Haven’t done one of these in a while…..
Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuttin’ . . . Rage Against the Machine
Actually, ODB really ain’t nuttin’ ta fuck wit’ . . .
Haven’t done one of these in a while…..
Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuttin’ . . . Rage Against the Machine
Actually, ODB really ain’t nuttin’ ta fuck wit’ . . .
Seems like the perfect picture for these rapid-fire nuggets . . .
I love, love, love this free album. It’s got everything: Smart lyrics, actual content, and great beats and flow. It’s also got a theme: It’s about (guess what?) the greedy Wall Street lifestyle. It even has a tribute to Gordon Gecko. Reminds me a lot of 3d Bass.
E The Real has done a few missions for Stones Throw (home of MF Doom), but this one he’s let out the bag for free at Bandcamp.
Get the whole thing here.
G.R.E.E.D.Y – E the Real feat. Timmy Wiggins (Prod. Paul Mighty)
Flat Caps and Fedoras (Prod. Paul Mighty)
Shadrach Kabango, a.k.a. Shad K., raps about love. He’s also got actual instrumental ability, which is all too rare among hip hoppers. He’s not a Native Tongue rapper in sound, but he’s one in feeling. If you like the music in the video, buy the whole platter here. The video is frickin’ hilarious:
Tags: Free Album!, Hip Hop, Picture of the day, Wu Clanner
A bunch of you-probably-need-to-hear-this mixtapes have dropped recently . . .
First, foremost, and most anticipated is the fourth and final Raekwon mixtape, Vatican 4. Volumes one through three were pretty much stellar–or at least remaerkable. I haven’t listened to the whole thing yet, but check out this track . . .
I Wish I Had a Bigger Gun (direct dl)
Second, is Game’s advance-of-the-album mixtape, R.E.D. Room, by the great DJ Skee. Game’s first album–and the mixtapes before and around that record–are some of the best mainstream gangsta rap in history. Since then, the quality of his releases has dipped. Sometimes dramatically. He keeps trying to sound like other people, losing his own voice, and how many times can he shout out other guys. We get it, you like Dr. Dre and you have no love for Fiddy. Still, I always give his stuff a listen because when he’s on fire, he burns.
Gangs of N.Y. with Jadakiss and Jim Jones (direct dl)
A little more off the beaten track is Theophilus London’s, “I Want You” mixtape. I found it here, and I’m glad I did . . .
Lastly, this ain’t no mixtape, but is a release without a barcode . . .
Dispicable-Eminem (freestyle) (direct dl)
Tags: Hip Hop, Mixtape, Wu Clanner
1. Cover Me’s tribute to covers of Lady Gaga! Go here and check out the tunage.
2. GHOSTFACE RnB Fish. Mixtape by DJ Lord Finesse. Cop it here.
3. Win the new Rogue Wave album here.
4. A bunch of covers of You Keep Me Hangin’ On are at Versions Galore.
5. B.O.B.’s album release date has been pushed back. So he leaked a track. Cop it.
6. The Mixtape by the Kanye West endorsed CyHi Da Prynce. Here.
7. RAS KASS-Endangered Lyricist mixtape. Cop it here. Ras is one of the vastly underrated underground rappers.
Tags: Covers, Go away, Hip Hop, Mixtape, Wu Clanner
Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx (a.k.a. “Linx”) is easily one of the most important, and best, single-artist original mixtapes of all time. It’s right up there with Lil’ Wayne’s, “Dedication,” Clipse’s, “We Got It 4 Cheap,” and the first couple mixtapes by Young Jeezy. These works defined the mixtape as a street album, a place where artists could establish themselves or, in the case of Raekwon, redefine themselves. On Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx, The Chef and his partner, Ghostface Killah, established their ability to work without the Wu Tang Clan (even if most of the key Clanners participated). So, what is Rae trying to by releasing a sequel, over ten years later?
He’s trying to save rap.
Raekwon (and Ghostface) pretty much created mafia rap, a genre that tells raw street stories. Unlike gangsta rap, Mafioso hip hop focuses on the good and the bad, without glamorizing bling and drug dealing. It’s “conscious,” in the sense that it is aware, but does not qualify as “conscious rap” because it makes no apologies and doesn’t seek to convert bangers away from the life. The reach and influence of this style, which grew out of Slick Rick’s storytelling, is huge. In many ways, Ice Cube’s old, first-person NWA stories were a response to Raekwon and Ghostface. Where Rae and Ghost can be crude and violent, they were never self-indulgent. Of course, from NWA came gangsta rap and from that came just about everything else.
So how does Raekwon’s return fare in this modern era? Amazingly well. It’s a true-to-the-game, blistering joyride that never stops moving. It’s like he released it days, instead of years, after Cuban Lynx I.
Of course, as far as age and credibility go, Raekwon has the advantage of never having been a blockbuster, never having sold himself based on his abs or his cameo appearances, and, frankly, never having appeared to have sold out. Sure, he’s made buckets of change off of Wu Tang alone, and the first Only Built mixtape eventually got a proper album release, but he’s always remained (or at least appears to have always remained) humble. On Linx II, he’s up to his old tricks, telling tales comparably grimey and raw—and in some cases, like “Gihad,” even more intense than ever. The guest shots are ubiquitous and pretty much excellent without exception, with contributions on the mic or the boards from, among others, the surviving members of Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Beanie Sigel, Slick Rick, Busta Rhymes, Marley Marl, Erick Sermon, Cappadonna, J Dilla, Jadakiss, and, of course, Ghostface. The only obvious person missing is Nas, who doesn’t appear
(for personal reasons) on “Verbal Intercourse 2.”
Pretty Toney fills the same role he had on Linx I, peppering Raekwon’s heavy/serious tales with bizarre and violent poetry. He’s like a very intelligent and versatile hype man who is capable of holding his own. GFK deserves to share title billing on this album; that he didn’t fight for it is a testament to his obvious love for Raekwon and for Hip Hop as an art form.
Lyrically, Rae and Ghost (and friends) are still full of choruses that chant about money and guns, and they still throw in head-scratchers (“Our guns is chunky,” e.g.) and tell vile stories with humor and aplomb. One minor quibble: The beats here are no longer primarily Cuban. “Surgical Gloves” sounds middle Eastern, and there are Asian influences on several other tracks. But don’t take this as a complaint. The music is fantastic. It’s just that calling it “Cuban” Linx is a little misleading.
Misleading title aside OB4CL2 is easily one of the best records of the year.. The second half of this decade may be remembered as the year that many old-timers returned with new claims of relevance: KRS-One and Buckshot teamed up and released a strong album, even if it didn’t break new ground for either of them. Jay-Z tried (some would say tried too hard) to return to form. Nas said hip hop was dead, but then kept putting albums out. Clipse have struggled to release Until The Casket Drops and, more famously, Dr. Dre still hasn’t brought Dretox. Oh, and Wu Tang released easily the worst album of their career, and in the process showed their ugly sides. Several Clanners have shown a steady decline in the quality of their solo work as well. Even Tupac has run out of decent material.
Only Raekwon’s return is a certifiable classic. It should remind everyone why the 1990s were the best years for rap, and why The Chef and Iron Man deserve to be remembered as the greatest rap duo of all time.
New Wu (feat. Method Man and Ghostface Killah)
01) Intro
02) Staten We Go Hard
03) Trenchmen
04) Pop Champagne (Freestyle)
05) Criminology 09
06) Yessir (Feat. Crooked I & Ghostface)
07) Wu Ooh
08) Stick Up Muzik
09) Blood Missles (Feat. Az)
10) History
11) Very Well (Skit)
12) White Lines
13) State Shoutout
14) SuperFly (Skit)
15) Real Talk
16) Once In A Lifetime (Feat. Mika)
17) Resolution
18) Watch How You Talk to Me
19) Spook That Sat By The Door
20) Rae’s Letter To B.I.G
21) Where’s The Money (Skit)
22) Flawless
23) The Setup
24) Attention (Skit)
25) Heat Rocks
26) Rotate (Freestyle)
27) Renaissance Rap
28) Get It In (Freestyle)
29) Guerilla Rap
30) Realer (Feat. Maino)
31) Give It To Me (Remix)
32) Words From The Chef (Outro)
(Thanks, Smoking Section!)
Tags: Hip Hop, Mixtape, Wu Clanner
J-Love’s Hidden Darts series are some of the best mixtapes ever.
This year brings us volume 5. Enjoy.
I’d appreciate any diggs, stumbleupons, or any “hearts” at Hype Machine.
Ghostface – Hidden Darts Vol.5 (Hosted By J-Love)
1. (00:00:18) – Track 1
2. (00:02:29) – SLEPT ON TONEY
3. (00:01:39) – A.B.C
4. (00:03:47) – WU OOH FEAT RAEKWON & METHOD MAN
5. (00:02:01) – CRIMINOLOGY PT 2
6. (00:03:16) – DA G HIDE
7. (00:03:08) – THE RICH FEAT RAEWON
8. (00:03:36) – WHAR FEAT KOOL G RAP & RZA
9. (00:03:20) – BARRELL BROTHERS FEAT BEANIE SIGEL & STYLES P
10. (00:03:59) – FULL METAL JACKET FEAT J-LOVE , MEYHEM LAUREN , WIGS & TRIFE DA GOD
11. (00:03:53) – AMSTERDAM FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & WIGS (PRODUCED BY J-LOVE)
12. (00:03:46) – SHAKEY DOG (RMX) (PRODUCED BY J-LOVE)
13. (00:03:26) – CHINA TOWN FEAT M F DOOM
14. (00:02:39) – TRIALS OF LIFE FEAT PRODIGY
15. (00:02:40) – MESSAGE FROM GHOSTFACE
Tags: Hip Hop, Mixtape, Wu Clanner
The best posts on this site are the ones that piss people off. At least those are the ones that I find the most interesting, and that tend to have longevity in terms of drawing readers and comments. Like my “Best Indie Albums Ever” post that still pisses off hundreds of readers a week. That post was a poll–I asked you all to vote and published the results. This post is not, but I’d love to read your comments. I’m sure many people will say Jay-Z is overrated, but i just can’t agree. Dude has mad variety in flow and lyrical content, is able to mix college-level political theory with street-level slang, and has sustained a career for decades. The criteria for an overrated rapper have to be that the guy is famous, respected (i.e., people put him on top 10 lists, etc.), has been around for more than a few years, and has a tight following. In other words, they have to actually be rated well. This means that the artists on this list do have skill–I’m not throwing artists like Nelly up here because all they did was make pop for a few years and then fade away. None of these folks should be ashamed of who they are.
They’re all very talented.
They’re just not as talented as everyone says they are.
They’re just not as good as everyone says.
Why do I make these excuses? Because I asked about a dozen rap bloggers to contribute to this post, and most were too scared sign on. Only two agreed, and their contributions are included below.
Dig in.
10. Timbaland/Akon.
The bottom rung of this ladder is occupied by two producers. Is that a copout? Maybe a little. But these producers are collectively responsible for about 75% of the irresponsibly saccharine hip hop that has diluted the art form and changed it from a refuge for street poets into an echo chamber. Or, even worse, a sideshow. Pussycat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, Tweet, Brandy, Stefani, Timberlake . . . All projects that used rap as little more than a way to give the featured artists some sort of credibility. Timbaland is a master at selling the hip hop art form for far less than its true value, just to make another dollar 
he probably doesn’t even need. And if any of you have heard the leaked Jay-Z tracks from his coming album, you’re probably as worried as I am that Timba found a way to slay Hova. The beats are weak as hell. As for Akon, his latest album merged hip hop with pop to completely rape both genres, taking only their most stereotypical, cypher-like qualities. It was too offensive for the 12-year-olds it was marketed to, and too infantile for anyone with more than a grade school education. I’m not a t00-serious humbug or a killjoy, either. Any regular reader of this blog knows I dig lighthearted pop, and I’m not easily offended. But an art form should make up its mind what it wants to say–it should have a message and a meaning. And although they’ve worked well with rappers in the past (Timba’s Missy Elliott work is brilliant), Timba was also responsible for “Ayo Technology”–possibly the worst 50 Cent hit in history. And Akon’s “Smack That” marks the precise point in time when Eminem completely fell off. Timbaland and Akon, whether working solo or with other artists, are pure formula: This worked before, so we’ll do the same damn thing again, without any thought or consideration about what a particular artist might need. A good producer is willing to hang in the back and let the artist shine–but to Timba and Akon, the artist is irrelevant. And both started strong, too. Akon’s first album, written while he was in prison, was a great example of how rap and R&B can merge effectively, cohesively, and create a powerful work of art. Timbaland’s early work with Missy E is nothing short of stupendous, because he let her do what nobody but her has been able to do with him since: Take center stage and rock the mic. He’s never been that good again.
9. Wale. Wale has been called the greatest rapper since Jay-Z, but I have yet to hear understand what all the hubub is about. The guy has a decent flow the first few times you hear him, until you realize that that’s all he can do. His rhymes aren’t creative or interesting, and the Seinfeld gimmick “Mixtape About Nothing” was aptly named. It was thin and boring. Every other artist on this list has proven himself to me on more than one occasion, but Wale has yet to bring it. I think people really want him to be a big underground success story, and he’s riding the crest of a wave of expectation, but if he can’t put a single album together, and he hasn’t yet, then I have to ask: What’s the big deal about Wale? Oh, and just who is it that called him the greatest since Hova? That unparalleled hip hop tastemaker, GQ Magazine. I rest my case.
8. Method Man. Here’s another one I just don’t get. Method Man crossed over into bad movies and bad T.V., but what has he done since 1993? In fact, what has he done since he did his best work, which was also his first real work? Was anything on “Tical” anywhere near as good as M.E.T.H.O.D. Man off of “Enter the Wu: 36 chambers?” And was Method Man even the best part of Wu? Like Nas, Method Man is still riding off his initial brilliance, never since showing improved skills, versatility or breaking new ground. And MM’s inability to live up to his legend is made all the more obvious when you compare his post-36 Chambers work to that of so many other Wu Tangers who went on to make amazing solo album and who continued, for years or even decades, to move hip hop forward: Ghostface (Supreme Clientele, Fishscale), RZA (producing every good Wu solo album from the 1990s) ,GZA (liquid swords), Raekwon (Cuban Links) . . . even ODB continued to grow creatively. Method Man even took a pretty skilled artist, Redman, teamed up with him, and basically ruined him. I defy any of you to listen to “Blackout” straight through. Method man is waaaaay overrated. In fact, if more people respected him, he’d be a lot higher on this list. As it is, too many people revere him. I wonder if they ever actually listened to any of his albums more than once.
7. Buck 65 and Aesop Rock. Buck and Aesop don’t suck, but once you’ve heard one of their albums, you never need to listen to another one. There are better white rappers out there (Beasties, Eminem, MC Serch). There are even better underground white rappers out there (Slug, Eyedea, El-P). There are even better Canadian rappers out there (K-Os, Abdominal, Kardinal Offishall). Aesop is intelligent and crafty, but he doesn’t move the crowd, and that goes double for Buck 65 who is more of a beat poet than a rapper. I get that they’ve both made some good singles and Aesop even made a couple pretty good albums, but do they really belong in discussions about the best rappers around today? No, they don’t. And yet, I frequently find them the subjects of such discussions. They are overrated.
6. M.I.A. Okay, Paper Planes and Galang are hot as fire, but is M.I.A. really to blame for that? The beats are hot as fuck. I think Bob Dylan could read the phone book over those beats and still have a hit. And can anyone with a penis listen to an entire M.I.A. album without gagging? This is hip hop for chicks. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it also doesn’t make it good. It also doesn’t make M.I.A. a rap star. There’s lots of talented female MCs out there, and M.I.A. doesn’t even come close. BET named her the best femal rapper of 2009? Please. Lauryn Hill’s lame cheese from the “Surf’s Up” soundtrack was more hip hop than Kala. Not to mention Remy Ma, Rah Digga, Jean Grae . . . M.I.A. is a pop star who has managed to convince everyone that she’s a rapper. As a pop star, she’s great. (But arguably not as great as Santigold.) As a rap star, she’s, say it with me now, overrated! (And Santigold is a better rapper, too.)
5. Lil’ Wayne. First off, I give props to Weezy’s work ethic and his wilingness to release tons of shit for free. Mad props for that. But if you have better-than-average skills (which he does) and an offbeat imagination (ditto), and you throw enough crap at a microphone, you’re bound to strike gold sometimes. But can any of you name a solid Lil’ Wayne solo album? You can’t, can you? (And don’t say Carter III, you’ll only expose yourself as an ignoramus.) Lil’ Wayne makes singels, but outperforms his own studio work with his own mixtapes. And overexposes himself to boot. While I appreciate free music on mixtapes, and I enjoy me a good “Prostitute Flange” now and then, I recognize that he’s not nearly as good as many other artists out there who control their output and only release a record when they’ve really got something to say. Wayne talks too much. He should lay off the sizzurp and get some focus.
4. Snoop Doggy Dogg. Snoop’s creeping, sneaky, brimming-with-danger delivery is a major reason why The 
Chronic is one of the greatest albums of all time, and why Doggystyle is probably in the top 50 as well. Not to mention Snoop’s debut track, Deep Cover, which may be one of my top ten all-time favorite rap singles.
But since then, he has had absolutely nothing on his mind except smoking weed and making money, and that’s commercialism, not art. He’s not a great rapper, he’s a great product. Dre found Calvin when he got out of prison, wearing a backpack and blue jeans, and Dr. Dre turned the lanky pothead into a superstar. To paraphrase Jay-Z, he’s not a businessman, he’s a business, man! With 20-something records under his belt, he averages one or two good songs per album (even less, lately). That just does not make him a great rapper. His stuff is weak, lazy, and formulaic. Plus, he’s responsible for The Eastsidaz AND the Dogg Pound. Shame on you, Snoop! You’ve been around as long as just about anyone who is recording today, and you have a grand total of one good album. The rest of them all suck, every one. There may be a few decent club bangers here and there, but not a single good album. You are vastly overrated.
And I’m not the only one who feels this way. One of the two rappers brave enough to take a stand in this post says . . .
“As much as I love snoop for his personality and song ideas- as a rapper’s rapper– I don’t need to hear more rhymes about Lincoln Continentals.”
Haldan of Palms Out.
3. Gucci Mane. I’m gonna let my buddy Jeff do the talking here:
“Let’s be clear: I don’t hate Gucci Mane. In small doses, Radric Davis is perfectly tolerable, even occasionally enjoyable. Gucci Mane stretched over an entire mixtape or album? It’s the aural equivalent of trying to eat pizza three meals a day. At first, it’s awesome but by the 22nd time, you feel bloated, indolent and suspect that you might be too old for these sort of harebrained schemes.
The defense is that the streets want Gucci. That’s fine–the streets also want Coldplay, Kings of Leon, and Nickelback. It just depends what street you’re on. Don’t try to tell me that he’s a thesaurus wizard because he compared a jewel to a tomato. That doesn’t mean he’s a genius, it means he walked into a supermarket. Here are several other similes that you could compare a jewel to: a radish, a red hot, Satan’s ass. See, it’s really not that hard. It’s fine if you like Gucci–more power to you–but trying to turn him into the second coming of Nas is absurd. I say we compromise: Gucci is a poor man’s Juvenile. Ha.”
Jeff of Passion of the Weiss.
2. 50 Cent. Fiddy rose on the strength of one song: How to Rob an Industry Nigga. It was pure genius, and it was coldly calculated to move units. In it, he namedropped every pop and hip hop star in the top 40, the diss record equivalent of a gonzo porn film: All cum shots and blow jobs. After that, he took beats that Dr. Dre was too lazy to use for himself and Eminem didn’t need, and used them to augment fairly weak lyrics on a hit album. And then, after that, he got worse with every release. There’s one thing 50 does great: Hooks and banter. “Go shorty, it’s your birthday!” “G-g-g-gee Unit!” “I’m a muthafuckin’ P-I-M-P!” All cool as shit. But what about the lyrics: “She dances for dollas. She got a thing for that Gucci, that Fendi, that Prada.” “This town’s one big pussy, waitin’ to get fucked.” It’s all crude and obvious lines. 50 makes hooks, not songs, and he makes singles, not albums. On top of that, the only things he can rap about are getting drunk, getting rich, and robbing people. Is that really all that’s on his mind? Doesn’t he love his children? Has he ever regretted anything? Can he just drop one honest bar? Just one, I’m not greedy. Rap is supposed to have elements of self-revelation and exploration–all the best do it: Jay-Z has his “Song Cry,” Nas mixes in politics and empowerment, and Eminem skins himself alive every time he hits the mic (except on his last album). I’m not trying to discount the volume of sales 50 Cent has generated: The man is a monster, no doubt. But there’s no way he deserves to be considered a great rapper. He’s a caricature. An action figure. A corporate shill. There’s more to good rap than a chorus.
1. Tupac. Makiavelli is a brilliant record, from start to end, and “2pacalypse Now” doesn’t suck, either. And the man knew how to make rap hits–real rap, too, not crap watered down for the radio. Plus, to be fair, after he died they released every rough draft, piece of shit, and phlegmy cough the man ever did on mic, making him the only person dead or alive who is more prolific than Lil’ Weezy. But even if we limit this to an examination of his five official albums, he just doesn’t measure up to the title of “Greatest of All Time,” which he is so often given. Other than Don Killuminati, there are at least a half dozen better records that came out at the same time each of his studio platters dropped. Take 2Pacalypse now, for example. That same year, 1991, also brought us the nothing-short-of-brilliant Ice Cube album, Death Certificate, and his cousin Del’s ingenious I Wish My Brother George Was Here, as well as Step Into the Arena, Effil4Zaggin, De La Soul is Dead, Ice T’s magnum opus O.G., Cypress Hill and Naughty By Nature’s eponymous debuts, and Apocalypse ’91. All better records. Of course, 1991 was a watershed year for hip hop. So let’s check out 1993, when Pac brought Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. Can that record, track for track, even compete with Midnight Marauders, Enter the Wu Tang, Doggystyle, Enta Da Stage, Masta Ace’s Slaughtahouse, or even Ice Cube’s Lethal Injection? If you were a fan of 1995′s Me Against the World, you should have been listening to Liquid Swords, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, The Infamous, or Da Shining. And even if Pac wins the 1995 contest, and I admit that one is close, his 1996 All Eyez on Me pales in comparison to The Fugees’ debut album, Hova’s Reasonable Doubt, and OutKast’s ATLiens, not to mention the competition from Ironman, Here to Save You All (by the vastly underrated Chino XL), It Was Written, Illadelph Halflife . . . Tupac was a very good rapper, but he was an even better folk hero. Let’s not let the legend overeclipse his talent. If Pac hadn’t been shot, most folks wouldn’t put him in their top 10s. Top 20, maybe, because he had such a dynamic personality, but he’s outclassed in flow by Jay-Z, Eminem, Chuck D., Bun-B, Biggie, Q-Tip, and even Obie Trice and Project Pat. He’s outclassed lyrically by KRS-One, Masta Ace, Biggie (again), Talib, Mos Def, Eminem (again), and MF Doom. And he’s outclassed as a gangsta storyteller by Vinnie Paz, Mobb Deep, Nas, Slick Rick, Ice Cube, and Jay-Z. And those are just the folks I can name off the top of my head.
Pac was good, but the greatest of all time? No. As a rapper, he was, that’s right, overrated. And given the legendary status he’s managed to attain, he is inarguably the most overrated rapper of all time.
Tags: 50 Cent is Whack, Hip Hop, Wu Clanner
Raise ‘em up if you were disappointed by 8 Diagrams! Anyone not raise their hands? Then you don’t know shit about Wu Tang Clan. I’m happy to say, though, that The Razor, a cornerstone of New York’s most talented collective, hasn’t lost his skillz. Released on the independent Wu Music Group, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is the second soundtrack to the groundbreaking Anime series. Cartoon Network has done some great things with music, and this is yet another. Not a traditional soundtrack, the album contains fully formed songs and fantastic rappers. There’s “You Already Know,” which features Kool G Rap and Inspectah Deck; “Blood Thicker Than Mud,” which samples Sly Stone’s “Family Affair;” Whar w/Kool G Rap, Tash, and my personal pick for the most talented Wu banger, Pretty Toney, who goes by Ghostface Killah on this track; and a key spot by Rah Digga, Bitch is Gonna Get Ya, which really shows off this underrated female rapper’s ability. And best of all: No useless snippets.
This is the best rap album of the year so far. It’s early in 2009, only January, so it’s easy to say this, but don’t take it too lightly. There’s a lot of strong, classic-sounding Wu on here.
Whar-Kool G Rap, Ghostface, Tash, and RZA
Classic Wu:
Wu Gambinos-Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Rza & Masta Killa.
Tags: Hip Hop, Wu Clanner
Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin’ to fuck with! From December 2007. Live rap is rarely great (and this ain’t either), but it’s often interesting (and this is).
A few tastes, then a zip.
Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit
Da Mystery of Chessboxin’
Fish (Ghostface)
Duel of the Iron Mic (GZA)
It’s Yourz
Liquid Swords
Ice Cream
Incarcerated Scarfaces
One Blood Under W
Do You Really (Thang Thang)
Cash Still Rules
Protect Ya Neck
As My Blood Runs Black
Tar Pit
Method Man
C.R.E.A.M.
Spoken tribute to ODB
Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Brooklyn Zoo
Triumph
Tags: Hip Hop, Wu Clanner
5. Ghostface Killah-Big Doe Rehab.
21. Wu Tang Clan-The 8 Diagrams.
How the fuck does GFK do it? Album after album, he consistently brings the best beats, and wittiest verses, in all of hip hop. And instead of bringing in name-dropping cameos to add a verse after he’s done, he truly collaborates with his guests, punctuating their verses with his own characteristic, breathless rants. This year–nay, this very month–Pretty Toney made the ballsy move of competing with his own band: And slammed their impressive, long-awaited reunion album right down to the streetop.
But even if the full Wu couldn’t compete with its lone member, The 8 Diagrams is far from disappointing. In their first studio release since the death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, GZA, RZA, Method Man, Raekwon, U-God, Inspecta Deck, Masta Killa, and Ghostface Killa reform like Voltron to produce their second greatest album ever. RZA is still brilliant in both his choice of beats and his complex, layered approach to hip hop: A great Wu Tang song is marked not only by the rough, rugged, and often paranoid lyrics of whichever master is at the mic, but by the understory told through the music. And the individual members are in fine form too, as if they know that this album could very well be the launchpad for the success of their future solo work—or, just as easily, it could sound a death knell for subsequent success. Method Man, one of my least favorite of the Clan, brings his best work since Enter the 36 Chambers on the lead track, Campfire, and even U-God shows skills on the drug anthem, Get Them Out Ya Way Pa. I admit, I was concerned by the underwhelming single, While My Heart Gently Weeps, featuring Erykah Badu. GFK had already taken The Beatles on, several times, on mixtapes, and his stuff was just . . . Better. But when I heard the track again, in the context of the full record, it worked for me.
I read an article that quoted Ghostface as saying the following about 8 Diagrams: “RZA is fumbling the ball. . . . His music wasn’t sounding like how it was when we first came in. And it’s hurting us. People want that old Wu-Tang shit, but you tryin’ to make new shit—tryin’ to play live instruments, instead of just goin’ to the crates and just do what you do best. You still a master at what you do, but right now you ain’t lookin’ like that master, ’cause you tryin’ to do other stuff. We were just upset with the way things was comin’ out.”
But in the same article, Ghost defends Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come because an artist in his late 30s can’t be expected to sound like he did in his early 20s. He has to grow up. Diagrams is RZA’s Kingdom Come. It’s still dark and thick and disturbing, but it uses a live band and longer musical clips—it represents the DJ as a songwriter, rather than as a hook-maker. I will probably get lots of hate mail for saying this, but Diagrams is Wu’s second best album. Like their first, it takes risks by delving into new styles and featuring almost ballad-like soundbeds. It’s a much better album than everyone else says it is.
There’s been lots of talk about “concept rap” albums this year, between Lupe, NaS, MF Grimm, and Jay-Z, and I’m a fan of all those releases, but both Big Doe Rehab and 8 Diagrams are organic albums that don’t need a concept. They are best heard in a single listen, and that’s not because they adopt characters and tell a story over the course of the album. It’s because they are created by true artists who understand that only half of storytelling involves words—the other half is mood and delivery.
As for mp3s from these albums, they’re RIAA releases, so you’ll have to be content with a mixtape track and a live show (a repost).
Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin To Fuck With-Rage Against the Machine
Clientele Kidd-Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe (Remix) (Mixtape)
Celebrate (Mixtape version)-Ghostface
Set It Off (Big Daddy Kane cover) (live)-Ghostface
Go here for a full live Ghost show!
Tags: Hip Hop, Wu Clanner
https://sites.google.com/a/mogmusicnetwork.com/mmn-quantcast-tag/