If Russell "Ol' Dirty Bastard" Jones managed to spit something out to complete his debut studio album it's due to the one who managed to bring him into the studio at each session and keep him standing in front of the mic, his hype-man Ellery "Buddha Monk" Chambers, one of the lesser-known figures within the Wu-Tang world. In 1998, Buddha Monk released his first LP for the European market through the German independent label Edel Records, and international distribution is ensured through an agreement with Sony. The following year the album is also released in the United States with a slightly different cover, the outline around the central figure and the author's name changes from gray to white and the title name changes from white to red. The content is the same.
The production is mainly handled by Buddha Monk, along with Marcus Logan aka North Star (nothing to do with the West Coast group of the same name affiliated with Wu-Tang Killa Beez), Ill Figure of Royal Fam, Mr. Tibbs and Phat Vibe. The guests are rappers from Brooklyn Zu (Ol' Dirty Bastard, Shorty Shit Stain) Brooklyn Zu-affiliated groups Da Manchuz (Baby Face Fensta, Drunken Dragon, Redz, Manly Musa, War and Spiritual Assassin) and Zu Ninjaz (Popa Chief, K-Blunt), along with Shycronz aka Shacronz of C.F.F. Division,, Popa Wu, M.A.S.P.D. and Dutch Master.
The album is done very well, beyond the average of a Wu-Tang Killa Beez record: the music chosen by Buddha Monk is careful, precise, punctual, there's one of the best drum machine you can hear in a Wu album, several melodic samples that help the track to continue its path and hot bass lines that warm the mood of a dark thug album. This kid has been in the studio for a long time with RZA and here he proves that it was worth it. Buddha Monk's rapping isn't extraordinary, but he deserves credit for trying out several interesting and unorthodox flows and delivery styles over the course of the CD, always creating fresh pieces together with the friends of Da Manchuz, who get an important showcase for their talent, and Brooklyn Zu.
It's not easy to find tracks stronger than others on this record, because Buddha Monk manages to create a very robust and powerful effort, in which each song is on the same level as the others, with a memorable second part and building what I personally believe is one of my favorite Killa Beez projects. It seems like a "Return to the 36 Chambers" sober, cohesive and regular, but this definition is reductive towards the LP. "The Prophecy", "Royal Monk" and "Sometimes Faces" perhaps stand out the most, plus "Life's a Scheme", where an immaculate loop from Teddy Pendergrass' "Come Go With Me" elevates the track to another level: the artist creates his "C.R.E.A.M.", this is a song that would be one of the best moments on any Wu-Tang Clan album.
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