Four and a half years after his controversial debut and a year after the Grammy episode, Russell Jones releases his second and final studio album. The production is made by many guys including RZA, Neptunes and Irv Gotti with three beats each, Buddha Monk with two beats, Mr. Fingaz, DL, Flavahood Productions and True Master with one beat. Guests are Brooklyn Zu members 12 O'Clock and Shorty Shit Stain, Wu-affiliate La the Darkman, Kelis, Lil' Mo and Chris Rock.
Chris Rock refreshes the album from the start, opening crazy à-la Dirt McGirt, then ODB delivers sickly on an essential Neptunes boom bap, deranged along with the comedian. There's a very sick hook, then Osirus closes singing. Unlike previous producers, who favor an alternative and post-modern pop sound, Irv Gotti focuses heavily on mainstream pop and brings out a tense, very heavy and bouncy boom bap that almost stifles Ol' Dirty Bastard's sick delivery in the second song. There's nothing to do, the boy overcomes himself by endlessly repeating the hook in one of the many absurd songs of the edition, the rhythm is poor here. Jones sings again in the third choice, on a bouncy but quiet production of the Neptunes, then Kelis arrives on "Got Your Money", the hit of the project. Affordable yet bouncy boom bap conceived again by the Neptunes, at their latest beat on this LP, super sick delivery of Ason Unique, gorgeous and awesome killer hook by Kelis, fit with the production, then ODB continues to deliver like a dope fiend on acid and the heavy bouncy, bleak rhythm helps form and maintain this vibe. The single is a great classic of his discography, Dirty Dog spits bars in a crazy way almost freaking out and creating a sort of absurd semi-classic.
Track number five features the second rhythm provided by Irv Gotti, in collaboration with Mr. Fingaz: bouncy and skeletal jazzy-soulful production, another sick song owned by BZA, who now decides to rap with a light-hearted, syncopated and bouncy flow. His homie Buddha Monk provides a simple, skeletal jazzy beat for "Gettin' High", posse with Brooklyn Zu group members 12 O'Clock, Shorty Shit Stain, Zu Keeper (uncredited), and Wu-Tang affiliate La the Darkman, while ODB doesn't take part in the piece. Producer Irv Gotti leaves an imprint that recalls his best moments in mafia rap records with a very tense and mafia-like musical carpet built together with DL, the style of Dirt McGirt between rapped and sung sounds almost completely unfit on this production. The title track features the first rhythm provided by RZA, the first guest artist of the Wu-Tang Clan to appear on the record, arriving after almost half an hour: his rhythm isn't memorable, it's tight and annoying, somehow the Brookyln rapper manages to spit on it and carries on the tape.
The soundscape chosen by Buddha Monk for "Dirt Dog" is minimal, dirty and weak, the rapper performs effortlessly and appears more inspired in the following song, when RZA gives him a skeletal and bouncy boom bap, another of his rhythms that sound originally as scraps. Billie Holiday's cover "Good Morning Heartache" is the highlight of the project: essential light jazzy beat by Flavahood Production, deep soulful hook by Lil' Mo, ODB sung with her for four minutes, classic cut. True Master makes one of the best productions in "All in Together Now", Ol' Dirty delivers sickly here too, closing the tape madly and wildly with "Cracker Jack" on the weak third beat provided by Bobby Digital.
Released by Elektra and welcomed by mixed reviews from insiders, the album is a great commercial success, tenth in the pop chart, second among rap albums, certified gold in three months. Ol' Dirty Bastard confirms himself as a divisive artist and builds another album as controversial as the previous one: the boy is at his best, pure and still appears as drunk, crazy and under drugs as before, if not more than before. On a production that, due to the profound difference in vision between the individuals, immediately becomes very irregular, BZA spits bars so incomprehensible, confused and weakly conceived as to cross over the abstract, focusing faithfully on themes already addressed in the past, such as alcohol, drugs, crime and sex. His senseless lyrics are performed with a poor rapping style, when he isn't singing or talking. Lil' Mo and Kelis deliver great R&B moments and help create some of the album's best moments, while the guest rappers aren't memorable. RZA is the only member of the Wu-Tang Clan to participate in the edition and his choice of rhythms is bad, the boy is in one of his worst moments ever. Qualitatively unnerving and too distant from the debut, there are few things really appreciable even for the Wu-stans. Not recommended, 4/10.
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