Album: Wu Massacre
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Producers: Mathematics (#2, 7 and 10), Scram Jones (11 and 12), RZA (5), BT (1), Ty Fyffe (4), Digem Tracks (6) and Emile (8).
Review: Since 1993, Wu-Tang have experimented with switching up the release format of albums. From their brilliant and unorthodox solo record contracts to compilation albums with live music a la Wu-Tang: Chamber Music, and not to forget the single copy of their 88-year-prolonged Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, we've seen the New York hip-hop group turn the business on its ear more times than one could count. Now, one-third of the Wu is back to keep us on our toes once again: Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon the Chef released Wu Massacre on March 30, 2010. So what is it?
The best way to describe it is that Wu Massacre is like a supply run by Daryl, Maggie and Glenn on The Walking Dead. It's a full standalone outing that isn't a complete group album, nor even a partner-heavy solo project eg. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... A substantial part of Wu-Tang is present on the album, with all three Wu-generals commanding consistent presences throughout the brutally short runtime. Several familiar faces guest too, including fellow Wu-general Inspectah Deck, Meth disciple Streetlife, Solomon Childs (who you may remember from Think Differently), Ghost's son Sun God, Theodore Unit's Trife da God and Sheek Louch. Method Man also shot down rumors that the three were starting their own group apart from Wu-Tang, rather that they just wanted to get together and collaborate on an album together.
The only real bad news about this album, like Chamber Music, is that there isn't more of it - and it's a deeper problem than it may seem. Going by the rip of my CD copy on Winamp it's just 29 minutes, 58 seconds. That's under a half hour just by a hair. Thankfully, it's all killer no filler. The album pops a shot off with "Criminology 2.5," based on its namesake from Cuban Linx... A longer version was released featuring all three emcees, but for some reason the version on Wu Massacre cuts out Raekwon's verse and Ghost's first verse. This is a weird choice because the album isn't exactly running out of disc space, and the first "Criminology" is from Rae's own debut album.
Next up is "Mef vs. Chef 2," which as the name implies is a sequel to "Meth vs. Chef" from Method Man's debut Tical back in 1994. They trade short stanzas (eight bars at a time) back and forth, with Chef getting four rounds in to Meth's three. It doesn't give them a lot of time to set scenes in each verse but it's a good hectic battle accompanied by Mathematics' blend of tom rolls and funk horns. "Our Dreams" is another new-Wu sound that's been popping up since Think Differently, this time produced by RZA. Pitchshifted vocals and old soul combine with dreamy xylophone and clean electric guitar. "Keep Allah in your heart / Hugs and kisses, Tony Stark." It's a good summertime jam in the middle of the chaos. Inspectah Deck shows up for "Gunshowers," which also features Sun God, Ghost and Meth. It's a tight and upbeat track with a throwback hook by Meth with bits like "I want it RIGHT now / Gimme my fuckin' shit, chick-a-BLOW!"
The second half of the album flies by almost as quickly as the first. Rae's trademark laid back style as of late comes back for "Dangerous" on another sick Mathematics beat that's muddy and jazzy. Emile produces a great blaxploitation/retro-inspired beat for the Ghost solo track "Pimpin' Chipp," with wah-wah pedal guitars and brazen brass. It could've come from Supreme Clientele as well as "Miranda" could have; both songs show that Wu can still bring their classic sound in any time they want (lyrically and musically). Ghost brings some more classic rhymes here too: "She got a mean mouth, her lips is like soup coolers / Hotter than niggaz ridin' around with six Rugers."
Things wrap up with Ghostface and Method Man performing "It's That Wu Shit," and the hook interpolates (or at least bears a striking resemblance to) "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam. However it substitutes "Na na na na / Na na na na / Hey Hey-ey Goodbye" with the lyrics "It's that Wu shit / It's that movement / It's the Wu shit / In the house." Fun stuff and a good closer, though it's too bad they didn't close with a track featuring all three Wu generals.
Legacy: Wu Massacre was well-received critically, with most journalists agreeing all three main emcees were still on point after over 15 years in Wu-Tang. While not the highest-selling album of all time, it's a great small delivery - especially during a time when, solo albums notwithstanding, Wu-Tang as a group seemed up in the air. Here's proof that the group can still work together consistently through a release, about halfway between 8 Diagrams and A Better Tomorrow.
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