2008 Woodie Awards
Wu-Tang Clan still hitting hard
By: Mike Fuksman
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Lifeline
- Page 1 of 1
Most of their peers are dead, retired or just plain tired.
But Wu-Tang Clan haven't lost their edge with their new release, "8 Diagrams."
It's their first record in more than six years, and while most groups would've petered out or given up, the Clan still have the raw grittiness that made them one of the most influential hip-hop groups of the '90's.
Opening track "Campfire" showcases the dirty beats and kung fu-meets-gangsta-rap stylings they were originally known for.
Method Man rips up the opening verse, giving just a taste of what's to come on the rest of the record.
His verses on "Get 'Em Out The Way Pa" and "Gun Will Go" are delivered with the smoky growl that has become his trademark.
Ghostface Killah's contributions to the disc are impressive as well. His tongue-twisting vocal delivery is so urgent, he makes rappers of recent years sound sluggish and tired.
RZA's production style hasn't changed much over the years, still relying on minimal, distorted beats and left-field sample choices. His production was massively influential to the generation of rappers whom emerged after the Clan's debut album; Kanye West and Just Blaze have flat-out admitted to borrowing his style over the years.
The O.D.B. tribute piece "Life Changes," is one of the heaviest tracks on the album. Each Clan member (with the strange exception of Ghostface Killah) takes a verse to memorialize their fallen colleague, over a weepy old R&B vocal sample.
It's hard not to get choked up hearing this piece; it's not unlike Puff Daddy's tribute to Biggie Smalls, "I'll Be Missing You."
It's interesting to think about what O.D.B. might have contributed to this record, had he been alive long enough to perform on it.
That being said, there are a couple clunkers to be had on "8 Diagrams." RZA's solo trip "Sunlight" is unspeakably strange. It features warped soul samples and harpsichords behind RZA's bizarre spoken-word ramblings. RZA hasn't always been known for his delivery, and he's always been a bit on the eccentric side, but "Sunlight" sounds out of place on the record.
"Wolves" features guest vocals from funk legend George Clinton, but again, it's just more strange than heavy. When compared to album highlights "Take It Back" and "Campfire," it's pretty weak.
The funk-ish synths and Clinton's growling vocals don't fit in with the Clan repertoire, and even Meth can't save this one.
Those tracks aside, "8 Diagrams" is a solid comeback effort from one of the most important hip-hop groups to come out of the East Coast.
It isn't any "36 Chambers," but then, what is? Compared to the efforts of most recent artists, "8 Chambers" is a little bit of brilliance.
lifeline@cm-life.com
But Wu-Tang Clan haven't lost their edge with their new release, "8 Diagrams."
It's their first record in more than six years, and while most groups would've petered out or given up, the Clan still have the raw grittiness that made them one of the most influential hip-hop groups of the '90's.
Opening track "Campfire" showcases the dirty beats and kung fu-meets-gangsta-rap stylings they were originally known for.
Method Man rips up the opening verse, giving just a taste of what's to come on the rest of the record.
His verses on "Get 'Em Out The Way Pa" and "Gun Will Go" are delivered with the smoky growl that has become his trademark.
Ghostface Killah's contributions to the disc are impressive as well. His tongue-twisting vocal delivery is so urgent, he makes rappers of recent years sound sluggish and tired.
RZA's production style hasn't changed much over the years, still relying on minimal, distorted beats and left-field sample choices. His production was massively influential to the generation of rappers whom emerged after the Clan's debut album; Kanye West and Just Blaze have flat-out admitted to borrowing his style over the years.
The O.D.B. tribute piece "Life Changes," is one of the heaviest tracks on the album. Each Clan member (with the strange exception of Ghostface Killah) takes a verse to memorialize their fallen colleague, over a weepy old R&B vocal sample.
It's hard not to get choked up hearing this piece; it's not unlike Puff Daddy's tribute to Biggie Smalls, "I'll Be Missing You."
It's interesting to think about what O.D.B. might have contributed to this record, had he been alive long enough to perform on it.
That being said, there are a couple clunkers to be had on "8 Diagrams." RZA's solo trip "Sunlight" is unspeakably strange. It features warped soul samples and harpsichords behind RZA's bizarre spoken-word ramblings. RZA hasn't always been known for his delivery, and he's always been a bit on the eccentric side, but "Sunlight" sounds out of place on the record.
"Wolves" features guest vocals from funk legend George Clinton, but again, it's just more strange than heavy. When compared to album highlights "Take It Back" and "Campfire," it's pretty weak.
The funk-ish synths and Clinton's growling vocals don't fit in with the Clan repertoire, and even Meth can't save this one.
Those tracks aside, "8 Diagrams" is a solid comeback effort from one of the most important hip-hop groups to come out of the East Coast.
It isn't any "36 Chambers," but then, what is? Compared to the efforts of most recent artists, "8 Chambers" is a little bit of brilliance.
lifeline@cm-life.com
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