GZA - Liquid Swords (November 7, 1995)

I know you're expecting the Purple Tape. Lemons of life, and all.

I'm about to drop a big spoiler on you: Gary Grice, recently obsessed with science and Vangelis, has yet to drop a poor album. Of course you will find the odd putrid track, but the GZA's album-crafting game remains pretty solid. Eat your hearts out, all you mainstream nut-huggers out there.

The reason why many a Wu fan out there will read the previous paragraph, then look at me like I'm crazy, is simply because of their inability to disassociate GZA's works with the one said fans consider his magnum opus: Liquid Swords. This is one cherished album.

Story time: After 36 Chambers launched the entire Wu-Tang Clan into superstardom, the RZA had a plan that couldn't make any more sense: Allow each individual Wu member the freedom to sign independent solo deals with the major labels while still attached to his respective Wu-Tang Records contract. This enabled the collective to spread their reach much further than what was usually expected, and more importantly flesh out their individual personalities thereby expanding the mythos and aesthetic of the group as a whole, utilizing that comic-book factor I mentioned here. I also mentioned in that same post how the three co-founders RZA, GZA and ODB were the ones who believed in the concept the most during those beginning years, which is only natural. It would make sense that RZA's friggin' cousins would be the members most in tune with his vision, thereby having the most chemistry with him. You can't really go wrong, right? Partly.

See, Russell Jones suffered greatly from the imposed ODB character, in a very tragic downward spiral that cost him his life. RIP ODB. On a different and significantly lesser note, the character's influence on him was too destructive to yield the expected creative results, which led to very tiring and long sessions where productivity would be at an all-time low.

On the other hand, Cousin GZA's situation was quite the opposite. He played the very fitting role of the grand master figure: The one in tune with all the elements of the Wu mythos and ideals. The role model of the group, a role which he still plays to this very day. Seeing the fruits of Cousin ODB's venture yield vastly different results than expected, Cousin RZA poured all of his creative energy into Liquid Swords, leading to it being the only Wu solo besides the Purple Tape to be produced by him without any assists. Add to that GZA's newly-found complete creative freedom to do whatever the fuck he wanted on that mic (unlike that last solo album he did), they both most definitely had a recipe for success now. Many a Wu fan attribute RZA's landmark accomplishments as director of Wu solos to these two releases, but that remains to be seen here.

Speaking of which, the first solo round was beginning to exhibit a 'shifting of the stages' of sorts: Tical and ODB's debut were the 'party' stage, if you will. Now, the material was shifting back towards the 'reality' stage begun by GZA and RAGU (Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's self-coined tag team nickname) when they scored impressive appearances on the Fresh OST in 1994, way before any Wu member debuted any album of sorts.

Important to note, Liquid Swords sold five hundred thousands units within the first two months, waited twenty goddamn years then completed another five hundred thousand for its millionth sale. Such a feat is unique in the fact that the album's legacy has persevered enough to attract interest from new fans all these years. This has happened in some capacity in hip hop with Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt and fellow Wu member Ghostface's Ironman, but those three albums never passed the ten-year mark in achieving that milestone. Points for longer-lasting interest generated go to Liquid Swords.

However, you don't care about all this incoherent babble. You're here to find out if this shit sounds as good as many people (much of whom are savvier critically than myself, might I add) praise it to be.

Just so you know, I am NOT reviewing Killah Priest's Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. That was added to some versions of the album as an afterthought and was not in any way, shape or form a part of Liquid Swords' creative process. Priest, if you have a problem with what I'm saying, the comment section is there for a reason.

LIQUID SWORDS
Cue the legendary Shogun Assassin soundbites, which were (amazingly) a last-minute addition by RZA according to our host. The astounding thing about that is GZA mentions that these songs were not made as parts of a concept album. So for the songs here to come off as such for all these years is nothing short of genius on RZA's part. After the skits, RZA brings us an introduction to our host over a funky Willie Mitchell sample, then transitions to another equally funky Willie Mitchell sample for GZA to utterly destroy. And he fucking schools any MC past, present or future on how to master that mic. The lessons are all here, folk: metaphors, schemes, punchlines that'll crack your bones, the goddamn gamut. One of my favorite title tracks of any genre. The beat transitions into...

DUEL OF THE IRON MIC (FEATURING MASTA KILLA, INSPECTAH DECK & OL' DIRTY BASTARD)
The second exemplary use of Shogun Assassin interludes. RZA here leans heavily on a five-second David Porter loop, with Ennio Morricone sprinkled all across the break, and the result is nothing short of monolithic. This only adds to RZA's repertoire back then as a genius of sound, a trait that he seems to have lost in recent years. We first hear ODB (RIP) sounding absolutely thrilled to perform hook duties, and might I mention that said hook is fucking dope. Our host and his two remaining brethren launch into three brilliantly visual verses, flexing their imagery muscles very impressively. Deck even cranks it up a notch and steals the show by mixing in some poignant storytelling with said imagery. Anyone who's ever claimed to be a fan of hip hop and hates this song is lying to your face. It's OK, I grant you permission to smack the dogshit outta them.

LIVING IN THE WORLD TODAY (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
RZA gives yet another intro bigging up Cousin GZA and it feels long as fuck. Anyway, GZA jumps straight into a hook sort of bitten yet modified from an old Bronx crew him and Cousins RZA and ODB battled. The hook also features an uncredited Method Man, who also participates in a short bridge of back-n-forth with our host before the second verse. But this is the GZA show all the damn way, as he uses two incendiary verses to wax poetic about his MC skills while embroidering his rhymes with social commentary, multiple entendres and the odd funny punchline. All to the backdrop of RZA's exquisitely minimalistic beat which samples Ann Sexton with dashes of the Bar-Kays. Liquid Swords begins to hit its stride, with three out of three so far.

GOLD
I won't front, one of the samples RZA loops here immediately gives the air of inhumane tragedy. Not that one-second Nat Adderley Sextet sample of course, although said sample isn't any less ingenious. It's songs like this that show just how strong these two cousins' chemistry really was in that studio, because this is where GZA chooses to unveil the first of two hood tales dipped entirely in the grimmest of grim that also serve as lessons in MCing as well, displaying clever uses of metaphors and imagery. I mean, this aspect has practically become a GZA forte by now. The song can be summarized in the final six bars, which will invoke many conflicting emotions of sadness, pity, horror and disgust out of those who still pay attention to lyrics these days. The fourth straight home run.

COLD WORLD (FEATURING INSPECTAH DECK)
OK, RZA. BIG beef with you on one teensy weensy issue: Why in the fuck is this Life singer-type of person on this album?! He can't sing for shit, and when he chooses to interpolate fucking classics, he's so bad at doing so he makes me regret EVER listening to Stevie Wonder's Rocket Love. Fuck this guy's career. Motherfucker sounds like one of them nasty R&B dudes ripped to shreds on a certain Wu-Tang Forever skit. You'll know which one I'm talking about when I get to that album. Everything else about this song is absolute perfection. From the returning Shogun Assassin bit to RZA's masterful meshing of two Elmer Bernstein and Mothers of Invention samples respectively, sprinkled with altered Dramatics bites throughout, to the bone-chilling duet between GZA and a possessed Inspectah Deck in one of the biggest upstages in hip hop history. Both MCs, and by God have they earned that moniker, spit one harrowing verse each back-to-back that speaks on troubled hood life and its many dangerous pitfalls, with Deck once again spectacularly getting the W. And this was fucking normal for him during those years! A crying shame he didn't get the chance to flex these muscles on a full-length LP during the coveted 5-year plan. Oh well, still a brilliant choice for the third single as well as a timeless fucking song. If only that Life cat could be erased from the original mix, since I'm of the opinion that its remix doesn't really solve the problem, even with D'Angelo replacing Life. Ugh. Not a dig against D'Angelo as much as it's the beat's fault. The original is just so much more. Moving on.

LABELS
Surprise! Well, not really if you're the hip hop historian who knows what these two went through when first entering the music business. Because of course GZA and RZA were going to make a track about the various popular labels that screwed them and countless others left and right for decades. Leave it to RZA to sample a tear-jerking Thelma Houston audio byte and, by slowing it down, flipping it on its head to sound incredibly menacing. Once again reinforcing his genius. Sorry I didn't use it to describe GZA, you anal piece of shit. Speaking of whom: Do I even need to say how GZA did on this song? By now, you should know what type of MC we're dealing with here, so of course his one-verse performance is still remembered to this day for its venomous punchlines towards shady labels and wackass rappers who bow down to their lame-ass whims.

4TH CHAMBER (FEATURING GHOSTFACE KILLAH, KILLAH PRIEST & RZA)
That Shogun Assassin sample slyly serves as the calm before the storm or the initiation to the warpath that is this monster of a posse cut. On the real, this song is the perfect song to play in your head before getting into a fight. RZA appropriately speeds up another sample from one of the Willie Mitchell songs he used on title track and awesomely meshes it with a sample from the leftest of left fields by Indian music legend Kalyanji Anandji, creating a typhoon of an instrumental. This would be meaningless if the four MCs featured didn't produce a worthy performance, and boy did they ever. GFK whips up a lyrical storm perfectly balancing humor, Biblical references and street imagery in a colorful mix that only GFK can pull off. Killah Priest is up next and continues the winning form of the preceding verse with him in turn mixing his usual schtick of quasi-religious rambling with some deep pictures along with pretty graphic disses to rappers fronting their toughness. And it's not like we're short of those now, is it? Our album producer is up next and he chooses to dedicate his only lyrical showing on Liquid Swords to his own mixture of government bashing, five percenter ideology and divine punishment of their enemies to excellent effect. Weirdly enoughly, GZA chooses to break away from the apocalyptic theme so far for his closing verse and bring the audience back down to the gutter with his social commentary-filled verse mixed with gambling and crime metaphors. This song accomplishes all this in just under five minutes, folks. A musical masterpiece.

SHADOWBOXIN' (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
Nothing can follow the previous track and top it, but these two sure as hell tried! GZA and Mef engage in a punchline duet out of the top fucking shelf set to various chopped-up samples of that Ann Peebles record. Mef bookends the song with two verses that showcase him in his absolute prime, rattling off punchlines with a king's confidence and showcasing noticeable growth from his Tical days, while GZA serves the middle verse with equally strong braggadocio. A battle rap classic if I ever heard one.

KILLAH HILLS 10304
Goddamn it, Life the shitty R&B singer is back. I don't care if he's barely audible in the intro, I'd hear that irritable voice any fucking where. I will say that the way GZA inquired in the intro's background about some Hell's Angels bikers and then kicked them the fuck out of the bar while demanding some soul and R&B classics is absolutely hilarious. Back to the actual song: RZA actually gets on the keyboards himself and plays a grim-yet-high-octane tune around the Dorothy Ashby sample he used to lay the canvas for GZA to deliver a one-verse revival of the Life Of A Drug Dealer concept he dabbled in on his debut. An awesome repeat of the feats displayed on the earlier Gold.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS (FEATURING RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE KILLAH & GOLDEN ARMS)
The Chef finally makes an appearance on this album, and he's in full-on repentant gangster mode, describing his rise in the streets and his dreams of going straight. Our host follows up with a vicious crime-filled verse that's actually a metaphor for his battling skills, since he dropped variations of this verse in freestyles on various instances ranging from radio interviews to Arsenio fucking Hall. You remember the one, where a truckload of hip hop acts came to salute the talk show legend. Anyways, his verse is predictably dope as fuck. GFK returns to close out the song with another standout verse, this time running through a variety of topics ranging from imagery to braggadocio to crime documenting to social commentary to black unity to political criticism (!!!). *gasps for breath* Truly exemplary performances by all three MCs. I can't really say Golden Arms was wasted on the hook because of how fitting it is, a testament to how good he was at writing them. All this to the brilliantly-cut samples of the same Three Dog Night song, interwoven with various documentary dialogue bytes that fit the theme of the track. I am struggling to find a single song to dismiss so far. If this keeps up, Liquid Swords might be the most consistent Wu album, solo or otherwise, since 36 Chambers. I am not joking.

SWORDSMAN
On this song, RZA comes with, bar none, the darkest production he ever recorded. Ever. This shit sounds like the soundtrack to the best kung-fu horror movie you'll ever see in your life. And GZA marks this magnificent occasion by giving us one of his most direct songs, delving headfirst into matters of thought, belief, spirituality and hypocrisy. He also couldn't resist injecting some social commentary into the first six bars of his, and I respect him all the more for it. In my humble opinion, this is the best solo song I've ever heard from the man.

I GOTCHA BACK
The lead single, lady and/or gentleman. This song has become home to one of the saddest stories in GZA's personal journey in hip hop. As many well know, GZA directed all of his music videos from Liquid Swords starting with this one. Two of the child actors he used in this video are his real-life nephews, to whom he wrote this very song as a means to persuade them from entering the criminal life that sent their father, his brother, to jail for a long time. Sad part is, it didn't work, as those same nephews are currently doing similarly long jail times. GZA even described this track as "a sad irony now". He can take respite in the fact that he helped countless others with it, and that the one-verse performance is a timeless work of art. In said verse, GZA sums up ghetto troubles (the overarching theme of this album, now laid bare) in one fell swoop with imagery and metaphors galore. It helps that RZA took no shorts as well with his production, combining an amalgam of samples by 45 King, a flipped Mar-Keys sample, Jackie Jackson and one from the same Charmels song that birthed CREAM. Liquid Swords then concludes with the perfect Shogun Assassin audio excerpt from the final scene of the movie. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Anybody who has heard and dissected any Wu-Tang Clan album, solo or otherwise, knows that this album is a work of art deserving of any praise it gets. I truly am baffled that anyone would say that this isn't the best solo album out of the Wu camp. After what is exhibited here, I'm also not surprised that GZA hasn't tried to top his work here yet. Liquid Swords remains, in a nutshell, a watershed moment in the Wu's career, where every member of the Clan was clicking on all cylinders and the GZA finally exorcising his debut's demons in spectacular fashion, providing numerous examples of how an MC should tackle his craft. Props also go to the RZA, and his dedication to perfecting every last facet of this album's making. No wonder people kept steadily buying this shit for 20 goddamn years. Also, props to anyone who truly respects what Liquid Swords stands for in hip hop history.

WORTH IT? What do you really think I'm gonna say here, huh? Stop wasting time looking at that goofy-ass 'lil b' picture you have as your screensaver and GET THIS ALBUM NOW.

For more Wu-ness, here, and for more GZA-tion, here

Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (March 1, 1995)

God, that is a long-ass name for an album.

When one discusses an artistic act such as the Wu-Tang Clan, said discussion will always highlight various appealing or distracting characteristics of said act. In the Wu's case, one of its main characteristics is their unmatched success as a group at nailing the "comic book factor". What I mean by that is the very nature of the modern comic book is built around various colorful characters that can be used to tell a story both collectively and individually. I mean, just look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Every major comic book publisher has been writing these impressive stories for at least three decades now. All of that refreshing material is built on the healthy diversity of characters in each comicverse and the limitless potential to sink one's teeth into the minute details of every character's story. Enough to fuel OCD obsessions for generations, really.

And that is what the Wu have been able to relay so successfully with their nine original members, their offshoots and the offshoots of their offshoots. For the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll just stop right there. And within all that, it is very hard to argue that there's a character in the whole Wu family tree that is more vivid than the late great Russell Jones bka Ol' Dirty Bastard.

From my point of view, no one believed more in the Wu brand than the three co-founders: Russell and his cousins Gary Grice and Robert Diggs, bka GZA & RZA respectively. And out of those three, ODB was undisputedly the most passionate in his belief. Just YouTube any Wu documentary from their rookie days and simply gaze in awe at how he takes your breath away with his confidence. Everyone else sounded green by comparison, even Mef, while GZA was very calm and calculated with his responses and RZA was babbling incoherently about details of what makes the Wu work. (He may very well be the first nerd in hardcore hip hop.) Not ODB, though. I especially can't forget his expression when he states 'Watch me now.' after describing the early hurdles when shopping their product to label execs.

So, after cultivating Mef to solo career superstardom (because duh), it made sense that the Wu would usher the Big Baby Jesus era next, right? Yeah, on paper. See, ODB's true love for the brand wouldn't be fully understood until you fully comprehend the following: the majority of Russell Jones' life was not spent in a drunken stupor and drug-fueled rampages against the police resulting in him getting fucking blasted on numerous occasions. (incidents he miraculously survived by the way) Confused? This will explain.

Prior to being ODB, Russell was Ason Unique: a very collected, righteous individual who was fiery in being so. Think early Jeru the Damaja x3. Then, Cousin RZA came with the Wu-Tang idea and introduced Ason's role in it: An entertaing madman who will stop at nothing to give the crowd what they want. The rest is well-documented history. Russell flew into this role without a moment's hesitation, even though it stood against everything he believed in prior. And here is where the seeds of his untimely demise were planted, in my worthless opinion. No disrespect to the dead, but there were a million and one ways one could've pulled it off without the destructive behavior. Furthermore, the Wu mythos already had one antagonist in Raekwon, with his lyrical tales of violence flowing out of him till this very day. It definitely did not need to show someone in real life succumbing to the evils of the ghetto to enforce the messages they were trying to relay through their music. 

Naturally, things started to go downhill from the very get-go, as ODB would give worthy contributions to only one Wu album, and the less said about his guest appearances on all the following Wu solos, the better. Hell, every single album of his released during his lifetime, including this very album I'm reviewing here, took miracles to finish. The reason? ODB was too addicted to various substances by this stage to properly function within the group. I must clarify at this time that in no way am I blaming Russell for any of this. Without sufficient help, people with addiction problems have virtually no willpower by themselves and will succumb to them EVERY. FUCKING. TIME. This rings especially true for myself because some of my loved ones have been directly affected by addiction, in one form or another. RIP, Russell Jones, man. RIP. (Side note: DMX, my thoughts are with you and your loved ones. Hope you successfully pull through.)

On to more lighthearted matters, ODB was truly the life of the party everywhere he went, especially when surrounded by his Wu brethren. Check any of their 90s live performances and see if anyone can rein in the tour-de-force that he was. A testament to his vibrant star power during their years on top. To capture all that energy into a 17-track album (Yes, I'm reviewing the CD version. Fuck off.), you need a sonic genius behind the boards. Fortunately enough back then, Cousin RZA was on hand all the time for such a task. And this being the 5-year plan n'all, RZA made sure ODB came out looking as best as he possibly can. So, of course, he decides to let another dude produce his own cousin's lead single. Way to demonstrate unity, RZA. I will admit that Brooklyn Zoo is a masterpiece of a song, though.

After Brooklyn Zoo took off, the world clamored for the drunken one's debut, which RZA decides to give the most unoriginal, needlessly long and overall frustrating name of all the Wu solos during the 5-year plan: Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Friggin nobody thought that was a tad bit of a mouthful, huh? I will give the Wu props, though, for designing the cover around ODB's welfare card. That truly was a stroke of genius, Bobby.

Shall we dig in?

INTRO
God DAMN, I miss this guy! (Insert crying face here). Normally, I'm not a big fan of skits, but I'll gobble this dude's shit up any day of the week.

SHIMMY SHIMMY YA
RZA blends a sample from the standup king himself, Richard Pryor, with a thumping self-crafted piano loop and sets the stage for ODB to deliver his most quotable verse yet. You will not care that he repeats the verse on the album version because you'll be too busy singing along his lyrics. They're that catchy. Some versions contain extra adlibs that are very entertaining on his part. Love this track!

BABY, C'MON
The Richard Pryor sample ends the previous song and segways into this one seamlessly, where you're presented with a beat that surpasses its predecessor's winning form. It must be mentioned that RZA improves throughout this album upon the sonic accomplishments he achieved on Method Man's Tical in every conceivable way. For his part, ODB sounds as good as ever, with two verses that are as energetic as you can get. Love this track even more than the previous one!

BROOKLYN ZOO
ODB's debut single, Derek Harris bka True Master's debut production and my second-favorite ODB solo performance ever. I'll choose to reveal my favorite at a more opportune time. Note: True Master, along with 4th Disciple, DJ Mathematics and, surprise, full-time Wu general Inspectah Deck comprise the Wu-Elements: a group tutored exclusively by RZA to continue his sound after he concluded the 5-year plan. Y'know, people to pin the blame on just in case someone fucked up behind the boards. Some people might add Goldfinghaz to that group, but I don't dwell too much on it. Of all these guys, True Master might be my favorite. Maybe because his sound is the most melodic out of the bunch, Anyway, here he proves his worth by flipping a single Bobby Ellis note multiple times, rhe result being one of the more hardcore beats in the entire Wu catalog. Trust me, this is some shit Onyx would sound at home on. Pity those guys didn't get to work with ODB before he passed. Speaking of ODB, Many Wu members said on multiple occasions that ODB used GZA's rhymes on many occasions on this album. This song is, I'm very pleased to report, not one of those songs. For those same Wu members attest to the fact that this was the Russell Jones show all the way. And what a show it was! ODB flips out in a single verse extravaganza that ranks with some of the best work any Wu member has done. In short: This my shit right here!

HIPPA TO DA HOPPA
This beat is probably RZA's most complex production to date. Built around some unorthodox keys an a roaring Booker T guitar lick, this was one perfect opportunity for ODB to rip shit. And rip shit he indeed does. My dude went all the way the fuck in with his bars. The best part about this song is the fact that, instead of a hook or a scratch, RZA really fucks with you with his beatswitching. Really done to masterful effect. Again: There is a very valid reason why this album is considered RZA's entry into the elite class of production. I didn't think this before the review, but I'm currently convinced that this beat is RZA's best production on the album.

RAW HIDE (FEATURING METHOD MAN & RAEKWON)
At this point, the only way RZA will surprise you behind the boards is if he utilizes some traceable samples. It just a given now that he will go to ridiculous lengths to keep his sources as obscure as possible. And I wouldn't have it any other way. (Suck on that, Bobby Digital.) Fellow Wu bros Method Man and Raekwon drop by to give the obligatory-yet-refreshingly-organic Wu assist, while ODB miraculously keeps up in terms of consistently giving energetic performances, even though actually getting him in the studio was a fucking chore. Not bad at all. I loved how Mef and Rae sound genuinely excited to spit alongside their brother.

DAMAGE (FEATURING GZA)
OK. Let's get this shit straight out of the way: This is so obviously a GZA solo song. ODB has been unfortunately known to spit Cousin GZA's old freestyles that he burned into memory when drunk off his ass. I present Exhibit A. And yet I still enjoy listening to this song simply because of how much fun these two are having together. Truly heartwarming shit, o' poor soul who's reading this. RZA is also having the time of his life behind the boards as well, mixing up both MCs' voices to sound as if they were spitting the world's hypest rap duet ever. I must say that there are many similar instances on the album that clearly show just how much the Wu loved their wild-ass brother, including this one and Raw Hide

DON'T U KNOW (FEATURING KILLAH PRIEST)
One thing that was very common knowledge about Mr. Jones was that he loved women. I mean, he loved women. There were many instances during live shows where, in the middle of the performance, ODB would grab one of the females and basically grope the shit out of her. Funny thing was, those women went crazy for him every time he did such a thing! So, of course, there was going to be a raunchy sex rap in this guy's album. And, as if starting a trend here, it's not even his rhymes. GZA mentions in an interview that he wrote these lyrics in his teens. And they sure as hell do sound like teen rap lyrics. I shudder to imagine a teenage GZA fantasizing about his teacher. (Insert projectile vomiting here.) Top that with a perverse verse by Walter Reed bka Killah Priest and you've got yourself something to truly abhor. In closing: Yeah, not a fan at all.

THE STOMP
Ah, that's much more like it! And they're Russell's lyrics, too! RZA commemorates the return to gritty rap with a similarly-gritty instrumental for ODB to rock over, which he does in that way that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Furthermore, he bigs up Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg along the way. Gawrsh, that's mighty nice of him. This song will blow out your speakers in the best way possible.

GOIN' DOWN
RZA provides a beat so mean and evil that it would've felt right at home on Tical. Unfortunately, this song is one where ODB just gives up trying to record a proper song, just starting verses then cutting them off and doing basically whatever the fuck he wanted. Even though those lyrics were his, he spits a bar from the previous song, something that almost ruins the experience for me. Fuck it, I'm just happy that he's spitting from his own rap sheet again.

DRUNK GAME (SWEET SUGAR PIE)
The producer of this song is Ethan Ryman. Whoever he is, he deserves to get smacked for OKing this shit. It also lists our host as a co-producer, and while he normally can freak the boards if necessary, I have a hunch that he was too indisposed at the time of this song's making. Anyways, ODB is known for singing his sweet little heart out in the most off-key of performances during shows. While that is awesome in these venues, it sure as shit does NOT mean a song should be made out of such occasions in the studio. If there was one track that did not belong on any album even remotely associated with the Wu, it's this one. Scratch that, I think Black Shampoo has even worse credentials. Ugh.

SNAKES (FEATURING KILLAH PRIEST, RZA, MASTA KILLA & BUDDHA MONK)
You cannot fathom how soothing that kung-fu sample felt after the horse barf that was the previous song. A majestic RZA production follows, one with the chipmunk sound aped so shamelessly behind the boards in the mid-00s by dudes like Kanye West, even though they did come with very interesting results. Well, this is where all them cats got it from. Given that, this would be a surefire knockout right? Well, kind of. See, Killah Priest turns in one of his best performances ever, a harrowing tale of mourning. RZA follows with a trademark blistering Bobby Steels tale. But the song truly goes to Masta Killa's debut performance on a Wu solo. Keep in mind that this is the very first time people heard this guy since his lone scorcher on Da Mystery Of Chessboxin', so it's been at least a year since anyone caught a glimpse of what he can do on that mic. Given the circumstances, I loved the results, where he tells the best tale heard on the song so far. Unfortunately, all the lyrical praise ends here because that is the last tale you hear on the track. What follows is an ODB whose so out of his element that he can't finish his verse. By then, his cousin Buddha Monk (I don't really know if he's also RZA & GZA's cousin because they never mention him otside of an ODB-related discussion.) swoops in and screams some pretty lame adlibs before spitting some bars of his own to try and save the day. Too late, b. I swear, that final Buddha Monk performance is for damn sure a last minute addition. Shame that fiasco happened at the end because the rest of the song is one of the very best Wu posse cuts ever recorded.

BROOKLYN ZOO II (TIGER CRANE) (FEATURING GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Going into this review, I was extremely divided on what to make of this song. On one hand, you have a smacking RZA beat from the very top shelf and a Ghostface Killah who genuinely sounds like he might combust from waiting to spit alongside his Wu brother before unloading a crazy dope performance. Key word: crazy. And on the other hand, we got ODB jacking GZA's rhymes from Damage wholesale. Not only that, he was so drunk he didn't even finish the verse. RZA then adds insult to injury by playing various snippets from previous songs on the album as if displaying a highlight reel, making the song very unnecessarily bloated. I'll only recommend this track to diehard Ghost stans. Fans of ODB can sink their teeth into much more worthy songs on this album.

PROTECT YA NECK II THE ZOO (FEATURING BROOKLYN ZU & SUNZ OF MAN)
You thought the posse cuts were done? The naivete! RZA once again gives us a beat that'll cave out your chest from a single Willie Mitchell lick that doesn't even last the second. Thankfully, the ODB we get here is wide awake and ready to rumble, and rumble he does. His weed carrier group Brooklyn Zu, made up of his real-life brother 12 O'Clock (by far the most talented member of the group), Buddha Monk (a close second) Murdoc, Zu Keeper and Shorty Shitstain (these three are pretty fucking worthless, especially Shorty Shitstain, who sounds every bit as irritating as his putrid nickname suggests.), are split between impressive performances in 12 O'Clock and Buddha Monk's case, and horrid showings that deserved to be left on the cutting room floor in Murdoc and especially Shorty Shitstain's case. Zu Keeper didn't even make the final cut. Sharing the stage with ODB and his cohorts are fellow Brooklynites Sunz Of Man, in their second showing on a Wu-related project, after their impressive-yet-partial debut on Prince Paul's masterpiece. Killah Priest keeps up his usual excellent standard while Vergil Ruff bka Prodigal Sunn and Frederick Cuffie Jr. bka 60 Second Assassin (Sunz Of Man's ODB-type character) give convincing debuts. Yeah, this was mostly pretty fucking insane in the best way possible. Shorty Shitstain should've never picked up any type of mic. EVER.

CUTTIN' HEADZ (FEATURING RZA)
Unlike Damage, this rap duet between cousin and cousin is entirely organic. A testament to how close these two once were, they bounce off each other seamlessly. Surprisingly, ODB takes the lyrical shine away from his cousin, who feebly attempts to prevail simply by spitting more bars than his partner. This is simply due to the fact that Russell was in his Ason Unique days, and the transformation is jarring, trust me. Remember what Cousin GZA said, Robbie: Make it brief, son. Half short and twice strong. This impressive display is backed by a Thelonious Monk piano loop and Synthetic Substitution. RZA, you do know that there are many equally impressive drum loops out there, right? Oh, who am I kidding? I friggin love Synthetic Substitution. Bring it on, Bobby! This track was the original end of the album.

DIRTY DANCIN' (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
The first of two bonus track on the CD version, this ruined what was supposed to be a perfect ending to this album. In very jarring contrast to the rest of his work on the album, RZA sounds like he wasn't even trying here. I don't care if the beat was minimalist, it has to be good. Fuck that, by Bobby's fucking standards, it has to be goddamn masterful. Instead, we get an instrumental that sounds like one of his demo sessions for the Words Of The Genius bonus tracks he produced. To top it off, ODB was drunk as fuck on this shit, so that leaves Mef as the only one who seems invested in delivering a presentable product to you. Shame, his lyrics were pretty good. As for our host: do I even need to elaborate on whether he was comprehensible or not? I do? Fine. He was too drunk or high or fucking both to finish a thought. Happy?

HARLEM WORLD
The third song on the album not handled by RZA, Big Dore presents us with a beat that you'll forget halfway into this song, which is a shame since ODB finally decides to wake up and spit some venomous lyrics. Hold on. Are you absolutely sure he's awake? Because some of those lyris sound like... God DAMN it, Russell. You used GZA's lyrics again! No, really: In the first verse, he spits the first bars of a very well-known GZA chorus. It doesn't matter that ODB used the lyrics prior to his cousin. Matter of fact, that makes what happened here even worse. See how disappointing that revelation can be?

FINAL THOUGHTS
Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (God, I do not regret using that name merely twice in this review whatsoever.) is, without doubt, the most uneven of the Wu solos during the 5-year plan. And I counted at least five songs that had absolutely no place on the album. I can only imagine how difficult this album was to complete, and therein I give props to RZA for making it sound as seamless as one can possibly get with such material.

Speaking of RZA, I said it in the review and I'll say it again: This album is his production magnum opus. Most of the beats on display here are the most complex, most dense and most unorthodox he's ever done. With the exception of Dirty Dancin'. I said most, didn't I? The rest of the Wu brethren were pretty goddamn stellar here, as their very real appreciation of our host shone through every time they shared mic time with him.

So, how did ODB himself fare, you ask? This, obviously is his best album, bar none. That being said, he varies greatly here between the entertainment legend we know him to be and a guy too hooked on substances to realize what's going on around him. And yes, that has gotten in the way of his artistry many times on this album. Where this guy really shines is on group efforts and live shows, And that is where his legacy is most cemented.

Now, indulge me in the following, if you please: What did ODB's solo debut really accomplish that couldn't be accomplished elsewhere? Entertainment? That can be found in his very-documented live performances. RZA's production savvy? That can be demonstrated on any other Wu album. Establishing ODB as a lyrical wizard? Ason Unique had a much better shot at accomplishing that feat, as you clearly saw in Cuttin' Headz. And I ask: Why, in God's name, wasn't the solo nod given to Inspectah Deck first?

I am not against an ODB album, not in any way, shape or form. But there weren't many Clansmen who were readier than the Rebel, who positively bodied  anyone he shared a track with during that period. Maybe that's why he's missing from this album here. Hell, Masta Killa started dropping incendiary guest verses on Snakes and only got better on the rest of his guest verses during the 5-year plan, so he might've been ready, as well. Although fans might be justified in arguing against him but surely INS had the potential to come up with a masterpiece when directed by a guy who was on fire like RZA was behind the boards then, right?

I thought so.

WORTH IT? I know I came off quite strong in that last part, but this album deserves to be in your collection. It's rare to see a guy like ODB contained in one artistic statement, so when it happens, you should know better to appreciate that shit. Even more so now that he's tragically no longer with us. Once again RIP Russell Jones.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
GIVE IT TO YA RAW
Now this song's omission from the album baffles me to no end. First, we have an instrumental by RZA that is positively majestic in its left-field approach. Second, we have a fully alert ODB who delivers not one, but TWO long-ass verses of demented wonder. You would figure that RZA had the brains to include this instead of his shitty Dirty Dancin' beat. And he could've added Mef here, who could've combined all three of his interrupted verses into one long. impressive showing. We could've had a proper Sub Crazy sequel, dammit! But, y'know, life, right? And we're done

Delve deeper into the vaults of Wu here, and the remainder of ODB's works can be found here.

Method Man - Tical (November 15, 1994)

Finally, I get to one of the two guys who introduced me to hip hop! (exhausted groan)

You know, for a guy whose popularity was unstoppably skyrocketing at the time of this shit's release, Cliffy Clifford Smith bka Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan sure hates the spotlight. And he hates that sex symbol status he's been stuck with even more. Whatever makes you sleep at night, Mef.

I've already went to length regarding how Mef introduced me to hip hop in general, through his stellar showing on the Monstars Anthem, a song that I still friggin' love. Him & B-Real stuck with me for the longest time during my days of hip hop aloofness, especially in their roles in the one entertainment medium I truly love more than any other, video games. Various Method Man appearances in particular came my way through his participation in the Def Jam-AKI gems and on radio stations of both GTA: Liberty City Stories for the PSP and True Crime: NYC for the PS2. Had I been more attentive to Protect Ya Neck at the time, I would've began my Wu journey much sooner than I have. But I guess it was meant to be as it happened since I already read a review of their 1998 game, Shaolin Style, that very same year and still didn't connect the dots. A fact that's still funny as shit to me. Anyways, on my various PSP rampages through Liberty City, I've always been drawn to Mef's appearances on the Liberty Jam, the hip hop station,  in which two songs he absolutely smoked were chosen: One was the forever-underrated Do What Ya Feel off of his cohort Reggie Noble bka Redman's classic Muddy Waters.

The other is much more relevant to this post, as it is the album cut of All I Need. This song is one of the select few tracks that effectively cater to hardcore hip hop heads and couples who don't know shit about hip hop simultaneously. This might be the only song your wife might enjoy with you if she's utterly disgusted with this thing you're constantly listening to and reading about online. (And somehow refusing to comment on these posts, even after 10 fucking months!) I'll talk about the song more in the proper review, but for a year and a half these two songs were all I played from Mef's entire discography. That is until YouTube and Wikipedia changed that shit forever. I was taken into the 36 Chambers, following which I properly began my twisted journey into Wu-stannery. So, after regrettably skipping the Gravediggaz classic N****mortis/6 Feet Deep for a short while, I immediately jumped into the next step: Tical.

Before that, let me take you to a time when Robert "RZA" Diggs was still concocting his plot for Wu domination. 1992, specifically. Even though he had every Wu member on board by then, he conceded that he didn't yet have a proper business plan to initiate his takeover. The other members then wisely advised him that not every business move they made needed to be original, just enough. Somehow, this made sense to ol' Rizzy so he made the choice of replicating the business moves of the most influential hip hop group up to that point, EPMD's legendary Hit Squad.

Just to put things in perspective, the Hit Squad had been the first group with all four acts under its banner experiencing both critical and commercial success. Definitely nothing to be scoffed at. EPMD recognized everyone's talents and assigned them the proper position for them. Take the aforementioned Redman for example: EPMD assigned him the position of "punchline guy", even though Das EFX were both equally proficient therein. (You don't listen to Das EFX for the punchlines, though. Right?) To this date, his solo success has eclipsed that of his fellow Squadmates because of that particular decision. Not one to miss details that important, RZA adapted the whole plan hook, line and sinker, and chose Shaquan aka Mef to be his Redman. No, really. That's how fellow DMD member Raekwon explains it on a particularly interesting Combat Jack Show interview. All Bobby needed to add to that melting pot now was the element of concept and the rest would be history, which was what happened sure enough.

So since it's now established that Method Man is the resident punchline expert (even though guys like GZA and especially Inspectah Deck have quite the repertoire of zingers themselves), Bobby needed to surround him with the right beats that fit the aesthetic he wanted Mef to go for. And since witty wordplay and clever use of flow is the most basic form of this shit we love, it was only right for RZA to use beats that were grimier than his last major showing on the boards. I'll leave it to the review to decide if he accomplished that goal. Now from Mef's point of view, it is a very huge plus that the man solely responsible for his group's entire aesthetic was now focusing on making his album sound like that of the chosen torchbearer, a position given to him not just by RZA, but the rest of the Wu members as well. Did this next step in the overall gamble pay off? Well, from a commercial standout, Tical was an undisputed success, selling a million copies in the US alone. But what do bloggers like myself think about this shit twenty two years later?

Mef's debut, people:

TICAL
Leave it to RZA to start off a punchline hip hop album with the opening notes from the classical piece Pictures at an Exhibition. Anyways, a very competent beat dissolves into the distance after a quick display, making room for an equally crafted beat with extra doses of I'ma fuck you up. Mef makes his mission statement very clear: to blow your socks off with his punchlines. And blow my socks off, he did. This album's off to a rocketing start, with this monster of a song segwaying directly into...

BISCUITS
Where RZA steals Mef's thunder big time. The crafting of the instrumental is absolutely genius and the punchlines are beyond inspired, and yet I still have a major problem: I can't hear what the fuck Mef is spitting. Bobby takes full blame for this, as Mef's lyrics are actually really fucking good. Shame, that.

BRING THE PAIN (FEATURING BOOSTER)
The lead single, and a good choice at that. Dear God RZA's digging deep with these samples, looping an unrecognizable Jerry Butler voice bit that lasts less than a second and milking said loop for all its worth. The result is winter sewage levels of grimy boom bap, which is apparently the type of beat the star attraction's most comfortable performing over. And you bet your fucking butthole, he lets you know what time it is. Mef brings it all, baby: Wordplay, punchlines, flow, you name it. Dancehall aficionado Booster quotes some patois from troubled reggae artist Ninjaman after Mef finishes his lines, an act which neither added nor detracted from the overall end product so, yay? This song is a home run, no doubt.

ALL I NEED
May I present to you a main factor in Cliffy Clifford Smith's sex symbol status enduring to this very day, and the very first solo Mef song I've ever heard. Apparently, Mef never wanted this song on any type of album. However during their promotion of their group's classic debut, RZA noticed that Mef was getting a little extra attention from the ladies. Because he had eyes, you see. What he also had was a brain. So, as soon as he caught wind of these lyrics, he aggressively begged Mef to record them on wax. RZA plays the notes from a Marvin Gaye 60s classic and couples them with, once again, some Synthetic Substitution. Upon hearing the result, Mef flies into his dedication to his significant other in a manner he typically reserves for some hardcore shittalking. And therein, my fellow lonely soul, lies the importance of delivery in our chosen genre. Because otherwise, the lyrics to this shit would've completely derailed the track. Instead, we have arguably the greatest love song in hip hop history. Further begging was needed when RZA suggested to Mef that this shit be his third single. And that's how Method Man ended up with a Grammy, folks. Another common mistake is that Sean John Combs, known on this site as the revolting Comby, produced the Mary J. Blige-assisted remix of this song that won the Grammy while in truth: The highly-superior-to-both-cuts Razor Sharp Remix, of RZA's making, is the real culprit. I liked where he hilariously placed some opening notes from a corny Earl Klugh song as a prelude to that particular beat, as if to say: "That's not how we do love songs over here." The shit also featured Blige, of course. Furthermore, the Comby remix wasn't even Comby's own work. It was done by the Trackmasters (According to Trackmaster Poke, anyway), who admittedly did an interesting job, even though they looped the Marvin Gaye trademark sample wholesale (which was per the status quo at Bad Boy HQ). And the vocals for the Trackmasters version were redone by Mef, losing the earnestness of his original performance along the way. A problem the RZA remix never had because he smartly used the original take. I vastly prefer the RZA remix, as you can tell, but the album cut's fine by itself.

WHAT THE BLOOD CLOT
Mef switches up the lyrics this time by mixing a dash of thuggery with his usual dose of punchlines, which works better than you'd think. Apparently, Mef was royally pissed at his fellow Clansmen after an argument on some plane, after which he fired up All In The Mind by Erick Sermon on his Walkman and wrote the bars you hear here dissing the hell outta them! All set to another RZA recipe from the leftest of left fields. I guess I ended up feeling a bit disappointed that this track is merely a one-verse wonder followed by Mef contracting RZA's shoutout virus. Impressed that he snapped out of shoutout zone quicker than his Wu brother, though. I'm also particularly cracked up that RZA still found a way to throw in some shoutouts of his own. Anyways, this song remains infinitely more significant than that new 2 chainz/lil wayne collabo album you're waiting for, which is the least amount of praise I can give it.

METH VS. CHEF (FEATURING RAEKWON)
There's that beat from the intro again! Bobby, what're you doing? Let Mef tear that beat a new digestive system, already! Of course the beat is cut off, never to be heard on this album again, and we get a spacey beat from RZA set to a famous Joe Tex drumline. RZA chooses this moment to include a battle he recorded in the studio between Mef & Chef. (Kudos to that title, seriously.) Rumor has it that this track is why Mef was the one who received his eponymous solo outing on the group's debut, the only one besides GZA's Clan In Da Front, and not the others but I don't believe that for a second. Mef & Rae impressed, but Rae's fuckup slightly detracts from the experience. Still a very good song, though. Side note: Rae. When it comes to punchlines, never fuck with Mef again.

SUB CRAZY
RZA presents his weirdest production up to that point, assisted by a certain Selwyn Bougard bka 4th Disciple. He's really attempting to surprise everyone listening to these records with his choices as much as he possibly can. Most surprising of all, the beat still works! Mef responds by playing his imagery card this time, while still giving you his regular serving of punchlines. He also experiments with wordplay for three bars in the second verse and succeeds ingeniously. I friggin love this song!

RELEASE YO' DELF (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
The second single. I never cared for Blue Raspberry's interpolation of I Will Survive, especially in the intro to the track. Everything else on here elevates this song to being my absolute favorite Method Man solo performance on this album, bar none. The Herb Alpert trumpet loop with the sped up Make It Funky drum sample, previously used on the Wu's classic 7th Chamber, combine beautifully act as the perfect punching bag to Mef's lyrics, which he gifts to you via his loudest delivery to date. This shit tops his performance on the aforementioned 7th Chamber, trust me. Mef presents the listener with two beautifully venomous verses filled to the brim with everything a Wu stan likes from him. The reasons why I cherish this track are uniquely similar to Bring The Pain's, yet I edge this song out as the superior one because I enjoyed Mef's delivery and RZA's beat here much more than their work on the preceding single, even though Booster's choice for interpolation far exceeds Blue Raspberry's. I am of the opinion that this song as the lead single would've made that much more sense, even though Bring The Pain is perfectly fine. Moving on.

P.L.O. STYLE (FEATURING CARLTON FISK)
The lone remaining co-production on this album, and it's RZA and Mef in a repeat of their efforts on Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit. I've always dug how the slowed Al Green sample (with, again, the Joe Tex drumline) now sounds straight out of a kung fu flick. Mef introduces George Cooney who goes by the rap name of Carlton Fisk from Inspectah Deck's weed carrier group Housegang (Note that they were called that before every rapper in Slaughterhouse began their fucking careers. Shoutout to Slaughterhouse, though) In fans' minds, Fisky here would forever be associated with Mef instead because of his showings on this album. Translation: He sounds fulfillingly good, with his thuggery complimenting Mef's braggadocio. Next up...

I GET MY THANG IN ACTION
RZA brings the listener back to the grimy side of his nature behind the boards, and Mef is all too excited to unload a year's worth of punchlines on the resulting beat, incinerating it to kingdom fucking come. Adding insult to injury, Mef simplifies his flow enough to make his bars catchy as shit. The Bo Diddley drums sampled here really elevate the adrenaline pumping through you during this experience. Tied with the title track as my second-favorite solo track.

MR. SANDMAN (FEATURING RZA, INSPECTAH DECK, STREETLIFE, CARLTON FISK & BLUE RASPBERRY)
A rendition of the Chordettes' famed classic as a hardcore hip hop posse cut? Genius! Why do I keep distinguishing solo tracks from posse cuts, you ask? Because the Wu have forever made me a posse cut fiend, that's why. Thanks to them, I will always favor good posse cuts to good solo joints, no matter how varying the quality of the beat is. Just so happens that the beat for this track here is my absolute favorite on the entire album.  When a sampler alters one second of a Lyn Collins classic interpretation to sound like theme music to a swarm of bees, you know you're dealing with someone gifted. RZA certainly proves he's precisely that, yet he doesn't stop there. He also sets shit off with his verse brimming with imagery that'll leave marks on your psyche for days. That is, until Deck swoops in with a blistering verse that ruins any chance the remaining MCs have in stealing his thunder.  You have to appreciate the frequency in which the Rebel was accomplishing this feat, especially during the 5-year plan. Not to say Mef and the remaining weed carriers don't leave their mark, hell no. Mef reverts to punchline mode, which is always welcome and Carlton Fisk and a debuting Streetlife impress you enough to give a shit about them when they turn up on future Wu albums. Although in Fisk's case, you had to wait a long-ass fucking time. Fisk would get locked up for at least 10 years shortly after dropping a dope-as-shit freestyle which went by the name Common Denominator with two of his co-stars on Mr. Sandman: Streetlife & the Rebel INS, with Mef conducting the shit. Yes, the one where INS drops the deleted verse he adlibbed bits from on 2Pac's Got My Mind Made Up. May I add how fucking awesome Blue Raspberry is here with her creepy falsetto rendition of the Chordettes' household chorus. By far my favorite track on this album. Scratch that, by far my favorite track of Mef's entire solo career. This shit's that friggin' good.

STIMULATION (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
You absolutely can NOT top the previous track. No matter what you do, the following tracks will come up short, which is why I'm pissed at Bobby for not ending the album with Mr. Sandman. I will admit though, the speeding up of the opening violins of the Sarah Vaughan record throughout is nifty and very nicely done. Mef's lyrics make this song pitch perfect for a live audience, which is why the fact that he never performs this song live in recent years puzzles me to no end. Maybe it's because of Blue Raspberry's smelly-ass performance of Stimulation's horrid hook. How can you top possibly your best career performance immediately with one of your absolute worst?! Shit's not computing, boo. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine with this song.

METHOD MAN (SKUNK MIX)
My opinion of this song has not changed since I reviewed it here. I will say that RZA completely blew the tracklisting of the last two songs. Everything prior was copacetic.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This album's status as the first solo album from the Wu camp was a master move. It accomplished every goal it was intended to make. Allowing Mef's talent to be noticeable by mainstream entertainment in general by selling a shitload of copies? Check. Exposing everyone debuting on this album to a much wider audience? Check. Cementing RZA's growing reputation as a producer? Check. Most impressive of all, these two did it on their own terms. That's right, I said the two of them. For I think it's essential that this album be identified as a collaboration (Y'know, just like the rest of the Wu solos during RZA's five-year-plan.) more than a true solo album, where all final decisions are the artist's to make. I love the fact, though, that this album is a strong candidate for most consistent Wu solo ever. Ingenious, unorthodox production choices came in droves, the punchlines struck the right balance of quantity vs. quality and there was not a single radio-friendly track in sight. Even the "ladies song" had to be remixed while adding Mary J. friggin' Blige to the proceedings for it to win the dreaded Grammy. And it was the grimy-ass RZA remix that did it, not the polished Trackmasters version. Oh. you thought I was gonna credit Comby? Yeah, and I eat raw camel liver for my daily source of protein.

WORTH IT? Go get this shit, and if you see RZA these days: Shove this album in his face, tell him to stop fucking around with Kanye's diva finger-free ass and let him know that this is what we need to hear from him in the present.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
THE RIDDLER
I'm a Jim Carrey stan, I admit it. There's something about his 93-04 slapstick movie performances, even when stealing the scenes in movies as shitty as Batman Forever, that resonates with me on a corporeal level. Naturally, I never bought the movie's soundtrack because I was too busy reciting his lines from the movie word for word or staring at Nicole Kidman's then-fine ass through my teenage-hormonial-raging-hardon-influenced eyes. As I got into the Wu much later I discovered that the flick's OST contained a theme for Jim Carrey's Riddler by Mef that was not included in the movie, so I had to hear the shit. I was blown away by the beat, in which RZA interpolates the corny '66 Batman cartoon theme into a demented hymn fitting Jim Carrey's performance like a glove. Delighting in the resulting music, Mef immerses himself completely into the mythos portrayed in the movie by filling his first two verses with imagery befitting of the subject then dedicating the final verse to a story depicting him as the Riddler during a crime-filled night in his life. The verse ends with the Batman hot on his heels. I find this shit worthy of my time and definitely of yours.

NO HOOK (SHAQUILLE O'NEAL FEATURING RZA AND METHOD MAN)
Since I'm not likely to review any Shaq album anytime soon, I'll highlight this track of his that he did with Mef and RZA. I may do this with other artists in the future, depending on the significance of the song to the review. In this case, this song was surely recorded during the Tical sessions so it fits the bill. RZA crafts another grimy self-made beat around a famous Labi Siffre drum sample, then starts off the song by spitting a verse that is damn underwhelming. Fortunately though, Shaq and Mef pick up the remains admirably with Mef predictably coming out on top as the best of the three. I really did not expect to write the following words: Shaq lyrically trumped RZA on a track. Still a fine song, though. And we're done.

The Wu saga continues here, and the rest of Mef's solo shit is here.

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 GFK 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 GFK 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 GFK'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 GFK. I just came to the realization that GFK 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 GFK 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.