Album: Afro Samurai Soundtrack
Producer: RZA, Tru James
Release Date: January 30, 2007
"It's nothing personal. It's just revenge."
Review: Like its predecessor Samurai Champloo, Afro Samurai is a glorious blend of hip-hop culture and samurai film. Samuel L. Jackson voices the titular character and his imaginary friend/sidekick Ninja-Ninja in this short Americanized anime series alongside fellow actors Kelly Hu (Arrow) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy). In the series, Afro is a hardened samurai whose father, the previous #1 samurai in the world, was challenged and killed by the #2 of the day, Justice. Since his boyhood, Afro has trained to avenge his father's death and kill Justice, reclaiming the #1 headband for himself. Of course anyone can challenge the #2 samurai for his headband, but only the samurai in possession of the #2 headband can challenge the #1, so Afro finds himself the subject of constant attack from wannabes and greedy swordsmen who desire to take his #2 headband so they can challenge the #1. It's a classic martial arts movie setup and one that pays off pretty well.
The aesthetic twist, beyond Afro being the lone black warrior in the Far East, is that modern technology is abound. Cell phones, binoculars with digital readouts and headphones playing hip-hop beats are just some of the contemporary tech peppering the otherwise feudal-era setting. Naturally, this fusion of classic Eastern and modern Western cultures lends itself well to Wu-Tang, so it's no surprise that RZA was contracted to provide beats and much of the soundtrack to the series. Of course this isn't the first time the Wu family has ventured into film/TV territory; by the time Afro Samurai was heating up, members of the Clan had already worked extensively on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, the video game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style and How High.
Of course RZA raps the show's theme song, which is appropriately brief and powerful (just 29 seconds). He recruits Talib Kweli, Lil' Free and Suga Bang Bang (who performed ragga vocals on Ghost Dog) for "Certified Samurai," which attacks out the gate like one would hope a samurai anime co-produced in the West would. It's followed by "Just a Lil' Dude (Who Dat Ovah There)" by Q-Tip and Free Murder, which is equally as dynamic and relentless.
Then comes "Afro's Father Fight," which channels its inner Isaac Hayes. It's said that RZA proclaimed in the middle of a production meeting for the show that Afro's father represents funk, and Justice represents rock 'n' roll. Rock 'n' roll killed funk, but Afro represents hip-hop and hip-hop kills rock 'n' roll, so it's no surprise that Afro's father's songs seem steeped in flanged funk guitar. The second episode of the show includes a sex scene with Afro, and the Stone Mecca track "Oh" that appears there is on this soundtrack. That's also not shocking, since Stone Mecca were touted by RZA around the time of this album release and have toured with him and Wu-Tang since then.
No matter how great the hip-hop songs are on the first half of the disc are, "Cameo Afro," with its verses by Big Daddy Kane and GZA, sounds the most like a Wu track out of the first dozen. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since the cartoon is clearly not explicitly for/by the Wu, but it's something for fans to consider before they lay down $15 for the soundtrack. It's easily the fifth great rap song on there but the others sound more like RZA-recruited talent than a Wu-centered piece like this. "Take Sword Pt. 1" follows suit by opening with a kung-fu dialogue clip directly referencing Wu-Tang swordsmen and a verse by RZA. It also has a verse by Beretta 9 of Killarmy, who fans may remember from either Bobby Digital album.
60 Second Assassin (who first appeared on the Map for collaborating on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...) delivers some loose, trippy thoughts on "Take Sword Pt. 2" before producer True Master drops an equally awkward verse ("Since knowledge of myself is truly known / My foundation is like that of the most solid stone"). RZA raps again on "Fury in My Eyes / Revenge," delivering three solid verses of rhymes between Thea van Seijen's retro jazz hooks.
The next four tracks are apparently Bobby Digital bonus tracks, and I find that RZA's alter ego is pretty hit or miss on other albums. Here, he provides an infectious beat on "Insomnia" if slightly disjointed lyrics. "So Fly" doesn't fare as well ("Just don't squeeze my nuts too hard / I won't slap ya butt too hard"), nor does "We All We Got," but "Glorious Day" ends with a mysterious beat and ominous lyrics. On "Glorious Day" and "Insomnia" he sounds the most like Ghost Dog RZA, with dry beats and lyrics expressing desperation and ponderous uncertainty.
Legacy: As you'll notice from this discussion, it's not that there's anything clearly wrong with the Afro Samurai soundtrack as it is there isn't a whole lot to talk about. There are plenty of gems to redeem the price of the disc, but some forgettable tracks that are clearly left best as background music for Afro Samurai's scenes. Like the show itself, it's a beautiful album with occasional scripting problems. When it works, it really works, and when it doesn't, it just walks along without any truly awful songs to be found. It's not bad, but not always great either.
Recommended Tracks: Just a Lil' Dude, Cameo Afro, Certified Samurai.
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