Mathematics — The Problem

Second LP by Mathematics two years after his debut, which achieved a fair amount of sales success. On the cover the boy introduces himself as Jay-Z in 1996, at the top he places his stylized name with numbers that replace the vowels, title and in support the symbol of the Wu-Tang Clan, created by him, as big as a house, in purple, and with a purple shadow on a light blue background. Like his previous effort, the project is entirely produced by Mathematics and brings together Wu-Tang boys who need no introduction and friends of the producer.

After the intro, the album is opened by T-Slugz and Eyeslow: cheap production by Allah Mathematics, stab of strings, urgent hi-hats excessively frenetic and poor, poor uptempo drum, loose strings, dirty horns, the beat isn't bad and the regular flow of T-Slugz in his extra-verse helps you get used to the track. There's a hint of chipmunk soul sample on the hook, but the hook is gone, replaced by Eyeslow who says a few words before also performing an extra verse that only allows you to get used to the beat and little more. After a couple of minutes, when your ear gets used to it, you start to appreciate it. The sample from "(Strange) I Still Love You" by Margie Joseph is used poorly here. T-Slugz returns for the final stanza, another extra verse that drags the song to five minutes. It's not a great joint to start the album, but it's not bad either. It just makes you wonder what it would be like with the Wu boys and makes you want to skip to the next cut.

"Strawberries & Cream" is a Wu-Tang Clan posse in every way. Soft bass line, brilliant synth keyboard, perfect midtempo bare drum, strings, splendid samples. Spoken intro by Wu-Tang mentor Allah Real, then Inspektor Dek opens the track, as it happens in the best posses in Wu-Tang Clan history, with a verse focused on a love story. Allah Real in spoken acts as an interlude between the verses. There's RZA with a contribution that sounds like a stab, the boy throws down bars with a rough, raw, rigid style, following the theme set by Allah Real and Rebel INS at the beginning of the song. We get to Ghostface, practically a professor on this theme, we play at his home, and Ghostdeini drops an iconic verse with an extraordinary flow. Actually, it's a verse you've heard before, because it's the same as "Strawberry" from his track that Mathematics himself produced for "Bulletproof Wallets" (2001): whereas there Tony Starks came off topic after a dope Killa Sin verse, here the producer makes a reference to that track in the title, places a couple of additional contributions and that of Allah Real, removes the Killa Sin contribution, and sets the theme to that of GFK, creating a personal classic. Mathematics has already done something similar with Wu-Tang's "Clap" that becomes "Thank U" for his debut album, but here the result is better.

Choice number four is "Can I Rise". The beat is classic: poor downtempo drum, deep tense bass, iconic sample from Gladys Knight's "Giving Up". Inside Hot Flames, who spits three verses with a pleasant and concentrated flow. In any case, it should make you scream with anger that there's no Wu-Tang here to kill the cut. It's a shame. The beat deserved it. Panama PI aka PI is credited on "John 3:16", but it's actually a Method Man solo piece, where the boy drops bars with lethal rapping over a bouncy and essential Mathematics beat. "Winto Sno" features a hook by LS, a steady verse by Eyeslow and an unlimited extra-verse by Ali Vegas, who breaks the beat. Boom bap, heavy midtempo metallic drum, solid bass line, elegant piano keys in the background, dusty strings. With the entrance of Ali Vegas, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Mathematics, the producer welcomes him with a fresh break, while the emcee delivers bars with a smooth, effortless, steady, velvety style.

Mathematics friends Eyeslow & Buddah Bless aka Buddah, Hot Flames and Panama P.I. aka P.I. join Allah Real and Angie Neal for the posse "Two Shots of Henny", dropping verses over a forgettable bouncy beat with a sample from Margie Joseph's "Come Lay Some Lovin' on Me". T-Slugz delivers a single verse on track number eight, over bouncy production, tender bassline, heavy drum, melodic samples, crazy hi-hats, tight rapping from the interpreter who gets a moment to shine here. Wu-Tang Clan returns on "Real Nillaz". Boom bap, chopped and looped female soul samples from O.V. Wright's "A Fool Can't See the Light", dark piano, fresh keyboards, tense and dark bassline in the background, dirty uptempo drum, crazy awesome beat. Hardcore delivery, breathless smoothness from Ghostface Killah who tears the cut, outstanding. Pretty sustained and endless hook from Buddah Bless, second verse delivered by Eyeslow, then Chef Raekwon comes in with class and sends the cut among the best moments of the record with an untouchable flow, dope.

"Coach Talk" is a solo choice by Bald Head over a bouncy production by Mathematics, the track is telling me nothing despite a sample from The Nite-Liters' "Damn". Tight beat for "Rush": synths keyboards, raw bass line, dry drum midtempo, dark melodic samples. Irregular delivery provided by Ticallion, fast, spectacular flow, destroys the beat with a memorable execution. GZA shows up on the second verse, fantastic rapping, then Meth comes back to complete the piece with a closing verse, another brilliant delivery, here he sounds at his career finest, phenomenal. "U.S.A." is a huge posse on a cinematic production of Mathematics: boom bap, heavy uptempo dry drum, synths keyboard, melodic samples, dark, tense, obscure, thriller. The rhythm has time and space to breathe, then hardcore delivery of Ghostface, his hook is followed by the regular rapping of Buddha Bless aka Buddah. Short break for the entrance of Masta Killa who calmly enters on a beat that asks for a faster execution, he ignores it and continues to drop bars with his cold and lucid style. Another break also for T-Slugz in the next stanza, the boy goes down with a slow, regular rapping. Panama PI offers bars with a frenetic and urgent style sick, irregular, crazy. Hook for the last three verses, inside Eyeslow, Hot Flames and Todd, no one lights up the cut.

On a tight beat well placed by Allah Mathematics, Eyeslow joins Bald Head on "Tommy": the latter drops a couple of verses, also featuring Angie Neal and Allah Real, over a sample from The Mad Lads' "Let Me Repair Your Heart". The record offers two high points in the last two tracks. ODB croons to introduce "Break That": boom bap, nice hi-hats, dry uptempo drum, deep solid bass line, elegant piano keys, guitar riffs, sample from Keni Burke's "Risin' to the Top", uneven delivery by Ol' Dirty Bastard who makes the piece his own. Gorgeous dirty strings on the simple chorus that gives the piece its title. U-God more calmly in the second verse, regular, flowing, excellent. Master Killer closes out this Wu-Tang Clan posse with silky rapping. Then there's a hidden instrumental interlude that leads to the last track, bonus, "Spot Lite" aka "The Spotlight", another Wu-Tang Clan posse. Boom bap, midtempo dusty dirty drum, guitar riff, chunky bass line, hint of chipmunk soul sample from a classic, with chopped and looped frames of Ann Peebles' "The Handwriting is on the Wall", slick keyboards. Hook by Cappadonna, clean delivery by U-God with one of his best flows. Originally the track has a first verse by Method Man, but it seems that this has been removed in the more recent versions of the track. Inspectah Deck follows with a flowing, energetic, lively rapping style. Then Cappadonna in the last verse with an irregular, hardcore, messy delivery, he closes the album of Mathematics.

With six appearances, Eyeslow is the main guest on the project ahead of Buddah Bless (3), Hot Flames (3), Allah Real (3), Panama P.I. (3), Ghostface (3), Method Man (3), U-God (2), Inspectah Deck (2), Masta Killa (2), T-Slugz (2), Angie Neal (2), and Bald Head (2). The entire Wu-Tang Clan is present, this is also the first album of the group to be released after the untimely death of Ol' Dirty Bastard. For his second studio album, the producer has reached an agreement with Nature Sounds, also helped by GZA and RZA to complete the product. The album started out as a socio-conscious concept, but over the course of listening it takes its own direction. Tighter than the previous one, without skits, it retains some strong cuts, but there are still too many negligible tracks to make it necessary for the casual listener. 6/10.