U-God – Redemption review

So here it is, the final member of the original 8 man line up that is the Wu-Tang has decided to drop his debut solo album. While GZA and Dirty have dropped sophomore albums that fail to live up to previous efforts it is now time for Golden Arms to come on the solo tip, so can he redeem what seems to be a falling wu empire?

When we spoke to U-god earlier this year he said that this was gonna be a on a party vibe and he’s like the Frank Sinatra of the Wu, this had me a little worried that the wu would go off on a tangent. Thankfully the album doesn’t apply to the vibe U-god talked about, although it does seem to have its own originality within the slew of Wu releases hitting us left and right.

The album is a mix of U-Gods darkness and an aura of mystery that surrounds the 8th clansman, coupled with the presence of RZA on 2 tracks, it is left up to the new breed of Wu-elements to add the sonic sound-scape that attempts to match U-Gods persona. ‘Bazzare’ caught us a lil off guard this year, the first single from the album wasn’t on no jiggy shit but it wasn’t what we expected, still very dope and is really an indication of what this album is like. U-God seems at his best when teamed up with fellow core disciples of the Wu-tang on tracks such as ‘Royal Rumble’ and ‘Shell shocked’ where Method Man , Inspektah Deck and Raekwon each lend a helping hand. These are the standouts but more evidence of great tracks can be found with ‘Pleasure or pain’ where U sounds a lot more relaxed with the beats he’s got to work with. The Inspektah deck laced ‘Glide’ also fits well with U-god under its darkness and moodiness. Also a little different is the manic production on tracks like ‘Dats Gangsta’ that instill a sense of U-gods past ferocity in the listener.

The downfall of this album is U-gods inadequacy to hold some of the songs together on his own, at times his flow sounds too forced, other times it gets to the point of embarrassment when it seems like he’s making it up as he goes along, very poorly. Examples of this can be found on tracks such as ‘Stay in your lane’ which isn’t even saved by a boring RZA beat and ‘Hungry’, honestly it can be done a lot better than what’s presented here.

There is a welcome return of the kung fu samples we all love in a Wu release, this may seem like a small thing to miss but it makes a difference in returning that Wu taste to the tracks. It seems U-God is an artist who can come correct in short bursts, in the past he has had me in awe with his attack on the mic but unfortunately U-God and most of the wu ain’t hungry no more, they don’t have that passion for killer verses. This is not a terrible album but its one that would have been better under the influence of RZA’s production circa 1995-96, when Wu Brought the muthafuckin’ ruckas. Die hard Wu fans will lap this one up, and even if you just like the Wu in passing this is worth the purchase.

U-God – Redemption review

Various Artists – The Wu Chronicles

Since 1993’s ‘Enter The Wu,’ it’s been hard to buy a hip hop album without some kind of Wu-Tang involvement. With a group as diverse as the Wu, the various members have been on tracks with everyone from AZ to Xzibit. So what would be more obvious than a compilation of Wu guest appearances, with a few album cuts and a couple of new joints on there. This, essentially, is what is the Wu Chronicles.

The format works well. Ol’ Dirty is represented well on the Alkaholik’s ‘Hip Hop Drunkies,’ Raekwon fits in well with the Cocoa Brovaz on ‘Black Trump,’ and Method Man trades tales with the late Biggie Smalls on ‘The What.’ And if you want some real Wu-Tang flavour, check out ‘4th Chamber’ from GZA’s album or ‘Wu-Gambinos’ from ‘Only Built…’ to see the Wu doing what the Wu do best: Dope posse cuts. Even the Wu-fam do a Wu-esque track when Killarmy and Sunz of Man hook up for the song ‘Wake Up.’ Although there are no tracks on the level of ‘Triumph’ or ‘Protect Ya Neck’ in terms of the amount of emcees, it does have some of the best tracks from the Wu solo albums.

Of most interest to real Wu fans though will be two previously unreleased songs. RZA, Cappadonna and Dirty are all on the demo ‘96 Recreation,’ which although it features a great performance from RZA falls down due to bare production. Fairly new affiliates the Wu-Syndicates contribute ‘Latunza Hit,’ which isn’t particularly good but isn’t really bad either. However, it pales in comparison to some of the compilation’s finer tracks.

The album does have it’s low points though. AZ sounds unimpressive as ever on ‘Whatever Happened (The Birth)’, which doesn’t benefit much from an average RZA contribution. And Ras Kass’ ‘The End’ has quite possibly the worst verse I’ve ever heard from RZA. Plus, some of the better Wu tracks from the past are conspicuous by their absence (No Meth/Redman collaboration? None of Inspektah Deck’s last few guest appearances ?).

To be honest, the compilation is worth it for it’s better moments, such as the ‘Cold World’ remix and ‘Semi Automatic: Full Rap Metal Jacket,’ which some casual wu fans may not have. And if you’re a big enough Wu fan to have all of the previously released material on this CD, you’ll probably buy it for the unreleased tracks whatever I say.

If you take a look at the track listing and see what you’ve got and what you haven’t, you can probably work it out for yourself if it’s worth a purchase. But for most people, you should at least check this one out.

Various Artists – The Wu Chronicles review

Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits review

Sort of hard to believe that it has been over 10 years since they struck with “36 Chambers” or even 7 years since they hit us with “Wu-Tang Forever.” Almost silently (and amid hosts of solo rumors, group reunion rumors, etc.), Wu-Tang Clan became one of the biggest phenomenons of hip-hop music before dissipating into nothing more than a group of has-beens or already-tried (as in, “Didn’t they already try “Iron Flag” when they made “The W?”)

Still, it is quite hard to envision the world of hip-hop without the RZA, the GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Masta Killa, Ghostface, and Method Man (whew, did I get all 9?!). And, if “Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang’s Greatest Hits” provides anything, it offers up the question: “Did these guys really have the ability to produce a greatest hits album based mainly around only 2 albums?”

From their smash-through single “C.R.E.A.M.” to the more recent clubbish-sounding “Protect Ya Neck (The Jump-Off),” Wu-Tang established themselves as one of the few groups to combine 9 separate personalities and successfully have fans skipping from one verse to the next with ease.

Whether it was ODB opining on his next dirty, doggish deed or GZA closing out a track from the anchor position and taking the baton across the finish line, Wu-Tang Clan embraced the culture and embodied the group cipher that so many other hip-hop groups have notably failed out at. Quite frankly, nine emcees within any one group is bound to have problems sooner or later – luckily, the Wu delivered four albums before facing the harsh reality of disagreements and group disharmony.

“Legend of the Wu-Tang Clan” serves as the culmination of the success of the Wu-Tang Clan with their original debut track, “Protect Ya Neck,” sounding just as dirty as ever. “Can It All Be So Simple,” “Shame On A N—a,” and “Triumph,” the ultimate posse cut, all appear in their original formats as well.

And while the “rare” cuts (“Sucker M.C.’s,” “Diesel”) add little to enrich the mystique and aura that surrounds the tradition of the Wu-Tang Clan, they certainly make the disc more appeasing to the middle-ground Wu fan that may not have caught wind of either yet.

More anthologies and series of greatest hit albums are sure to follow in the steps of the Wu-Tang Clan (solo cuts, soundtrack songs, etc.), but for now, “Legend of the Wu-Tang” stands alone as the definition of what made the Clan so effective and popular throughout both hip-hop and the popular music culture. Specially tailored to play as an introduction to the younger hip-hop fans or an accurate tracklisting of great Wu hits for the diehards, “Legend” serves a purpose aside from just keeping the Wu-Tang name alive.

12 years ago, previous to “36 Chambers” dropping, few hip-hop heads or musical heads overall thought of a “band” or group as consisting of 9 equal and talented members. But, 1993 and the Wu-Tang Clan changed all of that. Over 10 years later, that thought is alive again: no hip-hop group will ever exist again with this amount of numbers. And even if they try, Wu-Tang is a hard act to follow – or so the “Legend” says.

Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits review

Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits review

In the world of Hip Hop, greatest hits albums usually end up striking out. While some have succeeded (Gangstarr, Run DMC & Krs-One), most have failed due to record company politics (Ghostface, Cam’ron & Ice Cube). The legendary Wu-Tang Clan is the latest group to try a greatest hits album, and thankfully, the group finds the middle ground between the two extremes mentioned above.

Unlike most greatest hits, “Legend Of The Wu-Tang: Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits” is not a poor attempt by a record label to rip consumers off. Both BMG Records and the Wu have come together to release “Legend Of The Wu-Tang”, making for a solid pick up that should satisfy casual Wu heads.

The bulk of the album comes from the Wu’s classic debut “36 Chambers”. Timeless masterpieces such as “C.R.E.A.M.”, “Method Man”, “Protect Ya Neck”, “Ain’t Nothing To Fuck Wit”, “Can It Be All So Simple”, “Shame On A Nigga” and “Da Mystery Of Chessboxin” are all included, making the album worth the price of admission alone. Other classic singles from the Wu are also included, such as “Triumph”, “The Jump Off”, “Uzi” and “It’s Yourz”. However, the remain cuts hold “The Legend Of The Wu-Tang” back from truly being one of the best greatest hits compilations to be released.

While “Gravel Pit” was the group’s second single off of “The W”, I doubt any Wu fan would include it as one of the groups sixteen best tracks. The same can also be said for the head scratching additions of “Sucker MC’s” (In Tha Beginning There Was Rap”, “Diesel” (Soul In The Hole Soundtrack) and “Shaolin Worldwide” (Next Friday). For die-hard Wu fans, the additions of the aforementioned tracks will leave many with a sour face, as such standout cuts as “Impossible”, “Hellz Wind Staff” or “Rules” would have all been welcomed replacements.

“Legend Of The Wu-Tang: Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits” is a compilation that works for the most part, but in the end fails to highlight the Wu’s entire historic career. With half of the album dedicated to “36 Chambers”, it is hard to front on the quality of music. But long time Wu fans know that a real greatest hits album should be nothing less than a perfect 10, and the questionable inclusions of songs from the “Wu Tang Forever” period and on keep this compilation from truly achieving greatness.

Wu Tang Clan’s Greatest Hits review

Ghostface Killah – The Pretty Toney Album review

So Kanye said he saved hip hop… not really. The self proclaimed “Ironman” of rap a.k.a Ghostface Killah came and strong armed the rap scene. While other Wu members struggle with their solo careers (most recent flop: U- God) Dennis Coles a.k.a.

Tony Starks keeps giving the Wu-Tang Clan their credibility.

“The Pretty Toney Album” proves Ghostfaces’s consistency to change the rap game. He was able to throw out the glossy sound of rap and keep it street with producers like Wu mastermind RZA and the legendary No I.D. (The man behind Common Sense’s critically acclaimed Resurrection album) With this lethal combination, The Pretty Toney, packs a hard Wu-Tang styled punch. For “Kunta Fly Shit”, RZA goes back to the Wu formula to produce a hit. Chopping up an old Barry White Song, mismatching chopped samples until they fit like size 2 jeans on a size 12 girl…meaning they don’t fit – but is forgiven because is so well produced. Plus, he has a slew of collaborations. “Metal Lungies” has appearances by Sheek Louch and Styles P. While the RZA produced “Run” has the third member of the Lox, Jadakiss. The radio-friendly “Tush” has Missy Elliot which would have been as good without Missy because is that much of a club banger. By the time, the CD wraps up with “Love” featuring Musiq, the CD leaves you not regretting the money you spent on it.

The Pretty Toney Album proves that Ghostface is one of the most consistent MC’s in the game.

Ghostface Killah – The Pretty Toney Album review

hey say art imitates life. This is never more evident than on Beanie Sigel’s third release The B. Coming. With jail time imminent and his life on the line, Beanie Sigel took all of the pain, hardship, and struggles of his life and turned it into his greatest achievement yet. The Beans on this album is different from the one on The Reason and The Truth. You can tell from the tone in his voice and the emphasis on every bar that Beanie knew what lied ahead of him. The dark and eerie mood on The B. Coming is tense. Bean’s introspective rhymes and real life drama takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. The B. Coming will do nothing to cheer your day up, but that is the beauty of it. The album represents the pain and struggle of Beanie Sigel, as the Philly native poured his heart and soul out on every track.

The lead single “Feel It In The Air” finds Beans in vintage Geto Boys form, questioning whether his “mind is playing tricks on him”. Over Heavy D’s atmospheric backdrop and fitting vocal sample, Beans offers a variety of lyrical jewels that touch on his inner and outward struggles.

“I hear this voice in the back of my mind, like Mack; tighten up your circle, before they hurt you. Read they body language, eighty-five percent communication non-verbal, eighty-five percent swear they know you. Ten percent, you know they stories. Man the other five, I’mma show you. Just know you been pulling strings, you the puppet master. Fuck them other bastards, now watch who you puffin after. Play your cards, go against all odds. Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you still amongst those stars”.

The struggle continues on the soulful “I Can’t Go On This Way” featuring Young Chris and Freeway. Following Jay-z’s “blueprint” for soul, producer Aqua laces the track with a magnificent sample, but utilizing Gloria Scott’s “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me Or Leave Me, Leave Me”. Beanie’s epic verse touches on everything from baby mama drama, to the pitfalls of the music industry. Gone are the repetitive rhyme schemes and tired subject matter that was seen on Bean’s last two LP’s. “I Can’t Go On This Way” is proof that Beanie has stepped up his game and is providing thought provoking bars for each listener to crew on.

This is also seen on the Ty Fyffe produced “Change”. Over a compelling combination of slick violins and sparkling keys, Bean’s transports himself back in the day to when he was just a “child of the ghetto”. However, instead of offering a cliché recollection of street drama, Beanie runs through a story of an individual’s growth and change while still living in the hood. “Lord Have Mercy” is another notable effort that finds Bean’s asking for forgiveness from the “man” above. The track’s gloomy keys and harmonic hook add even more intensity to an already ominous song.

While The B. Coming’s dark vibe is present throughout, the album is not without change of pace tracks that help lighten or switch up the mood. The infectious “Gotta Have It” featuring Peedi Crak and Twista, succeeds due to its catchy hook, and each emcee’s sick flow. Brick City’s finest Redman also makes an appearance on “One Shot Deal”, as producer Bink amazes with his horn arrangement on the track. The down south influenced “Purple Rain” is another noteworthy collaboration, as Beans and Bun B reminisce about their introduction to sizzurp. But the album’s best collaboration comes from “Bread & Butter”, which features the legendary Grand Puba and Sadat X. With Just Blaze behind the boards, each emcee delves into the shady workings of the opposite sex. Unlike most efforts, the song is able to bridge the gap between the past and present of Hip Hop music.

As the album winds down, The B. Coming ends on an ironic note. His two previous albums, The Reason and The Truth ended with somber and lifelike looks inside the prison system, even though Beanie was a free man at the time. However, with his freedom in jeopardy, The B. Coming ends on a surprisingly positive note with “Look At Me Now”. Instead of another grim look inside his life, Bean’s proclaims that he has “made it”. The broad street bully reminisces about his life, all the pain and struggles, and in turn accepts it all. It is a fitting and ironic way to end the album.

With The B. Coming, Beanie Sigel cements himself as a great emcee. While he may not be as flashy as those in the mainstream light, what Bean’s lacks in commercial appeal he makes up with his introspective nature and top notch lyrical skills. So what keeps The B. Coming from being a classic? The first issue is the overwhelming amount of guest appearances. While none of them takes away from Bean’s performance on each song, in order for Bean’s to truly achieve a classic, he has to do it on his own. In addition, the Neptune’s produced single “Don’t Stop” featuring Snoop Dogg is a contrived effort that was clearly forced on Bean’s in order to gain radio and video play. Still, The B. Coming is a triumphant release from Beanie Sigel. While not everyone will embrace Bean’s substance over style approach, make no mistake about it, The B. Coming will be remembered for years to come.

Beanie Sigel – The B. Coming review

With the past year having been filled with court problems and label changes and the dust finally starting to clear in 2005, it seemed as if was a good time to drop Beanie Sigel’s third album (first on Def Jam), The B.Coming. Although the promotion was last minute, with one video and two television specials, it was probably the most he has ever gotten for any of his albums.

Beanie Sigel is one of those emcees that is well-received by his fans, yet his albums are slept-on. The B.Coming could be one of those albums, and it would be a shame, because the Beanie Sigel fans might just doze off on his best effort yet. Beanie has stepped his game up since his second album, as he showed his realer side with introspect in his life and what he is dealing with and the lyrics speak for themselves.

Two singles were released before the album dropped, with one getting a lot of love on the mix tape circuit and the other a video. “Feel It in the Air” was the first single, with dope production from Heavy D. So dope, in fact, that the beat sparked controversy between Beans and Black Rob over who would get to use it. It was the Alchemist fiasco all over again. But back to the single at hand: “Feel It” is easily the best track on the album, as Beans rip it with poignant lyrics that makes you feel his pain: “I sit alone in my four corner room/staring at hammers, ready to go bananas/two vests on me, two teks, extra clips on me/I know my mind aint playin’ tricks on me/I aint schiz homey.” Shit is hard!

Produced by the Neptunes and featuring Snoop, the second single, “Don’t Stop”, is the most mainstream track that has been heard from Beans. One moment you think that this is a pretty good track and something you could ride to, and the next moment, you’re screaming at the stereo and wondering “Why in the hell is Snoop collaborating with Beans in the first place?!” Sometimes, two different emcees coming together can do beautiful things on a track, but this is a cheap attempt at a commercial hit single.

The album has more highlights than throwaways which is always a good thing. “Bread And Butter” is one of the few collaborations that works. The story about women is often told, but the way that Beans puts it down–on a track about spending cash on women–is done nicely. The appearance of Sadat X was surprising and amusing, as he ripped his verse, especially at the beginning: “Now you know I was your bread and butter/You had a shot to my baby mother/Aint no sorry, I aint Ruben Studdard/I cant apologize multi-platnium times”.

“It’s On” is a track that at first, you skip by it, but after a couple of listens, you begin to like more and more. Plus, the appearance of Jay-Z is always nice for a track. Other album gems include “Lord Have Mercy,” where Beans explains his mindset in life and its pressure and “Purple Rain,” a cool, laid back track about a beverage that is reminiscent of the syrup Three 6 used to sip on.

Even though this is Beans’ best effort, it is not a hip-hop classic, as it does have its fair share of tracks it could do without. For this, we have Peedi Crakk to thank. The two tracks that feature Peedi are problematic from the start: “Flat line” is the typical track about looking for an enemy and pulling a trigger on the enemy. “Got to Have It” is another poor track, with plain-sounding production, an annoying hook and an average verse from Twista that can’t even help the lame attempt.

Aside from a couple of tracks, this album had the feel of realness. It was the first album I’ve heard in a long time where I could feel what the artist was feeling. It is very introspective and Beans wasn’t afraid to let you know where he was in life. Not many emcees in the game do that anymore, as they have an image to maintain, and the formula to success cannot be changed. They are scared that it will affect their SoundScan numbers. Beans did a nice job on this album, and while it wasn’t as dark as, say, Royce Da 5′9’s Death Is Certain, you could feel the emotion of Beans which sometimes gets lost in music.

Beanie Sigel – The B. Coming review

Rich moguls like Suge Knight and Sean Combs always claim the reason they’re putting out another album by their deceased artist is for their fans. Yet, these compilations always seem to feature some of the world’s most popular people. The “reason”

we’re given is that they’d want to collaborate with these artists, with the “best.” But for a second, please, lets be realistic. The odds of a collaborated album covering such an eclectic span of artists is so far from probable that the fantasy element diffuses into stupidity. Besides, who exactly thinks that collaborating with a deceased emcee is anything like collaborating with them whilst they were alive? In my humble opinion, it’s quite a sick surreal endeavour.

“Nasty Girl” featuring Nelly and Jagged Edge, produced by Jazze Pha is a perfect example of what I’m glad I can’t blame Biggie for. Whoever thought this little atrocity up should be shot. “Living The Life” alongside Snoop and Ludacris would have otherwise been a classic Biggie commercial track, but is still sub par due to Bobby Valentino’s melodramatic hook. “Hold Your Head” is another mistake, Biggie’s “Drugs” hook is re-used and paired above an over-the-top Missy Elliot flavoured track. It just doesn’t work.

“The Most Shady” and “I’m Wit Whateva” are actually decent tracks, the latter actually being quite good. But neither actually feature Biggie. The first is Eminem with Obie Trice and Puffy and the second is Lil’ Wayne, Juelz Santana and Jim Jones. They may be dedicated to him, but isn’t this release entitled Biggie “Duets”?

“Whatchu Want” featuring Jay-Z would have been brilliant had the hook been something else or not present. Jay and Biggie make a great duo, but the hook detracts from the song’s overall quality. “Living In Pain” featuring Nas and 2Pac is a gem produced by Just Blaze. Mary J. Blige contributes a great hook, but yet again, I take great issue with people at odds with one another collaborating because of technology. Arguably the album’s best track is “Just A Memory” featuring The Clipse. Scram Jones assembled the perfect remix beat to fit beneath Biggie, the hook is scratched up to perfection and The Clipse fit in perfectly.

“Wake Up Now” is another surprisingly effective track as Biggie is slapped above a typical KoRn sounding track alongside the group. Pairing him with Bob Marley was a fantasy which grew on me. Initially the re-using of “Suicidal Thoughts” vocal track left me pre-judging the song but the renamed “Hold Your Head” brought me around, the duo works. “Hustlers Story” is another noteworthy track, the song features Akon and Scarface and has quite a charm threaded through it due to Akon’s signature sounds.

Essentially “Duets” is an above average compilation, but disappointing. Hopefully Sean Combs will make enough with this album to stop exploiting his deceased friend.

The Notorious B.I.G. – Duets review

Wu-Tang Clan (ODB Tribute Tour) @ First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

“Wu- Tang, Wu-Tang”. For what seemed like hours after the opening act (I-self-divine) left the stage, a hot and muggy crowd of diversity chanted for their hip hop heroes as they connected thumbs to signal the “W,” perhaps as a way of drawing the Clan to materialize on the stage. The rumors of the Wu-Tang Clan showing up to venues with one or two members missing was beginning to become more likely in my blood-shot but wide-open eyes as every minute passed. A packed house full of sweating chanters and on-lookers were waiting in anticipation for the eight living original members of perhaps the greatest collection of MC’s ever assembled. At that moment I was not yet aware that we were about to become the willing victims of an amazing attack of energy and lyrical brilliance.

The roaring crowd erupted when the legendary emcees started arriving on the stage at 11:10 p.m. just minutes after they were expected. They spilled onto the stage one at a time performing around one minute per emcee of tracks from solo efforts with the best performance coming from Ghostface of “Be This Way” off of his classic The Pretty Toney Album. Slowly the Clan was beginning to assemble piece by piece. After ten minutes of solo performances that introduced each emcee, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, RZA, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man were suddenly all standing on stage together. Despite humors that they often don’t show up to a city with all the members in action they had made it to Minneapolis fully assembled and fully ready to perform at their best.
They played all the crowd favorites and more. “Triumph”, “Can It All Be So Simple” and “C.R.E.A.M”. Some songs were only performed for half the song such as “C.R.E.A.M” which ended after Raekwon”s verse. The positions of each member was becoming more clear the longer they performed. Most people would probably say that Method Man controlled the stage and the crowd with his energy and perhaps popularity while yelling cliché emcee performance tactics such as “The same energy you give us, were gonna give it back to you”.

However, the RZA was the master and commander of the show. Though he was often in the back or on the side of the stage when not rapping he seemed to be carefully analyzing the crowds energy and responses. And when he saw something he wanted to change he would come to the front and get the crowd more hyped. Ghostface, who many “heads” including myself believe is the greatest of all these amazing emcees seemed somewhat disappointed or shocked at the crowds response to his verses along with Raekwon for his. Perhaps Ghostface gets much more love from a crowd in New York that might better appreciate his brilliantly honest style. I wanted to hear much more from the critically acclaimed emcee but he was often interrupted by Method Man when he began to speak to the crowd. What impressed me was his calm attitude when this would occur. He would still back up Method Man immediately after being interrupted by him. Around 1:00 a.m. or so I was becoming surprisingly sober and the heat left me in desperate need of another beer but I couldn’t leave the front of the stage where the Clan continued to kick the crowd’s ass.

Towards the end of the show it seemed the crowd could barely take it anymore. Eight great emcees performing at their best was almost to much for the tired crowd to value and keep up with. Nevertheless, the crowd was giving all the energy they had left to the Clan. Method Man insisted that the crowd calmed down long enough to pay tribute to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. They performed O.D.B.’s classic “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” as well as a part of “Brooklyn Zoo”. All in all, the tribute was a short, sweet and a sincere honor to the most controversial and outspoken late member of the Clan.
As the show ended the crowd was nearly drained of energy during which RZA stood in the front of the stage promoting all of members solo or collaborative projects one by one. While promoting a kung fu movie that he composed a score for, he asked the crowd if they liked kung fu movies and the crowd erupted with an unusually agreeing reaction. A refreshingly honest Ghostface then stated “lying ass ni**as”. The members of the Clan were filing off the stage just as the crowd was filing out of the venue like mindless sheep. First Ave was nearly half empty when the RZA started to freestyle by himself yelling, “As long as there’s an emcee on stage, the show ain’t over!” At around 2:00 a.m. the RZA had finally left the stage and I felt like I’d just got my ass kicked, mentally and physically. The show was amazing and packed with energy. They all showed up and proved that their intense skill exists on stage as well as in the studio. If the greatest collection of emcee/poets/philosophers of our time are coming to your town buy a f***in’ ticket!

Wu-Tang Clan (ODB Tribute Tour) at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN live review

Remember the golden years of the Wu-Tang Clan? Remember the days of “36 Chambers”, “Liquid Swords”, “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” & “Ironman”. Those were the days when the Wu-Tang Clan was indestructible. They were on top of the Hip-Hop world

and churning out classic album after classic album. Well those days are long gone as the Wu is all but on its deathbed waiting to be put out of its misery. While each member may be waiting to release their solo ventures in the coming year or two, the group as a whole may never see the dominance they once had back in the mid 90’s. Proof of this fall from grace is Inspectah Deck’s sophomore release “The Movement”.

During the Wu’s glory years Inspectah Deck was regarded as one of the Clans sharpest lyricist. He constantly shined on every album and guest appearance, giving us amazing verses with such ease. However, since the huge disappointment of his debut release “Uncontrolled Substance”, The Rebel Ins has never truly been the same. His flow, while still sharp, has become predictable and repetitive. That’s not including his lyrical substance, which comes to a complete halt on “The Movement”. Deck was always sharp, witty and graceful with his lyricism. But all that has changed as his lyrical game on “The Movement” is all too cliché nowadays, sounding even more boring and repetitive on every track.

However, the biggest disappointment with “The Movement” is the production aspect. Once again we are given another Wu solo album with no Rza produced tracks or any Wu affiliated producers. For “The Movement” Deck searches outside his family for the production, which ultimately makes this album the worst Wu solo since Raekwon’s disaster “Immobilarity”. The problem with most of the album’s production is it portrays nothing of that distinct Wu sound we are all used to. Inspectah Deck’s “The Movement” is the first Wu related album, that really doesn’t sound anything like a Wu album. It’s almost a complete change as you wonder if you are listening to a Wu Tang album?

The depressing part about “The Movement” is a lot of the tracks on the album aren’t just bad, they are awful. On “Get Right” Deck try’s to feature a new quick, double timed flow. However, he fails miserably, as the track’s production and lyricism are dreadful. Not to be forgotten is the hook, which is a sound we never thought we would hear from Deck. “Get money, get fly, get busy, get live, get over, get by, by woman, get high, get right”. Since when has Inspectah Deck rapped about such played out topics as woman and cars? I guess Deck tried to go with the more appealing sound for “The Movement” and unfortunately Deck sounds completely out of place. More terrible efforts come from “Its’ Like That” which features more tedious and stale lyricism from Deck, as does the embarrassing “U Wanna Be”, “Bumpin And Grinding” & “The Stereotype”. The sounds of the last three tracks are especially bad, as they all feature horrendous production. Who would have thought Deck would be rhyming over jiggy, cut and past keyboard sounds for tracks like “U Wanna Be”, “Bumpin And Grindin” & “The Stereotype”. Its efforts like this that make “The Movement” unbearable to listen to at times.

Thankfully we do get some great tracks along with the vast amount of trash thrown at us. “City High” is the albums big highlight, as Deck finally gets some outstanding production from Fantom Of The Beats. The track features a great vocal sample, as the more soulful sound is one that works very well with Deck. Another soulful production effort comes from “Who Got It” produced by Ayatolla. The underrated Ayatolla comes through with the majority of the best efforts on “The Movement”, as he is the only producer on the album who provides Deck with at least some consistency in the production field. “Vendetta” & “Shorty Right There”, both produced by Ayatolla, are probably the only two tracks which resemble that vintage Wu Tang sound. Deck comes nice with his lyrical effort on “Vendetta”, while “Shorty Right There” featuring Street Life is your typical womanizing track from the Wu fam. “Framed” featuring the legendary Kool G Rap & Killa Sin is another great track, as the storytelling track about each emcees run in with the law is definitely a highlight. G Rap of course comes correct, but its Killa Sin who really shines, as his verse is the finest of the three.

In the end “The Movement” is a two-sided story, one that features some really nice tracks, and one that showcases some of Decks worst material ever. Its surprising how an album can be so erratic, as one minute we are treated to such highlights as “Framed” and “City High” and the next forced to listen to such torture as “U Wanna Be” & “Get Right”. “The Movement” just goes to show you how far the Wu have fallen over the years, and unless your name is Ghostface, you need Rza behind the boards for the majority of your LP. While die hard Wu fans will appreciate some of “The Movement”, as it features some highlights. For the most part “The Movement” ends up as one of the worst Wu solo albums in its long history. Hopefully Deck will learn his lesson and go back to his Wu roots for his next solo venture. If not he will unfortunately suffer the same fate as he does on this album.

Inspectah Deck – The Movement review