Category: Wu-Tang Clan

Method Man – ‘The Meth Lab’

METHOD MAN - METH LABMethod Man is back with new album The Meth Lab, and with guest spots from Inspectah Deck, Raekwon and Masta Killa, its a proper Wu-Tang Clan affair. Redman also features of course, among others. Stream and buy below, and let us know what you think. The only thing that bugs us is why make an album with a running Breaking Bad theme now, and not a few years ago when it was actually relevant?

Here’s why the Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Kickstarter is worthy of your money

STRETCH AND BOB POSTERHip-hop radio icons Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia have launched a Kickstarter campaign for contributions towards the launch of their anticipated documentary film, Stretch & Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives. Its a project worthy of your cash, and here’s why.

Goofy, sometimes ridiculously immature, but always bringing the freshest music from new hip-hop artists, the Stretch & Bobbito show on Columbia University’s WKCR radio station ran for the best part of the 90s.

Much has been made about how the show was influential in helping to launch the careers of many who would go on to be huge, most notably Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie Smalls and the Wu-Tang Clan.

More importantly, at least in our eyes, the show also supported independent and alternative hip-hop artists, championing the likes of Kool Keith when he reinvented himself as Dr. Octagon, and showing much love to groups like Company Flow, Juggaknots, J Treds, Godfather Don and countless more.

Bobbito even founded his own label to release a lot of the underground material that was appearing on the show. The much-missed Fondle’em Records helped to introduce the world to MF Doom, and laid the foundation for labels of a similar vein, including Rawkus, Stones Throw and Def Jux.

It’s therefore no exaggeration to say that Stretch and Bob played perhaps the most important role in creating that classic mid-late 90s indy boom of creativity that many of us are still stuck on today. And that is surely reason enough to throw some money their way.

Donate here, and read more about the documentary here, including upcoming screenings.

Dom Pachino & Bronze Nazareth – ‘War Poetry’

DOM PACHINOThere’s now a full stream available of the new album from Wu-Tang Clan extended family Dom Pachino, of Killarmy, and producer Bronze Nazareth. Stylistically and thematically, Pachino hasn’t moved on much since Killarmy debuted many moons ago, which leaves the whole thing feeling dated. Still worth a listen though, mainly thanks to Bronze Nazareth’s beats. Listen below, and tell us what you think.

Solomon Childs – ‘Tried So Hard’

SOLOMON CHILDSLiterally hundreds of rappers lay claim to being Wu-Tang Clan affiliates. Most have a tenuous link at best, and most also happen to be wack. Solomon Childs does have at least genuine ties to the Wu, having worked with RZA, Cappadonna, and as part of Ghostface Killah’s Theodore Unit. He also isn’t wack, as evidenced on new single Tried So Hard. Its from the upcoming album Monsters In My Room, and you can listen below.

Ghostface Killah – ’12 Reasons to Die II’ (stream)

GFK REASON 2The New York Times has bagged early streaming of the new Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge album 12 Reasons to Die II, and you can hear it on the link below. It’s thick with RZA and Raekwon features, making this a proper Wu-Tang Clan family affair, and it sounds pretty good. Hit the link below to hear for yourself.

Listen here.

Slept-on albums in retrospect: Raekwon’s – ‘Immobilarity’

RAEKWONOnly Built 4 Cuban Linx was always going to be difficult to top, even for one of the best artists amongst the nine men that made up the Wu-Tang Clan. By 1999, the world had already been blessed not just with Raekwon’s classic debut some four years previously, but also superior albums from Ghostface Killah, GZA, Old Dirty Bastard, Method Man and Cappadonna. The pressure on Rae to turn-in something as good as his debut must have been thick, even if no one dared to mention it.

When Immobilarity did drop, it was given something of a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. Listen again in 2015 however, and its actually a pretty good album, and arguably better than the genuinely disappointing proper sequel to the classic debut, 2009’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II.

What seemed to bug people most at the time was how little this seemed like the other Wu-Tang solo albums so far. There are no guest spots from Ghostface, and in fact Method Man and Masta Killa are the only two official clansmen to appear. And perhaps most noticeably of all, there are no beats by RZA.

Looking back, this was actually a good thing. A lack of guests gave Rae the space needed to focus, and write with enough confidence and weight to carry entire tracks on his own, the way that Ghost has always been able to.

Moving from RZA production also added some variety, away from the occasionally stale beats that he was sometimes guilty of making, even if the little-known producers on the album were usually just trying to ape his style. Its no coincidence that the nicest beat is the Pete Rock produced Sneakers, hinting for the first time just how good Rae sounded over beats from skilled beatmakers outside of RZA. By Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, the line-up of producers had become diverse enough to include everyone from Dr Dre to J Dilla, via Erick Sermon, Alchemist, Marley Marl and more.

Other standout tracks include Friday, My Favorite Dred and Live From NY, each of them filled with the same vivid imagery that helped maintain Rae’s reputation as one of the best storytellers in the game.

If you slept on this album in 2009, dust it off and have another listen. You’ll be surprised at how good it sounds.