The GZA has always been one of, if not the most lyrical of the Wu-Tang. Unfortunately, his flow and delivery, which was never exactly hype to begin with, just borders on borng nowadays, maybe best proven by that album with DJ Muggs on which he sounds half asleep the whole time. Overall, other than the unbelievably good Liquid Swords, I've never been a fan of solo work from the Genius but some of the stuff I've heard off of this has sounded promising. So will this be the next Wu Banga or another snoozefest?
1. Intromental
An instrumental intro (see what he did there) which I guess is the source of the sample for Common's "Hungry".
2. Pencil (Feat. Masta Killa & RZA)
This Mathetmatics beat kind of sounds like something RZA would do if he could still make beats. RZA kicks a super long verse on this which isn't all that bad but I can only bear that flow in small doses.
3. Alphabets
This flow wouldn't sound out of place on Liquid Swords and the verses are pretty good themselves. This beat by True Master (where has this guy been?) is pretty good but kind of monotonous after a while. The chorus is the alphabet in 5% language or some shit.
4. Groundbreaking (Feat. Justice Kareem)
I think Bronze Nazareth tends to get overrated by those Wu-affiliate stans who roam the internets but this is good stuff. He lets his son finish his lines in the second verse which was just an all around bad idea. GZA should have just written him something.
5. 7 Pounds
This is one of the best Black Milk beats I've ever heard, though I haven't checked the new Elzhi yet. These verses aren't as good as others on here but aren't terrible though I do wish that the GZA rhymed with a little bit more energy to match the beat.
6. 0% Finance
One of those GZA tracks where he throws in a million references to something like "Labels" and the one about animals. This time it was with car terms (manufacturers, parts etc.) and its pretty cool but this beat is the worst yet.
7. Short Race (Feat. Roc Marcy)
The use of Chinese music here is pretty questionable. I like the Roc Marcy guest verse, though after all these GZA verses he sounds pretty lightweight lyrically.
8. Interlude
A guy details his encounter of somebody with a Wu Tang W tattooed on his face.
9. Paper Plate
I didn't know the two had beef but GZA takes shots at 50 Cent for wearing minks and gators and selling less than Kanye and a bunch of other stuff. This beat is the first by RZA on this album and it is boring as expected.
10. Columbian Ties (Feat. True Master)
This beat isn't seeing the first one Bronze Nazareth did but its pretty solid. GZA kicks some extra grimey shit about wars and stuff.
11. Firehouse (Feat. Ka)
Ka, a scratchy voiced rapper who isn't very good handles all the rhyming on this. I'll take this as an interlude of sorts.
12. Path of Destruction
A song about a kid who became a criminal at a young age and was killed selling drugs later in life. At least something like that. Jay Waxx Garfield provides a good beat and GZA's storytelling is on point.
13. Cinema (Feat. Justice Kareem)
GZA raps about being in a haunted house or something over a sort of cheesy, theatrical sounding beat. He also raps in a whisper like he's trying not to wake someone in the next room which doesn't really add to the spooky effect it just makes it kind of more gay.
14. Intermision (Drive In Movie)
Some '80's R&B interrupted by the tune of one of those Kung Fu movies sampled in an earlier Wu-Tang record.
15. Life Is A Movie (Feat. RZA & Khan Acito from Outlines)
A surprisingly good RZA beat which actually recalls "Swordsmen" from Liquid Swords except worse, naturally. The only thing I can say I don't like about this is the chrous which sounds like its jacked from some '60's rock which I guess is what the RZA is into these days.
16. Elastic Audio (Bonus Live Performance)
This is from a show he did I guess but to be honest I'm not sure I'd care to hear this one in CD quality.
Overall:
I was really surprised by how good this was. The production was sound and the lyrics were very good which makes this one of the best albums of the year so far. However, the downfall of this album is that, and don't kill me for saying this, it's kind of boring. While GZA is a great MC, he is still dull as anything on the mic and aside from one or two bangers, these beats, while not bad, are fairly monotonous and repetetive.
Best Songs: "Pencil", "7 Pounds", "Life Is Like A Movie"
5 comments:
Yo dogg.... Ka on track 11 is Ill.. Thats one of the hottest tracks on the cd.. His delivery is bananas..
This review is terrible!! The album is dope and the song this dude likes to me are the worst ones!! Plus that track with KA is one of the best songs on the album!!! Listen to dudes lyrics, that cat can flow!! Looking forward to more shit from him!!
SMOKE SCREEN ENT
Toronto Canada
fourbigrims@yahoo.ca
This review is very weak for a lot of reasons. I dont mind you not liking some songs...but your descriptions and explanations are truly butt-ass. Its like you skipped through tracks and are trying to sound as uninvolved and noncomital as possible. Probably to avoid questions about your actual knowledge of the material.
Great Album. Shitty Review.javascript:void(0)
Publish Your Comment
I really want to like your reviews but it seems as though you are just a fan of Hip Hop music. I don't say that to be rude or to pop junk, but I don't get a sense that you make music/beats, DJ, and/or rhyme. Now I could be wrong about this and in the past I have been wrong.
I say these things because they do matter,in some way or another you seem to knit pick at these records....well, lets just use the one I am actually commenting on.....I find it unreal that you can try and disrespect the 5% Nation....song number 8, which is the interlude..."A guy" is GZA. On an administrative note now that I think of it, Life Is A Movie, the sample is Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle, the song is Films which is early 80's. This is what I am talking about when I can tell you aren't moving things forward or have a real interest in this as much as some others may have.
By all means keep writing, I think you have something to say but haven't quite figured out what it is. Good luck to you.
this is an awfull review, i switched off the moment you slated Grandmasters, the GZA & Muggs joint... that was one of the dopest hiphop albums of the last decade, and for me gives liquid swords a run for its money. stop reviewing GZA and Wu-Tang albums, as it seems you really don't get it... the fact that you questioned Rza's production really exposed you're poor knowledge of hip hop.
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