A Better Tomorrow has actually been promised for a while now, delayed to the point that it was inching ever so close to the category of Detox and Loso's Way 2 (I am, apparently, the only person that really cares about that album. Its more of a principle thing, though, I could really give two shits if I never hear another Fabolous song in my life). The album, which's title is taken from a John Woo film of the same name, is only a thing because RZA is the worlds biggest Wu-Tang fan, and simply would not settle for an unacknowledged twenty-year anniversary. Thats admirable as a fan, getting eight people rappers and Cappadonna is the same room is a difficult task, but that also gave RZA the level of creative control that basically makes it a RZA solo album that consistently features members of the Wu.
Twenty-one years after the release of 1993's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the Wu-Tang Clan chose to celebrate its twenty-year anniversary by dropping A Better Tomorrow, which is, for now, their final collective album. The delay is embarrassing, but it at least makes more sense than Mobb Deep celebrating their own twenty-year anniversary a year early. Anyways, this will almost definitely be the final release from by favorite group of all time (they said the same thing after 8 Diagrams, but it's really hard to imagine these guys getting back together after the shit-storm that was the creation of this album), so this review holds a little more weight than, say, that last A$AP Ferg write-up. Therefore, I'd like to reintroduce the track-by-track format.
A Better Tomorrow has actually been promised for a while now, delayed to the point that it was inching ever so close to the category of Detox and Loso's Way 2 (I am, apparently, the only person that really cares about that album. Its more of a principle thing, though, I could really give two shits if I never hear another Fabolous song in my life). The album, which's title is taken from a John Woo film of the same name, is only a thing because RZA is the worlds biggest Wu-Tang fan, and simply would not settle for an unacknowledged twenty-year anniversary. Thats admirable as a fan, getting eight people rappers and Cappadonna is the same room is a difficult task, but that also gave RZA the level of creative control that basically makes it a RZA solo album that consistently features members of the Wu.
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The word great is often thrown around in music. Far too often a new release will come out, and before the general masses even have time to digest it, everyone is deeming it a great release. The same is not said (in most cases) for the term classic. It takes years for an album to even enter the argument for classic status. Just under nineteen years ago, a classic album was released by Wu-Tang member, Corey Woods.
I realize that by starting this post I am only putting off the review of "Words From The Genius". I've determined that GZA has earned the right to have his entire catalogue dissected, but if you couldn't tell there's kind of a pattern going on here. If you're feeling especially obvious today, we're reviewing the first round of solo albums. I do plan on getting to GZAs technical "debut" at some time, but you know life is too short to be doing all that right now.
After the success of Raekwon's solo debut, it was GZA the Genius who was next up to bat. For hip-hop purists, this was music to the ears, as it was a consensus that GZA was far and away the best lyricist of the group. To an extent that is a fair observation, but it was easy to think he lacked the charisma to carry an entire album. Looking back on it, I think we all can agree that was a pretty bad observation. A big reason for the success of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the tremendous production of the RZA. As I've previously stated, RZA is able to change up his style for whoever he is producing for, a skill that has set him apart from all other producers over the years. After the cinematic and mafioso themes of OB4CL, he seamlessly transitions into GZAs world. I'm not even going to try to describe the sounds of GZAs world. (Man I'd pay some good money to see what goes through his head)Liquid Swords went in to sell a shit load of copies and turned out to be the nail in the coffin that the wu tang had officially taken the shit over. (Hopefully this isn't spoiling anything, but I'm going to tell you to buy this damn thing.) Many claim this to be the greatest thing to ever come out of the wu tang camp, with OB4CL being its only competition. This is the second wu album I ever purchased and I still consider it to be one of the top five albums of all time.Of course there's always the remote chance my ears have been lying to me up until this point and this shit actually sucks, so I will now start the reviewing process. 1. Liquid Swords (Feat. RZA) In wu tang fasion, Liquid Swords opens up with a long sample from Shogun Assassin, which is used throughout the project. This actually scared the shit out of me when I first heard it. Its very eerie and I was like twelve fucking years old. As for the song, its top notch and one of the best on the album. GZA lyrics rip through RZAs incredible beat with relative ease. I highly recommend giving the video atleast one watch. 2. Duel Of The Iron Mic (Feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, & Masta Killa) No drop off of quality here (a running theme throughout the album) as GZA picks up right where the last track left off. Not that gza and deck dont sound good, but its Masta Killa who completely steels the show, as im sure everyone expected. Masta was actually GZAs so called prodigy, which is very obvious at this point of time. Their flows and even voice to an extent sound very similar. Also, I'm a big fan of the hook. 3. Living In The World Today (Feat. RZA & Method Man) Definitely one of the more miscellaneous tracks on the album, but by no means is it bad. Truth be told im a bit surprised at how good this sounds. You more that likely wont be visiting the album just to give this a spin but this is a bit of a hidden gem that you'll only hear when listening to the whole album. The Mef and GZA connection isnt as good as it is on Shadowboxin, but there is undeniable chemistry between the two and its a shame they didnt collaborate more often. 4. Gold (Feat.Method Man) Well shit, turns out Meth and GZA were all over this album. I swear I didnt even realize Meth was on this when I wrote that last song, and now I look stupid. He doesnt actually rap, but rather rambles on at the beginning. Anyways, RZAs beat is raw as hell and GZAs flow is absolutely disgusting. (I mean that in the best possible way) Weirdly enough, this is one of the first songs I gravitates towards when I first heard the album, which is weird as hell. Guess that shows the accessibility of the album. 5. Cold World (Feat. Inspectah Deck & Life) One of GZAs finest lyrical showing of the album. This was actually released as the third single, which ive always found a bit weird. Wouldnt be my choice to release, but GZAs been a hell of a lot more successful than me so I wont doubt him. Meanwhile, Inspectah deck makes an appearance, sounding right at home. Not sure how others feel about it, but ive always enjoyed the hook. Quality track. 6. Labels (Feat. RZA) One of my favorite GZA formats. He manages to rhyme the name of record labels throughout the song without it sounding forced. He later does this with magazine names on his next effort. Unfortunately, this is one of the weakest instrumental on the album although its still ten times better than anything on Indicud. 7. 4th Chamber (Ghostface Killah, Killah Priest, & RZA) Holy shit, this song is absolutely incredible. One if my favorite songs of all fucking time, and the best on the album. RZAs masterpiece of a beat falls under the long "dopest beats of all time" list. Furthermore, RZA steals the song with his rapping as well, and lays down one of his greatest verses in his entire body of work. Ok, im finished with my 4th Chamber love fest. 8. Shadowboxin' (Feat. Method Man) Yes, this is the earlier mef and GZA collaboration I mentioned. If you didnt catch it, this song is the shit and serves as the latter song in one of the greatest one-two song punches in hip-hop history. Everything about this falls into place perfectly and beautifully complements RZAs beat. This is a wu classic that I can only describe as beautiful, which is a bit odd considering its hardcore lyrics .9. Killah Hills 10304 (Feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard & RZA) I promise there is a song on this, if you are one of those who just flat out skipped the song during the incredibly long skit. If you stuck it out, you were greatly repayed. RZAs instrumental is among the best on the album that you should go listen to right now. GZA rhymes about the life of a drug dealer, which I guess gives the opening skit a bit of a purpose. Another victory for the genius. 10. Investigation Reports (Feat. U-God, Raekwon, & Ghostface Killah) I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but RZAs beat knocks. Its dramatic as hell and sets the tone of the song perfectly. Since GZA is a good guy and wanted to feature everyone on his album, U-God provides the hook, but is hardly bad. In a plot twist, Ghost and Rae dont connect very well here if you pay attention but you cant really notice given the overall quality of the track. The album has a full head of steam at this point and shows no sign of showing down. 11. Swordsman/Unexplained I honestly have no idea what the correct name of this is but it is commonly refered to as both. Not that it really matters though because this song is awesome. GZA actually gets a solo effort here and makes the most out of it by being good at rapping. Moral of this song though, dont mess with GZA, he'll smack you in your motherfucking face. 12. I Gotcha Back (Feat. RZA) Ive always felt this was a bit out of place on the album. Not even sure why, it just sounds kind of akward. That being said, its still a great song in which GZA flexes his lyrical ability, while RZA capitilizes on the opportunity to echo GZAs words in the hook. Great move by just letting the instrumental playing out for a bit until the next skit. Skit is kind of scary, which means it fits the album perfectly. 13. B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) (Feat. Killah Priest) Nothing about this song comes close to making sense. GZA is no where to be found, while this is the lone song RZA doesn't produce. Most shocking of all, this is absolutely incredible. Killah Priest gets a solo shot and closes the album. I have numerous theories as to while this song appears here, none of which make much sense. Most likely though, this has to be paying back Killah Priest for not making the group. This is actually a bonus song, but you wont find too many people that would argue against this being part of the album. Rating: 5/5 I sure as hell hope I'm not surprising anyone with this rating. I'm fairly certain I didnt say I didnt like any of the song on the entire album. Liquid Swords is one of the few albums that is unanimously considered a hip-hop classic. I obviously agree and consider this to be the finest solo album to come out of the wu camp. If you dont already own this, literally get up and slap yourself in the face. Proceed to go out and buy the album, listen to it four times and hope you can regain some of your dignity. Enjoy the rest of your day. Since the day I started this blog, there are a couple reviews that I have been absolutely dreading. Among the top of that list, is the Wu Tang Clans second group effort Forever. Obviously, I haven't been dreading this because of a dislike for the wu. Far from it, as I'm sure you can tell from this past months reviews. Nope, the reason for my fear is that this is a double disc album and is really, really long. Instead of jumping to a new topic now, I'm just going to finish RZAs five year plan and get this shit out of the way.
As much as the idea of a double album pains me, I will say that this could be the only single album in hip hop history that was deserving a double disc. RZAs plan (which I realize I reference way to much, I know you get my point) finally concluded here after successful and even classic albums from Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, GZA, and Ghostface Killah. Yes, expectations were rather high. RZA produces large portion of the album, but actually doesn't produce all the tracks. More wu producers get a chance to shine and Inspectah Deck even gets to compose an instrumental. Can't blame RZA , because you know its kind of hard producing two discs worth of quality instrumentals. There's endless information you can look into about this album, but I'm going to cut the intro now because as I've stated a hundred times, this is really long and I need to pace myself. Wish me good luck. 1. Wu-Revolution (Feat. Popa Wu & Uncle Pete) Quite possibly, the very last thing anyone wanted to hear to open the album. I know I can be a little hard on reviews and skits but I'm pretty sure no one liked this, even all you Popa Wu fans. I've always found him unnecessary and basically terrible. As a colossal Wu Stan, even I would be lying straight through your computer if I said I knew who Uncle Pete was. 2. Reunited This would have started of the album better in nearly every way imaginable. You're not even a real music fan if GZAs first verse doesn't get you pumped up as hell. Of course, RZAs production is fit for such a monumental song, although the quality of the audio might give off the thought that RZAs basement has been moved to a higher quality location, as this sounds much more polished. This was released as the third and final single, which lifted the excitement to a new level. 3. For Havens Sake (Feat. Cappadonna) One off the less memorable track on the whole double disced album, which is an impressive feat actually. Not bad at all though, as RZAs average production (for his level at least) combined with Cappadonna leaving with the best performance makes for a good song, bit nothing that will leave you begging for more. 4. Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours (Still Don't Nuthin' Move But The Money) Holy shit decide on a damn name you indecisive bastards. Take another gander above and realize the sheer ridiculousness of our situation. Regardless of the title, the results are still fairly good although you'd expect a damn masterpiece with the title. 5. Visionz And here is the Inspectah deck production. I'm actually quite familiar with deck productions and I promise he improves here. Some of his work on his debut is some very quality work but the result here is sadly a very boring beat that pulls the rug on any of this songs potential potential. Decks rapping on the other hand, are some of his best and at least make me feel indifferent about the song. 6. As High As Wu-Tang Get A great recovery from a fairly lackluster album. Dirty makes this a fun and enjoyable experience as his craziness was close to reaching a head at this point. GZA defeats the rest of the clan and tears up RZAs futuristic yet simple instrumental. He didnt really defeat the clan, because this is kind of a group effort, but his verse is the best, trust me. 7. Severe Punishment The first truly great wu song on the album starts off with a classic eerie Kung Fu sample. This was one of song I gravitated toward when I first heard the album and a can conclude that I was still brilliant back them as well. RZAs production is just genius on here and deserves plenty of replays if you want to appreciate it. And of course the rappers wouldn't let that go to waste as everything about this knocks. 8. Older Gods Another one of my favorites from the first side of the album. This time we are treated to a Ghost and Rae song while GZA tags along and doesn't sound completely out of place. Ghost and Rae are the two kings of slang in hip hop and let everyone know why on here. Unless you are a dedicated member of the five percent nation, it'll take you years to figure out a message from this song. In an unexplainable way, its terrific 9. Maria (Feat. Cappadonna) Unfortunately, this is where labels first started treating Dirty as a crazy drunk guy that can't really rap. That's far from true, but his lyrics on here are just over the top. If there's any consolation, Cappadonna turns in another fine performance and gives me another reason to consider buying The Pillage. 10. A Better Tomorrow This is one of if not the most underrated wu tang song ever, and I will fight that until the day I die. Not sure why this isn't regarded higher, but this honestly embodies everything the wu tang is about. C'mon wu tang is for the children. On another note, you all know my feelings about U-God, but holy shit he fucking rips this shit in half, to the point it makes me furious he couldn't capture this in a bottle and be a good rapper. If you haven't heard this is the likely title of their upcoming album, this summer, which warms my heart. 11. Its Yourz The second single of the album caps off the best one two punch of the album. This was actually huge as a single although it sound almost nothing like their prior work. Also, just take what I said about U-God in the last song and apply it it RZA, although he has consisterly been a good rapper. Yeah I'm not even going to lie, U-God tears this up as well. A great way to close out the first disc. Disc Two 1. Intro Two intros for the price of one, how great. (Just kidding this shit was expensive as fuck) In contrast to its predecessor, I actually enjoyed this one a lot. RZA goes on about other artists R&B. (rap & bullshit) We are now aware that this is real hip hop and everyone else is terrible. Gotta love the RZA 2. Triumph (Feat. Cappadonna) Seriously? I hope I don't need to explain this one to anyone. If you're a terrible person and aren't aware with this song, go watch the video now. (Its terrible but they spent millions on it, which means the least you can do is watch it) One of the clans most successful songs ever, and officially launched them into the mainstream. After all that I could seem contradicting, but this is a bit overrated. But only a bit. And yes, Inspectah decks verse is one of the greatest in hip hop history. 3. Impossible (Feat. Tekitha) Almost everyone forgets this song because of its place one the album. (Something had to come after triumph) The hook has significant room for improvement, but this is actually one of my favorite songs on the album, based on Ghostfaces verse alone. RZA once said it was the best verse anyone in the group aver recorded, which is complete bullshit but its still incredible. Ghost is so engaging that I'm honestly tensing up. 4. Little Ghetto Boys (Feat. Cappadonna) A mirror image of the first disc's "For Heavens Sake" in the sense that its good enough but completely unmemorable. Actually, Cappa turns in another good performance and continues to quietly have a solid overall showing, but not solid enough to get a spot in the group. This still isn't better than dr. Dre's version off the Chronic, even though there's not an official connection 5. Deadly Meadly (Feat. Streetlife) This was right before Streetlife got a huge push from the wu, and here we have the mans debut. Fantastic group effort that unfortunately goes under my own radar most of the time. I hold Masta Killas debut album in very high regard, but I can only imagine how good it would sound if it was released in 98' as he's clearly at the top of his game here. 6. The City Because I'm weird as hell, this was my favorite song when I first heard the album. Well, I'm still weird as hell and this is still one of my favorite songs. Without hesitation, I can say this is the best instrumental on the album. The layers and complexity of the beat is simply beautiful and should serve as a blueprint for making a classic beat. Since I obviously enjoy this song, you could probably make the assumption that decks rapping is top notch on here. Well, you'd be correct. 7. The Projects A direct playoff of the former track, this track fails in comparison in almost every way. Rae's lyrics are nothing more than mediocre and the instrumental is a little lazy. I guess this was due after the previous momentum. I did thoroughly enjoy the hook if that still counts for anything any more. 8. Bells of War Ah, I was pleasantly surprised by this song. Looking at it, I couldn't really remember anything standing out other than Method Man having a pretty good verse. Turns out, the instrumental on this joint is actually outstanding and the rappers complement it nicely. Quite underrated. 9. The M.G.M. If you haven't heard, these Ghost and Rae seem to have a bit of chemistry. RAGU (Ghost And Raekwon United) turn in one of their better performances that can be found on a wu tang album. I'm usually not that big a fan of these two rapping back and forth instead of giving individual verses, but this was an exception. 10. The Dog Shit Yeah this is right around when O.D.B. started losing his damn mind. Osiris gets a solo joints and provides some pretty ludicrous, yet comical bars. In contrast to the lyrics, the instrumental on here is quite respectable. Skit is still unneeded. 11. Duck Seazon Come on guy, is there any real benefit to misspelling season? Probably, but nothing about the name takes away from the quality of the song. Raekwon and RZA both sound as good as they have on they second disc. The instrumental is simple as hell for the most part, but also works for the most part. Drums are banging throughout. Method Man rap a respectable verse as well. 12. Hellz Wind Staff (Feat Streetlife) Oh man Streetlife actually raps with a damn purpose on here. Not to be outdone, everyone sounds better but I wanted to give Streetlife some love. Instrumental falls under the same category of "The City". The tambourine is actually what takes his track to the next level, even if you don't realize it at first. Great song, 13. Heaterz (Feat. Cappadona) Even today this song still gets a ton of love from wu Stan's and has long been proclaimed a gem of the album. All those accolades are well warranted, as this only builds off of last tracks performance. Instrumental is among the best of the album. Nothing not to like here, including U-Gods verse. Maybe I should ease up a bit on U. 14. Black Shampoo And then this shits happens. Man U-God can't catch a break because I know he had to have lost a bet or something that resulted in him having to be the one making the seducing song. For what's its worth, he's able to keep a good flow throughout. 15. Second Coming (Feat. Tekitha) I hate this. Every single thing about it. You see the problem with double disc albums is that you already have so much material, that you feel obliged to include everyone that could possibly considered affiliated with yourself. And that kids, is why you don't associate with people like Tekitha. 16. The Closing Raekwon talks for a few minutes and closes our show is a fairly bad way. I'm too tired right now to even find out what he's talking about but I'm assuming he's mad at someone for bitting his style or something. When he's done rambling, the album fades into the sound of a helicopter. Rating: 4/5 When the Wu Tang Clan released their second album, they received some pretty negative reviews that were very unwarranted. Because of their success, this album had expectations set on it that could never realistically be met. The closing act of disc two mixed with a few mediocre songs spread throughout end up taking away a star from the album, giving more fuel to the argument that this would have been better as a single disc. Aside from that though, this is a great album that contains some of the groups finest work. I highly recommend you purchase this album and simply not pay that much attention to the songs that bring this down a star. With that said, I'm finally finished. *Sigh of relief. Ok, so you're not going to believe this shit. This is the third time Ive written this intro, so my apologies if it is not up to par. I have been really busy lately and my target-bought phone has refused to save my drafts (damn you target) but this time Ill get it done.
Well here we have (just a little out of order) the first wutang solo effort. Now before I can ever advise a purchase of this tape I have a story to tell. So apparently the guys at Def Jam run a tight ship, and tical had a very certain release date. Unfortunatly a few weeks before this date Chamber Studios (RZA's basement) flooded, destroying a lot of beats, including the ones for tical. Given that, RZA was given the task of reconstructing the entire album in a matter of weeks. You can really hear in the audio that it was rushed, really hurting the overall sound quality. Now that's out of the way, lets meet Meth. Anyone who heard the wu tang debut, was extremely intrigued by one individuals rugged, murkey, and dark rhyme style. It is this style exactly that launched him to superstardom. So it is obvious why he was chosen to make the first solo album, and at its peak this thing was selling like hot cakes. The question on everyones mind was simple; can his unique style alone lead to solo success, let's see. 1. Tical This calming beat it one that leads to very easy listening. Meth does a great job of introducing his style if you were previously unaware. This intro does a great job of hooking you in, and whether you like it or not you are now hooked on Meth's style, and you are dying for more. (what a coincidence his name is meth, meth is an addictive drug, was that a bad joke?) 2. Biscuits Well this song sure is different. You may find it annoying, but I love it. Meth is having a good time while letting you realize that he is better than you at rapping. 3. Bring the Pain (Feat. Booster) This song is an incredible song, but is the first where the audio problems come into play. This audio output was just simply sloppy, it was a good instrumental, but bad quality. And the adlibs were off when they were there at all. This was not Meth's fault and lyrically this is awesome, but it is suffering from quality. 4. All I Need This might be one of the few acceptable rap love songs. Just because Meth is gangster as hell while loving this person. To be clear, this is not the future Grammy award winning single, however it is still great and one of the most beloved songs in the entire wu tang catalogue. 5. What the Blood Clot Once again Meth is really fucking good at this whole rapping thing. The vocals on this song are noticably louder than the beat making this sound like it was recorded on garage band. None of the flaws thus far have been with Meth's rapping, but it's hard not to notice the bad quality. 6. Meth vs. Chef (Feat. Raekwon) Story time! So the wutang clan used to have battles over RZA's beats to see who got the priviledge of rocking the banger that RZA has created. This was a recorded battle between Meth and Rae that is awesome, but goddamn the vocals sound like they were recorded with a damn cell phone. You can actually hear Raekwon start up his verse a few seconds before he should have, but he corrects himself and RZA kept it on the final product. Awesome 7. Sub Crazy This song isn't bad I guess. It is just more of the same, but with the exception of being awesome. It is like Meth.is going through the motions on this track. 8. Release Yo 'Delf (Feat. Blue Raspberry) I don't want anyone to tell me I made a mistake, you read that title correct. I don't know if Def Jam fucked up, or Meth thinks Delf is a word, but it happened. Aside from the glaring audio problem this is the best track on the album. The intensity amd energy Meth brings to the track is incredible. His lyrics on point, and a nice hook from who I assume is wu affiliate blue raspberry. If Meth has theme music, this is it. 9. P.L.O. Style (Feat. Carlton Fisk) I really dont feel like explaining PLO because it holds no relevance to the song so feel free to look it up. Other than that this is just an average song. With a guy named Carlton Fisk, and neither seemed all too into this track. Fisk was actually locked up shorty after this was released, which is a bit sad a guess 10. I Get My Thang in Action You should have an opinion on this point. You either love or hate this guys style. This is just another run of the mill dope as hell Method Man track. RZAs instrumental stands above all on here though. The multiple layers of Instruments provide great replay value, and of course sound great when all mixed together. 11. Mr. Sandman (Feat. Blue Raspberry, Inspectah Deck, The RZA, Streetlife, & Carlton Fisk) Here is something that any wutang fan will love. The classic wu posse cut at it again. We hear Meth and Inspectah Deck rip the track to shreds. RZA performs decently, we meet Meth's little bud Streetlife who performs wonderfully, and Carlton is back. This is an amazing track. 12. Stimulation Here we have Meth just doing what he does best. Enjoy wu stans. 13. Method Man (Remix) The single that got this guy on the map was Method Man. This track however is borderline shit. The beat is bad, accompanied by awful song quality. I guess this is a fun way to end the album, but it sucks a bit. Rating: 3.5/5 I cannot consider myself a legitimate blogger if I rate this any higher. Meth is awesome but the quality of the sound really hinders this albums potential. This album was never going to be liquid swords, but it could have been much better. Unfortunatly Meth never seemed to bring this effort again, so he has yet to make a project that is good as he could do. Listen if you want, but I am not urging a purchase. In my own unhumble opinion, I think RZA is one of the smartest people ever. Not just in music, but ever. When he originally assembled the wu tang clan, he already had a five year plan for the group. After the debut of the group, he helped Methodman in the making of Tical. That made complete sense, because of the superstardom that he obtained through the debut. The next step was to take the craziest motherfucker alive and give him his shot at a solo album.
And thats where we find ourselves now, Ol' Dirty Bastards debut album, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. (Thats the last time I will be typing the whole damn title, because it takes a really long time.) Along with methodman, ODB wad the most distinguishable member because of his raspy voice and insane rants. Even if the album wasnt any good you know it would sell like crazy. Thankfully RZA was producing a large portion of the album, so you knew the production would be top notch. That is an assumption that would turn out to be very true, as RZAs ultra grimy beats would shine throughout and complement ODBs delivery perfectly. That delivery thing I was talking about, yeah its the most ridiculous and original thing you will ever hear. He goes in and rapping and singing with easy, while occasionally throwing in some ranting and mumbling for an extra hint of craziness. The weirdest part of it is that it sounds indescribably good. Seriously I have no idea why, but it just sounds right when youre listening to him. Most people, including myself had loved ODB on the wu tang debut, but had their qualms about him directing a full length project. So was Ol' Dirty Bastard able to shock everyone and deliver on his debut? As far as I can recall, yes, but its been a long time since I've listened to this one so lets get this going. 1. Intro For all of you all who thought he would lay low on the drugs for his full length album, this one is for you. Even now, this is still one of the most ridiculous and histerical intros ive ever heard (and Ive heard a LOT of them). Everyone should give this a listen for pure comedic value. But as with all great intros, this still gets annoying after a couple of listens. 2. Shimmy Shimmy Ya Easily ODBs most famous song. As far as im concerned, there is nothing even close to wrong with this song. It perfection. It showcases ODBs ability to sing, kind of throw some bars together, and just be silly. The second verse is just the first one backwards if anyone is wondering. Everyone likes this song, just ask A$AP Rocky. 3. Baby, C'mon This is exactly what I was talking about earlier when I was talking about how RZA could alter his production to fit the delivery of the artist. In this case, the beat is incredibly raw and compliments ODB, who tries to actually rap for the first time on the album. Mix all that in with some more singing contributed by ODB and you've got yourself a pretty good song. 4. Brooklyn Zoo Ok im not even joking here. The composer of "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele said all her inspiration came from the instrumental on "Brooklyn Zoo." I do believe its the piano that gave the inspiration, but either way it warms my heart. As for the song, it still sounds great and remains my favorite ODB song. 5. Hippa to da Hoppa This is a song that ive traditionally skipped when listened and I see why. The beat is very boring and bland, but I will say that ODBs rapping ability sounds much better on here and he actually developed a flow that he sticks with the whole way through. Theres also a kung-fu sample at the end, which automatically makes a song twice as good. This was pretty nice. 6. Raw Hide (Feat. Raekwon & Methodman) The first wu collaboration of the album, which is ALWAYS good. ODB build upon his last performance although his second verse is quite ridiculous. The superstar Methodman provides the hook, while laying down a solid verse while hes at it. Raekwon even got a verse on this one. I say "even" because no one really thought he stood out on the debut, but now I can see this was a way of promotion for his debut, which would come next in RZAs plan. 7. Damage (Feat. GZA) ODB collaborates with his friend, cousin, and fellow clansman GZA. Instead of laying down verses with hooks in between, both mcs go back and forth. The result is a fun song over another grimy ass hell beat. Smartly, ODB handles the majority of the rapping on here and isnt completely out shined by the GZA, who is a much better lyricist. 8. Don't You Know (Feat. Killah Priest) After what I guess was a kind of funny skit to start, we are lead into a pretty awesome Instrumental. ODB raps and sings all at the same time, which I must admit is pretty impressive. The wu tang was pushing killah priest pretty hard at this point so he gets another feature, which good but nothing that would make me really care about him. ODB actually tries to tell a bit of a story here as well. An obscene story, but a story 9. The Stomp The tempo of the album has gotten a bit exhausting at this point. Im sure this would sound better by itself, but in the context of the album this is just a random mid album track. Id like to give ODB some credit here. It took nine songs for me to find something I didnt like. 10. Goin' Down The skit is terribly long and annoying, but the instrumental more than makes up for it. Like its really good because that earlier skit is pretty damn bad. ODB sounds great on here too. Hes not really rapping, but he sounds like hes having fun, which is something that no one seems to do now a days. So yeah guys the album is good again. 11. Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie) ODB sings the entire damn thing, which says a lot about the quality of the song. For what it is though, the mans vocals arent half bad and I actually found myself enjoying this. The beat though is another story. Its not a hip hop beat, its really boring, it not produced by the RZA, and its terrible. Oh well. 12. Snakes (Feat. Killah Priest, RZA, Masta Killah, & Buddha Monk) The best song on the album. My god everyone completely makes the beat their bitch, while making it get them a sandwich while theyre at it. Everyone showcases the wu's uncanny ability to tell a great story and display their lyrical ability. Unlike his earlier performance, it's Killah Priest who ends up stealing the show here and does give me a reason to care about him. Oh and that beat that got made into a bitch earlier, its incredible. 13. Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane) (Feat. Ghostface Killah) Brooklyn Zoo fans beware, there is not even close to a resemblance to its predecessor. Oddly enough, ODB actually recycles lyrics from "Damage". Ghostface comes in for a quick feature and obviously enhances the song just because it Ghostface ya know. After that we reach the halfway points where beats start changing, we revisit every other song on the album, get another skit, and start up a whole new song. Its absolute havoc. See kids, thats how you utilize a seven minute song. 14. Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo (Feat. Buddha Monk, Prodigal Sunn, Zu Keeper, Murdoc, Killah Priest, 12 O' Clock, & Shorty Shit Stain) I deserve so many more readers simply for typing out that feature list. I mean seriously I am one of the biggest wu stans you'll ever see and I didnt even know who a couple of these guys are. This isnt bad or anything, but I cant help feeling disappointed that we are treated to these shit bags instead of some original member. C'mon its a sequel to one of the best hip hop songs ever 15. Cuttin' Heads (Feat. RZA) Fun Fact: the instrumental of this is just clan in front backwards. Anyways, I love everything about this song. This is actually one of the first times I started paying attention to RZAs rapping ability. One of the best parts is the subject of cutting heads being rapped over such a happy beat. Awesome. 16. Dirty Dancin' (Feat. Methodman) Well this isnt very good at all. ODBs flow is decent enough, but theres not much substance behind his words. They're really pushing this meth and ODB collaborate. It occasionally works but this can also happen, where meth completely outshines our host. 17. Harlem World The instrumental was dope as hell but this was a pretty weak way to end the album. ODB has just run out of things to rap about at this point and hes basically improvising. I will say that he is a damn good improviser, as this shit last for like six minutes. Rating: 4/5 Oh yeah this sounds just as good as I remember. For a guy that was mainly considered to be a side attraction or a hook man this album couldn't have been much better (ending the show after "Cuttin' Heads" would have helped but I'm being picky). Like I stated earlier, this album has something that no one else seems to have now: the ability to have fun without sounding terrible. Wu fans already have this one, but if you're new to the group it's essential you add this to your collection. Tical should be coming soon but peace for now and R.I.P. Ol' Dirty Bastard. After a brief hiatus, we're back with a new review that I know you've all been craving. As for why, that whole school nonsense takes a lot of time and sometimes the blog needs to take a backseat. Once summer hits you can expect to get more frequent review, but I really wanted to get this one up for the readers and to get myself back into the habit of writing. But enough of that, lets get to the album.
For those who don't already know, Ghostface Killah is one of the original nine membered Wu-Tang Clan. After receiving a decent amount of critical praise on the groups debut, ghost has carved himself a niche and become the most consistent member of the crew. We will eventually get to all of his albums, but for now just know that he is one of the only members not to release an album that's complete trash, as well as dropping the undisputed classic "Supreme Clientele." Ghost has a well documented battle with his record labels including Def Jam, his current label. The result has been years of delays for his highly anticipated sequel to Supreme Clientele (I doubt it actually is released, but a man can dream, right.) So Pretty Tony did the thing any logical man would do: hook up with R&B/Soul composer Adrian Younge to create what I guess you could call a side project. Ghostface is no fool though folks, turns out Younge is a damn good producer and takes his talents to give this the ultimate cinematic feel. Oh, and while he was at it, ghost got RZA to executively produce the album. Mix all of that together and you have Twelve Reasons to Die, a hardcore gangster story with a twist that I will not spoil at the moment. Ghostface goes by the name Tony Starks (they could have been a little more creative, considering he's been calling himself that for twenty years, but whatever), who has risen to the top of the drug world, with only a rival gang in his way. That's all I'm going to go into now because I'm ready to get this started, so lets go! Just kidding, I forgot I'm obliged to covered the production of the project. The album was released on on RZA's record label Soul Temple Records. (There's no way that man sleeps, he's produced at least six albums, released a full length movie, and now a record deal in one year. Please stand up and give the man a round of applause, I'll wait.) Adrian Younge provides a very Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...-esque backdrop with the cinematic feel, while still sounding fresh and unique. And now the review. 1. Beware of the Stare The songs starts off with some nicely sung vocals contributed by an unknown female artist. You get the immediate feel that this is like the opening credits of the album. Ghostface lays down two verses that definitely introduce you to the Tony Starks character, but he's mainly just warming up and laying down some vintage Ghostface bars. The instrumental here is absolutely awesome and continuously changes throughout the song to fit the moods. So yes, even if the rest of the album is terrible, at least it had a top notch intro. 2. Rise of the Black Suits Ghostface portrays the way he made it to where he is today over another interesting instrumental by Mr. Younge. I'm on record for liking the organ in a beat and this is no exception, its dope as hell. Everything about this is incredibly vivid and paints a picture in your mind, which is from combination of ghosts flow and Adrian Younges fantastic beat. Yeah, this shit was nice. 3. I Declare War (Feat. Masta Killa & The RZA) More organ, more better. The instrumental hits you right in the face with this one, as the drums and vocals provide a perfect opportunity to further develop the story. This is an opportunity that ghost capitalizes on, while introducing the first of his henchman that appear throughout the story: Masta Killa. He sounds awesome and plays right along with the story line. I've always thought Masta Killa was very underrated, although most would argue that he fell off after the success of his debut. He sounds right at home here and flows right into the spoken words of the RZA, who narrates the the album. 4. Blood On The Cobblestone (Feat. U-God & Inspectah Deck) The song jumps right into our hero in battle, of course ripping apart all enemies. Ghost sounds good and all here, but the real star of the track is U-God. Not because he had the best verse, but because I was so shocked that he actually sounded up to par with his partners. If you're not familiar with baby U, he is unanimously the worst rapper in the wu-tang clan (he's not that bad, its just fun to make fun of U-God). Yeah, Inspectah deck is just as good a fighter as ghost, he kills everyone. 5. The Center Of Attraction (Feat. Cappadona) After the really long, but weirdly fitting build up, we are finally treated to the words of the Ghostface Killah. At first, this is a regular love song to Ghost's lady friend, an area that he excels in. Ghost is having a great time until Cappadona comes in and try's to convince ghost that she's setting him up and she's part of the rival gang. Cappa sounds pretty good on here and genuinely sounds concerned about ghosts well being. From a musical standpoint, Younges instrumental is awesome and highlights the song. 6. Enemies All Around Me (Feat. William Hurt) The wise words of Cappadona have taken a tole on Ghostface. He's beyond paranoid and fights with himself on what he should do in regards to his girl. Younge provides another really good instrumental and William Hurt provides a pretty bad hook, but it was still kind of enjoyable. Overall though, this song is only decent and doesn't really contribute to the story of the album. Ehh, next song. 7. An Unexpected Call (The Setup) (Feat. Inspectah Deck) I'm going to tell you something shocking and you could never tell by the title: Tony Starks is set up by his girlfriend. Word of advice, never doubt the wise words of Cappadona, although I doubt you'd doubt him if you were in a position where he is giving you advice. Anyways, Starks is taken hostage by the rivals gang, killed, and compressed into twelve vinyl discs, one for each member of the family. Yep, halfway through the album the main character is completely dead. We never actually hear it happen, but Deck takes control and explains the situation in a great verse. 8. Rise Of The Ghostface Killah After the tragic death Tony Starks, he rises again as the *gasp* Ghostface Killah. As great as Ghostface sounds on this beauty, the star is Adrian Younge. His beat is absolutely awesome and is conveniently my favorite of the album. Ghost is going around just wreaking havoc and killing everyone in his way of his journey for redemption. Sadly, this song actually leaked weeks before the album was dropped. I mean c'mon, how are you going to let the climax the damn story leak. Anyways, I highly recommend everyone check out the video to get the full effect. 9. Revenge Is Sweet (Feat. Rza, Inspectah Deck, & Killa Sin) The Ghostface Killah has risen and now its time to get serious and take out any and everyone. The instrumental matches the tone of the song perfectly. It's haunting and to the point, so this certainly has the blueprint for success. The singing in the first minute in the half are a nice touch that help the overall mood. Along with Ghostface, his army has come to his side as well including Masta Killa, who sounds just as good as he did earlier. After a brief RZA narration, we hear from the criminally under appreciated Killa Sin, who steals the show. 10. Murder Spree (Feat. U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, & Killa Sin) And here, we've reached the first "single" of the album. Not sure why exactly they picked this one out of the pack to release as a single, other than the fact that its fucking awesome. Ghost continues his murder spree, hence the name, while Inspectah builds upon his earlier work this year. Best of all Killa Sin appears again, and I have even more good news: he sounds great. Feel free to drop an album or something man, I'll buy it four times. Oh yeah, U-God describes the way he kills his victims in the most vile way possible, but honestly sounds pretty damn good. 11. The Sure Shot (Parts 1 And 2) Conveniently enough, the other "climax" of the story leaked as well. (Damn you Internet) I've heard numerous people say this sounds like it was performed by the roots, which is extremely accurate and well said. On the first part of the song, ghost is on the verge of taking his final revenge and ultimately finishes off the last of the gang members. The second half of the song is Ghost thinking back on what just happened and where he goes from here. This is done remarkably well, as you can feel the sadness in his voice that he's lost his friends and you start feeling bad for a guy that just come back from the dead and killed multiple people. I'd be committing a crime if I didn't point out the brilliant work done behind the boards by Andrian Young. It's a terrific beat that makes the story all the more clear. 12. Twelve Reasons To Die And with this title track, we close out the project with a spoken work narration by the RZA until they just let the beat ride out for the rest of the song. This was a great way to end the album and serves much better than an actual rap outro. It has a real cinematic feel to it and you can almost see the credits. (If you actually see the credits, please get checked out or just lay off the acid) Rating: 4.5/5 Yeah, I just gave this a 4.5. It's possible that I've just gotten caught up in it because its new, but this is easily one of the most entertaining Wu-Tang albums I've heard that has been released in the last two years. Ghostface sounds good as always on hear, but the amazing production provided by Adrian Young and the consistently good feature lift this album to the 4.5 status. Moving forward, I will probably start reviewing the wu-tang solo albums in chronological order. If that happens, stay tuned Method Man fans, Tical is coming up next. There is also the chance that I blow off some steam and just completely destroy the new Kid Cudi album. Either way, its in your best interest to come back for more reviews. Until then, peace. They say the hardest part of writing is starting and not stopping, so naturally we're going to ease into the blog by reviewing an all-time classic: Enter the Wu-Tang. Without hesitation I can say that this is one of my all time favorite records. With a previously unheard of Wu-Tang Clan bursting onto this scene from the streets of staten island, this rugged style surely impressed listeners with this debut album. It was released in 1993 when a more gangster style of hip-hop was becoming popular, and this album surely furthered the evolution of this genre. The genesis of Robert Digg's five-year plan has become a pillar of hip-hop over the years, and paved the way for the evolution of east coast rap. I could go on for hours, but i don't want to get ahead of myself. So, ladies and gentlemen, i present to you: Enter the Wu-Tang.
1. Bring the Ruckus The opening track on the album immediately gets your attention with the obscene amount of profanity within the first thirty seconds. This isn't to take away from the lyricism displayed by each member of the Clan over a solid RZA production. Not necessarily a gem of the album, but nonetheless a great way to kick off a debut album. 2. Shame on a N**** RZA continues the kung-fu samples, which are a reccurring theme throughout the album. I've always remembered this track as the clan introducing the world to Ol' Dirty Bastard. Method Man throws in a nice verse, but this comes off as one of the more forgettable songs; nothing to being ashamed of considering its company. 3. Clan in the Front After an elongated introduction to the members, which we really could have done without, the actual track begins. The Clan is obviously a well oiled machine, with each member benefitting from the rest. This is one of the only cases when there should be a solo effort on a Clan track. GZA brings enough charisma and lyricism to this track to make it remembered after you are done with the album. 4. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber The track starts with the infamous killer tape skit, which leads into the musical part of the song. I've always pictured this this as the real intro to the album, as the previous song merely introduces the members. The grimy rza beat signifies the point of no return, and that you have officially entered the wu-tang (notice how the album ends with the 7th chamber part 2). As for the song, the clan flexes their lyrical muscles, while the rza provides a great beat. 5. Can It Be All So Simple If I'm correct i believe this was the final single from the album. Ghostface and Raekwon lay down some decent enough verses over a soothing and almost mesmerizing beat from rza. This track kind of gets lost in the album, and has always left me feeling indifferent. The beat is the only aspect that was memorable; whether or not that's a good thing is up to you to decide. 6. Da Mystery of Chessboxin' With a Kung-Fu intro to lead to this song, it sticks out for two reasons. One being the introduction of member U-god, and the only Masta Killa verse on the record. With a member being so sparingly used, you'd think he would be weaker on the track than his fellow clan members. This couldn't be more wrong, as Masta Killa puts down one of the best verses on the album. This song displays the skill of all of the participating members. It is one of the best overall tracks on the album, which is saying a lot. Even after listening to this song hundreds of times i still get excited when hearing the chant of: "WUTANG WUTANG WUTANG WUTANG". 7. Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nothin to F** Wit Read the track name and take the advice. From a physical standpoint I'm sure they would kill you, but that is beside the point. From a rapping standpoint, as a group, they can rap circles around you. From RZA yelling like a madman on this RZA/Method Man production to Rebel INS and Method Man putting it down lyrically, this is a fairly drawn out instrumental after anything eventful has stopped in the song, but the song itself is fantastic. 8. C.R.E.A.M "Cash Rules Everything Around Me" for those that didn't already know is an absolutely unarguable classic. That's about all i have to say about it. 9. Method Man The second solo cut of the album skyrocketed the 22 year old Method Man to fame. The track is easily one of the most quotable songs in their catalog, though i still prefer Clan in the Front. While the song may just be slightly over average, it stands out in part for its melodic tune, but also the insane skit at the beginning of the track which consists of Method Man and RZA discussing increasingly graphic ways to torture each other. Regardless of your sense of humor, this skit is hilarious. 10. Protect Ya Neck This serves as the song that bursts the Wu-Tang brand onto the scene. This was the first single they put out that got labels and casual listeners alike interested in their music. This is a classic by every definition of the word. It may not be my personal favorite on the album, but who knows where the Clan would be today without this single. 11. Tearz RZA and Ghostface rhyme over a rendition of their original "After The Laughter." Always been a fan of the instrumentals; verses are nice but nothing groundbreaking. I can't listen to Protect Ya Neck without following up with this, so overall I liked the track. 12. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber-Part II Just a remix of the original 7th chamber, RZA tears the beat up; although I still prefer the original version. Great way to close the show. Rating: 5/5 stars This album is a classic and should be in the musical library of any true hip-hop fan. From the production, to the lyrics of each member, this is an all around masterpiece that put the Wu-Tang Clan on the map. This is their best album, but ones after this are still able to be classics while coming up short of this legendary album. Anyone who dislikes this album should be packed in a box and shipped to Lithuania for hours of brutal torture and brainwashing to get their head on straight. If you don't already own this album, and you consider yourself even the slightest bit of a hip-hop fan, earn back the respect of your peers by getting a copy. |