First album from the crew Wu Tang Killa Bees aka Killa Bees (or with the z as a variant). Also known as "The Swarm, Volume 1" or simply as "The Swarm". The cover features RZA PRESENTS at the top, the name of the crew below, a bee in the center of the cover with the Wu-Tang symbol and other bees on the rest of the cover; below is the title of the tape and a rectangle that promises new songs from the Wu in this compilation.
According to the liner notes, the production is entirely handled by RZA and The Wu-Elements are credited as co-producers on the entire project. The beats are provided for the majority of the album by Bobby Digital, with the rest provided by Mathematics, Inspectah Deck, G. Hall, The Blaquesmiths and DJ Devastator. The liner notes state that Killa Beez are represented by: Black Knights of the North Star (at the time a single West Coast rap supergroup that later split into Black Knights and North Star), AIG (a duo formed by AllahWise and Darkim Be Allah), Ruthless Bastards, Remedy and The Beggaz.
However, the performers on the album come from all the Wu-Tang Clan affiliates at this time: Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Mastakilla aka Masta Killa, Bobby Digital aka RZA, Method Man and Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man performs with their three members Hell Razah, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin, Killarmy with their three members Islord, Killa Sin and Dom Pachino, Royal Fam with a solo by leader Timbo King, Wu Syndicates who is represented by a solo by rapper Myalansky, Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Cappadonna, who comes from being the main guest on their double album "Wu-Tang Forever", Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Streetlife, the youngest Wu-Tang Clan affiliate ever Shyheim, who at the time had under his belt two studio albums while official Clan members like Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa have yet to release their debuts.
1. "The Legacy" (Royal Fam; mistakenly credited as A.I.G.)
Skit intro from a movie, then comes the first track, which the liner notes credit to the group AIG when it's instead entirely performed by Timbo King, leader of the group Royal Fam. Raw heavy rough bass line, slow midtempo dirty drum, layered keyboards, strings, rich rhythm designed by RZA to support the bars of Timbuktu who drops two verses in battle for this introductory cut that launches the entire collection. The tune is then included in the group's official debut album "Yesterday, Today Iz Tomorrow" (2000).
2. "Concrete Jungle" (Sunz of Man ft. Timbo King)
RZA creates a robust beat for this Sunz of Man track. Excellent vibrant bass line, midtempo drums, melodic and dark samples. The soundscape of Bobby Digital is good even if it's not up to the standards of his productions released in previous years, the golden era of Wu. The boys settle and tear up the rhythm: Timbo King, rapper affiliated to the Sunz, is still on the mic after the previous track, this time as a main guest, and he has the honor of the first verse, which is shared with Prodigal Sunn. The Royal Fam emcee delivers a few bars with good rapping before giving way to P Sunn: the Sunz of Man rapper just sang the hook and now he rocks the beat with an aggressive, hardcore, energetic delivery, reciting a stream of consciousness similar to the one that Ghostface Killah would make famous a few years later in his album "Supreme Clientele". Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin drop a stanza each, delivering with a regular style over The Abbot's beat. Strong track, among the best of this Killa Beez album, and then inserted in the Sunz of Man's bootleg compilation "Nothing New Under the Sun" (2000).
3. "Co-Defendant" (Shyheim ft. Hell Raiza aka Hell Razah)
This is Bobby Steels' third production in a row. Sample by O.V. Wright, dry drum midtempo poor, vibrant and deep bass line that stays in the background, snaking organ keys, long hook by Hell Razah. The first verse is opened by Shyheim who then engages in a long back n forth together with the rapper of Sunz of Man, hook by Shyheim, second verse by Hell Razah again in back n forth with the young affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan. Sublime song, it should also be the first single in the recording career of Hell Razah, here credited as Hell Raiza, however, despite coming out with Wu-Tang Records, it never gets a proper promotion.
4. "S.O.S." (Inspectah Deck ft. Street Life)
Simple vibrating bass line, composed samples, stretched organ keys, dry midtempo drum, minimal rhythm for this duet between Wu-Tang Clan emcee Inspectah Deck, also producer of the track, and Clan affiliate Streetlife. Rebel INS good in the first verse, Streetlife delivers with his regular style in the next verse, simple hook, Streetlife returns to the mic with a flowing style, Deck a bit irregular in the final contribution. Not a memorable piece in every aspect.
5. "Execute Them" (Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Street Life & Mastakilla)
At pick number five comes the first real posse of the Wu-Tang Clan. Oriental / Japanese vibes, raw bass line, minimal uptempo dusty drum, liveable hi-hat, drunk guitar that emits descending sounds, good samples. Interesting rhythm by RZA, although not at his best. Intro by Raekwon, hook by Streetlife, The Chef returns on the mic for the initial verse, slow, dirty, irregular delivery, closer to the mood of the beat, then becomes more fluid towards the end of his verse, when you start to get used to his style. Simple hook by Streetlife, Masta Killa follows: the emcee is greeted by an exquisite switchbeat, waits for the rhythm and lets it pass, traveling with his own style, making an elegant, slow, flowing entrance, he plays almost under the beat so calm is his voice, taking his time, it's fantastic. Inspectah Deck arrives in the third and final verse to tear the cut, or so it seems, then settles into a style that resembles that of Masta Killa.
6. "Bronx War Stories" (A.I.G. ft. 120, uncredited)
First track from the group A.I.G., despite what the cover says. The duo is formed by Darkim Be Allah, here producer and performer of the song, and AllahWise, however, the track is opened by the rapper 120, uncredited guest. D.B. Allah delivers the second verse with a good flowing rap on a pleasant boom bap production, organ stretched out in the background, poor downtempo drum, accompanying hi-hat, enjoyable track about life in urban centers, even if it doesn't stand out in the middle of the album.
7. "And Justice For All" (Bobby Digital ft. Killarmy & Method Man)
Intro from a speech by Martin Luther King. Dirty boom bap, dirty dusty drum midtempo, heavy raw bass line in the background, messy organ keys in the background, noisy samples, maybe imitating the sound of a train, almost experimental. Energetic hook by Islord of Killarmy, clean entrance by Killa Sin that delivers hardcore, smooth, clear, dope flow. Dom Pachino picks up the still-hot mic and drops bars with a less regular style on this curious production conceived by Steelz: there is the Abbot himself at the mic in the third verse, with his rough, raw, hardcore, syncopated, irregular style, he drops an extra-verse. Method Man's contribution seems glued to the track, as if he wasn't in the same country when the song was made: Tical performs an extra-verse with a rather bored, fragmented, irregular, soporific style, here he is at his worst. Islord returns to drop bars in the fifth verse, bringing at least some energy back to the track.
8. "Punishment" (Black Knights of the North Star)
Boom bap by Mathematics, rough raw thundering bass, dry midtempo drum, sick keyboards, dirty rhythm. Slow, rough, energetic delivery by Warcloud, member of the Black Knights who launches this posse of the supergroup Black Knights of the North Star by reciting an extra-verse. Long hook by Crisis, then short irregular and carefree verse by Christbearer, first representative of the Northstar, who soon hands the mic back to the Black Knights with the arrival of Doc Doom, who comes in his wake and spits bars in a rapid, graceless, irregular style. Another hook by Crisis, last verse by Meko the Pharaoh of Northstar, who descends with a hardcore rapping, final hook. The piece, dry and tough, is considered to be one of the highlights of the entire album and with good reason.
9. "Bastards" (Ruthless Bastards)
Producers The Blaquesmiths create a classic beat here. Elegant piano keys, dirty strings, deep bass line, heavy, vibrant, perfect uptempo dirty drum, magnificent samples from "My Hero Is a Gun" by Michael Masser. The soundscape is wonderful and breathes, rightly so. Iron Mic introduces the first verse with a good flow. The battle is continued by Apocalipps with a regular rap, Truck spits a third stanza with rough rapping, Sha Gotti advances with a similar raw style to the previous one, then the cypher is closed by the fifth emcee of the group Blizzard, before a final hook that arrives only at the end of the track.
The production conceived by the guys behind the keyboards is so great that you are led to think it's wasted on these unknown guys instead of being rightfully destined for any MC of the Wu-Tang Clan. Yet, even if you have never heard this song or this group before this track, you should have already heard the beat. That's because a few years after the release of this compilation, Ghostface Killah wants it for his new album in the track "Ghost Deini", in which he kills the beat together with Lord Superb.
Props to Max of hip hop isn't dead for realizing that there is a veiled diss towards Wu-Tang Clan itself by Blizzard with his last bars that close this posse track. The Ruthless Bastards are among the few affiliated groups to release an album without the presence of the supergroup neither behind the keyboards nor rapping (the same goes for all their solo albums) which forces the guys to keep their daily job.
10. "On The Strength" (The Beggaz)
Historic track from the Wu-Tang affiliated group The Beggaz. Intro by Long Axe and Buda Love, boom bap by Bolo's Kitchen, in-house producer: thick phat bass line, elegant piano keys, hi-hats, dry dusty uptempo drum, noisy background sounds. Smooth fluid delivery by Long Axe on the first verse, Dragonfly continues the battle with a loose flow before the hook performed by the group. Buda Love performs a third stanza with an inspired rapping, Sammy Bravo tries to tear the cut with a rapid rapping. Rightly considered a strong point of the album and the high point of the group's career.
11. "Cobra Clutch" (Ghostface Killah)
The title comes from a wrestling move associated with Sgt. Slaughter. Boom bap created by Mathematics, haunting loop, warm thundering bass, dusty midtempo drum, piano loop in the background, steady delivery by Ghostdeini, showing the first signs of his stream-of-consciousness style that he will use more extensively on his new solo record.
12. "Never Again" (Remedy)
Wu-Tang Clan pal Remedy gets his moment to shine on this Wu-Tang compilation with a solo cut that's very thematically heavy, a song about the Holocaust that was particularly appreciated by critics: the boy is one of two solo artists to have his own song in the compilation together with Ghostface Killah who presents himself with "Cobra Clutch". "Never Again" became the best known and most appreciated piece in Remedy's discography and the boy included it in all his subsequent albums.
13. "Where Was Heaven" (Wu-Syndicates)
The Wu-Syndicates are credited on this track on a solid production by DJ Devastator: boom bap, effective midtempo skeletal drum, elegant keyboard, ethereal vocal sample, beautiful samples from Slick's "Harmony", loose, flowing, clean delivery by Myalansky, who represents the entire group with this solo tune, first performing an extra-verse, and then a second more contained verse.
14. "'97 Mentality" (Cappadonna ft. Ghostface Killah)
CD high note. Boom bap produced by RZA, soft bass, light drum, elegant keyboard, stretched strings, dirty horns, soundscape incredibly suitable for the rapping of the affiliate Cappadonna. The Don comes in and tears up the beat with his Gambino Cappaccino style, dropping random bars with an irregular, energetic, carefree, noisy delivery style, performs a freestyle extra-verse, memorable, dope. Tony Starks repeats the hook four times (eight in the version present as a bonus track on the debut album of Cappadonna "The Pillage", 1998: it's not a joke), and the joint is still a classic.
15. "Fatal Sting" (Black Knights Of The North Star)
Black Knights of the North Star return to be employed on the album for a second time and close it, again on a sound carpet created by Wu-Elements producer Allah Mathematics. Boom bap, dirty robust bass line, haunting piano loop, dirty filthy midtempo drum, excellent musical solution. The battle is opened by Rugged Monk of Black Knights, the only member of the group not present in the previous tune, delivers bars with an honest flow. The second stanza is performed with an energetic rapping by Crisis, then Doc Doom delivers the next verse with an inspired, confident, fluid style. It really seems like a piece by Black Knights who are present here with three of their members, when in the end Christbearer justifies the second part of the supergroup's name, delivering some bars with an irregular, rough, almost spoken word, quite amateur style. The rhythm breathes for more than a minute, not even RZA's beats in his golden age in the Wu-Tang Clan's solo albums breathe so much and perhaps this one didn't deserve it.
Final Thoughts
The album was born as a showcase for all the possible affiliates of the Wu-Tang Clan. And they are all there, it's undeniable. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and the six members of the supergroup, there are eight other groups and twenty-nine rappers who exchange verses all gathered under the name Wu-Tang Killa Beez and protected by the great Wu-Tang flag. It's a great showcase for all these kids, because the Staten Island youth are coming from an album that has sold two million physical copies and all the fans want to buy anything that comes out with the Wu symbol.
RZA packages sixteen tracks, just under an hour of material, in order to spread the word like wildfire not only in New York, but also on the other coast with the group Black Knights of the North Star and possibly throughout the country. Bobby Digital remains behind the keyboards for the first half of the album, then leaves the production to friends and affiliates, who still manage to create a good Wu-sound to keep the musical painting of the tape stable.
Supervised by the Diggs brothers, released by Wu-Tang Records with Priority distribution, the album achieved remarkable sales results for a compilation of almost unknown artists, selling half a million copies in six months and obtaining a gold record certification from the RIAA in early 1999. At the end of 1998 it was at #33 among the best-selling rap albums of the year, just behind Rakim. Overall, it's a good product, recommended for stans, even if a bit forgettable for the casual listener.
Rating: 7/10.
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