Album: Wu Block
Producers: Various
Release Date: November 27, 2012
Review: Wu-Tang Clan + D Block = Wu Block, or at least to an extent. Primarily, Wu Block is comprised of Ghostface Killah and The Lox's Sheek Louch (with other Wu-generals and members of D-Block Records guesting along the way). At the end of the day, it's 14 tracks that make 52 minutes of hip-hop collaborating between two legendary groups. Let's get right into it.
At this point, even pretty ardent Ghostface fans have to be asking themselves "How many fuckin' albums can this guy put out?!" Answer: Plenty. His solo and collaborative catalog is in the teens right now, even besides his work on Wu-Tang group albums and guest spots on other solo records. And it rarely gets old, either: With the exception of the dirtiest of the dirty ("Stapleton Sex," "Gihad" etc) I never get remotely sick of his stuff. I also never feel like I'm hearing the same shit over and over; he's always got fresh rhymes and metaphors and new stories to tell. Having said that, when you buy GFK you usually know what to expect and Wu Block is no different.
It starts with "Crack Spot Stories," which uses the ever-popular sample of "Much Better Off" by Smokey Robinson - which has also been sampled by Masta Killa ("R U Listening"), A$AP Rocky, J Dilla and several others. It's an even split between Wu stars (Ghost brings Raekwon along) and D Block cellmates (Sheek Louch brings Jadakiss, who also appeared on Cuban Linx 2 three years prior). The album flies along with a decent guest spot by Cappadonna on "Pour tha Martini" over some funk instruments and the bigger, darker-sounding "Pull tha Cars Out" with Method Man. The latter has a really fun hook ("Pull the cars out, we gettin' money over here / Them bottles on the table, the weed in the air / The women starin' at us, the haters ice grillin' / Wu block, y'know we in the building") and Method Man does a good job balancing out Ghost's and Sheek's more aggressive styles with his typical bounce.
"Guns for Life" uses more great '70s sounds. As many times as I call them out for how good their funk/soul/blaxpoitation sound is, I never get sick of hearing it. There's something about those brass loops and ballsy drum machines and top-notch rhymes that always, always sound great. It's also fine by me when Wu branches out and tries something new (eg Tical 2000 or 36 Seasons), but they're pretty dependable when it comes to bringing old-school cinema sounds to hip-hop. Raekwon returns for "Comin' for Ya Head," which slows it down again and inspires Sheek and Ghost to bring some real fierce delivery for their lyrics. Respect to Styles P for referencing Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, a classic novel about the black man's sociological struggle in a primarily white privilege society.
"Drivin' Round" will excite Wu fans for including both GZA and Masta Killa on it, and Erykah Badu provides a quick but lovely hook. It's a great laid-back summertime driving song: Masta Killa spits rhymes like "His music loud, windows down, summer heat vibing / It's live when I'm gliding, I'm smoking while I'm driving" and GZA replies with his opener "What is the key to life with no ignition? / Another jump start then I'm on my mission / I keep my ID, insurance and registration / Wu music, good hemp for stimulation." The energy's back on with "Different Time Zones" due in part to big Apollo Kids-style drums and part to Inspectah Deck appearing and bringing fire. "Stick Up Kids" utilizes an urgent Cuban Linx 2 beat and the classic line "Brrrrr stick 'em, ha ha-ha stick 'em" that's been in more rap songs than Timbaland. Next up is "All in Together," which makes the third Wu-related song of the same name. The first was in a pre-Wu group by ODB, RZA and GZA; the second was on ODB's sophomore release Nigga Please. Most confusing, though, is that none of them seem to have anything to do with one another. Different beats, different lyrics, different producers, different emcees.
Acoustic guitar and two-tone violins lead the intro on "Do It Like Us" before the main beat brings fat tuba and descending piano notes for a gangsta sound under the Ghost-Louch duo supported by Raekwon. Of all three of his appearances on Wu Block, this is my favorite. It doesn't hurt how live Ghost sounds here, but Rae has more energy than he did on "Comin' for Ya Head." Hard to put my finger on, but it's just a solid flow. The same goes for Method Man guesting on "Stella." I've probably only heard Meth really struggle with a verse once or twice in my life, and "Stella" isn't one of those times. Although on the other hand, the beat sounds really bizarre. It would sound at home on More Fish with its Doom-esque sound, except for the weird piquing (and treble-loaded) drum machine and frequent pops that come from an overload on every up beat. Not sure what happened here, but it's a bit distracting.
"Been Robbed" is the last listed track on the album, but there's also a hidden one, "Bust Shots." "Been Robbed" brings that crazy street energy back that's been so frequent on the album, but it's so silly (in a good way) it reminds me just as much of Redman on Blackout! as anything. "Bust Shots" ends the album on an uptempo note, featuring Inspectah Deck and some turntables on the hook. Pretty fun, and a good way to wind it up.
Legacy: I'm amazed that in 2012, reviewers were still crying out for RZA to be producing every Wu-Tang solo effort. As great as the first round of solo joints were, it's been 15 years, guys; time to get over it. None of the Wu-Tang emcees are one-trick ponies. They've found great ways to work with other producers and really strike out on their own between regrouping for Wu-Tang Clan albums. By now, they'd put out fantastic tracks with other Wu producers (Mathematics, 4th Disciple, Cilvaringz, Bronze Nazareth etc). Method Man had worked regularly with Erick Sermon by now, bringing plenty of fire for Blackout!; both Ghost and Masta Killa had successfully worked with MF Doom beats; The Revelations had shown that they walk the walk with Chamber Music and Legendary Weapons. I could go on but why bother? Production gripes aside, Wu Block was received with lukewarm reviews (most of which should've been at least a point higher), with most critics praising the involved artists' consistent quality and styles working well over unfailing '90s beats. It shows that Ghost and other Wu generals can step back and share the mic for an entire record, splitting it 50/50 with another group (obviously D-Block). Overall, tight album; you could do much worse in your library.
Recommended Tracks: Pull tha Cars Out, Drivin' Round, Bust Shots.
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