This compilation of Wu-Tang Clan is realized inserting tracks previously released by the Staten Island supergroup members or tracks with their collaborations. The music is created by Wu-Elements, GZA, The Arabian Knight, DJ Premier, Ravi Rason, Marcus Logan, Fatal Son, Junior, DJ Spooky, Q-Tip, D'Angelo and King Tech. The guests outside Wu-universe are Gang Starr, Sic, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, DJ Spooky, D'Angelo, Bounty Killer and Spice 1.
The album is opened by "Above the Clouds". Masterpiece signed by DJ Premier, "Moment of Truth" (1998). Gang Starr are credited in this compilation and it's correct, on the mic Guru is joined by Rollie Fingerz. Genial sample from John Dankworth's "Two Piece Flower", oriental vibes, raw bass which is rarely heard during the track, dusty dirty fresh drum, obsessive loops, silky rapping by Guru that flies over this soundscape. In the second stanza, Inspektor Dek provides what is hailed as one of his greatest contributes ever. The next track is "Re-Up". Ravi Rason on the keyboards, haunting loop, midtempo bare drums, throbbing bassline. Hardcore energy delivery by Prodigal Sunn, the leader of Sunz of Man, appropriately launches the track. Shyheim on the second verse with a steady style, eclectic hook by 12 O'Clock, member of Brooklyn Zu who closes the cut with a third energetic verse. Honest battle by Two on da Road, here credited as Two da Road, a duo formed by P Sunn and 12 O'Clock, cousins of RZA and ODB respectively.
"Hip Hop Fury" is a posse from The Genius' "Beneath the Surface" featuring RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Hell Raizah of Sunz of Man, Timbo King & Dreddy Kruger, both from Royal Fam. It's also the first production from a beatmaker affiliated with the Clan, being realized by The Arabian Knight of Royal Fam: boom bap, dirty and dusty drum midtempo, haunting sample, nice work by Arabian Knight behind the keyboards. Rough and raw hook of a hardcore inspired RZA throwing Hell Raizah, syncopated, hardcore, smooth, confident, he eats the beat with good competent rapping. GZA spits the second verse, takes his time and delivers with calm, smoothness, beautiful style. Timbo King enters well and offers some bars at his finest ever, it closes Dreddy Kruger, with a broken irregular rapping.
The producer Marcus Logan aka North Star — not the West Coast Killa Beez group — realizes the beat for this joint by Buddha Monk: "Got's Like Come on Thru". Beautiful sample from Bob James and Earl Klugh's "Winding River", sweet guitar riff, elegant piano keys, deep bass, midtempo dusty drum. This is one of the finest soundscapes of Buddha Monk debut album "The Prophecy" (1998). Intro and double hook provided by Buddha Monk and Dirt McGirt, then first verse by Monk that drops bars with an irregular, energic, raw style, clearly ispired by that of his friend ODB. The next verse is performed by Da Manchuz emcee Drunken Dragon, Buddha Monk returns in the last stanza and closes this joint, destined originally for the movie soundtrack of "The Big Hit".
"In Trouble" is the first solo cut on the record and it comes from a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate, Shyheim. The young emcee lays down three verses over a memorable beat credited to Sandman but that Fatal Son claims as his own. Dirty dry midtempo drum, solid bass line, chopped chipmunk soul sample, dirty rhythm that provides a solid soundscape for Shyheim's raw rapping. The soul sample breathes for the Stapleton rapper's spoken hook. Junior pulls out a bouncy production, quite subdued for this Wu track, "Three Amigos (If It's On). Method Man snatches the cut as usual, then room for King Just and Sic, no one can reach Tical despite their efforts. Forgettable rhythm. The track first appears on Popa Wu's album "Visions of the Tenth Chamber" (2000), later it's also included on a King Just album, "No Power on Earth" (2005). The seventh choice "N.Y.C. Everything" boasts a boom bap, dirty dusty drum, messy and noisy, honest sample. Poor hook by RZArecta, hardcore, inspired and confident delivery of the same MC, then comes the first guest rapper of the edition, The Method Man, and the record makes a decisive turn: Johnny Blaze delivers with a smoothness, raw, effortlessly fluid style, bringing out a dope flow with which he vaporizes the other performer, closing with an outro that is actually a better hook than the one provided by Bobby Steels.
The album takes a sharp turn in "Rumble" when Leatha Face, Rebel INS and Method Man show up under the production of True Master: boom bap that finally breathes the Wu-sound, dirty dusty quick dry drum, sad and gloomy piano sample, compelling True Master loop that puts on the table one of the best rhythms of the edition. U-God knows that he's about to be buried by the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan, he has practically always been like this since before the start of his career. So, he decides to wake up, finds energy, personality and a rough and decent flow in his opening verse. He performs a ridiculous chorus, easily more acceptable than all the others, then there's Leatha Face's second verse, hardcore and energetic delivery, but metrically uncoordinated and disordered, at first too early on time, at the end too late. The verses of Rollie Fingers and Johnny Blaze aren't among the best of their lives, but they deliver them much better than the previous two performers and help create one of the best joints on the album, and consequently, of U-God career. They are both effortlessly flowing and prove to have a far superior "lyrical miracle spiritual" game to anything Golden Arms has demonstrated so far.
The choice number nine is "Dangerous Mindz": 4th Disciple behind the keyboards for this Gravediggaz joint taken from their second LP, co-produced by The RZA. Fresh flaute, sweet guitar riff, soft vocal sample, scarce drum, robust bass. Extra-verse both by Poetic & RZAreactor, closes a final stanza performed by Frukwan. "To the Rescue" has a boom bap production realized by True Master, midtempo harsh drum machine, raw bass, dissonant piano keys, the rhythm isn't great. Lucky Hands opens the track with a honest rapping, his fellah Leatha Face goes hardcore, then U-God drops a third verse with a slow style. It follows a track where Sunz of Man member Killah Priest goes solo over an experimental soundscape created by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and remixed by The Genius. Masada rides another experimental production in the next pick, this time produced by DJ Spooky: the emcee from Brooklyn drop a single verse, killing the rhythm.
Meth & Red joins D'Angelo on "Left & Right", record produced by Q-Tip. The braggadocious battle of Redman and the sexual one of Ticallion aren't telling me anything. RZA Remix of "Eyes a Bleed" is one of the few interesting track of the whole tape. Deep, robust, vibrant bass, dusty drum uptempo, slick piano keys, amazing work of Bobby Steelz behind the keyboards. Masta Killa joins Bounty Killer in this joint, dropping just a verse with a dope rapping style. Blackjack creates an interesting musical landscape for "Hard to Kill": bright and dark mobb beat, Spice 1 delivers hardcore, Method Man follows with a smooth, clean flow. Simple hook, Spice 1 comes back and destroys the track. One of the strongest cuts on the compilation. King Tech & The Alchemist are credited in the production of a Wu-Tang Clan freestyle performed by two members of the Staten Island supergroup. Maximilian contributes with a couple of stanzas, Noodles completes the track. P. Dot aka PC of Icewater produces the posse "Only 4 My Niggas", a sort of Black Knights cypher performed by Crisis, Doc Doom & Rugged Monk. Along with them there are the guest Sandman with the second verse and sometimes is credited PC. The rhythm is bouncy, fresh, lively, with West Coast g-funk vibes.
Two years after the release of the first installment, RZA returns to release a compilation of tracks from Wu-Tang Clan and the group's affiliates in order to create a new showcase for the boys, even if the Clan's name is quickly cooling off in the game. The project boasts the presence of Wu-Tang Clan (Inspectah Deck, GZA, RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, U-God and Masta Killa), Sunz of Man (Hell Raizah aka Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn & Killah Priest), Royal Fam (Dreddy Kruger, The Arabian Knight & Timbo King), Brookyln Zu (Buddha Monk & 12 O'Clock), Drunken Dragon of Da Manchuz, King Just of Shaolin Stars, Leatha Face of Hillside Scramblers, Shyheim, Gravediggaz, Redman, Black Knights, P.Dot of Icewater and Sandman. Prodigal Sunn & 12 O'Clock are present as members of the duo Two on da Road aka Two da Road. The main emcee is Method Man with five tracks.
Released by Wu-Tang Records, distributed by Priority, the product doesn't replicate the results of its predecessor and struggles to generate sales, even if the most avid fans of the double v take the album to the charts (far on the pop chart, #31 among rap records). In the end it's a pretty fine compilation, devoid of that Wu-Tang sound you would expect, a little blander here, devoid of strong points.
Rating: 6.5/10.
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