I tried to be positive about all these new Wu albums, but manโฆ the production just ainโt it.
And I keep thinking back to thisโฆ
In the late 90s somebody told RZA he wasnโt a โreal musicianโ, that he put the real ones outta business. And he felt for it, like he wasnโt confident in his own craft. Instead of standing on the empire he built with dusty records and the SP-1200, he let that comment shake him. And letโs be real, the SP-1200 is an instrument, donโt get it twisted.
He dove into music theory, got all formal with it, and yeah he even made a classical album. But for a lot of us Wu heads, that was the moment the raw, grimy, unpredictable RZA sound , the one that set the whole legacy in motion , was gone. And just look at the concerts now: 99% of what they perform is the classic 90s material. That alone tells you everything. Everything after RZA switched to f*ckin music theory doesnโt matter at all.
And hereโs the thing: whatโs a โrealโ musician anyway? Is it somebody with notes and scales memorized? Or the one who breaks the rules and invents a new language outta instinct?
Look at Jimi Hendrix, dude couldnโt read music, didnโt care about theory, just taught himself by ear and changed the world. Nobody questioned if Hendrix was โrealโ, he just was.
So if theory and โperfect alignmentโ wash away the essence of what made you greatโฆ is that growth, or is it loss?
At the end of the day, itโs the listeners who decide whatโs real. Music doesnโt live on sheet paper, it lives in the soul, the energy, the vibe.
And yoโฆ I still canโt stand those music theory nerds who donโt even know the meaning of dope, just like GZA said.
252 - 58
One of the biggest mysteries in hip hop to me is how people put Supreme Clientele above Ironman. To this day I still donโt get it. Iโve spun SC more times than I can count, always thinking maybe I missed something but nahโฆ itโs just not on the same level. Ironman is untouchable, classic Ghost in his rawest form.
That said, I just listened to Supreme Clientele 2 and gave another spin to Raeโs new Emperorโs New Clothes, both solid projects, but I gotta say Raeโs joint comes out stronger. Off Raeโs album, โDa Heaviestโ and โMac & Lobsterโ straight bangers๐ฅ On SC2, the standouts are โRap Kingpinโ and โLove Me Anymoreโ with Nas.
Much respect , Ghost and Rae still sound hungry and energetic after all these years. ๐ True legends keeping the sword sharp.
180 - 26
Iโm in Shaolin ๐ Wu spirit in the bricks.
302 - 11
Calling the YouTube algorithm a โjokeโ gives jokes too much credit. Anyway, my new video is out-go run it up
227 - 6
Czarface x Method Man dropped a banger last year! ๐ฅ
โKnull & Voidโ - pure heat! If you havenโt heard it yet, youโre sleeping. Czarfaceโs signature comic book sound meets Johnny Blazeโs razor-sharp flow. This single feels like a warning shotโฆ you think theyโre cooking up a full collab album? ๐
Could it beโฆ Czarface Meets Johnny Blaze??
Yo, if that drops, itโs game over.
Did yโall know that Frankie Pulitzer is actually Tom Hardy??
Thatโs some Venom meets Iron Lung madness right here. Czarface never misses when it comes to concept and execution.
126 - 5
Listening to Czarface Meets Ghostface, what a fuckinโ banga. ๐ฅ The production is straight heavy artillery, grimy and cinematic boomโbap sound. Ghost shines, Deck shines, and of course Esoteric with that insane flowโฆ This is classic material.
If you havenโt heard it yet, start with the instrumental version first , soak in that classic Czar-Keys production then hit the album. This is an incredible piece of art.
I dream about a Czarface Meets Johnny Blaze joint with gritty Bring the Pain energy. That album is screaming to be made. Methโs a lifelong comic head, even wrote Ghost Rider comic, his favorite MC is Deck, heโs active, in shape, and still deadly on the mic.
This is the only album Iโm truly waiting for at this pointโฆ and Iโm 100% sure Czarface is the best hip hop group out right now. Nobodyโs doing it better. Nobody.
167 - 8
243 - 16
I always loved the concept of a music album that feels like a movie.
Wu-Tang really set that standard. Liquid Swords is like a gritty survival flick, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx plays like a street-level mafia film. RZA really brought that cinematic vision to the forefront. Even Methโs second album, I donโt know if he ever said it, but it always reminded me of Cyborg with Van Damme. That raw post-apocalyptic energy... easily one of his best films.
Wu really built cinematic universes. I donโt know if they were the first, but they definitely took it to the next level.
What other albums gave YOU that movie-like feel?
147 - 34
Wu stay productive. Raekwonโs new album โThe Emperors New Clothesโ drops July 18 through Mass Appeal. Whole Clan is expected to show up, plus features.
But none of the producers are from the Wu camp. Iโm not trying to guess anything too early, truth is, I didnโt spin his last project more than twice. But his verse on the recent joint Eagle Claw sounded sharp, so maybe this one will surprise. Weโll see. Wu-Tang forever
148 - 4
Quick recap of the concert: it started off amazing, the energy, the crowd, everything was on point up until the middle. Then DJ Mathematics turned the volume way too high, and I couldnโt make out anything - just loud noise.
And real talk, Inspectah Deck is a legend, but easily the weakest on stage. He rapped like he didnโt care and didnโt deliver his verses like on the tape. Same thing happened when I saw him in Dublin.
25 - 9
Resurrecting the forgotten gems of golden age hip-hop, paying tribute to the Wu-Tang gods!
Iโm creating fan-made albums packed with hidden, unreleased, and rare tracks