Sunz of Man — The Old Testament

In 2006 the Brooklyn hip-hop group Sunz of Man released a greatest hits album to consecrate their journey in hip-hop. The album features songs recorded between 1994 and 2006, taken from a good number of different projects. The guests are Method Man, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah & ODB of Wu-Tang Clan, Killa Sin & 9th Prince of Killarmy, Madam D, Ursula Rucker, MC Eiht of Compton's Most Wanted and Earth, Wind & Fire. The production is mainly created by the group's historic beatmakers Supreme and Dropsect, along with 4th Disciple, RZA, True Master, Joe Loops, Platinum Brothers, Fatal Son and Wyclef Jean. A couple of years after the release of the previous effort of the group, "Elements", the note cover for this record state that Shabazz the Disciple isn't part of the Sunz of Man, now composed by four emcees, namely Killah Priest, Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin.

1. "The Genesis" (Killah Priest & Shabazz the Disciple)

Although the name of the song has changed, this is "In the Beginning", a song recorded in 1995 and originally intended to be the outro of the album "The First Testament", later present in the bootleg and also included in the album "Elements".

Almost a Shabazz solo cut, with a couple of final bars from Priest and the outro from him. Boom bap production provided by Dropsect, boom bap, vibrant bassline, melodic samples, tight dry drum. Shabazz comes in with good energy and delivers a few bars, Killah Priest is reserved a couple of lines, then the guy does the outro. This is a track of The Disciples (of Armageddon) aka D.O.A., a short-lived duo formed by Shabazz the Disciple and Killah Priest, but the act didn't find the success the duo hoped for, and they soon disbanded.

2. "All We Got (Edit)" (ft. Madam D, uncredited)

The second track comes directly from "Saviorz Day", the group's second official album released in 2002. As the title itself announces, the track is edited, dropping from the original three minutes to one. The beat is the same, here credited to Joe Loopz, sometimes credited to Linx. Whoever is responsible here did a great job creating one of the best rhythms on the album, beautiful: brilliant samples and loops, drum wisely mitigated in the background combined with an intriguing fresh bass line that provides a solid basis for the soundscape and for the fluid rapping of the performers. Hell Razah immediately enters very well and delivers with a slick style, splendid rap, sounds inspired and elegant, looking back on his career with Sunz of Man. The following hook by Madam D, uncredited by the way, unlike the original song, closes the song, effectively excluding for unknown reasons the contributions of Prodigal Sunn and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate La the Darkman (this last rapper's verse had already been changed in the original track).

3. "Rivers of Eden" (Hell Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn & Shabazz the Disciple)

Also this cut, like the introduction of this compilation, only changes the title of the track compared to the original one, deluding fans who buy the album that it's a new original track, when instead it's a now classic song from the catalog of these guys. "Rivers of Eden" is in fact none other than "Deep in the Water": it's quite understandable even if you've forgotten what the beat sounds like, because "deep in the water" are precisely the words with which Killah Priest opens the first verse. The song is present in "The First Testament" bootleg and in the reissue released in 2004.

This is one of the earliest Sunz of Man tracks ever, originally released in 1995. Dropsect second production on the record: heavy bassline in the background, dark, dark piano loop, dirty dusty downtempo drum, beautiful beat. Killah Priest at his best on these kinds of beats gives one of his best performances, pulling off a stream-of-consciousness narrative filled with biblical references. The same cannot be said for Hell Razah, who delivers as he wants, even too fast for the tempo of the rhythm, flow ok, decent stream of consciousness, but he doesn't prove to be completely suitable for this type of production. Prodigal Sunn's raw, dirty, rough, rusty flow, hardcore delivery, again not exactly suited to the beat, but still better than Hellraizor. Shabazz closes going away hardcore, shouting, madly performs his verse and he has good reasons being a dark verse.

4. "Five Arch Angels" (60 Second Assassin, Hell Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn ft. Shabazz the Disciple, uncredited)

Historical track, because it's the only one to have the five emcees of the group after the release of 7th Ambassador, namely Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, who just joined Sunz of Man, and Shabazz the Disciple, who briefly returns to the group after leaving Da Last Future shortly before. Also, it's probably the only track released by Sunz to have Shabazz and 60 Second Assassin together as member of Sunz of Man, although Shabazz is sometimes credited as a guest. The guys are recording songs for their debut album "Nothing New Under the Sun" and are releasing this song as the b-side to their lead single, "Soldiers of Darkness". Both are produced and mixed by 4th Disciple for Wu-Tang Records. A short extract of this piece is inserted as outro for the first studio album officially released by Sunz of Man in 1997, "The Last Shall Be First".

Phenomenal production by 4th Disciple, vibrant bass, dark and gloomy samples in the background, dry, hard, heavy, dusty midtempo drums: splendid flawless underground rhythm, surrounded by sad violins in the background. Intro to 60 Second Assassin, delivering the first verse with a great slow and regular flow. Shabazz the Disciple follows immediately with a more fragmented, raw, rough, chopped style, more energetic than 60 Sec's delivery and which contrasts with the fluidity of the beat. Hell Razah takes his time for the third verse, not jumping in right away like Shabazz. The guy delivers energetically with an erratic and swaggering, slow, hardcore style. The cut takes a break with a brief Killah Priest interlude and the beat breathes, then Prodigal Sunn delivers with a hardcore, untied, ragged, his verse is noticeably shorter than the others for some reason even though he kills the cut like the others. Killah Priest returns for the final verse and closes it with an outro. There are no hooks.

This is one of Sunz of Man's best cuts ever.

5."Soldiers of Darkness" (Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest & 60 Second Assassin ft. 9th Prince & Killa Sin)

The cut is a rarity because it has never been included on an official studio album until now by neither Sunz of Man (it's featured on some bootleg versions of "Nothing New Under the Sun") nor Killarmy. In 1995, Sunz of Man released their first single, "Soldiers of Darkness / Five Arch Angles", two of the group's finest tracks ever, both produced by 4th Disciple.

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: it's thought that this could be the basis for a group of elements at least as large as the Wu-Tang Clan, with the beats made mainly by 4th Disciple, but the idea is soon shelved even given the lukewarm response of the public. 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: the two Killarmys are joined by other emcees from Steubenville, Ohio, and 4th Disciple becomes that group's in-house producer, while Sunz of Man, who already have their in-house producer in Supreme, continue their journey on their own, they're already in enough.

Sensational production by 4th Disciple. Powerful driving bass, impeccable dusty midtempo drum, immense samples, sound of vinyl creaking in the background, female choir in the background, dark piano loop, melancholic rhythm, sad, dark, gloomy. Short skit movie, then 9th Prince introduces the cut by announcing himself as Madman and also shouting out his big brother RZA. Killa Sin flies on 4th Disciple's crazy production, some of his best ever, with an effortless silky flow. 9th Prince enters hardcore and delivers aggressive and raw, a totally different style compared to the velvety one of Killa Sin. Prodigal Sunn comes in raw and delivers with a drunken ODB style, effortless, erratic. Killah Priest picks up the mic and delivers slow, clean, clear, precise, different from the three previous performers, he waits for the drum, he waits for the rhythm, he delivers almost as if this were a sermon, if he were reciting a sermon in church, almost in spoken word. 60 Second Assassin, forgotten by 9th Prince in the intro, he closes the track with the fifth verse also reciting almost in spoken word, with a rough, dirty, unclear, not clean style.

Like in his b-side, even in this track there are no hooks. This is one of the few choices without Hell Razah.

6. "No Love Without Hate" (Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, Killah Priest & 60 Second Assassin)

This track is present in "Nothing New Under the Sun" bootleg record, but it was never inserted in any official Sunz of Man albums before this compilation. 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.

7. "Combination of Death" (Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest & Shabazz the Disciple)

Surprisingly, this is a track you should know if you've listened to even one album by the group because, apart from a few bootleg versions of "Nothing New Under the Sun", this is a piece that is present in every official and unofficial Sunz of Man album. It was inevitable that it was also present in the greatest hits, precisely because it's one of their best tracks ever and one of the first: produced by Dropsect, this song is "Writing Rhymes With a Liquid Pen", also known in the following years as "Write and Rhymes With a Liquid Pen" and "Elements", which gives the title to Sunz of Man's third official studio album.

This is a song recorded around 1995 by The Disciples aka The Disciples of Armageddon (D.O.A.), a duo formed by Killah Priest & Shabazz the Disciple who released this track on vinyl in 1997 on the minor label Gotta Pay Da Rent Recordings. The track features the Sunz of Man as guests, represented by Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn, because Priest and Shabazz are no longer part of the group at that time, although Priest was present as a credited member when Sunz of Man released their first solo album in summer 1998.

The track features the same performers as the previous song, four of the original rappers of the B'klyn group, instead of 60 Second Assassin there's again Shabazz the Disciple. Dropsect production, vibrant bass line, dry, very hard, ruthless drum, downtempo, extraordinary melodic sample, Dropsect invents one of the most beautiful rhythms in the group catalogue. Killah Priest flies on this splendid soundscape, excellent flowing, silky, clean, dope flow. Shabazz the Disciple on verse number two, with a calm, smooth, flowing flow, good delivery. Killah Priest introduces Shabazz as "the Holy Wizard", another of Shabazz's several aliases. The third stanza is one of Hell Razah's best imitations of Shabazz, who's clearly paying homage to him here.

His flow looks good, I think a lot of the credit goes to the soundscape, even if the guy is still doing a great work, this time he can make his flow run as much as he wants, the beat accompanies him pleasantly. Prodigal Sunn enters straight leg, shouting totally, purely hardcore, allowing himself to easily distinguish himself from previous performers: he creates an evident dissonance between his agitated, hasty, raw and rough style and the beat which is calm, calm, glossy, clean. Fantastic, excellent cut, among the best in the Sunz of Man discography. Even without going through the credits, you can figure out how this joint is recorded before 1996, because P Sunn is still shouting his bars as if he were in Da Last Future, then in time he will adopt a style more similar to that of Killah Priest and GZA in both execution and lyric research.

8. "Jessica (Skit)" (ft. Ursula Rucker)
Skit that serves as a intro in some versions of "Nothing New Under the Sun". There's only Ursula Rucker, sometimes uncredited. Gorgeous production, great flute, fresh percussion, no Sunz of Man present here.

9. "Valley of Kings" (Hell Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn & 60 Second Assassin)

Song recorded in 1995/1996, taken from "The First Testament". All four rappers from the first LP are present. Supreme behind the keyboards. Haunting keyboard loop, multiple layered keyboards, electric guitar riffs, dilated flute loop in the background, perennial, driving bass line in the background, dry, sparse, midtempo drum. Excellent beat by Supreme. Great calm smooth flow by Killah Priest. Prodigal Sunn with his first calm contribution on the record, then accelerates, but without shouting as in his previous contributions, which all seem to be recorded before 1996 when he was still in Da Last Future mode, where everyone was screaming and he was the loudest. Here we see how his style is evolving and calming down after listening to "Liquid Swords" more than to "Purple Tape". The first two emcees focus on biblical and religious texts, and in any case around those themes, then Hell Razah hits the hook and with the third verse of the track, gets things back on the street as usual, in the ghetto, his contribution doesn't follow the theme imposed by the other two nor that of the title. However, he's energetic, boasts a good flow, inspired and confident here. The track is closed by 60 Second Assassin, singsong delivery, good flow, again in line with what was proposed by Priest and Sunn. Excellent cut.

10. "The Law" (60 Second Assassin, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn & Hell Razah)

Track from "The First Testament" with the four group emcees who made the first LP, so recorded after 1995. After two tracks, P Sunn and Hell Razah return, the pillars of the group from the point of view of mere presence. Supreme's excellent rhythm, lively sax in the background, vinyl crackling sound, sparse, dusty, dirty downtempo drum, kicking dust off the street, good powerful bassline. Slow, calm delivery by Killah Priest. Hook sung by 60 Second Assassin, P Sunn's clean flowing delivery, boasting a different style than his pre-1996 cuts. Hell Razah on the third stanza, smooth, raw, good flow. 62nd closes by singing the final verse.

11. "Sin of Man" (Killah Priest & Shabazz the Disciple)

Track from the original disk "The First Testament", the cut is also known as "The Sins of Man".

Haunting beat by Dropsect, who does an excellent job here. This is a production that would fit perfectly on the Gravediggaz album, and indeed there are two guest performers on that record, Killah Priest and Shabazz the Disciple. Very cold dark piano key looped, there are multiple overlapping piano keys, creepy female laughter, forgotten scratches, burlesque dark violins, finger snap loop that sounds like a kick or vice versa, drum in the background, from a shadow behind a wall in the dark pops a killer bass. The drum waits for something to happen and that something happens moments later, in fact. Manic entrance of Shabazz, bassline thickens, irregular delivery, unorthodox, rapid, agitated, creates panic, excellent spectacular style in a clearly cinematic cut.

There's no hook, unlike the original where there was a short hook and three Shabazz verses. Right here this track becomes one of the most curious of the Sunz of Man. The album should have been released in 1999 and the song sees the two exiles from the group, Shabazz the Disciple, who left it way back in 1995, and Killah Priest, who hasn't been part of the group unofficially for at least two years, since more or less 1997, when he began recording his solo debut album, focusing almost exclusively on that and leaving the crumbs to the Sunz of Man guys for the official debut album of what was to be his group, he was the leader, undoubtedly. Also because Hell Razah and Prodigal Sunn were much younger and certainly more inexperienced than Lord Messiah.

Killah Priest's verse replaces what was Shabazz's second verse in the original song. Priest doesn't start right away, he intelligently leaves room for rhythm and track, and he creates a sense of tension in the listener, what's next? Then he enters, with a style similar to that performed by Shabazz, agitated flow, more regular, more flowing, spectacular, he too manages to create and maintain a feeling of restlessness in the listener, also thanks to the beautiful production of Dropsect. Shabazz comes back with his third verse, the same as in the original cut, and gives another jab to the track, great flow. Killah Priest returns for the final verse, bloody, suffering, scary flow, sublime performance by the boys. The emcee refers to Shabazz as "the Holy Wizard" in this instance. The soundscape breathes over half a minute and he definitely deserved it, Dropsect was a genius here.

This is a rare cut without Hell Razah, the third and last. Instead, for both the performers (Killah Priest and Shabazz) is the last appearance in the tape: until this moment, Killah Priest was everywhere, having clocked in nine tracks out eleven, and was the Sunz of Man member most present in the compilation by far. Impressive choice, one of the finest in the Sunz of Man discography.

12. "Inmates to the Fire" (Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn & 60 Second Assassin)

Piece taken from the first official studio album published by Sunz of Man in 1998, "The Last Shall Be First". Dreddy Kruger is sometimes credited, sometimes not. This track is originally recorded in 1995, but after the RZA basement floods, the boys have to redo the track: originally, Killah Priest is on the track, but due to him now recording his own solo CD, the guys are unable to reach him, so they complete the piece without him. It's unclear what guest Dreddy Kruger of Royal Fam's role is here, possibly in the outro. RZA behind the keyboards, delivers one of his darkest beats ever, cinematic, worthy of a horror movie. Powerful bass line that weaves in the dark, pale skeletal drum, few cold piano keys, melodic rhythm that boasts a terrifying loop in the background. Prodigal Sunn opens the games with a hardcore verse delivered in a hurried and rough manner. Hell Razah seizes the momentum and somehow gets one of his greatest performances in this CD. 60 Second Assassin to the last verse, hardcore, totally inspired, goes away. One of the best joints on the disc.

13. "Next Up" (60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn & Hell Razah ft. Method Man)

This is another tune taken from their first official LP. Soundscape painted by True Master, booming bass, tight drum, melodic sample, great rhythm. 60 Second Assassin and Prodigal Sunn aren't overly impressive this time around, there's room to shine for Hell Razah. It's at least curious that the few times someone in the group lets their guard down and leaves a glimmer of Hell Razah to embiggen over everyone, someone always arrives to overshadow him irreparably: this time the task is up to Johnny Blaze. Yes, Method Man returns to spit on a True Master beat on this record, and this time he redeems himself by dropping slashes with an inspired, lively, fluid delivery style that finally lives up to his name, elevating this cut among the best on the CD.

14. "Intellectuals" (Hell Razah & 60 Second Assassin ft. Raekwon & U-God)

Third cut in a row taken from "The Last Shall Be First", produced again by the Wu-Element True Master, who was the major producer of the Sunz of Man debut. RZA helps the few remaining in the group by bringing in a lot of Wu-Tang, here are Chef Raekwon and Lucky Hands to lend a hand to the boys. 60 Second Assassin's intro, Flaming Ember's "Mind, Body and Soul" loop, powerful bassline, midtempo dusty dirty drum, awesome melodic sample, this is one of the best beats of the project.

Chef Raekwon is the emcee on verse number one, he delivers totally in confidence, smooth, dope flow, he resists the urge to drop mob bars for half a verse, then he has to give in. Hell Razah follows, always influenced by the guys who are with him in the booth: throughout the disc he spat abstractly, not to say confused, lyrics written in a sort of battle rap that mixes religious, political, criminal and bragging references. Now, he has to follow Raekwon's verse, then comes his spell: Hell Razah manages to place, in a single verse, criminal bars, boasting, religious references and materialistic mafia-inspired boasting (champagne, women, money, murders), which has never been considered lyrically in this project up to this point (except for a couple of functional references to the Gambinos to complete some verses), and that reaches its peak when he mentions Bugsy Siegel.

Hook by Golden Arms, a short verse chanted by 60 Second Assassin which is almost a natural extension of the hook. U-God returns and he jabs the edge with a hardcore verse delivered with confidence and style, the boy raises the Wu-Tang flag as high as he can. Final hook and outro both by Hell Razah, skippable. Excellent track in any case, among the best of Sunz of Man.

15. "People Change" (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn ft. MC Eiht & Madam D)

Track taken from "Saviorz Day". Production by Linx and The Platinum Brothers. Thunderous bass, dusty midtempo drum, sparse, a little sparse, good loops, good samples. Intro by 60 Second Assassin, uncredited, hook by Madam D. Prodigal Sunn's introductory verse which he delivers with an effortlessly loose, light-hearted, smooth style, good flow on an honest, discreet and mild production, without infamy and without praise and without pretensions. Honey hook by Madam D. Hell Razah on the second verse, energetic, hardcore, slow flow, raw, good. Guest MC Eiht of Compton's Most Wanted in the third stanza completes the tune with a good, slow flow. Outro by 60 Second while Madam D continues to sing.

16. "Saviorz Day" (Hell Razah & Prodigal Sunn ft. Ghostface Killah & Madam D)

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.

17. "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 debut 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.

Final Thoughts

Hell Razah is the most present emcee on the album, with 13 appearances in 17 tracks, followed by Prodigal Sunn (12), 60 Second Assassin (9), Killah Priest (9) and Shabazz the Disciple (5). This compilation does not mention its own label, but it's independently released via Green Streets Entertainment and in addition, the track "Next Up" isn't stated on the track listing. 70 minutes of music, this compilation comes close to representing the best of the group in their ten year career, however, there's still something missing.

Rating: 8/10.