Compilation of Wu-Tang Clan affiliated artists Wu-Tang Killa Beez. Most of the beats are performed by RZA, with the rest provided by 4th Disciple, John the Baptiste, Six Mill, Doc Doom, F1, PC and True Master. There are tracks from Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man, Killarmy, Royal Fam, Black Knights, North Star and CCF Division, among others.
After a long intro, the tape is opened by "Killa Beez": raw bass, uptempo dusty drum, obsessive loops, guitar riff, wack rhythm provided by Bobby Digital. Short hook by Suga Bang Bang and Blue Raspberry (uncredited), irregular flow by U-God in the first verse, not even RZA sounds inspired in the next stanza. Rebel INS try to steal the cut in the last verse with energy. Theodore Unit rapper Solomon Childs gets a solo in "Out Think Me Now", realizing a battle with a couple of stanzas over a discreet production by Steelz, it seems a weak attempt to create a West Coast beat. Six Mil is the beatmaker of "Bar Mitzvah", Black Knights tune: g-funk synths, robust bass, scarce drum, intro, long hook by Doc Doom, verses by him, Rugged Monk and Crisis.
The beatmaker John Da Baptist realizes the production of "Doe Rae Wu": Ol' Dirty Bastard recites a hook inspired by "Frère Jacques", minimal uptempo drum, dirty strings, rough bass, sample from Sly & the Family Stone's "Underdog", hardcore rapping by The RZA, ODB rips the cut. The Abbot returns behind the keyboards in the sixth choice, a solo by War Cloud aka Warcloud of Black Knights that drops a couple of extra-verses over a minimal musical carpet. The Wu-Element 4th Disciple produces the Killarmy posse "Dancing with Wolves": robust bass, organ keys, wind sound, rough guitar riff, midtempo drum. Beretta 9 kicks the track, then Islord drops lines with an irregular, amateurish flow. Hardcore chorus performed by the leader of Sunz of Man Prodigal Sunn, PR Terrorist aka Dom Pachino delivers the next stanza with a good hardcore style. 9th Prince in the fourth verse, then Killa Sin before the last hook of P Sunn.
"Spend Money" is a solo by American Cream Team emcee Lord Superb over a rhythm created by RZA: thundering bass, dry midtempo drum, shoddy loops, the production is weak to support the regular flow by Superb. Bobby Digital invents a good soundscape for the next cut, "Take Up Space": female vocal loop, deep rough bass line, dusty drum, Lord Superb arrives almost in spoken word to provides his bars, last stanza reserved to Solomon Childs, that kills the rhythm with an inspired rap and raw flow. Doc Doom is behind the keyboards for Black Knights posse "Rollin'": thundering bass, weak drum, hi-hats, shoddy loops, gloomy beat. The RZA blesses the track with a whole verse between that one of Doc Doom and that of Rugged Monk.
The beatmaker F1 produces "Get at Me": deep and robust bass, hi-hats, poor drum uptempo, pleasant loops, West Coast vibes. 12 O'Clock of Brooklyn Zu launches the posse with an hardcore verse, Shyheim drops a couple of bars before Doc Doom of Black Knights. Shyheim return with few lines, then Prodigal Sunn kills the beat with an hardcore, dope flow. Rugged Monk closes this posse before a infinite hook. "Spit That G" is another posse, credited to Prodigal Sunn as the main author. Dark production by RZA, rough bass, hi-hats, uptempo drum, dusty strings in a tight loop, scratches. Intro and hook by Cappadonna, first verse by Solomon Childs. Other chorus by Suga Bang Bang, hardcore stanza performed by 12 O'Clock, then Prodigal Sunn comes in his wake and rips the cut. Suga Bang Bang hook, short interlude by Sunzini, then Timbo King closes this posse. In these two tracks 12 O'Clock & Prodigal Sunn forms the duo Two on da Road.
"Woodchuck" is another posse: obsessive whistle in loop, raw bass, dusty drum, wack loops. Warcloud goes with a inspired rapping here, before the stanza of Timbuktu, rapper of the Royal Fam. Hook by Crisis of Black Knights, next verse from Meko the Pharaoh of North Star that spits with a good style. "G.A.T." boasts a thundering deep bass, hi-hats, heavy midtempo drum, synths lines, West Coast vibes. The rhythm is produced by Steelz. Christbearer of North Star spits with a irregular, slow, heavy flow. Short contribute by Doc Doom, then there's a back n forth between Shyheim and Solomon Childs. The leader of Brooklyn Zu 12 O'Clock rips the cut with energy. Hook and back and forth by Christbearer and Solomon Childs, last stanza performed by Meko the Pharaoh, then others hooks with 12 O'Clock, Christbearer and Shyheim.
There's room even for a club track with "Hatin' Don't Play": discodance rhythm provided by P. Dot aka PC of Icewater, chaotic beats, poor drums, wack sounds. Intro by PC, hook by Bapteest, verses provided by ShaCronz & Freemurder of CCF Division, along with PC. Shyheim and Doc Doom spits for a lot of minutes in "When You Come Home" on a rhythm clearly discarded by The RZA. The tape is closed by "KB Ridin'". Last production invented by Bobby Digital, midtempo drum, obsessive loops, deep bass, bleek riffs. Method Man delivers in spoken, hook sung by Suga Bang Bang with lines from P Sunn & The Abbot. Even Ghostface Killah doesn't sound inspired here. In the final verse, ShaCronz can boast his whole life about having made a track with Meth & Starks on a beat of RZA.
The bonus disc gives us some pearls and other average tunes. "Odyssey" ends up in the first category: boom bap essential, light, slow, almost ballad, with flute, good spoken delivery by RZA, calm, decisive, determined, killer hook by Isaac Hayes. Then skit ("Thirsty") and "Digi-Electronics": posse track that presents an amazing boom bap essential, bouncy, dirty, good pop-like hook of Force MD's in the background, opens RZA under the moniker Bobby Digital and tries to extract a decent verse on this tune. Hook, then Doc Doom to give new value to the cut, Madam Scheez, Shyheim and Freemurder who drops a good smoothness verse. "Billy" is quite decent, a little better than the others on the original record: tight, essential, dark, intense rhythm, RZA hardcore, determined, with an almost flowing delivery, the track sounds well-made. There's an instrumental choice ("RZA Beat", without too much imagination) before the last one, "La Rhumba" remix: Latin boom bap dance, tight, essential, Fat Joe goes better than Bobby Steelz, in a track with Tical.
Four years after the previous chapter "The Swarm", Wu-Tang Killa Beez emerges with another effort. The RZA produces the whole tape and he greatly disappoints fans building what can undoubtedly be classified as one of his worst set of rhythms ever. These sleazy productions drown out every track, from the Wu-Tang Clan posses to the solos of lesser-known affiliates.
The record is performed by Bobby Digital aka RZA, U-God, Inspectah Deck, ODB aka Ol' Dirty Bastard & Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan, Two on the Road, Doc Doom, Rugged Monk, Crisis & War Cloud aka Warcloud of Black Knights, Meko the Pharaoh & Christbearer of North Star, Kinetic of Killarmy (credited with his other moniker Beretta 9 in the bonus tracks), Solomon Childs of Theodore Unit, Lord Subperb aka Lord Superb of American Cream Team, Prodical aka Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Timbo King of Royal Fam, 12 O'Clock of Brooklyn Zu, Free Murder & Shacronz of CCF Division, PC of Icewater, the Wu affiliates Suga Bang Bang, Shyheim, Cappadonna (officially inserted in the Staten Island supergroup years later), Cilivaringz aka Cilvaringz, and the external guests Intrigue, Isaac Hayes Band, Madam Scheez, Force MD's, Fat Joe and Ndira. The mains performers are Solomon Childs, Prodigal Sunn and Black Knights rapper Crisis & Doc Doom with four appearances each.
Released by Koch Records for the United States, Europe and Taiwan markets, the album comes out at a time when the Wu-Tang name is cooling off and is no longer selling as well as it did five years earlier. The forgettable commercial result of the product, despite attracting the attention of specialized critics who welcome it positively, marks the end of this type of releases by RZA.
Rating: 5/10.
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