15 years ago (I feel REAL old right now) I remember playing the first Wu-Tang album and being blown away. This album had changed the way hip-hop was made and left an indelible mark on my brain. This will always bring back great memories. After that, the whole clan just up and saturated the whole industry with classic release after classic release.My first thoughts on the new Rza album was why in the world would he try to follow up a dud like Digital Bullet? The first Bobby Digital album was classic, but the second had absolutely no appeal to me whatsoever. I will confess to being a huge Wu Tang fan up until "W" came out, but they seemed like they had lost the drive and like most men forgot to ask directions on how to find their way back. Digital Bullet fell into that category. It wasn't terrible, but like so many other albums it should have been better just with who was involved in making it.
The new album is great beat-wise. Maybe Rza was holding these beats off the last Wu album & that pissed them all off (long story). Or maybe he was inspired by the racket the whole clan made and decided to come with the classic beats I knew he could make. While 8 Diagrams wasn't terrible, it was a really mellow and somewhat somber sounding album. I don't think it was as bad as everyone said, but it's not Enter the 36....then again , what is???
There are guest appearances to boot, but no one outshines the Rza. Every once in a while he decides to mess with his vocals so you can't even tell it is him rapping, but overall the theme of the album is more straight-forward. The guests don't feel like they bog down the album, instead it gives it a more well rounded feel. The Bobby Digital albums have always been almost a compilation the extended Wu family.
Highlights of the album definitely include "You Can't Stop Me Now" which sounds like classic Wu. "Good Night" is dirty but not typical at all. The metaphors are unique and explicit and in your face, but I couldn't turn it off and even rewound it a few times. The David Banner produced "Straight Up The Block" teamed with those syrupy Rza vocals work surprisingly well together, one of my favorites on the album. "Love is Digi II" pretty much sums up what Bobby Digital was all about on the first album. It was more of a pimp strut for someone like the Rza who had always been so grimy before.
The only thing that weighs this album down is the overuse of some of the R&B hooks on the chorus, but the album is good enough to look past all that.
Overall I give it 75 out of 100 Metacritic style. One of the better Wu Tang albums of the past 5 years or so. Give it a spin. See how you like it.
AND A CLASSIC!!!
