. If not, this song will be as insufferable as the rest of those where he abandons all hope in carrying the beat. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Yeah, Golden Arms Redemption shares The Pillage's predicament in being a mostly dogshit album sprinkled with some quality songs. What it doesn't share with The Pillage is the fact that the lack of quality is not always Golden Arms' fault. There's at least two songs here where the blame falls squarely on the producers' shoulders. Still, Baby U is ultimately responsible for the end product, and said end product proves that our host is in no way whatsoever equipped to be a successful solo artist. Back then, anyways. Son really needed a guiding hand to help him differentiate between whenever he was knocking it out the park and whenever he was fucking up royally. In that regard, he really did echo Cappadonna. Back then, anyways. However, I remain steadfast in my proven belief that he's a fantastic team player for the Wu.

WORTH IT?
Definite negative. A third of this album is worth checking out, especially the two posse cuts. Still, in no way does that warrant owning the full thing.

Go back and check my theory on how Golden Arms fits into the Wu here.

Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance (October 5, 1999)

Yeah so my PS4 crashed yesterday and I had to format the entire shit. Which was a blessing in disguise, really, as this frees me to buy an HDD with bigger capacity, because I'm absolutely sick of deleting games to free space for others.

In other news: Finally! Jason Hunter bka Inspectah Deck aka The Rebel aka Rollie Fingers aka Manny Festo aka Excalibur aka General Maximus. Ever since I started talking about the famed Wu-Tang Clan, I wanted to shed some light on what made the virulent specimen of humanity writing this post choose Jason Hunter as his favorite member of the Wu. Trust me, you'd be here for a long ass time.

This mammal's career has been, for many years now, the source of a gargantuan amount of frustration to many a Wu stan. Especially ones such as myself who favor him above his fellow Clansmen. For during the Wu's resident dictator RZA's lauded '5-year plan', the Rebel was a very definite standout as he continuously bodied almost each and every single song he participated in during said time period. That meant he was lyrically besting the likes of GZA (big accomplishment, that), Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Raekwon (even though the Chef rarely gets the better of any of his partners on a song. Reach deep into your stannery. You know it to be true.) And yet he lost an album that should've come out circa 95-96 due to bad luck on his part coupled with some pretty bad decisions on RZA's. I've mentioned this before and I'll say it again: How in the hell is friggin' Cappadonna worthier of RZA's official backing than Deck?! RZA, you already signed Rae to Loud, so since your whole business plan was spreading your team throughout various different record labels, why sign another member to Loud?! Moreover, it's your best player at the time! That caused a massive delay that only got worse as time passed and left the original version of Uncontrolled Substance (The PROPER version. With back-to-back RZA production and extensive Wu General features. Yep.) stuck in RZA's miserable-ass basement to be flooded not once, but two friggin' times!!! Which only made the wait longer. Enough negativity.

That being said, Deck's performances in the 5-year plan were so potent that when the time came for them to craft its final step, Wu-Tang Forever, (the best material by the Clan, group or solo. Period. No, I won't stop repeating that fact.) Deck, along with fellow spurned Clansmen Masta Killa and Golden Arms, shone the brightest. In INS' case, the demand finally grew to levels unprecedented. In addition to his continuing showings with the Wu, Deck scored various legendary collaborations outside his camp that only added to his stature, including such timeless songs like Above The Clouds, Tru Master, the ridiculously-named Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy) & Verbal Slaughter with the incomparable Gang Starr, Pete Rock, Big Punisher & Cella Dwellas respectively. Which only added to the fans' by-then-ravenous demand for a full solo album where Jason can finally let loose for delf.

Which meant that our host had to start again from scratch. Bummer. Fortunately for him, he was a full-fledged Wu-Element (A fact many Wu stans conveniently ignore when listing their favorite producers), whom were the production team responsible for many of your favorite Wu songs, by the time he was granted the go-ahead by the fuckfaces at Loud. So naturally, he spent some time in the studio crafting some beats to use. What he didn't count on was the fact that several of his Clansmen would love his shit so much they'd pillage his stash of beats for their own albums. Yes, even RZA. So, Rebel had to fill the remaining gaps with his fellow Wu-Elements' contributions, except for one very notable exception.

According to Deck himself, this album went gold. Maybe in other countries, because the RIAA mentions no such milestone. Regardless of sales, the album was critically met with indifference and derision, forever dooming Inspectah Deck as a second-rate Wu General.

This post will settle the fallacy of said statement, once and for all. I don't care if I spoiled my verdict, read the fuck on.

INTRO
You read the name. Prince Paul or Reggie Noble, Deck is not. Skip this barf.

MOVAS & SHAKERS
RZA commissions a serviceable beat built around a Syl Johnson loop. Really, it's alright. I just want to hear Deck let loose over a more relentless instrumental. Speaking of which, Deck recognizes the playfulness thrown at him and he adjusts himself well. A competent opener that could've been so much more had the beat been more, ah, menacing.

9TH CHAMBER (FEATURING STREETLIFE, KILLA SIN, LA THE DARKMAN & BERETTA 9)
Killarmy's 4th Disciple tags in and brings the first Wu beat of the evening. Trust that it's a thigh-smacker. It's almost as if he took a page from fellow Wu-Element True Master with his iron-clanging sounds to great effect. Pity that the actual song is less than three minutes long, as the MCs here come fucking correct with 8 bars each. Every single one of them. Color me pleased at Beretta 9's contribution, which sounded like he was trying his damnedest to impress Deck with his flow skills. The reason why I said so is that I feared B9 would be the weak link in the song, but thankfully that's been proven wrong. This shit bangs.

UNCONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (FEATURING SHADII OF THE FORCE M.D,'S)
DJ Mathematics brings his lone contribution to Uncontrolled Substance through a masterful sampling of an Otis Redding classic. And Deck wastes no time in ripping the instrumental not one, but several digestive systems. This is the Deck people were looking for, and it's a precise beat with the macabre hitting Deck's lyrical sweet spot. Only one problem: Shadii should've never come within 100 square miles of the studio. His contribution is the lone reason so many Wu stans crap on the song today. Doesn't change the fact that the rest of the song is perfection. Awesome but not flawless.

FEMME FATALE
Deck finally debuts one of his beats on his album. This beat is proof positive that Deck has produced his fair share of stinkers. What makes me rest easy is that he paired it up with the feeblest of attempts at a sex rap, so people like me can fully remove this embarrassment from their digital music player of choice. Sucks for you vinyl and cassette dudes, though.

THE GRAND PRIX (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS & STREETLIFE)
4th Disciple bows out of the album with a Bob Digital-esque beat preceded by a kung fu sample. The entire track seems to come from Deck's inspiration taken from his participation in Pete Rock's Tru Master video, where the MCs are portrayed as F1 racers. It must be said that the lyrical trio of Wu Generals fare infinitely better than Deck, PR and a very fallen Kurupt, stranded together on the source of inspiration. Beat's pretty good, and Deck devastates with him bookending fellow Wu Generals SL & Goldie's verses, but Deck announcing the "race" along with his adlibbing got very old very fast. All in all, Good but not flawless.

FORGET ME NOT
VIC, the Beatnuts' protege, contributes to this album a beat very uncharacteristic of him. Read: It's utter pig menses. I am simply gobsmacked that the producer who was behind fucking gems such as Boomerang with Big Punisher gave you this insult. Again, fortunately it's another sex rap you can erase from your playlist and your consciousness.

LONGEVITY (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS)
The final main Wu-Element, True Master, finally shows himself on the album in his first of three beats provided therefor. This one is a deft custom Digital composition that moves things along nicely while staying completely out of both Wu Generals' way as they bring that ruckus. Golden Arms' negative capability display here is refreshingly potent. The first perfect song on this album.

WORD ON THE STREET
Three seconds from an Ernie Hines 70s treasure is all Jason needed to fashion himself a beat that many regard as his best. Well, count me out of that group. Not because the beat sucks. Hell no, the beat's absolutely timeless. But it's my honest belief that Deck has come up with several better instrumentals, not the least of which were Visionz from Wu-Tang Forever and the title track to GZA's heavily-shitted-on Beneath The Surface. Back to this song, though: the one nitpick I have against this song is that it doesn't need its hook at all. The rest is Deck presenting you with two long-ass verses that are a splendid display of storytelling. No lie, the level of detail and lyrical wizardry present here is a loud statement of just how underrated Deck's stature in this hip hop shit still is. And the second verse is even better than the first! Escalation done right! Truly one of the greatest songs I've ever heard.

ELEVATION
A resonating looping of an immortal David Axelrod classic, Deck's beat was so potent Ghost jacked it wholesale for a later album. You probably know the one, now. Anyways, Deck keeps things very short and very sweet with his entire song going just over two minutes but trust me, these are some of the best two minutes you'll ever hear in hip hop history. Deck's fadeout, as if this song is a mere interlude, before returning full blast with a scorching one verse wonder, never fails to leave me in awe. One of my absolute two favorite solo songs on this album, and yes it's better than the previous song. Fancy that. The outro following the proper song is hilariously bad.

LOVIN' YOU (FEATURING LA THE DARKMAN)
True Master is back with a beat that, coupled with Masta Killa's Queen, proves him pretty adept at scoring love songs. The way he chops up the Soul Children sample is nothing short of breathtaking. Deck recognizes what he's dealing with immediately and delivers a performance, consisting of two verses telling a story apiece, that remains one of my favorite love raps. See, rappers everywhere throughout human history? All you need is respect, and keep it genuine. La The Darkman is present on the song, but he's uncharacteristically inefficient with his lone verse despite his commendable attempts at imagery. However, this will not detract from your enjoyment of this song one bit. The beat and Deck's work are that good.

TROUBLE MAN (FEATURING VINIA MOJICA)
Common among hip hop superproducers is how they repay other luminaries in the hip hop game for contributing to their solo albums: They give said luminaries a beat or several to use on their respective albums. The least they can do, really. Sometimes these favors can lead to full-fledged collaboration albums, while others effectively end such relationships on amicable terms while leaving the door open. Here, The Chocolate Wonder (he's no longer a boy so it'd be foolish to call him such) repays the Rebellious One for his contribution on the abovementioned Tru Master by giving him an instrumental that flew over most people's heads. This beat is actually one of Pete's finest ever, with him composing new music outta meshing Isaac Hayes & Curtis Mayfield samples together, then letting the underrated Vinia Mojica loose with a Sade interpolation of all things, setting the canvas for the Inspectah to paint his vivid picture of ghetto life, with its ups and downs, and his role as one of its griots, with his flaws and wounds worn proud. A perfect diamond if I ever heard one.

R.E.C. ROOM
Goddamn, this is one relentless onslaught! For his final production on Uncontrolled Substance, TM goes way deep into his sample collection, building a bloodpumping instrumental around the most obscure sample of a Jacques Brel cover song. Another interesting piece of trivia is that, according to TM himself, this beat is the only one that survived the flood that took out Deck’s original album! And you know that when Deck is paired with beats like this, he goes absolutely nuts. This is one such example, as the punchlines tsunami through your consciousness. It's a very satisfying experience to hear Jason black out on a beat the way he did here. As for the hook? It's a fucking shoutout to his DMD crew from the 80s that comprise two thirds of the Wu you know and love today, so lay the fuck off son, will ya?

FRICTION (FEATURING MASTA KILLA)
RZA finally found his way back into the studio after sobering up from all the honey-dipped blunts he was smoking at that time. He finally gives Deck a beat fitting of his caliber, composed with the assistance of another obscure record, this time a hidden Ann Peebles gem. The result begs Deck and the fourth Wu General on the album, Masta Killa, to utterly violate it. And violate it, they do. Natural conclusion, really, as Deck and MK always had thunderous chemistry together. If only GZA made this cut. Oh well, still a perfect song.

HYPERDERMIX
May I present a contender, along with the earlier Elevation, for my absolute favorite solo track from Uncontrolled Substance. Hell, this competes with The City, again off Wu Forever, for the title of best solo performance in Deck's solo discography. What's more, he produced this song from start to finish, including commissioning Large Professor to mix it. The scratching of Ghost's opening line from Wisdom Body is genius, but the true highlight is Deck's rhyming. This is a true continuation of the tear he's been on since his Triumph in 97. (Pun very much intended) Let's count: This is the eighth dope ass song in a row. How is this album wack again?

SHOW N PROVE
Confession time: I hated this song when I first heard it, mostly because of its garbage-ass hook. Now, I've done a complete 180. While the beat by Wu-Element interns The Blaquesmiths is fairly decent, Deck's lyrics prove just how much the man was unparalleled within the Clan when it came to introspective rhymes. Not to say he's weak in the other areas, far from it, but nobody else in the Clan has come close to this level. I don't care if he quotes Ghost's Older Gods hook, this was yet another example of why he's my favorite Wu General. As you already know, I've embarrasingly meshed this song's acapella with the Beneath The Surface title track instrumental, out of thirst to hear more Deck rhymes on Deck beats and desperate to remove the awful hook. It's an abomination, I know.

THE CAUSE (FEATURING STREETLIFE)
The final beat of the album is appropriately Deck's own, and you know what? Despite me liking several of his beats more than this one, I think this beat is his most addictive. Hear me out: The Undisputed Truth-sampling beat admittedly starts off pretty bland, but once that small horn sample following the hook connects with your ears, you will play this song back an infinite amount of times. I guarantee it. And I haven't talked about Deck and SL's lyrical tag team yet. Fret not, as they both bring a punchline performance for the ages. Deck's flow is obviously more advanced than his fellow Clansman, but both leave a lasting mark nonetheless. Streetlife may be the best tag team partner in the Wu, as he's formed successful partnerships with Deck & Mef now. Coincidence? I doubt so.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Loss of original album aside, the biggest flaw this version of Uncontrolled Substance has is that it wasn't released in the early 90s, because the lack of musical cohesion between this album's songs would've been easily forgiven. Also, Deck suffered from not having the more well-known Clansmen support his album when his time to shine came. But maybe that was his own choice? Maybe he wanted to prove to everyone else that he was perfectly capable of carrying an album on his own. To that end, I believe he didn't fully succeed, as people trashed this album. As I've mentioned before on this blog however, hip hop fans can be very 'double-standard'ey. You find them praising albums like the fucking Blueprint to the heavens, while albums like this, with a very solid hit rate of amazing songs get crapped on. Because yes, there are only two songs on the album that are truly putrid. And the two interludes woven throughout this album are easily skippable, too. I'm sorry but I call it like I see it: This is a dope ass album. Among the best that the second run of Wu solos ever produced. And within the Wu camp, those are only topped by the 5-year plan solos. That's saying a lot.

WORTH IT? You goddamn right. If you call yourself a fan of true school hip hop and somehow don't own this, you are lying to yourself. Fuck this album's cover, though. (Didn't think I'd forget about that, did ya?)

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
LET ME AT THEM
Deck's debut production, credited as a Wu-Tang Clan song on the Tales From The Hood OST. Deck brings a high energy beat and proceeds to violently smack it around the studio with his two verses, filled to the brim with angry punchlines. It's rare that I hear Deck this angry, and I like this side of him. Another successful blackout.

NIGHTSHIFT
This True Master production was cut off the proper album after being included in the promo copies, and was later pillaged by 9th Prince for a song off his solo debut. To whomever made that decision, fuck you. The exposure this song has lost as a result of that boneheaded decision cannot be quantified nor replicated. Why do I say this? Because the beat is absolute lava. No lie, it's right up there with Derrick's work on the Pillage. Deck gives you an even better version of Word On The Street, complete with a satisfying lack of that meh-est of hooks.

S.O.S. (FEATURING STREETLIFE)
Off the Wu vanity sampler The Swarm a year prior, This was a thuggery precursor to the vastly-superior punchline cut The Cause, and yet it still stands on its own two. Deck brings an adept organ-sampler of a beat for him and SL to utilize in convincing you that they're lyrically not to be fucked with. And they do accomplish said task in my opinion, with lines that will melt the skin off your face.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC FULL RAP METAL JACKET (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS & STREETLIFE)
RZA was testing out his Bobby Digital sound at the time of this song's making for the High School High OST in 96. Which meant this was during his 5-year plan, thereby meaning he was very focused here, so it's no surprise that the resulting beat is pretty fucking good. He brings in Deck, Goldie & Streetlife, in a precursor to the Grand Prix combination this time, to give them some much-needed shine. And boy, do they ever bring the ruckus: Literally, all the verses are equally legendary. Hardcore heads might gravitate to SL's verse because it's longer than the rest, but truth be told people are sleeping on my man Goldie's negative capability, as always. Deck preserves his awesome streak. This is a must-have for every Wu stan out there. And we're done.

Converted you into a fellow Rebel fanatic, huh? Indulge, my fellow crazy person.

An added bonus for you reading the entire review, here you go: