Killarmy - Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars (August 5, 1997)

I know I'm not following chronological order. Fuck off.

So, it's the mid-90s and a certain group called the Wu-Tang Clan are in the midst of experiencing their biggest successes to date. Naturally, the next step was to spread their influence in a way that keeps the Wu flag high up both critically and commercially. Basically the plan was to debut a carefully-selected group of artists that would ensure their growth as a whole. These new debutants were dubbed the Wu-Affiliates.

The first mark these guys left on the industry was through Sunz Of Man, the very first Wu-Affiliate group, on Diary Of A Madman, the debut single of Gravediggaz, in which Wu ringleader RZA was a full-fledged member, which led to their debut album, the classic N****mortis/6 Feet Deep, on which they appeared on further songs along with a certain Dreddy Kruger (one of my favorite Wu-Affiliates period). From there, the slew of Wu-Affiliates only grew, as they kept popping up in Wu-related releases. Notice how many times I said 'Wu' and 'Wu-Affiliates' so far in this paragraph alone. Eventually, these dudes had to have a release of their own. And that's where our hosts come in.

In 1995, Sunz Of Man released their debut single under Wu-Tang Records called Soldiers Of Darkness. This song features the very first recorded rhymes of any member from Killarmy, the second group of Wu-Affiliates to ever be introduced. Naturally, it would be the two with the strongest ties to the actual Clan: Staten Island, NY's Jeryl Grant bka Killa Sin, who is the younger brother of Wu-Tang manager Oliver Grant bka Power and (similar to many a Wu fan) my absolute favorite member of Killamy, and Steubenville, Ohio's Terrance Hamlin aka Madman (an alias that should've went to Sunz Of Man member Prodigal Sunn. True Wu stans will know why.) nka 9th Prince, younger brother of RZA himself. Their performances in this song, well, mostly Killa Sin's, obviously turned enough heads for people to check for their later output. (Of course, the accompanying Wu banner almost ensures said outcome, which is always a plus.) So, when Wake Up featuring Sunz Of Man was released this time, more people took notice of this new unit in the Wu-Affiliate ranks. And by the time RZA shouted them out along with the effing Gravediggaz and, again, Sunz Of Man on the intro to Triumph on Wu-Tang Forever (the best material from the entire Clan, group or solo.), it was official: Album time was upon Killarmy.

Up until that time, Killa Sin and 9th Prince were the only known members of the group. By the time Wu-Renegades was released later that year, however, the late General Wise, founder and true leader of the group, had already added the remaining five members. Steubenville's Jamal Alexander tka Shogun Assasson nka just Shogun (who, unlike many a Wu fan, is my second favorite member of Killarmy) Samuel Murray tka Beretta 9 nka Kinetic 9, Rodney Stevenson bka Islord (hands down, the Cappadonna of the group) and Staten Island's Domingo Del Valle tka PR Terrorist nka Dom Pachino, the only other member besides Killa Sin who isn't from Steubenville. As you've probably guessed by now, most of these dudes are childhood friends of 9th Prince. I know the question that's on your mind right now: (whiny voice) 'But shoe-in. You said there were five more members? Where's the fifth member, huh? HUH?' Alright, alright. You see, both Soldiers of Darkness and Wake Up were RZA productions. Well, starting with Camouflage Ninjas, which also came out in 1996, Killarmy accomplished a goal many aspiring MCs absolutely disregard to this day: adding a producer who knows his shit to their ranks.

Selwyn Bogard bka 4th Disciple is yet another export of Steubenville. More importantly, his subsequent contributions to the group prove that the most important role in the creation of good hip hop is the producer, not the MC. Now I know that Bobby already did that with his five-year plan but still, the point begs proving yet again. 4th Disciple, along with fellow Wu-Element True Master, also get criminally overlooked as frequent contributors to many classic Wu songs. So in 1997's Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars, Killarmy's debut, 4th has a chance to showcase his true capabilities properly.

Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars was the other album besides The Pick, The Sickle & The Shovel to be released alongside the Wu's gargantuan sophomore. And it benefited way more than it should've. Now, it sold zilch because come on, but one can assume that it sold enough copies for Wu-Tang Records to warrant a follow up the next goddamn year.

Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars, boy/girl (pick one):

DRESS TO KILL

4th Disciple starts the evening off with samples from what sounds like a chessy-ass political documentary. You know, the ones that stale rotten orange cheeto, the one that the US government calls a president at the time of this writing, grew up on. Anyways, it serves as a very fitting introduction to the group's aesthetic. In place of their parent Clan's kung fu MO, we're supposed to treat these guys as an army of lyrical terrorists. Hell, for the duration of this album, one of their members calls himself PR Terrorist. As such, the three members displayed here relay the message very well. Although allow me to clear the air on something: Many a Wu fan complain about 9th Prince' deliberate disregard for rhyming on-beat, and at first I might be inclined to agree, but I find the shit too damn funny. I know that's not Mr. Hamlin's original intention, but here you go. Plus, you can't deny that the BNB (Boasts N Bullshit) he's actually saying fits the image a group named friggin' Killarmy is aiming for perfectly. That said, my two favorite members from Killarmy bookend this song. 9th Prince never had a chance. Awesome song.

CLASH OF THE TITANS (FEATURING STREETLIFE)
This was an interesting choice for the b-side of the 2nd single, which we'll get to. Shogun opens up this song, as well, sounding just as impressive over a 4th Disciple beat that sees him go way back, looping a Celeste Aida sample and sprinkling it with enough dusty keys and a drum break that will throw you instantly back to RZA's Tical days. Then, 9th Prince enters the picture and the laughter starts for me. Dom Pachino with his overrated ass punches in, interrupting the fuck outta 9th in the process, which only increased my laughter. By the way, to all you Dom Pachino fans shitting on 9th Prince, Dom's flow was equally as erratic, if not even more so. All's forgiven, though, as we have the first of two features from bonafide Wu generals in Streetlife. I've already said it in my Forever review and I'll say it again: Streetlife is an official Wu general. Even though he tends to be satisfied as Method Man's hypeman. Anyways, he blows every one of his costars outta the water, naturally. Poor Beretta 9 is left to pick up the pieces, and he sounds like an adult version of Islord on pretty much everything I heard him on. Having said that, he does OK. All in all, a very good track.

BURNING SEASON
Until this shit comes along. Yes, people. You get a true Killa Sin solo that is the first of many shots during his career where he proves that he's the most deserving of a solo album from the group. Alas, his numerous run-ins with the law (whom unfortunately have caused many an injustice on Staten Island throughout the years. RIP Case, Eric Garner & many more.) have resulted in him getting locked up for a long time. Sigh, now the only option you have left is supporting him through his music. I'll state for the record that this song is one of my favorite songs on the album. Basically, 4th Disciple provides a canvas of multiple head-nodding samples of the same Al Green record, while adding a few touches to make the result truly blood-pumping. He then passes the canvas over to 9th Prince, who lays the hook and gets the hell outta the way as Killa Sin burns the canvas, the surrounding area, the whole thing down. He may be the one MC who can access the 'crhyme' style popularized by Raekwon The Chef without coming off as a biter. This be some headbanger shit.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD
Again with the samples from left field! Very true to RZA's teachings. Except that 4th Disciple is a bigger fan of classic English odes than RZA. Or Irish in this case, as he samples a Dead Can Dance acapella and surrounds it with instrumentation of his own composition. The result's pretty impressive, as the members who punched in for the day: Shogun, 9P, Dom & B9, all accommodate themselves nicely to the beat, with Shogun again taking the cake. 9P's flow sounds like he's trying too hard to meet a deadline again, but somehow it fits slow jams like this. This was nice.

SEEMS IT NEVER FAILS

Ah yes, the advent of Islord. And he chose to debut his 2-year old voice on the 4th Disciple beat, composed from scratch, that is most likely to get stuck in your noggin. So, Islord does such a shitty job he manages to make 9th Prince sound like GZA by comparison. Although I must say once again that 9P's jumbled flow sounds a lot better on Selwyn's slower beats. This did what it could, so let's move on now.

UNIVERSAL SOLDIERS
With the most fitting kung fu skit that can possibly describe Killarmy, 4th Disciple constructs his most minimalistic beat on the whole album, building it around a distinctly sped-up Isley Bros loop. Really impressive work. In a repeat feat of Dress To Kill, Killa Sin smokes his cohorts yet again with the surprising exception of Dom, who comes admirably close.

LOVE, HELL OR RIGHT
Skit. Although this reminds me of the early Wu skits. Still a skit, though.

WAKE UP (FEATURING HELL RAZAH & PRODIGAL SUNN)
Weirdly enough, this song was chosen to be the b-side to Killarmy's debut single. RZA scores this song by looping a minuscule sample of a Joe Harnell composition for the Incredible Hulk TV show. Needless to say, this is 92-97 RZA we're talking about here, so you already know this shit's beautiful. Prodigal Sunn and Hell Razah from Sunz Of Man repay Killa Sin and 9th Prince for their contributions to Soldiers Of Darkness. Even though Hell Razah (my least favorite member of Sunz Of Man) had zilch to do with that song, so why is he punching in for 62nd Assassin again? Everyone else stepped their lyrical game way up, though: especially Killa Sin. Spectacular song.

FAIR, LOVE AND WAR

4th Disciple's back, and he brings with him a beat that could've very well fit the subject matter that Killarmy has hammered home numerous times by now, if not for one very noticeable and glaring flaw: Selwyn decides to introduce a goddamn synthesizer a la Zapp. By God, does this move stand against every musical direction the Wu has ever went for in the most inappropriate way possible. So much so that it'll be the only remaining memory that stays with you from the song, leaving each of the war-themed BNB inputs from Killa Sin, Beretta 9, Dom Pachino & Shogun to die a pitiful death. Shame, as they were quite up to the album's standards so far.

WU-RENEGADES

The 2nd single. This also oddly came out before the album. 4th Disciple's synth on the previous track was so horrendous that he had to redeem himself somehow. Well, my fellow Wu stan, I'm happy to say that he completely delivers on said redemption. Looping two of the most obscure classical music samples I've ever come across (courtesy of Norwegian pianist Christian Sinding & legendary Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov), Selwyn cooks up one hell of a recipe for the quartet of Dom Pachino, Killa Sin, 9th Prince & Beretta 9 to expand on the war-themed BNB we've grown accustomed to throughout this album. Once again, Killa Sin lyrically rules the bunch by a wide margin.

FULL MOON

A soulful excerpt from Brooklyn Bridge starts off this album cut, followed by a well-used Headhunters drum break by Selwyn. It's really impressive how he's kept the sound of the album this consistent while surviving the pitfalls of redundancy, and this beat is definitely no exception. Of course, the duo of 9th Prince and Killa Sin decide out of the blue that this beat is appropriate for a deviation from the subject matter prevalent so far on the album: 9P dedicates his verse to a friend on the verge of release from jail, while Jeryl mourns the death of his friend. Both express a vivid attention to detail, which always doesn't hurt. Yeah, I liked this and you will, too.

UNDER SIEGE

From two songs of expert sampling techniques to a completely original composition by 4th Disciple, permeated by dialogue excerpts from Stanley Kubrick's classic war horror film Full Metal Jacket. I tell you, RZA taught this Wu-Element well. This be the song that proves why Shogun is my second favorite Killarmy member by a considerable margin. Dude says: 'Now you're a mere memory of bloody victory'. Fellow members Dom Pachino and Beretta 9 sharing the track with him can only hope to sound this ill.

SHELTER (FEATURING HOFFA)

We're introduced to the very first Killarmy affiliate, something called a Hoffa who used to go by the name of Cloud 9. So that technically makes him an affiliate of an affiliate of the Wu. Fascinating. Anyway, dude's stuck with hook duties here, as this song is a completely Steubenville affair, with Beretta 9 and Shogun giving a verse apiece. Naturally, Shogun smokes his cohort to kingdom come over another jarring keyboard display from 4th Disciple. 'Jarring' here was somehow meant to be a compliment.

CAMOUFLAGE NINJAS 

The actual debut single, even though it's b-side, the aforementioned Wake Up, received the true lead single treatment, music video n'all. I'm also pretty sure Wake Up came out, in some form or another, before this song. Whatever. Selwyn chooses to insert the second kung fu sample here, after which he reveals his beat, composed from an Earth, Wind & Fire loop surrounded by singing from an unknown vocalist. I actually suspect it's Tekitha wailing her ass off, but I've looked everywhere for proof of such claim without finding none. This is the third song in a row where Shogun lyrically reigns supreme over whomever shares the track with him. Dom and B9 already felt his wrath and now it's time for 9th Prince to have a taste as well. Let's not get it twisted, though: Everybody did a good job here.

SWINGING SWORDS
This time, 4th Disciple builds an entire instrumental from scratch around a very well-known Billie Holiday sample. Wu stans who just so happen to be Billie Holiday stans as well will recognize it immediately. This time, Dom P finally shows some effort with the beginning of his verse, only for him to give up midway and revert to his lukewarm form of shittalking that you've begrudgingly heard from him all night. Fear not, though: 9th Prince and Killa Sin bookend his contribution. You don't need me to tell you who bodied this song the best, because by this point, you'd've already chosen him as your favorite Killarmy member, just like every Wu stan who's been exposed to them so far.

WAR FACE (FEATURING HOFFA)
RZA returns to the boards with another Full Metal Jacket sample, before committing one of the laziest production choices I've ever come across so far: He literally used the same beat he did for reggae/dancehall legend Bounty Killer's, wait for it, War Face (Ask Fi War), a remake of his own 1995 cut Ask Fi War. Nevertheless, it's a fucking cunt move. So, it was all for the best that Killarmy made the beat their own. Trust me. Hoffa returns with an actual verse this time. Oh sorry, he was known as Cloud 9 then. I think he was pissed of 9th Prince & Beretta 9 took all the 9-related names he thought were available to him, so he went with the only name he could think of: Cloud 9. And now everyone laughs at his stupid choice every time people come across this song. That being said, he admittedly sounds like the seventh member of the group, which is to say he sounds fittingly serviceable here. 9th Prince comes with the same flow he's used so far and Beretta 9 continues his overtly direct and simplistic style of braggadocio, which works on beats like this. Shogun, however, surprisingly turns in his weakest effort on the album, one which he rectifies later on in his verse. Thankfully, Killa Sin, in his final appearance on this album, bats cleanup and boy does he ever clean up. I swear, every time I hear him on this album my frustration with his current situation increases. The overall result will fill your appetite.

5 STARS (FEATURING MASTA KILLA)
Yes. Killarmy scored a cameo from the High Chief himself. Maybe the fact that he knew that his solo shot wasn't coming anytime soon helped. I doubt he was aware that it would be a seven year wait, though, or we would've definitely seen much more cameos from the guy. Nevertheless, he shows up here and, no lie, delivers the best verse on the entire album over 4th Disciple's recreation of a popular Johnny Mandel record. Killarmy can only thank the Lord Almighty that Masta Killa committed to such a degree. None of them come close to touching his lyrics, of course. But I will say that Shogun is back on his groove, making sure to banish his previous contribution far away from the listener's memory, sounding the best out of any of his groupmates. I would say that he was inspired by Beretta 9's surprising leap in quality. For real, he turns in a fantastic 10 bars. For their parts, 9P & Dom  make do with their bread n butter, with 9th sounding a tad more focused, in a sign of things to come.

FINAL THOUGHTS
It just hit me how long this album really was, and how long my write-up of it is, as well! So no one actually bought this. Come on, you were expecting another Death Row situation? The industry was very keen to never allow that again. Having said that, it may all be for the best, as this scenario guaranteed that only the most hardcore Wu stans were exposed to this shit. And I think that such an audience is exactly who this album is for. I'm not saying that this record can't be enjoyed by any other type of music lover. Hell, I actually feel that this project remains Killarmy's most accessible album to date. It surely set the standard for future albums from the group. Don't get me wrong, Killarmy is definitely no Wu-Tang Clan, but on projects like this, they properly display how to cover slip-ups within a group setting, so that the song as a whole doesn't get ruined. For that alone, they are worth mentioning and studying. But take in the fact that this was also 4th Disciple's proving ground as an album crafter, and he passed that particular test with hella flying colors. This project can always be presented as an exemplary showcase when debating Selwyn's status as one of the production greats. Plus, it's always nice to hear Killa Sin spit his heart out, and it's always equally nice to see Shogun finally get some shine. I believe I'm the very first person on the Interweb to ever praise duke's lyrics.

WORTH IT?
Many people have disliked Killarmy in the past because they didn't get to experience what they were about, what with the jumbled flows n'all. However, this album really presents the full spectrum of Killarmy's message successfully, so if any album from their catalog deserves your attention, my pick would be this one. We'll eventually see if there's another one deserving of similar recommendation later. 

Craving some more shit from the actual Clan? Here. If you're crazy in love with that W brand, though, here. Enter at your own risk. And finally, this is where all those batshit crazy enough to be Killarmy fanboys go.

Gravediggaz - The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel (October 14, 1997)

I finally return with my 2nd Wu run, and this time it's gonna be a fucking doozy. Yep, I'm tackling their 97-00 output. Fair warning: this time some Wu b-teamer albums will be reviewed. By this sentence, you're probably saying: Clearly, shoe-in has chosen to wear his Wu stannery proud with absolute disregard to other hip hop acts more deserving of such extensive retrospect. You're motherfucking right. However, I didn't say all Wu b-teamers. I'm not that crazy.

So, last time we saw the Gravediggaz, they were rabid dogs backed into a corner. The brainchild of Paul Huston bka DJ Prince Paul, this was a group of blacklisted artists who lashed back out at the industry that rejected them in a most spectacular fashion covered in my earlier review of their debut. The co-conspirators in this unique idea were one Anthony Berkeley bka the late great Poetic RIP, one Arnold Hamilton bka Frukwon and one Robert Diggs tka Prince Rakeem. That last dude, though, had another project he was working on to bumrush the industry with: the Wu-Tang Clan, in which he changed his name to the infinitely-better-known RZA. Guess which venture panned out for son.

That W left an indellible mark in the industry, through a phase he infamously dubbed 'the 5-Year Plan', where he directed the Clan's output masterfully, yielding at least 7 classic hip hop albums starting with the group's debut: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Here's the crucial part: Paul finished the Gravediggaz project before the Wu's seminal debut, but the Gravediggaz quartet were so blacklisted then that it took the Wu's most successful single to date, C.R.E.A.M., to break out for the Gravediggaz to be welcomed back. By then, their brash and confrontational practical joke was suddenly in high demand through the simple fact that the leader of the hottest hip hop act was a member in the group. Needless to say, Gravediggaz were stuck with their association with the Wu ever since.

But N***amortis/6 Feet Deep was still a Prince Paul creation through and through, to the point that he assigned each member a pseudonym Raekwon-style (Well, technically Rae imitated Paul so maybe Paulie should do a Shark N***as of his own?): Paul himself was the Undertaker, Poetic was the Grym Reaper, Frukwan was the Gatekeeper and RZA, most unoriginal of all, was the RZA-recta. (You already know I'm using these names for the remainder of the review, right? Just checking.) In true Undertaker fashion, though, he lost interest in the concept the minute he saw how successful their debut was. I swear, I think he was too stung with what happened after De La Soul's debut. Anyway, the Undertaker loosened his grip at a time when the Wu were achieving their greatest feats in the industry, so naturally leadership was overtaken by the one who had the most experience leading shit: the RZA-recta. This transition can be traced all the way back to 6 Feet Deep, where Bobby was the one who added the finishing touches on the album while introducing his close affiliates, who would then form the genesis of the Wu's wild family tree, which has surely spiralled the fuck outta control by now. And with Wu-Tang Forever being the monster that it was (it's not my favorite Wu project for nothing), the next Gravediggaz project was surely going to be as Wu-related as they come.

The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel dropped on Gee Street, who were desperate to continue their business relations with the trio now that they were bona-fide Wu-Affiliates. The album dropped the same year as the Wu's coveted sophomore, in a calculated effort by the RZA-recta to capitalize on its success. Thing is, this album was the beginning of Bobby Diggs relinquishing dictatorial control over everything that wasn't an official Wu-Tang Clan release. Then, there was the fact that he had his solo aspirations to look forward to, as he was prepping for The Cure, his solo debut that was going to change the world. I tell you, everyone was waiting for that shit. Everyone's still waiting, you say? Look, it's the Gravediggaz sophomore review!

INTRO
In the interview featured here, Gatekeeper states that Undertaker is with the remaining trio in spirit. Telling, that. Yet another hip hop intro that wastes a dope-as-fuck beat.

DANGEROUS MINDZ
A 4th Disciple/RZArecta co-production, where samples from Lobo & the Classic IV are distorted just enough to achieve that vintage Wu sound. The trio accommodate themselves properly, tearing the shit outta said beat. From the very first word you hear uttered from the Grym Reaper's mouth, you sense his and Keeper's immense lyrical growth. Of course, you've already documented Bobby's with his Wu exploits by now, or else you wouldn't even give this post a second glance now, would you? I will say, though, that he still gives it his all every time he shows up on this album. Seriously, the dude is as focused as you'll ever hear him, and thankfully it's apparent here. For what it's worth, this is, bar none, the finest lyrical display by Anthony Ian Berkeley ever set to wax. No, really. You'll get plenty chances to check for yourself later on in the album and in his later discography. You'll agree eventually. You all do. Naturally, he walks away with the whole song, but the other two are very close behind him. I must note that Gatekeeper bragging about his ride in what is supposed to be a mission statement for the "elevated" subject matter of this album is unintentionally hilarious. He still did well. A smash.

DA BOMB
True Master establishes his connection with the duo of Grym Reaper and Gatekeeper, who do most of the lyrical heavy-lifting on The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel. (Foreshadowing, much?) His beat is a pseudo-Arabesque tune on the keys (it provides the needed entertainment value, but is an absolute failure at imitating Arabic music) while on the hook, Gatekeeper decides that he has vocalism skillz, yo. He's horrible, by the way. Everything else about the track is pretty good. I was so sure I was gonna trash this one, but here you go.

UNEXPLAINED
The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel also marks the debut of Grym Reaper, the producer. He would eventually become the primary producer of the group up to his untimely passing. And here I was so sure that Gatekeeper would take up that job, based on his excellent showing on Blood Brothers from 6 Feet Deep. Anyway, Grym proves he was paying attention to Undertaker and RZA-recta, the masters of production he was around in this group, by freaking a New Birth sample effectively. Which gives him and Gatekeeper ample room to flex their Killah Priest some. I must say, they do a better job than Walter Reed himself, even if we are talking five percenter crazy talk here. (Side note: I never liked Killah Priest's quasi-religious psychobabble style, even though I am certain that he's a very capable MC. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.) Good shit.

TWELVE JEWELZ
In an attempt to change the pace, something called a Darkim Be Allah produced this short RZA-recta solo, where he goes into a batshit five percenter tangent of his own. The bass here wasn't fancy but it never needed to be. And Bobby further proves in this one-verse wonder why he's just as capable an MC as he is a producer. Back then, anyways.

FAIRYTALEZ (FEATURING KELIS)
That's right. Mrs. Motherfucking Milkshake herself debuted on a fucking Gravediggaz song. Her singing has always sounded terribly forced to me. If you have a problem with that, Kelis, you are welcome to comment on this post, and I'm welcome to not give a single solitary fuck what you think. So, yeah, this song marks the debut of producer Goldfinghaz (not to be confused with Grym's little brother Goalfingaz fka DJ E-Sharp), a short-term Wu-Affiliate who would fall out unceremoniously with the Clan and start shitting on them. Easy to see where his career ended up. For what his beat is, it's not bad as the Reaper-N-Keeper offer their take on the fairytales-reflecting-hood-life formula we see so much in hip hop. All in all, this shit is OK.

NEVER GONNA COME BACK

Unlike this song, where Goldfinghaz brings you his single best beat he ever did, courtesy of a Barry White loop. Seriously, don't go looking anywhere else for better work from this guy. You won't find none. This is not lost on Reaper-N-Keeper, as they deliver one of their best works on this album so far. Considering you already heard Dangerous Mindz, that's no easy feat. And might I add that there's no way that Gatekeeper's not walking away with this song, with this being his best lyrical offering to date in my humble opinion. His last few bars, and his delivery of said bars, are heartbreaking. This tale, unlike the previous song, accomplishes so much in so little time. My favorite song featuring these two as a duo period.

PIT OF SNAKES
So RZA-recta decides that now is a good time to re-enter the fold, with True Master this time sharing production duties with him, with his two cohorts. You know, because he just remembered that Gravediggaz is a goddamn trio. I must say that our three hosts are much more lyrically potent together this time round, and it shows in songs like this. RZA-recta and True Master further their journey into Bobby Digital musical territory with admirable results, even if the beat pales in comparison to the previous song.

THE NIGHT THE EARTH CRIED
This time, RZA-recta goes back to 4th Disciple for co-production duties. They head to a Peter Nero sample and loop it to achieve the desired somber effect, which works in my opinion. RZA-recta also chooses this song to outshine his two partners through delivering a full-blown thesis on slavery. Grym comes close with his 5%-based aspirations. But Keeper is a clear last place here, as he wastes his first 8 bars bragging about himself, even though he redeems himself with the second half. Overall, this is a very good showing.

ELIMINATION PROCESS (FEATURING SHABAZZ THE DISCIPLE & OMEN)
Production duties are handed back over to the Grym Reaper as he crafts another unorthodox beat, although this one isn't as effective as his last production. And that hook? I'm sorry, Grym, but how did this abomination of a chorus escape the studio again?! Even the lyrical quality's compromised here, as Sunz Of Man outcast and co-founder Shabazz The Disciple returns to yet another Gravediggaz project to ruin the reputation he garnered with his stellar debut on Diary Of A Madman, Gravdiggaz' debut single, and his fantastic solo singles circa 95-97. Only Grym and newcomer Omen represented with Grym launching a scathing attack on rappers who glorify violence needlessly, while Omen follows up on said concept with observations of hood life and how the ghetto's structured to keep minorities down and squabbling with each other. Overall, some touches work enough to give this a pass, but this was a very close call.

REPENTANCE DAY (FEATURING KILLAH PRIEST & HELL RAZAH)
Unlike this track. Here, the Grym Reaper delivers his best work behind the boards ever, while bringing a verse that really forces you to respect him. I mean, I stand by my opinion that nothing beats his Dangerous Mindz verse, but this is some awe-inspiring shit nevertheless. Gatekeeper goes missing on this song, as he was babysitting his baby mama's daughter from another man here, so Grym recruits more Sunz Of Man alumni in Killah Priest and Hell Razah to bookend his monolithic contribution. Killah Priest, another Diary Of A Madman debutant, is right at home in songs like this, so he does very well. Hell Razah, though, is by far my least favorite member from Sunz Of Man, and his contribution here does little to convince me otherwise. Taken as such, his verse wasn't bad. Grym Reaper should've switched him and Shabazz' placements on the album, because Shabazz has been known to amaze on backdrops like this. Oh well, still a great song.

HIDDEN EMOTIONS (FEATURING TRUE MASTER)
The lone track where former Gravediggaz ringleader the Undertaker contributes anything of note, as his skit here is one of the few skits he's done that are devoid of any humor. That's no knock on said skit, by any means, as it introduces the subject matter of the song brilliantly. Speaking of which, True Master freaks a revered Otis Redding sample in a befitting way as he lays out the canvas for Reaper-N-Keeper to paint a vivid picture that tells a gut-wrenching story of a street thug who's struggling between trying to be a better father to his son and taking vengeance upon the murderers of his friend. In a surprising move, True Master himself enters the fold as a mentor figure reprimanding said thug and setting him firmly on the course of positivity. Truly one of the greatest songs on the entire album, and that's saying a lot. Shame it didn't open the album proper, because that would've been... Sigh. One can dream.

WHAT'S GOIN' ON? (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY & 9TH PRINCE)
The final recording of all three remaining Gravediggaz together. Because c'mon. You know Undertaker's way out of the picture by now. Fitting that RZA-recta brought his lil bro, Killarmy's 9th Prince, to round out the Wu-Affiliate exhibitions on this album. He chose to represent the two main acts repping that W flag other than the main crew in a way that suits him. Can't be mad at that. This song's awesome, by the way. RZA-recta's for dolo behind the boards this time, and this is one of his better compositions as he gets on the piano to create a menacing loop while sprinkling it with two Chuck Cirino and George Jackson samples spread throughout the tracks that create the feel of a massive lyrical throwdown. And what a throwdown it is, as all three Gravediggaz, along with 9th Prince to a degree, tackle their beefs with society's ills and how far they're willing to go to prevent said ills from ruining the world. A great one-two combo when paired with its predecessor, even if 9th's flow can become aggravating to some, with him trying to cram as many words as possible into his verses at the time. Hell, this song even has a Blue Raspberry hook! Ever since Tekitha entered the Wu-Affiliate ranks, you hardly ever come across these anymore.

DEADLIEST BIZ
The final record for the evening is spent with Reaper-N-Keeper flexing their braggadocio muscles with a beat by Grym that sounds OK by itself, but sucks balls in comparison to the heights The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel has achieved overall. Bad move, that, as your immediate reaction will be to switch off your media player of choice regardless of the song's quality, and I don't blame you.

OUTRO
Yeah, so this outro contains the lone Undertaker beat to grace the sophomore album of the group he created. And it's a goddamn scorcher, to boot. Completely wasted, of course, on snippets of the same interview you heard in the intro and before Twelve Jewelz. Truly a shame.

FINAL THOUGHTS
With The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel, Gravediggaz have firmly stepped out from under the Undertaker's umbrella, for better or worse. Naturally, the RZA-recta was on hand to pick up the baton, which is why the album is infested with Wu-Affiliates, Wu-Elements and Wu-catering, even though he relegated himself to a recurring guest role a la Tragedy in The War Report instead of immersing himself fully with his brethren. Still, back in 1997 that Wu-Affiliate brand was a great look, and the album benefited from it, reaching similar critical heights as 6 Feet Deep, albeit inferior to said debut in cohesive nature. The lyrical abilities of the Grym Reaper and Gatekeeper grew, as well, with Grym gaining the most from said growth, as well as dipping his hands into beatmaking, mostly with admirable results.

WORTH IT? Hell yes. You can never have enough Grym Reaper in your life, and Gatekeeper is awesome on most of this album, as well. These two show you their absolute peaks here. Plus, this was back when RZA-recta was still willing to properly collaborate with other hip hop figures, instead of desperately sucking up to rock acts of various degrees of credibility like he does nowadays.

For more Wu-ness, here. For more stuff RZA dabbled in by his delf, here. For more Gravediggaz confusion, here. Finally, if you're a glutton for punishment and want more things Wu-related, here.