While U-God and Cappadonna are wondering if they are still members of the group, Masta Killa solidifies his position with a compilation. It's not your generic collection of average tracks, here you are on a real Wu-Tang Clan tape, Masta Killa knows how to do it. Production mainly by Mathematics, from the slums of Shaolin, bars of The RZA, The GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah and the Masta Killa, plus affiliates Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest (both Sunz of Man), Timbo King (Royal Fam), Buddah Bless, and external guests Icarus, RA the Rugged Man and Pete Rock.
Masta Killa opens with a freestyle and homage to Iron Butterfly's "In a Gadda da Vida", leaving the original beat untouched, and delivering hardcore. The second cut is "Unstoppable Threats" ("Grandmasters"), with The Scientist & Prodigal Sunn: bouncy and very tense boom bap made by the duo GZA & DJ Muggs, GZA goes strong and P Sunn proves to be at his level and to be worthy of a place in the Clan with excellent verse and excellent delivery. It closes Masta Killa, hardcore and flowing, great track. "Scram" is an unreleased choice, boom bap dark, bouncy, rockin', with samples taken from a classic, "The Champ" by the Mohawks, good delivery of the MC. The following one features the second presence of The GZA, on a dark, bleak and somber boom bap, in which the duo delivers hardcore in a hidden song produced by Prefuse 73 ("Surrounded by Silence"). RZA & Masta Killa perform "Money Comes First", new track with dark, heavy and bouncy production, Bobby Digital is as raw and heavy as ever, MK is calmer and smoother.
From "Die, Rugged Man, Die" comes the next collaboration, with Rugged Man and Killah Priest, on a slow, funky-jazzy, heavy and hardcore rhythm by Ayatollah: this trio delivers a nice underground track. RZA puts a precise stamp on this comp with "Fam Members Only" ("Legend of the Liquid Sword"): jazzy boom bap gloomy, with tightly looped sample, the production of Mathematics could be better, but that's okay. RZA-MK-RZA, The Genius completes his song by crossing an oriental bridge. In "Brain", this boy samples "Pinky and the Brain": he really deserves his place in the Clan. The song is short and unreleased, unique vicious graphic verse, but the sample is classic, splendid. "Armored Truck" has a long history behind it, coming from an unreleased record by Timbo King (later repaired in the mixtape "Gangsta Chronicles", 2003), here in one of his first ignorant pieces, on Dev 1's funky hardcore boom bap.
Rollie Fingaz, Four-Bar Killer and Masta Killa perform alongside Buddah Bless and Icarus in "Always NY": Mathematics' funky hardcore bouncy heavy boom bap, "Love Hell or Right (Da Come Up)"'s track isn't the banger which should be, despite a good sample. "Black Mamba" is the final track of "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (2004) soundtrack, so it should be a homage to Uma Thurman's character (ndr, it's not): eight bars each between Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, Dirt McGirt and Master Killer, the first one would like to tell you about the movie, the second one saw another movie, it's just of another kind of movie, and MK is the best simply because the others before him did worse. Rhythm gives the creeps because it's so badly done, easily the worst in this tape, but in 2004, RZA had already forgotten how to make decent beats and could no longer produce. The song number twelve is unreleased, the last solo of Masta Killa, produced by the rapper himself who, seven years later, will place it for his fourth studio album: boom bap taut, dark, edgy, bridge that's a tribute to disco dance, smooth delivery, somewhat casual lyrics, functional to the rhythm. "The PJs" is a track by Pete Rock's "NY's Finest", alternative, dirty and hasty boom bap, created by the Soul Brother, dope work, with Pete Rock, Masta Killa and a Lex Diamonds in shape. An unreleased version of "Pretty Toney"'s song "Metal Lungies" closes the record: boom bap funky dystopian, sample from the classic "Nobody Knows" by The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra and Choir, excellent smooth hardcore delivery of Tony Starks, Masta Killa concludes the work.
The harvest takes about 40 minutes for 14 cuts. Wu-Tang is full here, with the exceptions of Method Man and Cappadonna. The production is solid, the rapping is robust and the record is released for the digital market only by Royal Lion Entertainment. Pleasant listening, there's the right quantity of swords and sabers, recommended for fans of the group.
Highlights: "Rhyme Time Freestyle", "Unstoppable Threats", "Just a Thought", "Chains", "Fam Members Only", "The PJs", "Metal Lungies (OG Version)".
Rating: 7/10.
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