I Just don't have time.

I'm sorry but today i just don't have any time for a full post or review.
So i'll just leave you with the list of my top 5 groups, in no particular order, and my favorite song by the group. If for some reason you've never heard of them, go listen to some of their stuff while you eagerly await the next post.

Cunninlynguists- "Lynguistics"


Wu-Tang Clan- "Triumph"


Gang Starr- "Who Got Gunz"


Outkast (Pre 2004 only)- "Return of the G"


A Tribe Called Quest- "Scenario"


-Daniel

Review: Wu Tang Clan- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (November 9th, 1993)

The Wu Tang Clan is my favorite rap group of all time, hands down. So am i a little biased towards this album? Of course i am. But am i going to write about it anyway? OF COURSE I AM.

The Wu Tang Clan is a group of 9 MC's originating from New York, consisting of The RZA, The GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God and Method Man. In the early 90's the RZA had a vision to create a supergroup of the best New York MC's, and he followed through on that vision. He contacted both of his cousins, GZA and Ol' Dirty, and they formed a mini group, however the RZA's roomate, Ghostface Killah, soon wanted in, and the group expanded. The RZA contacted his friends from around Staten Island, and GZA contacted some guys from Brooklyn, and the next thing we knew, the Wu Tang Clan was formed. The Wu Tang Clan gathered in The RZA's basement, anywhere from 2-7 MC's at a time in the tiny basement studio, and banged out a 12 track album, with every track produced by the RZA. This album created the careers of 9 talented MC's, one of the best beatmakers of our time, and inspired hundreds of rappers even a decade after its release. But does it still hold up today? Let's find out.

1. Bring Da Ruckus
The album starts off with a classic kung fu sample that leads into a hard RZA beat, and a brilliant lead off verse from Ghostface, followed up by a classic Raekwon verse. The chorus simply consists of Rza screaming "Bring da Ruckus!", and then Inspectah Deck proceeds to tear up the instrumental next with my favorite verse he drops in his entire career: "I rip it, hardcore, like porno flick bitches, i roll with groups of ghetto bastards with biscuits", and then GZA bats cleanup and sounds as good as expected. If this was your first introduction to the Wu Tang Clan, you would instantly understand why they took over the 90's rap scene.

2. Shame on a N***a
Starts off with another Kung Fu Sample (Man i miss those), and then ODB and Method Man proceed to rip up another fantastic RZA beat. The beat's change during the beat is awesome too. Raekwon pops up for a minute too but he doesn't make as significant of an impact as Dirty and Meth do. This was really good.

3. Clan In Da Front
This is GZA' solo shot. This song starts off with the RZA reading off his list of Facebook friends over a sick beat, but then the beat switches to the actual beat for this song, and its an undisputed classic. The GZA spits with wonderful lyricism, meanwhile doing it over a filthy RZA loop. This is about as good as it gets.

4. Wu Tang: 7th Chamber
Starts off with a semi-interesting interlude between Raekwon, Method Man, and Ghostface Killah, however it's so slang filled i only understood about half of all the words that were said. Then, a simple, yet mesmerizing beat takes over your brain. Pretty much the first "Wu Tang Possy Cut", and its pretty damn good.

5. Can It Be All So Simple
Ehh, its alright, but this is my least favorite serious song that the Clan has ever put out. The beat is just too boring, which is surprising because this is the only bad beat on the entire disc.

6. Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'
The beat is almost perfect. Its one of my favorite hip hop beats EVER. U-God leads it off well, and Inspectah Deck rips the beat into pieces. Raekwon holds his own, and ODB entertains really well, but the show stealer on this gem is Ghost, who brings his A game to the booth. Masta Killa makes his only appearance on this track as well, and he impresses in the first verse we ever hear from the guy. But Ghost wins. Great song.

7. Aint Nothin' to F*** Wit
The song you've all heard, and it still holds up to this day. The beat is dirty and pretty good, RZA brings his old flow to the table and the Rebel INS tears it up again, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. Method Man holds his own as well. Classic track in most hip hop heads opinions but its not as good as some other songs on this album.

8. C.R.E.A.M.
C.R.E.A.M. = Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Get it? good. Now that we got that out of the way, lets continue. This is by far the most famous song in the Wu's catalog, and for damn good reason. The beautiful piano driven beat is a monster, and Raekwon and Inspectah Deck consistently hold your attention with their tales of their street struggles. Brilliantly done. The video is pretty cool too, because Method Man has his old school fro, and it's pretty entertaining  to see.

9. Method Man
The skit before this song is actually pretty hilarious as Meth and Rae go back and forth talking about torture for a while. Then the old school beat hits and Method Man plays around for a few minutes. As far as Wu-Tang solo cuts go, this isn't bad, but it's not quite at "Clan in Da Front"'s level. A couple more verses on here and it would've been better, but then the title wouldn't make much sense now, would it?

10. Protect Ya Neck
The first single, and the first song to feature all members of the clan (sans Masta Killa). It was the first single for damn good reason. Although some of the verses sound a little amateurish compared to the Clan's more modern output, this is still really good. The beat is great, and all of the lyrical swordsmen bring it on this one. This is considered a classic song by most critics, and i am inclined to agree..

11. Tearz
This is a serious Wu Tang song done right. The opening interlude is a little annoying but necessary as it sets the premise for the song. I really dig the sample because it sets the song up perfectly, and the beat is REALLY good even if it sounds a little super-mario esque. Ghostface's verse is really good; you can hear the raw emotion in his voice, and the RZA gets pretty emotional on this track as well. "How can i say goodbye? It's always the good ones that have to die."

12. Wu Tang 7th Chamber Pt. 2
Simply a remix of an earlier track, and it isn't quite as good. Thats all i really got.


In Conclusion: This album is a classic for good reason. The RZA's grimy beats still sound amazing to this day, and the clansmen all bring it lyrically, because at this point, they were all really hungry MCs. This album definitely holds up well over time, and i was pleasantly surprised at how filthy these tracks still sound. If you enjoy rap at all, especially hardcore eastcoast rap, then this is the most logical place to start.

So What?: This album was an inspiration to hundreds of rap artists and spawned the careers of 9 great MCs. You need to have this album somewhere on your iPod or your computer. Seriously. It's that good.

Favorite Tracks: "Bring Da Ruckus", "Shame on a N***a", "Clan in Da Front", "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'", "C.R.E.A.M.", "Protect Ya Neck"


-Daniel