Gravediggaz - N****mortis/6 Feet Deep (August 9, 1994)

Check out the future director's fangs and tufts of 'fro. I have to say, people: This picture is not even remotely frightening. It really looks like a lame comedy based on an SNL sketch gone horribly wrong.

But, I digress. I really don't know when I got into the Gravediggaz, but I definitely heard this album of theirs quite some time after hearing the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan's main 93-97 catalog. I also remember shrugging away from this album due to me perceiving that it was a horrorcore album, a genre I absolutely abhor. But before I get into that...

Allow me to take this time to mourn one of the greatest MCs to ever grab a microphone: The late Anthony Ian Berkeley from Wyandanch Long Island (home of hip hop royalty Rakim), aka Too Poetic aka The Grym Reaper. A true MC for over 20 years before his death, he never got recognized aside from family and friends until the later years of his career. Trust me when I tell you: The majority years of his career were not the most stable of times. After Tommy Boy released his promising 12" single called Poetical Terror/God Made Me Funky in 1989, they scrapped the deal because of course. For revenge, he got with his younger sibling, MC Brainstorm, and made a demo as the Bruthas Grym that turned a lot of heads and was very promising. Now, because life runs exactly like you want it to, Brainstorm decided it was high time for spiritual enlightenment, leaving that particular venture with nothing to live under. Ironic, that.

Because the Grym Reaper would actually spend some of 1992 homeless. I mean, I know some people go to dangerous extremes to sustain their careers but goddamn, homeless?! On the fucking street?! Furthermore, if one reads or watches some of this guy's interviews he would immediately recognize the man was extremely intelligent, therefore he would definitely not be some doofus who would lose a home because of stupid, irresponsible moves on his part. Considering that, I shudder to imagine what this person must've suffered through. Most tragic of all, he only spent 7 years among us after he finally got on before succumbing to colon cancer. My consolation is that this dude got a chance to explore his passions among a close family environment, mostly with MC Brainstorm and their younger brother DJ E-Sharp bka producer Goalfingaz, and that he died among loved ones.

I think about the following quite often, though: This man sacrificed so much for his art, yet the number of people who enjoy his rhymes is too limited. Obviously, the masses truly enjoy the horseshit shoveled down their throats by the major corporations. I guess I should be more positive about this situation: For the people who do take a liking to Grym Reap's work usually find it unforgettably awesome. And you'd better count me in as one of them. RIP Grym Reaper. My thoughts are with your loved ones.

So, one obviously cannot mention the Diggaz without their chief architect: Legendary DJ Paul Huston bka Prince Paul of Stetsasonic and De La Soul fame. Paulie, a 30-year music veteran, is one of the most consistently prolific and creative figures the industry has ever seen. So, for him to say that N****mortis/6 Feet Deep remains his favorite work out of his entire catalog is quite telling. How about I delve into how he came around making it, eh? I wasn't asking.

Back in 1990, Prince was riding very high off of his success with De La Soul on their debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. The album sold like hot cakes, which means those pesky record execs are right around the corner for another 'idea to boost marketability'. Sure enough, Paul was contacted by Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen to persuade him to manage a label of his own under Rush Associated Labels. Vehemently rejecting at first, Paul's lawyer was the final straw that made him cave in to the bloodsuckers' demands. Now, you see the issue with these guys: They talk a lot of game but they rarely back it up if someone's out for his own interests. So, he lays the groundwork for his very own Dew Doo Man Records and whaddyaknow?! Corporate reneges on his ass. Understandably, that might tick someone off just a little bit. Well, a little more than that if the fucker actually invested a lot of money out of his own pocket. Which, incredulously, really happened. Paulie: You might say that you don't blame Russell for what went down, but I see through you. You hate the fucker's guts. Admit it.

Seeing as he wasn't alone in that situation, (check this and the paragraph above on the late Mr. Grym Reap for further from my take on this.) he rounded up three other figures that went through similar situations, called the collective the Gravediggaz and dubbed himself the Undertaker. Although, I must be honest: I've never figured out why Paul specifically went to his Stetsasonic homie Arnold Hamilton, bka Frukwan aka The Gatekeeper, of all his previous acquaintances in this industry.

Not to say that Mr. Gatekeep isn't a competent MC. Far from it. Actually, this is one of the few hip hop collectives where each and every MC in the group is a legitimate lyrical threat. In the Gatekeeper's case, his lyrics were already a part of hip hop history. His claim to fame as a member of the aforementioned Stetsasonic saw him debut a classic hip hop verse in 1986 as the final verse in a classic of theirs, Go Stetsa I. Listen to that song and you'll know just how much you heard that shit without knowing it was lil ol Arny here. Of course, he up and split from the group after their classic sophomore In Full Gear in 1988 and it's not really known what he's done during that transitioning period.

Speaking of transition, Bobby 'His Rakeemness' Diggs aka The RZA-recta was coincidentally added to this wonderful freakshow just before he set his Wu plans into motion. There are some sources that claim that Undertaker was ultimately the one who introduced him to the samplers used at that oh-so-golden time, while others say it's one of his Stapleton gang of jolly individuals named Arby Quinn bka RNS, Shyheim's main producer. Nevertheless, anyone thinking that this entire group's goal was to further his plans involving said Wu is better off not thinking. At all.

Actually, Bobby was the youngest and, relatively speaking, most inexperienced member in this damn group. I mean, Paulie was two years older than him, Arny is GZA's age and Tony was 30 when N****mortis/6 Feet Deep dropped. Which made it all the more surprising that Bobby did most of the lyrical heavylifting on said album, as if this was his proving ground within the Gravediggaz. I mean, he's on Every. Single. Song. Not that they needed to prove anything to one another, but Bobby definitely needed to do so, especially since his Wu venture (which, may I remind you, he embarked on after joining the Gravediggaz.) hadn't yet bore fruit.

If that proved anything, it was how much these four were blacklisted in the industry in 92. Which is why the East Coast Renaissance's power in twisting the industry's hand was so great back then. After those quintessential albums dropped though, it was expected for hip hop acts to come out of left field with deep, metaphor-filled concepts or grimy and edgy punchline rhymes.

Enter Diary Of A Madman, the group's debut single with its video incorrectly propelling it into horrorcore infamy, even though that couldn't be further from the truth: There's a definite ghoulish-yet-conscious message behind what these guys were pushing, very similar to the vibes displayed on the later All We Got Iz Us album by Onyx although the Diggaz were a bit more direct in their approach.

Anyways. Given the single's June 94 release, people ironically thought it was an extension of the Wu brand and gobbled it up with praise, which was ultimately good for the actual brand. So when album time came, everybody involved was filled with confidence. With the Undertaker's expertise in said unknown waters, along with RZA's growing influence, this had to be a slam dunk.

Right?

As usual, I'll be reviewing the international version, as it contains the full album as envisioned by the Undertaker:

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS OVER (INTRO)
The Undertaker's mastery of the ways of the skit are on full display here, with a simple titular proclamation, an announcement of the group's arrival and the opening licks of a Leroy and the Drivers sample. Simple but effective.

CONSTANT ELEVATION
An expertly-cut sample of some Allen Toussaint piano combined with sickass drums and presto! Musical backing provided. Both the Reaper and the Keeper really lay into this beat for two excellent verses each back and forth, with Tony coming out on top and Arny sounding like he simply imitated him. Yet his shit is still great! RZA-recta finishes off the song with a gutsy performance but Tony was not to be denied. Best way to describe him would be as a sober & consistent ODB (who would've fit the Gravedigga aesthetic like a glove, by the way.) Impressive start.

NOWHERE TO RUN, NOWHERE TO HIDE
Now, this song is where Bobby really hits his stride. He opens the song with a triumphant verse delivered impeccably. The first of many testaments that (spoiler alert!!!) this guy is just as good with his rhymes as he is behind the boards. Reaper and Keeper follow up with equally strong verses and yet RZA-recta comes back for more. During his verse, you hear the opening kung-fu sample of Protect Ya Neck before he exclaims 'Psyched!' and gallops ahead with an even better verse than his first. Now, while you'd think this is another RZA stroke of genius, it's actually Undertaker saving his ass from a fuckup. Originally a blank space, the idea of including the sample came to him after Protect Ya Neck's roaring success and he integrated the whole thing late in the album's crafting process. Props to the Grym Reaper's outro of repeating the song's title, which made the entire beat more relentless on repeated listenings. My favorite Undertaker production on this album, and one of the best songs you'll ever hear in your life. Period.

DEFECTIVE TRIP (TRIPPIN')
A short interlude depicting Tony hilariously taking some drugs from Arny followed by him entering a state that apparently explains the song's mood. This whole image is obviously a metaphor of their music being addictively good which perfectly ties in with the overall theme of the entire album itself being one big 'fuck you' to the pitfalls of the business. All three MCs here deliver equally strong contributions, to the benefit of the listener. This shit thumps.

2 CUPS OF BLOOD
A RZA-recta & Grym Reaper duet over a short Larry Willis/Hihache concoction. Definitely not an orthodox musical pick for the Undertaker, a fact he readily admits. He basically hated this beat until Bobby convinced him to keep it. Speaking of whom, I must say that it's always a delight when two MCs of this caliber are locking horns in a song and try to outdo each other at every turn. This song is quite the representation of everything that makes this group so timeless.

BLOOD BROTHERS
Undertaker yields his role behind the boards for the first time to the Gatekeeper, who does a surprisingly amazing job. He provides a beat from some deft jazz samples that is just the right amounts of haunting and relentless, thereby allowing all three Diggaz to rain death and destruction on it as only they can. I love the way that the Grym Reaper somehow found a way to steal the show with him having only one verse and all, as if the others were overcompensating for their inability to match his shit with their two-verses-apiece approach.

360 QUESTIONS
Another entertaining product of the skitmaster's mind. Although that last question is kind of outdated in 2016, now that Tommy Boy is up and running again. Hell, it published Ghostface's 36 Seasons and Method Man's latest outing. Think about what that means, considering its history with the Wu.

1-800 SUICIDE
Undertaker arms himself with a Booker T (the jazz musician, duh.) sample and really goes to town in crafting his most minimalistic beat on the album, which the MCs use to gruesomely describe a suicide hotline of sorts. Except those are usually sympathetic with you. Aside from the fact that, you know, they're helping you kill yourself. Our trio, however, are three of the most spiteful call center employees you'll ever come across in your life. Once again, I am compelled to edge out the Reaper's contribution as the better of the three, even though the other two display some pretty impressive imagery, strictly for the amount of facets he aces in the various ways of the MC. Props to the KRS-One hook. Paulie acquired a special sample with that and he knows it.

PASS THE SHOVEL
A myriad of samples attacks your ears immediately as the beat introduces our trio, out for blood, as they try desperately to outdo each other. Quite similar to the earlier 2 Cups Of Blood, only the Keeper's in on this one, as well. I'm a little annoyed that Bobby has two verses again, but he makes them mesh well with the others' performances. Even though he does drop the ball throughout his verses multiple times, only to pick it up immediately with a sick-ass punchline. All three sound equally amazing here, as I found out they usually do on high energy tracks. This shit bangs.

DIARY OF A MADMAN (FEATURING SHABAZZ THE DISCIPLE & KILLAH PRIEST)
Ah yes. You remember me mentioning this song here, right? Sure you do. So, basically it's the same two Johnny Mathis samples molded by the RZA-recta. What you don't know is that those two samples were originally discovered by RNS, the dude mentioned in the intro to this review. Undertaker and RZA-recta liked those two discoveries so much they credited him as a co-producer. That's right, I said Undertaker. For Paulie also has his hands in this song through fleshing it out into a concept record, where all four MCs appearing here are portrayed to be accused of murdering a child (Please refer to 360 Questions to know the exact identity of said child), someone's uncle and a Spaniard's friend. Paulie acts as various characters during the interludes expertly woven into the track, although I particularly loved his take on the wailing Spaniard. This song also serves double-purpose debuting the very first Wu-Affiliate group, Sunz Of Man. Here, they are represented by founding members David Collins bka Shabazz the Disciple and Walter Reed bka Killah Priest. Yes, the guy who Masta Killa beat to being an official Wu general. Kind of cranking up on the Wu nerdiness, right? Loving it. Shabazz aka Shabby debuts his rap career with one hell of an opening verse, setting the standard for the rest of the song and forcing the RZA-recta, Priest and Gatekeeper to play catch up, which they do in stellar fashion. Shabby would only release three songs with Sunz Of Man before leaving the group in 1997, where his following solo releases wouldn't really take off with fans. Truly a shame, as dude really had talent behind the mic. I mean, anyone who influenced a guy like the late great Big friggin Pun would definitely be a lyrical threat. Listen to Shabby's 95 single Crime Saga (a song that Punny allegedly congratulated Shabby on and told him it influenced him big time. Well, all according to Shabby himself, anyway.) and tell me I'm wrong. Anyways, the only criticism I have for Diary Of A Madman is that the Reaper sat this one out. He could've been perfect for it. Oh well, what you get is still a hip hop classic hands fucking down.

MOMMY, WHAT'S A GRAVEDIGGA?
Not quite a skit, but not quite a full-blown rap ballad either. The Undertaker utilizes a fairly prominent Patrice Rushen sample seasoned with those Skull Snaps drums. Our trio give impressive reasons why the full version should've been inserted here. I know I said Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide is my favorite Undertaker beat, but I'll be damned if this one didn't grab me more during my first listen of this album.

BANG YOUR HEAD
Little thought to marinate on: This song's hook came from RZA-recta's inability to forget a single U-God line from said Wu general's lone true contribution to the timeless 36 Chambers album. How do you like them lemons? So, quite a few fans find this song to be gimmicky. I fail to see such point of view, as this is right up the Gravediggaz' vile-ass alley. Undertaker keeps things simple by playing some makeshift bass off his keyboard, while allowing the endlessly-sampled Synthetic Substitution drum line do the rest. The effect is instantaneous, as the resulting beat will make you lose your shit by the time you reach your 100th listen. Which won't take as long as you think. Trust me, you'll be so hooked you'll do it subconsciously. So, Bobby starts shit off with a typical high-octane performance from him, his lyrics filled with grim imagery perfectly suitable for these situations. Tony follows up with further proof that he is impressively consistent throughout this entire record. But it's Arny who steals the show on this song. Maybe it's because he went on last, but the man seriously goes off. His imagery, flow and punchlines surpass both of his cohorts through his delivery alone. This song really brought something beautiful out of the Gatekeeper.

HERE COMES THE GRAVEDIGGAZ
Tony brings in an old affiliate of his, Mr. Sime, to handle the production of this gem. Meshing an Emotions sample with a haunting Dead Can Dance excerpt, the canvas is laid for the Diggaz to delve into yet another dark place to compete for lyrical supremacy. This beat truly surpasses 1-800 Suicide as THE most minimalistic beat on the entire album, and that is most definitely a compliment in this case. The shit really sounds crazy good. On the lyrical tip, all three keep up with each other just enough for this to become a classic album cut. One of those you can only find by listening through the entire damn thing. Lots of people do that, nowadays.

GRAVEYARD CHAMBER (FEATURING DREDDY KRUGER, SHABAZZ THE DISCIPLE & KILLAH PRIEST)
RZA-recta comes in and effectively commandeers production duties back into the Gravedigga fold and blesses us with a true Wu posse cut, only with him being the lone Wu general present. Don't think for a second that this hurts the song's quality. Far from it. It's a testament to how good Bobby became in applying the posse cut formula to any crew surrounding him at the time. A certain James Dockery bka Dreddy Kruger takes full advantage of said fact, as he debuts a menacing and timeless braggadocio contribution. Shame that he hasn't really followed this shit with more performances, especially considering he was a full fledged member of Royal Fam, currently fronted only by its co-founder Timbo King. It's the game's loss, anyways. Fellow Wu-Affiliates Shabby and Priesty come correct, even though Priest's voice annoyed me to no end. As for the star attraction? They knocked it out the park, as usual. My favorite song on the album. Hated the hook, though.

DEATHTRAP
Paulie! Welcome back! We've missed you. In his skit-tastic way, Undertaker commissions Masta Ace, one of the most positive figures in the rap game, to deliver a short-but-visceral intro to this song, all over Seven Minutes of fucking Funk, a sample made famous by the legendary EPMD. Said sample then proceeds to flesh out the rest of the beat as only Undertaker's beats can. Our trio proceed to deliver a storytelling rap depicting themselves as harbingers of death, where the Keeper comes out on top once again. Don't get me mistaken: Everybody came correct with their respective stories: Imagery, punchlines galore as well as some sly social commentary. But Arny upped the ante by weaving three tales instead of one into his verse. Props to a decent hook as well. This banged hard.

6 FEET DEEP
Of course RZA-recta was coming out of this album with the most unconventional beat of the bunch. I mean, this is still 1994 we're talking about, so he hasn't toned it down just yet. Our trio of Diggaz end their lyrical contributions to the album in damn style, displaying grandiose imagery and a unique flow exclusive only to this song. This will hit your sweet spot, guaranteed.

REST IN PEACE (OUTRO)
Undertaker rounds out the album with a delicious Albert King sampling instrumental, the one you heard on the 360 Questions skit while letting RZA-recta off his goddamn leash in full shoutout mode. Hell, he shouts out most of the tracklist, as if his friends weren't enough. That's 2 minutes of my life I've just thrown in the shitter. At least the beat was dope?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Right off the bat, this is one of those albums that grabs you by the balls. Right from the Undertaker's opening skit all the way to the final track. Not many 16-track albums you can say this about, even back then. Sure there's a lot of albums very fondly remembered from the era I'm focusing on here, but many of them lack the consistency frequently on display in this album. Consistency brought forth by a dedication to the real nature of this album: a conscious hip hop record. The whole album is a metaphoric attack on the bullshit of the pop culture industry as well as the stereotypes we let ourselves fall victim to, and it is executed marvelously. Consistency is definitely a very persuasive turning point in me considering a product like this a classic or not, and what Paul Huston did behind the boards, along with the lyrical efforts of Arnold Hamilton (who's living proof that the old ways of MCing can give you so much lyrical space. Furthermore, that Blood Brothers beat was friggin' awesome!), Robert Diggs (who, by appearing on every single goddamn song here, effectively became the workhorse of the group, and a splendid one at that. This venture truly is his best output outside of the Wu group albums. It even trumps his future solo shit. Let's not forget the sick beats he gave us here, as well.), and, most of all, Anthony Berkeley (who was, by far, the shining star of this album. This Gravediggaz gig he nailed will surely stand the test of time because of his devotion and passion. The world of hip hop truly lost a great person and a hall-of-fame shoe-in. Again, RIP Anthony Berkeley.) lands N****mortis/6 Feet Deep smack dab in the middle of timeless music. I can see why Paul considers this his best work. Pity he never commits to fully helming another Gravediggaz project again.

WORTH IT? I have it on good authority that the Gravediggaz will show up at your spa-of-choice for the weekend, buy out the place and turn it into a graveyard that friggin Beetlejuice would be proud of if you do not go out of your fucking way to include this album in your collection. If I were you, I'd listen to that authority.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:

THE HOUSE THAT HATRED BUILT
The very first Gravediggaz recording. These guys were at the scope-the-others-out stage when this was recorded, and boy does it show. Even the Undertaker didn't have a fresh idea of what the group's sound was to be like. Still didn't stop the shit from attaining headbanga-status. As all three came equally correct here, you should be pretty happy with what you got. Props to Tony's line: I'm Grym Reaper of course I drip red rum/Dead rose, I colour the stage like red rum. Nice!

ASHES TO ASHES
A later recording that clearly showcases better chemistry between our trio as they rip shop over Paulie's work. Surprised that Grym Reaper's first verse was not that inspiring. Instead, RZA-recta ws the one with the witty rhymes throughout, until Reaper comes back with a vastly-superior second verse compared to his first. The audio quality here unfortunately equals to jack followed by a small smidgeon of shit, which will be problematic if you're using speakers, but that won't stop you from enjoying this damn song on earphones. Both this song and the previous one were sampled by Mr. Sime for his lone contribution on the album, Here Comes The Gravediggaz.

MOMMY, WHAT'S A GRAVEDIGGA? (FULL VERSION)
I don't know why this version say it's the RZA Mix, and yet it mentions The Undertaker as the producer for said mix in the credits. Remember my abovementioned grievances with the original track? Well, here we find them completely rectifying said grievances over the exact same beat that I loved the first time. Count me compensated.

1-800 SUICIDE (POISONOUS MIX) (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
Now this remix is rightfully RZA-recta's. Before I go further, though, allow me to point out a relevant note: On more than one production of his, Bobby starts you off with one mood then transitions to another opposing it completely in a contrast that paints beautiful colors on your emotions. Here, he chooses to start with an uplifting sample which I admit to not having the faintest clue of its origin, then dip the remaining entirety of the beat into a macabre sample that complements its predecessor in the best way possible. And with New Jersey native Candi Lindsey bka Blue Raspberry bawling her ass off, this song's Wu lineage was solidified in the most morbid of ways. Our MC trio, amazing artists that they all are, recognize this and play along fittingly. Both the Gatekeeper and our producer inject their contributions with a pretty ghastly dose of spirituality, the imagery present taken directly from their Five Percenter beliefs, while the Grym Reaper injects a larger dose of straight-up ill intent. With his contribution no longer superior to his cohorts, Tony joins Arny and Bobby in bringing the hip hop apocalypse on the mentally dead while we visualize the flaming wreckage that is the remains of their fake world from afar with our ears. And we're done.


Scratch your Wu itch here. Or watch RZA scratch his own itches with those weird-ass golden nails of his here. Finally, delve more into the Gravediggaz here.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (November 9, 1993)

I hope you appreciate what I'm doing for you.

Because the problem with reviewing indisputable classic albums is everybody already said everything. These timeless pieces of audio art are ritualistically listened to by someone throughout every passing year all around our global village, and something new is being discovered relating to it each day. So, all that is left is for you to give your own opinion and hope that there's someone out there who shares it.

OK, I've already mentioned on this blog that video games played a big role in my introduction to boom bap. I've also talked a bit about the very first rap song I've ever heard, which is the Monstars Anthem, a song that I still absolutely love. My preteen self immediately recognized that the MCs present on that posse cut were of a special breed. LL Cool J, B-Real, Busta Rhymes and Coolio.

By proxy, this song was also my introduction to Cliffy Clifford Smith aka Shaquan from the DMD Crew aka Tical aka Iron Lung (my favorite), better known to the world as Method Man. His old-geezer voice stuck with me the longest after I first finished hearing the song, along with B-Real's nasal tone. His verse is also the first rap verse I've ever memorized. So, in reality, I owe my love to hip hop to B-Real and Method Man. A realization I only came to after writing this paragraph.

That love didn't last at first, because I sort of forgot about rap until my Eminem phase. When it blew over, I remember asking myself the same question asked by the millions who were introduced to hip hop through him: "Eminem can't be the only good rapper out there." But given that I lived on the Arabian Peninsula, I really had nowhere to properly look. All the music stores were stuffed to the fucking gills with Arabic love songs, the oversaturation of which made me mostly loathe romance in poetry period. And the only hip hop you were going to find was Eminem and Dr. Dre related! Which led me to alternate sources like the Anderzej Bartkowiak-Jet Li films, and more importantly, video games. Namely the GTA and Def Jam-AKI Corporation series. And through Liberty City Stories' hip hop station The Liberty Jam and the Fight For NY storyline to be specific, I was firmly reintroduced to Method Man. The Liberty Jam also introduced me to Corey Woods aka Raekwon The Chef from the DMD Crew for the very first time, by including his timeless Incarcerated Scarfaces joint. (which I shamefully admit to hating at first.) Furthermore, the Def Jam games introduced me to Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah aka Ironman, although they regretfully didn't include a single song of his on neither game. By then in my late teens, I went through the same confusions I did with my Onyx journey. Obviously meaning that I didn't have a clue that these three were part of the same group. Enter my ravenous Wikipedia appetite: After I did a backup check on Mef, I finally found out that all three were part of a larger collective: The Wu-Tang Clan.

Now, I have a very different history with the Wu brand itself. For the simple reason that I was exposed to it many years before I ever heard of Eminem, but only through a review Electronic Gaming Monthly ran of the Wu's Shaolin Style fighting game in 1999. I thought the premise sounded very interesting, and something about the different personalities described in the review clicked with my prepubescent self. Had I found the fucking game at the time, my hip hop journey would've been sped up immensely. But, alas. I made the discovery that they were, in fact, a hip hop group when I heard their debut single, Protect Ya Neck, on the True Crime: New York City radio. I must remind you of something I also already mentioned during my Onyx run: That my attention to lyrics was absolute horseshit at the time, or else I would've immediately made the connection between the gravelly voice I memorized from the Monstars Anthem along with the Fight For NY story on one hand, and the third verse on the damn song on the other! I mean, Mef clearly mentions his name at the beginning of his shit! How much more braindead can a guy get?! But, I digress.

I must mention that I took an instant liking to Protect Ya Neck's first MC: Jason Hunter from the DMD Crew aka the Rebel, more famously known as a locally-popular owner of a falafel stand called Inspectah Deck's. In short, Deck quickly rose to become my favorite member on the song, and would eventually become my favorite clan member period. Maybe it's because his verse was the first verse I could perform from the shit. Later on, I made the discovery that Lamont Hawkins aka Golden Arms (his most fitting nickname) aka Baby U from the DMD Crew aka Goldie aka Zilla only had 4 bars on Protect Ya Neck and was notoriously absent from the rest of the album except for one other song, due to him serving some prison time. This absence would affect everybody's view of him later in his career, especially Wu fans' views, due to his stupid solo career moves. C'mon people, he is just as good a team player as every other Clansman, and I will prove it.

Protect Ya Neck was a landmark record in hip hop history for many reasons: It brought back the traditional no-nonsense approach to hip hop songwriting, given the minimal amount of compromise on it. It displayed a new approach to the sampling methods pioneered by the Ced Gees and the Marley Marls. And most importantly to me, it finally perfected the posse cut: A unique type of song that throws in it as many MCs as possible, effectively keeping the song fresh and showcasing new talent with each passing verse. With the eight MCs all re-debuting at the same time, the "new talent" factor wasn't really highlighted but they surely grabbed people's attention for the entirety of the song, a feat rarely accomplished before. So good they've perfected this format on future Wu-related releases that they effectively became the leading example on how to make a proper posse cut: From the chemistry of those chosen to the subject matter of the song, making it without doubt the hardest type of song to master. And yet the Wu would make this format their second home, delving into many varied subjects with each passing posse cut. This synergy would never be possible had it not been for one man. One crazy scientist who ran the whole gig like a well-oiled machine.

I am, of course, talking about Robert Diggs fka All In Together Now's The Scientist aka Prince Rakeem. He was the second MC in his family to get a record deal, shortly after his cousin Gary Grice fka The Specialist aka The Genius. But while Gary got to work on a full-yet-slightly-flawed album under Cold Chillin', Bobby was shafted in every creative way by Tommy Boy. They gave the poor fuck a three-track EP, and only Deadly Venoms sounded like a song he really considered making. Thank God for that, though, as his growing frustration with the situation exploded into a beautiful creative idea that involved uniting the figures mentioned above to take the industry by storm while promising them the absolute top of said industry. If realized, this idea had the potential to change the hip hop game forever, so it needed a steady and firm hand to nurture it. 

Later dubbed the "five-year-plan", (during which Bobby effectively dictated each and every one of his collective's business movements from 1992 to 1997) the first fruits of that idea showed themselves in a heavily-bootlegged demo tape that had various solo songs of his on one half. Composing the other half were his experimentations with his late great cousin Russell Jones fka The Professor aka Ason Unique (who also got a solo song on said demo), the aforementioned DMD Crew members and his roommate Ghostface Killah. Add them with The Genius and you have the entire cast of Protect Ya Neck. The Wu lineup wasn't yet complete, however. I'll choose to reveal the final member when the time is right.

Speaking of teamwork: RZA had an equally important role to play besides hard-ass manager. Starting with the aforementioned demo tape, Bobby forced himself to become one of the greatest hip hop producers the game has ever seen. This album marks the first glimpse the world got into his method. A tried-and-true hip hop production staple, RZA produced the entire album with a minuscule amount of help from some of his fellow Clan members who practically lived with him during the entire five years. This approach capitalizes on the resulting human interaction in said situations and, in my opinion, is the reason many hip hop legends made the music that established them as such. The current format artists utilize today, of emailing music to each other, remains too lacking and no amount of Facetime nor social media could ever replace some old-fashioned brainstorming sessions. I have the Wu to thank for teaching me that. Plus, their output also helped me figure out how to categorize my own hip hop collection.

Now, after I've had my Ritalin, we can commence with the reviewing. Allow me to note that I'll be reviewing the tracklist of the international version. Spoiler alert: I'm recommending the fucking thing in the end, so this is a perfect opportunity to enjoy my genius writing for a change.

BRING DA RUCKUS

After a while, this particular kung-fu sample from Shaolin And Wu-Tang will wash over you like soothing water. The calm before the storm that is the rest of the song. Bobby, who now calls himself the RZA, marvelously weaves musical bytes also taken from the classic kung-fu flick, all intertwined with just enough of that Synthetic Substitution mixed with some CB#2 to get your mouth watering. Kudos to adding that loud snap to those impressive snares. Ghostface and Raekwon officially establish the RAGU (or Rae And Ghost United) movement right here with some street bravado for dat ass, only to be completely upended by Jason and Gary, who also changed his name to the GZA. Seriously, these two go off. Doesn't make RAGU any less awesome, but it had to be said. A timeless album opener all the fucking way.

SHAME ON A N****

Ladies and gents, may I present a true Russell Jones showcase. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion these are pretty few and far between during the Wu regime, as I've only felt this energy from him sparingly. Enjoy what you're getting, folks. On this song and the rest of this album, whenever Russ (who has now irreversibly changed into the famed Ol' Dirty Bastard) touches that microphone, each and every guy sharing the song with him is forced to step up his game. RZA once again delivers the sonic goods behind the boards with an exquisite mesh of Thelonious Monk & Syl Johnson samples, creating the backdrop for ODB, Rae & Mef to wail on the beat worse than a drunken Jackie Chan. Given such, a Wu fan would know who walked away with this song. And rightfully so, as Russ gave two blistering verses that will still endear him for generations to come and rank among his best work ever.

CLAN IN DA FRONT

The intro of this song firmly establishes RZA as the shoutout king, as he prattles on the many names of the Wu family. What follows is a so-short-you-might-miss-it kung fu sample, followed by a magnificently plodding RZA beat, this time meshing Synthetic Substitution with a swirl of Thelonious Monk, Honeybee & The Jacksons. All setting the stage for Gary Grice to return to his solo ways, with the second solo track out of the Wu camp following the Clan's second single and b-side to the lead single, the eponymous Method Man. Gary sets a truly shining example to the rest of his clansmen in how to properly handle his cousin's tracks. This punchline classic remains two of the most smoldering verses I've ever heard and can be placed up against any hip hop pioneer's best punchline work. The second solo Wu track is a smashing success.

WU-TANG: 7TH CHAMBER

Following the same kung-fu grunts as Shame On A N**** (which threw me off the first time), a bunch of the Wu enact a scene where their daily banter is interrupted by the death of one of their acquaintances. I've always loved how RZA tossed these interludes in a way that turns the album I'm listening to into a very musical audio novel. This was started here, and I love it. I also commend his smorgasbord of a beat: A blend of Charmels, Mickey & Sylvia and Otis Redding glazed with some sweet Dr. Lonnie Smith drums. This song is further proof that the Wu are the masters of the posse cut, as they made lightning strike twice after the glorious Protect Ya Neck with this baby, another hook-free treat. The entire Clan, sans Golden Arms and the surprise (not really) member, throw down lyrically in a legendary repeat of their debut single's success. I have to give it to Deck, though. He always shines on these tracks. These song structures would become a formula in later albums, where each one would have at least two grand posse cuts similar to this banger.

CAN IT BE ALL SO SIMPLE

Bobby sets the mood on the prelude to this magnificent song. Behind the boards is where his true genius in this song lies though, as he places a Gladys Knight intro to her own song then cuts the first bar she sings and loops it around the track giving it its name. I dug the way Raekwon repeated some of her words as if to psych himself up before he and Ghost dive into the subject matter of two perspectives on how to escape ghetto life's troubles. Congrats on your first official RAGU duet, reader. This track was so loved that the camp released it as the fourth single. Corey would brilliantly start a career-long trend in his duets of portraying a negative stereotype with the party sharing the song with him, in this case a stellar Ghost display, portraying the flipside to his perspective. RZA adds a bassline from Labbi Sifre that screams introspection. This was a smash on so many levels for me, and I'm delighted to tell you the Clan would only get better with these as their careers went on. Props to Rae's exclamation that shattered Ghost's daydreams at the end of the second verse.

DA MYSTERY OF CHESSBOXIN'

RZA uses a lone scorching verse from Golden Arms to conclude the latter's extremely-short time on this album by setting off yet another Clan-wide posse cut minus GZA & RZA, and it's a bulldozer of a verse that most Wu fans consider his best. I highly disagree though, and I'll explain why in later posts. I have to say that Deck continues his impeccable batting average on this album so far. Kudos to Mef, who soldiered without a verse on hook duties. Kudos as well to ODB, who co-produced this crazy instrumental with cousin Bob, set to another deft Otis Redding sample. And now I unveil the final member to enter the Wu ranks: (humor me, will you?) Elgin Turner bka Masta Killa aka High Chief aka Jamal Irief, the only non-rapper at the time of this song's recording, truly earning his place among the other Clansmen. Legend has it (and by that I mean Masta Killa mentions this in an interview) that after rigorously training under GZA in the ways of MCing, Elgin would compete with a fellow East New Yorker and very close friend who calls himself Killah Priest, over the last spot in the 9 Wu Generals lineup. Fortunately for Mr. Irief, Priest fell asleep while he stayed up all night to write the song-stealing verse that we end up hearing, thereby earning his spot on the Wu roster. Awesome posse cut #2.

WU-TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTHING TA FUCK WIT

We ain't seeing much from RZA on the lyrical tip so far, so it's always refreshing when he shows up. And boy, did he bring the ruckus here: His opening verse set the beautifully raging tone that Deck and Mef follow up spectacularly, with Deck shining more as usual. Bobby also deserves praise for making a high octane beat out of the most mundane Underdog and Biz Markie samples, with a little Joe Tex drums thrown in for good measure. Most baffling of all to me is that Mef co-produced the fucking beat. Another smash that would get me unscathed out of a city-wide brawl.

C.R.E.A.M.

The third single, and the song that catapulted the Wu into the mainstream. It was the West Coast, of all coasts, that showed the Wu enough love to this single back then to help them sell five hundred thousand album copies. And deservedly so, as this song is yet another introspective victory. One even better than the glorious previous effort on this album. Except it's Jason in Dennis' place as the conscious voice in the equation of horrid ghetto life. Although it mystifies me how this song is associated with just the Chef, when Deck blows him out of the fucking universe with his gut-wrenching autobiographical verse. Merely starting a song is not enough, and even though Rae's contribution is not to be scoffed at, you have to earn your keep like Deck did with his. The wisdom he drops at the end of that verse is nothing short of prodigious. To think that he was only 23 when this came out. Then again, hip hop is full of such breathtaking imagery by similarly young MCs. His is hands down my favorite verse on the entire album. RZA uses a different sample from the same Charmels song used on 7th Chamber. This song is a fucking hip hop staple for a reason. And once again: It's not Raekwon. I will state though, for the final time, that he did do good.

METHOD MAN

This was truly a shrewd business move by RZA, where he devoted the single that came out three months before the full album hit the shelves to be a solo joint for Mef. Word has it (and by word I mean numerous Raekwon interviews) that RZA emulated the business moves of EPMD's Hit Squad during their creative peak, 1992. Aside from the acquisition of multiple solo deals from various labels in the industry in similar fashion, RZA assigned a face for the Wu much similar to the Hit Squad's punchline-spewing Redman. The similarities between Red and Mef were just too much by the time Mef perfected his rhymes. Come this instrumental, he had become a punchline monster in his own right. They even have similar sounding names. Can you believe the irony??!! In all seriousness though, the game played between Rae and Mef in the beginning is fucking hilarious. Then, various Wu members are heard participating in a game of craps in an overtly comical manner, following which GZA re-introduces the list of members up till that point, sans Masta Killa. Once the piano samples hit, it's the Iron Lung show all the way, as he gets the infectious hook outta the way and proceeds with two unforgettable verse. Dude just blacks out with the punchlines as if his life was at stake, and each and every one is an instant quotable. By the hundredth time you've listened to this shit, you will remember this song like the back of your hand. Trust me, you have no choice in the matter. Excellent second single. But, before it became popular enough to be that, it was the b-side to....

PROTECT YA NECK

Ah yes. the record that started it all. To the odd futures and the rich gangs of the world: This is how to properly debut a hip hop group. RZA molds a magnificent beat around a JBs sax sample, interwoven with some kung-fu samples that effectively establish the Wu-Tang sound that they would be synonymous with for decades to come. I just wish he'd added Golden Arms and Masta Killa's verses from Da Mystery Of Shadowboxin' here. Then we would have had a proper Wu-Tang posse cut of the original nine members with ODB still around. RIP to the legend. It would've even been better to leave off Goldie entirely instead of those 4 bars we got. C'mon, RZA. 4 bars? You could've come up with something better than that. I don't care if all the Wu should've ganged up on the fucker, he could've given you something equal to what we saw earlier. Anyways the remaining generals come correct. Especially GZA. The man puts the rest of his brethren/disciples to shame, schooling them in his unique beat-slaughtering ways. His entire contribution is one long verse of flesh-burning lyrical venom towards his former label and all labels in general. Awe-inspiring stuff, truly. However, I must note that there's a reason why RZA has an affinity to start most Wu posse cuts with an Inspectah Deck verse and it's this song here. 

TEARZ

I already mentioned that this track was on the previously-reviewed demo tape, and I postponed its review to this post here. Well, Bobby Diggs (that name's really starting to sound like a porn pseudonym) chose to add a short intro to the song with him blasting someone then suddenly screaming at the loss of another person right after. After which we hear Wendy Rene's haunting wails, followed by RZA's heartbreaking sampling of her song of the same name. He then performs a poignant duet with his best friend and roommate Ghostface. I just came to the realization that Ghost has never called himself Dennis The Menace, or any variation of that nickname. It fits him perfectly. Just think about it. He could be Menacing Dennis Coles, World Wallabee Champ or some shit. I digress. So, Bobby and the Menace form a conscious storytelling duo that would be an instant hit. It's a formula they would even use twice on a future Wu album. All made possible because of this song here. They both tell tales of equal poignancy about the pitfalls of arrogant ignorance in the ghetto, and that God will punish one if one gets too cocky. Really, they've done a phenomenal job, with RZA inducting solemnness into his verse and Ghost giving us some well-placed humor in his. This would've been the perfect ending to this magnificent debut. Alas...

WU-TANG: 7TH CHAMBER - PART II

This is in no way a part 2. This shit is just a remix that uses a an almost-exact drum sample of the original, until one finds out that they're some Make It Funky drums and not the Dr. Lonnie Smith drums. RZA tries his hands at some bass keyboards and while the result is admittedly interesting, the shit pales in comparison to the gargantuan sound of the original. Lyrically, the song is the exact same. Sorry, but it has to be said that this song served no fucking purpose on the official album release. This should've been included on one of the singles to make way for...

METHOD MAN (SKUNK MIX)

Now most Wu fans already associate this with Mef's debut in the following year, but trust me: This shit fits so much better here. That point can be up to debate. Seeing as this is my review though, you're getting my opinion whether you like it or not, motherfucker. Bobby continues to build his eclectic brand of sampling impressively with each song he produces and this one is no exception, as he makes some very unseen choices and compiles them on the famed Synthetic Substitution forming this perfect instrumental. All while focusing Mef's punchline attack squarely to the back of your mind, which is a prime reason why your face is currently looking like you sucked on a lemon when hearing this coveted display of battle raps. Not quite as great as the original but pretty awesome, nonetheless.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do I even need to write after what you just read?! This album refined so many aspects of hip hop, from the business side to the production aspect to the lyrical approaches each MC took during its crafting process that I'm definitely sure I missed something. However I echo each and every fan of this album's enthusiasm when I say: This album changed the way I listen to hip hop. It also planted seeds for trees of thought that grew into ideas and beliefs that changed my entire outlook on art and business, in general. It's THAT type of album.

WORTH IT? What the fuck are you still doing reading this? If you haven't listened to this album yet, go do so now. If you have, do so again. Because you haven't yet heard this shit after reading what I had to say. That's a good little child.

For more Wu-ness, as a fellow blogger so eloquently put it, here.