As in the films of the Coen brothers, this is a true story. It's difficult to separate the true from the false. In this review, the legendary, shelved and forever lost album by Brooklyn hardcore hip-hop group Sunz of Man will be covered. This is a familiar name if you're a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, a name that may mean absolutely nothing to you if you're not, even if the boys, in their own small way, wrote history. More or less everyone. I would say everyone.
Hell Razah has created his own strong artistic discography as a soloist, creating some albums applauded by fans ("Razah's Ladder" with Blue Sky Black Death shines brightest of all) and has been a guest on records by Killarmy ("Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars"), Killah Priest ("Heavy Mental", "The Offering"), MF DOOM ("Unexpected Guests") and especially Ghostface Killah, in "Supreme Clientele" (2000), widely considered one of the best hip-hop albums of the decade.
Prodigal Sunn has released few solo projects in his career, he has strongly supported the career of Sunz of Man, he's one of the two historical members of the group together with Hell Razah to have been present since the beginning and to have never left the group. While his solo CDs are few, powerful, but unfortunately still today totally ignored by hip-hop heads, RZA's cousin has guested on nearly every Wu-Tang-related artist's album, also taking part in his cousin ODB's historic debut ("Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version", 1995) and Killarmy's first album ("Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars", 1997).
Killah Priest has the best catalog of the Sunz guys, and is the best known member. His career gained new life in the 2020s and new classics ("Rocket to Nebula", "The Third Eye in Technicolor", "Journey to the Planet of the Gods", "The Mantra", "Mother") have joined the old ones ("Heavy Mental", often considered an underrated masterpiece in the Wu-Tang discography, "The Offering", the divisive "Elizabeth", "The Psychic World of Walter Reed"). Killah Priest has been part of numerous groups and was among the busiest of Sunz of Man as a guest, participating in the iconic "6 Feet Deep" (Gravediggaz, 1994), "Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version" (ODB, 1995) and "Liquid Swords" (GZA, 1995).
60 Second Assassin also released a few solo albums, on the other hand he never left Sunz of Man and participated in classics such as his cousin ODB's debut album, Raekwon's debut album ("Only Bulit 4 Cuban Linx...", 1995), Killah Priest's debut album ("Heavy Mental", 1998) and Ghostface Killah's second CD ("Supreme Clientele", 2000), all immense.
Finally, Shabazz the Disciple: the boy struggled to emerge as a solo artist and failed, after having thrilled listeners on the first Gravediggaz album ("6 Feet Deep", 1994), he left Sunz of Man and his career never took off.
Let's get back to this record, whatever it is. It's "Nothing New Under the Sun". Yes. Does this thing exist? Did it ever exist? Legitimate questions. I don't really care about the answer. There are dozens of different versions you can find on the internet about this album and its tracklist. I take the discogs one into consideration. There's the beauty of 28 tracks that cover a time span ranging from 1994 to 2003, therefore well beyond what should have been the release year of the original album, 1996. The songs include, in addition to past Sunz of Man tracks, some officially released on other records and others not, many songs that have one or more members of the group as guests on other CDs, like those of the cousin group Killarmy, Wu-Tang Killa Bees, Gravediggaz, Ghostface Killah, GZA and RZA.
Production is done by RZA, True Master, 4th Disciple, Mathematics, Supreme, Tony Touch and Trackmasterz. The guests are Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Masta Killa, RZA, GZA & ODB of Wu-Tang Clan, Timbo King & Dreddy Kruger of Royal Fam, 9th Prince, Beretta 9 & Killa Sin of Killarmy, Poetic & Frukwan of Gravediggaz, 12 O'Clock, Zoo Keeper & Buddha Monk of Brooklyn Zu, Popa Chief of Zu-Ninjaz, Trigga of Coney Island Gankstas (group close to Wu-Tang), Superb & Chip Banks of American Cream Team, Trife Diesel of TMF, True Master of Wu-Elements, Blue Raspberry, Trebag (Hell Razah's older brother), Makeba Mooncycle (Prodigal Sunn's sister), Havoc of Mobb Deep, Madame, Beenie Man, Earth, Wind & Fire.
1. "Jessica (Skit)" (ft. Ursula Rucker, uncredited)
No Sunz of Man in this skit performed by Ursula Rucker, sometimes uncredited. Skit later also included in the greatest hits of the group, "The Old Testament". Gorgeous production, great flute, fresh percussion, not a bad skit.
2. "Let's All Agree" (60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest & Hell Razah)
First proper cut of the record and features the four emcees who will be Sunz of Man on the group's first official LP. Thick bassline, elegant piano keys, dusty downtempo drum, great rhythm. There's no production credit. Intro and hook of 60 Second Assassin, opening verse of Prodigal Sunn with a calm, smooth, clean flow, as elegant as the piano keys. So it's a track definitely recorded after 1996, when Sunzini's rapping style changed from an aggressive approach a la RZA to a more subdued and sharp execution a la GZA, with all due proportions.
The verses of 60 Second Assassin and Killah Priest are cut and then intertwined to create a back and forth. It's something that is no stranger to Wu-Tang, RZA did it in 1997 on the group's record "Wu-Tang Forever" for the track "Deadly Melody". It certainly doesn't play at that level here, even though the beat is great from my point of view and the rap from the guys is good. P Sunn's opening verse is cut and the first part is repurposed to launch the last stanza, performed by Hell Razah, good energy. Outro. It's not the track of the year, even if it could have been very good on the first Sunz LP.
3. "Black Sleeping Beauty" (Hell Razah & Killah Priest)
The track was later released on a mixtape by Hell Razah, producer unknown. Some credit 4th Disciple and given the goodness of the rhythm, it could easily be his production, it's amazing. Acoustic guitar, good keyboards, echoing bassline, midtempo hard dry drum, great sounds, bright and beautiful rhythm. I don't know who made this stuff, but he does an excellent job here. There would also be a chipmunk soul sample at the beginning, which then disappears from the track. The track is a two-way rap between Hell Razah and Killah Priest.
4. "Shining Star (Trackmasters Remix)" (Killah Priest, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin & Prodigal Sunn ft. Beenie Man)
This is a remix of their hit which originally features ODB and Earth, Wind and Fire both replaced by Beenie Man in this remix produced by the Trackmasters. The beat sucks. The drum is loud, the rhythm was born to break through in the clubs. There's the addition of an additional opening verse by Killah Priest, who did not participate in the original song, and new original verses by Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Prodigal Sunn. Beenie Man closes the song at verse number five. Never essential for a Sunz of Man fan.
5. "No Love Without Hate" (Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, Killah Priest & 60 Second Assassin)
Thick, driving, clean, crisp bassline, dirty dusty drum, melodic samples, good piano keys. Extraordinary production of Supreme, the internal producer of the group in the nineties. This is one of the first singles released by Sunz of Man after signing to Wu-Tang Records, the third after "Soldiers of Darkness" and its b-side "Five Arch Angels". You can feel the aura of RZA, at the time executive producer of what should have been the initial project of the Brooklyn group. Nobody wants to be wrong. Nobody does. Hell Razah's simple hook, Prodigal Sunn on the opening verse, delivers an abstract stream of consciousness with a calm, quiet, even style, unusually different from the rapping he had exhibited before 1995. Hell Razah follows it with an uncertain flow. Chorus, third stanza reserved for Killah Priest, good flow on a commendable production. 60 Second Assassin on the fourth verse, then hook to end the track. Some versions leave out Hell Razah's second and third hooks and Killah Priest's entire verse, for some reason.
6. "Wake Up" (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn ft. Killarmy aka 9th Prince & Killa Sin)
Killarmy track from their debut album, "Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars", released in 1997.
In "Wake Up", b-side of the Killarmy's first single "Camouflage Ninjas", there's a homage to Henry Mancini. The RZA's first signature beat on this LP, Bobby Steels reminds us why he's one of the best producers ever. This is one of his best beats ever, never mind the Wu-Tang Clan, never mind the solo Wu records. Although this beat deserved "Ironman". It deserved the debut of Rebel INS. It's beyond, it's fantastic. The sample RZA takes for this track is the sensational "The Lonely Man" by Joe Harrell, which served as the intro theme music for "The Incredible Hulk" tv series in 1978, but that song has some piano keys that are similar to those of "Love Story" by Henry Mancini.
This is a song that reminds us that, at the origins of the Wu-Tang Clan, shortly after the release of the group's debut, another supergroup that was born of the Staten Island one had to be formed. In a similar way to what happened with the Black Knights of the North Star, the group would have called many different characters: one of the first cuts of this magnitude is "Soldiers of Darkness", released in 1995. Inside are 9th Prince (brother of RZA), Killa Sin (brother of Power, the manager of the Wu-Tang Clan), Prodigal Sunn (cousin of RZA), Killah Priest (one of the closest affiliates of the Wu-Tang Clan) and 60 Second Assassin (cousin of ODB). Nothing more was done about that supergroup, I guess that the cause was the lukewarm response received from that single, which didn't do the same numbers as "Protect Ya Neck" in the streets and didn't get a feeling similar to Wu-Tang's hit among people. Eventually, from this group two different ones would form, Killarmy with 9th Prince and Killa Sin and Sunz of Man with the other three, later both reinforced with other rappers. This track dusts off that supergroup that never saw the light: inside there are three of those five interpreters of "Soldiers of Darkness", instead of Killah Priest and 60 Second Assassin there's Hell Razah, who's another member of Sunz of Man.
Hook co-starred with Sunz of Man, then 9th Prince has the honor of opening the cut. The young rookie spits hardcore with his spaghetti style and uses the pause of the rhythm to drop some of his lyrical-spiritual-miracle flow (I realize only now that towards the end of his verse there's an epic "visual individual incriminate the criminal"...), sensational, this guy has figured out how to do it, and his à la second-rate RZA style does nothing but embellish this track. Even the rhythm itself seems incredulous of what has just been heard and perhaps itself expects the boy to drop a few more bars, because the hook comes only moments later. This short moment, it's about three, maybe four seconds, it's beautiful and that alone is worth the price of the disc, fabulous.
The hook finally arrives on those sad and melancholy piano keys that seem to come right from Mancini's "Love Story", the sample is by Joe Harrell, but Mancini's influence in that Harrell song is clear to me. Second verse to Hell Razah of Sunz of Man, second guest on the disc. He delivers bars with a rough but clean flow, not as usual. He's fantastic. Maybe too much. Unlike all the other guys who preceded him, Hell Razah recites socio-conscious and metaphysical lyrics that are typical by definition of the Sunz of Man and Killah Priest specifically, although in all solo discs of individual members of the Brooklyn group you can find similar excerpts, including in Hellraizor albums. In fact, he's carrying on the best verse of the entire album. It's a great verse. Sounds like a verse written by Killah Priest that perhaps, for some reason, Hell Razah performed on this record. If Hell Razah wrote it himself, props to him. It's Killah Priest level. He could even take the whole album with these bars.
Hook. You expect it to be the same hook you've heard twice already and then be able to pause for a few seconds before the next verse, instead Killa Sin decides to enter immediately after only one of the four bars of the hook, to reaffirm that this is an album of his property and that the others are all guests. Killarmy's emcee blows the beat away with a phenomenal kashmir flow worthy of the best Wu-Tang Clan tunes, absurd. Hook, then Prodigal Sunn has the honor of closing one of the best posse tracks by the Wu affiliates. The piece is opened and closed by two of RZA's cousins. P Sunn drops a technically challenging verse with good flow and solid delivery, trying to mend a cut already torn by the two previous rappers with lyrics similar to those of Hell Razah, different from those of Killarmy.
Last appearance of Islord on the album, uncredited, I don't even know where he is, I believe he's in the hook shouted with the others. Sensational track, there's little more to say. The guys yell random stuff in the outro and it doesn't get any better, space to the beat that deserves to breathe for half a minute like on RZA's finest records.
7. "Cold" (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn)
Sample from Maxine Brown's "Coming Back to You" to introduce the first track of the Sunz of Man album, produced by the Wu-Element and Killarmy member 4th Disciple. The boy links Maxine Brown's sample with James Brown's "Sunny". Midtempo hard drum, thick and robust bass line in the background, the producer does an excellent job and he adds a sax that sounds similar to the one featured on The Charmels' "As Long as I've Got You", however, it's there to call you back to "C.R.E.A.M.", while those haunting piano keys veer off in an oriental kung fu b-movie direction, both are references to the Wu-Tang Clan. 4th Disciple did a crazy job.
Hell Razah is the first Sunz of Man member you hear, and he's the lead rapper on every LP from the group, practically. Intro and first verse by him, his entrance is not memorable and his rapping is driven forward by a powerful bass line, while the boy enters a stream of consciousness that makes little sense and manages to pay homage to the huge newborn crew affiliated with Wu-Tang United Kingdom ("UK" in his text), encompassing all major Wu-affiliated groups, including Sunz of Man. Prodigal Sunn has a different pen, his verse is another stream of consciousness that mixes violent and street bars, with a style closer to narration. Hell Razah returns for the final stanza, still in stream-of-consciousness. Lyrically it's not a memorable cut, but the production is fantastic and elevates it among the group's best tracks. The beat breathes and no one like 4th Disciple knows how much this masterful soundscape deserved to be appreciated. Maybe RZA, okay.
8. "Concrete Jungle" (Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah & 60 Second Assassin ft. Timbo King)
RZA creates a robust beat for this Sunz of Man song from Wu-Tang Killa Bees' 1998 album "The Swarm". Excellent vibrant bass line, tough midtempo drums, melodic and dark samples. The soundscape of Bobby Steels is good even if it's not up to the standards of his productions released in previous years, the golden era of Wu. The boys settle and tear up the rhythm: Timbo King, rapper member of Royal Fam affiliated with Wu-Tang and the Sunz of Man has the honor of the first verse, which is shared with Prodigal Sunn. The Royal Fam emcee delivers a few bars in commendable, flowing style before giving way to P Sunn: the Sunz of Man rapper just sang the hook and now he rocks the beat with an aggressive, hardcore, energetic delivery, reciting a stream of consciousness similar to the one that Ghostface Killah would make famous a few years later in his album "Supreme Clientele". Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin share the second verse, delivering with a regular style over The Abbot's beat. Strong track, among the best of that Killa Beez album.
9. "Feel Like an Enemy" (Hell Razah, Killah Priest & Prodigal Sunn ft. Trigga)
While it's a GZA track from his third album, "Beneath the Surface", this track lacks GZA, giving all the space to his guests, three of the Sunz of Man and Trigga of Coney Island Gankstas. Boom bap created by Mathematics, hard, heavy and essential drum, good samples, energetic, inspired, confident, hardcore, smooth delivery of Hell Raizah. It follows Killah Priest with hardcore style, confident, smooth, unstoppable, dope, he kills the track. Trigga delivers with a syncopated, quick, raw, decent style, struggling to keep up with others, it closes Prodical Sun in a fantastic way, pulling out bars with a hardcore style, quick, frantic, unstoppable, dope, personally, it feels similar to the delivery of Ghostface Killah between Raekwon's "Only Built" album and his "Ironman".
10. "We Made It" (Hell Razah ft. Ghostface Killah, Superb & Chip Banks)
Ghostface Killah track from "Supreme Clientele", a classic cut in a classic album. This piece is a masterpiece along with the best songs on this album. The rhythm is by Carlos Broady, but if there was no credit I would believe it was an RZA beat that didn't make it into "Ironman", it's cinematic and brilliant, beautiful: enveloping, warm, wonderful loop, sample from "I Hate I Walked Away" by Syl Johnson, tight, hard, dry, perfect midtempo drum. Intro of Superb, which lets the rhythm breathe, as Chip Banks begins to sing. Then comes the break, Superb delivers as if he were at home, calm, slow, inspired, excellent flow. Chip Banks on the second verse with good energy, at the highest and most inspired moment of his career, he destroys the rhythm with an excellent flow, dirty, raw, fluid, flowing. Superb simple hook, then Ghostface Killah enters as an alien and it takes away his cut, hardcore, razor-sharp, uncatchable, he goes away. Hell Razah has the honor of closing one of the best tracks in one of the best LPs of GFK's career: the kid knows he's on album of the year, every song can be the song of the year, and takes out a burst of machine gun fire, this is one of his best stanzas, he kills the rhythm with an aggressive, fantastic flow, impossible to ask for anything better. This is one of the best Wu-Tang posses.
11. "Playing for Keeps" (ft. Havoc)
That would be Method Man's "Play IV Keeps" from his second album, "Tical 2000" (1998), a posse in which Shakwon is joined by Rebel INS, Streetlife and Mobb Deep, over a raw and hard beat by Havoc. There are no Sunz of Man present as guests, so it's a curious addition to the project. In this bootleg there's sometimes only Havoc's verse alone on his rhythm, with an outro line and the chorus performed by Streetlife, which is chopped in half for whatever reason.
The original track is an illegal choice, Wu-Tang Clan & Mobb Deep joint. Havoc's simple boom bap which is as minimal and simplistic as possible: a drum beats relentlessly and sharply from start to finish and there doesn't seem to be a sample or anything else. Johnny Blaze offers bars with a smooth and hardcore style, Streetlife and Inspectah Deck continue with the same verve, eight dope bars each. Then Havoc on his beat, he's at home, sounding much smoother and more comfortable than anyone who has before him. It closes Prodigy, also sharp, silky, effortless, dope.
12. "Collaboration" (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn ft. Method Man & True Master)
This piece, also knows as "Collaboration '98" in the Sunz of Man debut LP, is made after the departure of Shabazz the Disciple and Killah Priest from Sunz of Man. RZA lends a hand to the guys who remained loyal to him by bringing in Method Man and True Master, the latter makes the music and spits out the first verse of the track. Good rhythm with an oriental flavor of the Wu-Element, intro and hook of Shakwon, rap of True Master, who delivers combative bars with a good regular flow. Method Man draws a battle rap, he has a great voice, but his flow comes out in some forgettable way, I mean if he doesn't pay due attention and you listen to the record in the background while you're doing something else, you might not even notice that Tical is on this track. Let's say that these are not the sensations that usually leave the contributions of Method Man. Hell Razah on the third verse, then Prodigal Sunn brings energy back to the posse with another of his excellent contributions to the record. Chorus and outro provided by Method Man, if the beat wasn't produced by True Master, the Wu-Tang Clan rapper probably wouldn't be here.
13. "Stay True" (60 Second Assassin ft. Ghostface Killah)
Ghostface Killah piece from his album "Supreme Clientele", only the contribution of 60 Second Assassin is included with Tony Starks repeating the title, it lasts a few seconds. In the original song the production is credited to Inspectah Deck (one of the two Wu-Tang members not to participate on the album together with ODB), being the same as his previous year's song "Elevation": downtempo drum, agile, graceful, dusty soul rhythm, enveloping, warm, soft, taken from "Terri's Tune" by David Axelrod. It's one of the most beautiful samples on the album. Single verse recited with a velvety and inspired style, short track, fantastic, final hook sung by 60 Second Assassin of Sunz of Man, uncredited. Among the best moments of the year in hip-hop.
14. "Illusions" (Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin & Prodigal Sunn ft. Masta Killa)
Nice work by 4th Disciple on this Sunz of Man track number five, featuring the three remaining members in the group following the departure of Shabazz the Disciple and Killah Priest. Adding to the trio is a guest from the Wu-Tang Clan. Sample from Donny Hathaway's "Giving Up", chipmunk in the background for a brief moment during the intro. Guitar arpeggios, powerful bass, minimal drum, excellent rhythm. Powerful delivery from Hell Razah pulling down an abstract battle rap verse. 60 Second Assassin on the second verse with his sing-song style, sounds well on this leisurely production by Selwyn Bougard. Masta Killa enters with elegance and brings one of his best lyrics to the album, worthy of a Wu-Tang Clan album. Fantastic. Final verse to Prodigal Sunn who destroys the cut with a crazy stream of consciousness. I don't know if Dennis listened to these guys when he returned from Benin, but this guy's contribution is related to the material that Coles will release a little later as his second album. P Sunn delivers, then 4th Disciple works its magic and switches the beat with spatial fluidity, taking a sample from Bob Marley's "The High Tide or Low Tide", the Brooklyn emcee flies.
Masta Killa is the only rapper from the Wu-Tang Clan to have been part of both the debut of Killarmy and the debut of Sunz of Man.
15. "The Plan" (Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, Killah Priest & Prodigal Sunn)
Another joint present in "The Last Shall Be First", one of the few with all the four Sunz of Man rappers. Behind the keyboards, is 4th Disciple. A certainty. The guy comes with the best beat on the record. Sample from Ann Peebles' "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", powerful bass line, dusty rusty dirty tight drum, resounding violin, excellent rhythm. Hell Razah clean entrance, here he's in one of his most inspired moments, confident, sharp, energetic, mixing socio-political and pseudo-religious lines in an abstract text, to be generous. Second verse to 60 Second Assassin, which performs in a sing-song, almost sing-along style, hook, then comes Killah Priest with a narration with a social background, very fluid, silky, clear, unstoppable flow. A few bars of Hellraizor launches a new stanza chanted by 60 Second Assassin, finally closes Prodigal Sunn. Excellent cut.
16 "Shining Star" (Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah & 60 Second Assassin ft. Earth, Wind & Fire & Ol' Dirty Bastard)
Homage to Earth, Wind & Fire's homonymous song from the very first seconds, it's a sort of remake in rap. Second single from the album. BZA from the first moments as if it were a track of him, mainstream rhythm by Wyclef Jean, frontline bass, minimal drum, pop sounds that cousins ODB and P Sunn immediately bring back to the street, these guys are fantastic. The chorus is made right by Earth, Wind & Fire themselves, who hate rap, but make a big exception for Sunz of Man on this track. Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin, another hook, then second round with Prodigal Sunn, 60 Second Assassin paying homage to himself on Raekwon's record, hook, Ol' Dirty Bastard walks away, then Hell Razah on eighth and final verse completes the work.
17. "S.O.M." (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn)
Tune from Sunz's album "Saviorz Day". Producer Linx takes an excerpt from Al Green's "Love and Happiness" (track already sampled in "No Love Without Hate", the loop is different) and makes it chipmunk soul, making a robust beat, with dark strings in the background, honest bassline and a slightly weak and sickly drum to support the hardcore rap of the performers. Hell Razah delivers two verses, Prodigal Sunn aka Prodical performs the second verse, good track.
18. "Street Chemistry" (Prodigal Sunn ft. Ghostface Killah & Trife Diesel)
Props due to master The Alchemist which takes a couple of excerpts from the gospel song "In Just a Little While" by The Second Coming to create a beautiful soundscape intended for this Ghostface Killah track. The original piece comes from his album "Bulletproof Wallets", where P Sunn is credited as Prodical Sunn. The beat is ill, wonderful, perfect, Tony Starks goes hardcore with a silky style over a beautiful soft production, the Sunz of Man emcee picks up the mic and continues to flex with energetic rapping, also boasting of having participated in "Sex and the City". Trife Diesel delivers the third verse with a smooth and fluid style, Ghostface returns with a few bars and completes this two minute track which is one of the best on his album.
19. "We Can't Be Touched" (Hell Razah, Killah Priest & Prodigal Sunn ft. Makeba Mooncycle)
Song taken from a 1998 Tony Touch EP featuring Makeba, P Sunn's sister. Fifth piece officially published by the group, produced by Tony Touch and distributed by Mercury. Hard boom bap, melodic sample, solid echoing bassline, hard midtempo drum, great beat. Intro and short chorus of Hell Razah, slow almost spoken delivery by Killah Priest, Makeba's explosive rap that brings energy to the track. Hell Razah sounds inspired, better than usual, with a good flow. Prodigal Sunn ends the games with the final verse, good rapping, smoothness, dope. Hell Razah pays homage to everyone in the outro, even Black Rose Family, producers True Master and 4th Disciple and former group member 7th Ambassador. Released in 1997, it was originally the first single from the first official CD, it's then removed from the album and replaced with its b-side, "Natural High".
20. "Do You" (Prodigal Sunn ft. RZA & GZA)
This track is taken from RZA's "Digital Bullet" album and is one of the few productions that Bobby Digital guesses for that LP. Intro by Bobby Steels & Johnny Blaze, then RZA keeps everything in the family, he brings his cousins GZA and Prodigal Sunn on the track: on rhythmic and skeletal jazzy boom bap with tight looped soul sample and gorgeous sax sample, RZA spits hardcore bars with raw style, P Sunn sounds energetic and demolishes the piece, closes GZA, which sounds lazy, maybe not completely inspired, but better than Diggs.
21. "Trilogy" (Prodigal Sunn ft. Beretta 9)
Killarmy track from their third LP "Fear, Love & War", there's only Beretta 9 representing the group, while the Sunz guest P Sunn is credited as Prodical. Gorgeous production by 4th Disciple. Boom bap, loud and noisy drum, thick sturdy bassline, elegant piano, great rhythm. Regular hardcore delivery by Beretta 9, only rapper in the group to welcome Sunz of Man guest Prodigal Sunn aka Prodical. The rapper, RZA's cousin, performs hardcore with crime storytelling from his Brownsville days, solid delivery, building a good track. The excellent association Killarmy & Sunz of Man continues to work here too.
22. "False Things Must Perish" (Prodigal Sunn ft. Poetic & Frukwan)
Gravediggaz joint from "Nightmare in A-Minor". Great dark disturbing boom bap, created by Poetic: dark piano, female vocal loop echoing in the background, scary trumpet in loop, powerful and scary bassline, sparse downtempo drum. Intro by Frukwan, hook by Poetic, the original song boasts a verse by the two rappers Gravediggaz, here they are removed leaving room for P Sunn's verse only, which goes hardcore and destroys the rhythm.
23. "Lintballs" (Prodigal Sunn & Hell Razah ft. Ol' Dirty Bastard & Brooklyn Zu aka Popa Chief, 12 O'Clock & Buddha Monk)
ODB track from "The Trials & Tribulations of Russell Jones". The intro is by uncredited Zoo Keeper, also a member of Brooklyn Zu, performed together with Popa Wu, also uncredited, who performs the hook. The song is opened by Two on da Road, the duo formed by Brooklyn Zu's ODB cousin 12 O'Clock and RZA's cousin Prodigal Sunn. Fellow Sunz of Man member Hell Razah boasts the last verse on this version, while the original song also boasts contributions from ODB of Wu-Tang Clan and Buddha Monk of Brooklyn Zu. If it weren't for a terrible production, which improves considerably here, this is the song that would come closest to having replay value in the colossal squalor that is ODB's album "Trials and Tribulations", released by D3, heir to Death Row with which Sunz themselves had also signed in the same period, releasing only one, disappointing, CD, "Saviorz Day".
24 "Natural High" (Killah Priest, Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn ft. Trebag)
First single of the official album "The Last Shall Be First", released in 1998. Supreme is a genius. Sample from Al Green's "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)", booming bassline, heavy midtempo eclectic drum. Intro of Iron Shiek from Middle East aka Killah Priest, hook performed by brothers Smith, Hell Razah and Trebag, elder brother of the Sunz of Man rapper, singing hook. Killah Priest debut on the album, first verse, self-celebratory, he also reminds you that he was among the leading interpreters of GZA's "Liquid Swords", also impressing everyone on the posse track with the Wu-Tang Clan "4th Chamber" ("I judge wisely"...). Hell Razah continues with a stream of consciousness with criminal contours. Third verse to P Sunn with a short verse that sees him in the lyrical-miracle flow, then fourth verse to Trebag, who drops barre with a singsong style, Hell Razah closes again.
25. "Strange Eyes" (60 Second Assassin & Prodigal Sunn ft. Blue Raspberry & 12 O'Clock)
Track taken from "Ghost Dog", soundtrack by RZA. Good midtempo drum, guitar riff, squeaky hook by 60 Second Assassin, the Wu-affiliate Blue Raspberry sings better. The joint is closed by Two on da Road, 12 O'Clock delivering raw and inspired, Prodigal Sunn kills the cut with rapid hardcore style.
26. "Saviors Day" (Prodigal Sunn & Hell Razah ft. Madame and Ghostface Killah)
Fatal Son is credited behind the keyboards on the title track of Sunz of Man's second official studio album. Decent drum, good thundering bass, dark strings in the background, Ghostface Killah, Prodigal Sunzini and Hell Razah fantasize about a better life while Madame D sings a bit throughout the track, before an outro of 60 Second Assassin.
27. "Messin' with the Real" (60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah & Killah Priest ft. Dreddy Kruger)
Sometimes even without a title, the song boasts a dark and alienating production, solid vibrant bassline, dry drums, dark sounds. Good rap from 60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah and Dreddy Kruger of Royal Fam as guest. Killah Priest rips the cut with the final verse, dope flow. Beautiful bridge for the outro. It pays homage to Mathematics in the outro, so the beat could be by him, it's a great beat.
28. "Love of Money" (Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn & 60 Second Assassin)
Sad piano keys, plaintive vocal sample, Hell Razah intro and hook, which opens the track with a determined smooth flowing style, supported by honest midtempo drum and piano keys. Prodigal Sunn delivers energetic, hardcore, then 60 Second Assassin sings the hook then closes the track with the third and final verse.
Final Thoughts
The original album is recorded between 1993 and 1996, scheduled to be released in 1996, but due to several problems, it is no longer released. This unauthorized bootleg was released around 2004, when the Sunz of Man are held up by Prodigal Sunn and Hell Razah, in fact it sounds like a two-way effort between Prodigal Sunn, the most present emcee on the album with 23 appearances in 28 songs, and Hell Razah (20). 60 Second Assassin (11) and Killah Priest (9) appear for less than a third of the project. No trace of the other historical member of the group, Shabazz the Disciple. In addition to the tracks recorded in the mid-nineties and never released, there are tracks previously published by the group and several pieces where Sunzini and Hell Razah guest on Wu-Tang albums.
In any case, the tape is a compelling listening which combines fantastic dark boom bap production provided by Wu-Elements (RZA, 4th Disciple and True Master), which is solid and represents the Wu-sound typical of the period with hard sounds and dark ones that blend together with soul and jazz melodies, providing an ideal soundscape for the performers' hardcore rapping, to an overly abstract lyricism composed of metaphysical bars, biblical quotes, boasting and street lyrics, whose full-bodied stream of consciousness scope ends up overflowing into extravagance. Ghostface Killah, who was originally supposed to be one of the executive producers of the shelved album "Nothing New Under the Sun" along with RZA, Divine and Power, will listen to the group's cuts and will be able to contain the stream of consciousness, elevating it to an innovative structure for hip-hop tracks on his acclaimed second LP, "Supreme Clientele", a few years later. All the biggest Wu-Tang affiliates are represented, in addition to the Staten Island group there are Killarmy, Royal Fam, Gravediggaz and Brooklyn Zu.
The tape deserves to be rediscovered and appreciated by Wu-Tang Clan fans and by aficionados of the hardcore / boom bap scene of the late nineties.
Rating: 8.5/10.
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