My Gut Reaction: The Alchemist - Chemical Warfare (July 7, 2009)

Producer Al Maman, who works under the alias The Alchemist (or simply "Alchemist", as it appears on the album cover at right), is best known for providing sinister gangsta landscapes for rappers to graze upon. During his storied career, he's been a part of both the Soul Assassins and the Mobb Deep camps, affiliated with Dilated Peoples, and he currently acts as a deejay in residence for the biggest rap star on the fucking planet. But, of course, what he really wants to do is rap.

Al's first solo album, 1st Infantry, has the same blueprint as his newest offering, Chemical Warfare: Al laces all of the beats while his more well-known friends handle duties behind the mic, with Al himself stepping into the booth occasionally. If memory serves, Chemical Warfare features more Al Maman rhymes than 1st Infantry, but I haven't heard that disc in several years, so I'm probably wrong. The blueprint he's following, by the way, is exactly the same as what DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill fame) has been using for his past three Soul Assassins albums, which is why I thought it was weird that Chemical Warfare was released within such a close proximity to Intermission, the latest DJ Muggs everyone-but-the-kitchen-sink effort.

I think Al has Muggs beat when it comes to bigger celebrities on the album, though. Chemical Warfare features no less than two Academy Award-winning acts: Eminem and Three 6 Mafia. Somebody should take that comment and add it to a sticker to be affixed to physical copies of the album. Just make sure to credit Max at Hip Hop Isn't Dead.

I'm only half joking.

1. INTRO
A useless rap album intro! Hooray!

2. ALC THEME (FEAT KOOL G RAP)
Maybe having Al rhyme on the same track as gangsta rap pioneer Kool G Rap (on his own “theme” song to boot) started life as an in-joke told in the studio, but then G Rap became involved, and the gag progressed to such a degree that neither man could back down from recording a collaboration without coming off as a “p-unk” (Al's word, not mine). However this really played out, though, this shit turned out awkward as hell.

3. LOSE YOUR LIFE (FEAT SNOOP DOGG, JADAKISS, & PUSHA T)
So Snoop doesn't even contribute a verse? Why even include the man, then? Didn't he have a football game to coach? I could have provided the chorus with the same level of apathy as Calvin Broadus! Jadakiss (from The Lox) sounds alright, and I'm now strangely curious as to how a Clipse album would sound with more beatwork from Al's chemistry set, but the most memorable thing about this song is the skit immediately following, which is actually fucking hilarious, albeit only the first time one hears it, I'm sure.

4. CHEMICAL WARFARE (FEAT EMINEM)
More Sarah Palin references, Marshall? How fucking old is this song? (The Octomom references don't help the song sound less dated, by the way.) This sounds pretty fucking stupid, even though it's only one verse long: Marshall must have been test-driving his Return of Slim Shady persona when he spit this shit in one take, as I would not be surprised if this verse predates all of Relapse. Al's beat ranges from okay to decent, for what it's worth, but this is so entirely skippable that I shouldn't even be using this many words to discuss it.

5. GRAND CONCOURSE BENCHES (FEAT KRS-ONE)
Other than hearing KRS-One state “Anytime I'm in the club, it's like I'm really at home” (especially since this sounds nothing like a club banger), this shit was unexpectedly awesome. The history lesson KRS provides during his second verse is a must-hear. The skit at the end is also pretty funny, especially the upset fan who sounds like every single blogger ever (including myself).

6. THERAPY (FEAT EVIDENCE, BLU, TALIB KWELI, & KID CUDI)
The preceding skit is actually a pretty hilarious segue into this track, featuring some of the more well-known names in underground hip hop and Kid Cudi, who is technically a mainstream star right now, but that will surely change once his confusingly-named debut album drops. Blu and Evidence (Al's partner in his rap duo Step Brothers) sound pretty good over Al Maman's instrumental, but Kweli I can take or leave on here.

7. THAT'LL WORK (FEAT THREE 6 MAFIA & JUVENILE)
I don't even think The Alchemist saw this collaboration coming. I imagine this kind of song will piss off the fans that appreciate his work with no-name artists bubbling under everybody's radar, but I've never professed to be Al's biggest stan, so I could give a fuck about whoever the man chooses to work with. This sounds like something one would hear booming from some kid's car speakers in a high school parking lot right after the final bell rang, which was probably the entire point. For what it's worth, it is what it is.

8. SMILE (FEAT TWISTA & MAXWELL)
This just proves my theory that every rapper that pairs up with (Tung) Twista feels the need to switch up their own flow just to match his pace; I'm convinced that I can never have Twista over at my house, as I don't want to have to reconfigure my living room to accommodate him. Maybe other rappers should follow that lead? I never wondered before what Al would sound like speed-rapping, and now I'll never have to wonder again. Twista's verse sounds more like a gimmick than a legitimate contribution to any song. The inclusion of Maxwell, though, was interesting, especially since the man just basically started his musical comeback. Excellent timing, Al!

9. KEEP THE HEELS ON (FEAT PRODIGY)
Al makes sure that the world hasn't yet forgotten about his boy, Cellblock P (the imprisoned half of Mobb Deep). Too bad a decent beat is wasted, as it houses some of Prodigy's most ridiculous rhymes to date. The track consists of sex raps that P must be trying to mold into a workable fantasy that he can use while he remains behind bars.

10. ACTS OF VIOLENCE (FEAT OH NO, ROC C, & CROOKED I)
This isn't that bad (read: Alchemist working alongside no-name rappers that are bubbling under everybody's radar), although Al's beat isn't as sinister as you would expect from that title. However, Al himself sounds much more aggressive than you would expect from a man who also ran with Cypress Hill. I don't remember any of the lyrical content from any of the artists involved (including Oh No, Madlib's brother and partner in Al's other rap duo, Gangrene, and Crooked I from supergroup Slaughterhouse), but this still sounded good.

11. LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION (FEAT LIL' FAME)
Fizzy Womack takes time off from A&R-ing Wu-Tang Chamber Music to lace an above-average Al beat with a hype verse. It could have been much better, sure, but it also could have been much longer, which would kill everybody's spirits, so I'm kind of glad Lil' Fame kept it half short and twice strong.

12. SOME GANGSTER SHIT (FEAT FABOLOUS)
Al's beat (which includes some Dr. Dre dialogue snippets and a bit of “Ironside”, the Quincy Jones track Quentin Tarantino used multiple times in his Kill Bill flicks) is boring as shit, and someone should probably inform F-A-B-O that referencing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is far removed from being gangsta.

13. ON SIGHT (FEAT THA DOGG POUND & THE LADY OF RAGE)
Daz and Kurupt both suck balls on here, but their reunion with former Death Row Records labelmate The Lady Of Rage is the real draw. She sounds downright refreshing, probably because we haven't heard much from her in the past decade, unlike a certain Dogg Pound. I see that Snoop, the leader of this pack, was too busy laying down a hook and not rapping on another track for Chemical Warfare to be bothered with making an appearance on this song. That sucks.

14. TAKE A LOOK BACK
Al takes to the mic all by himself to spit a couple of autobiographical verses. He isn't bad (he's certainly better than I would be), but I would much rather hear him tweak a beat. The skit that completes Chemical Warfare is hilarious, though: I would pay cash money to see The Alchemist perform with Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, and Tears For Fears on a cruise ship. Live Nation should get to work in putting that package together.

The following is considered a bonus track from a different Alchemist project.

15. UNDER SIEGE (GANGRENE (OH NO + ALCHEMIST))
My understanding is that “Under Siege” is the first single from Gangrene's forthcoming album. The beat is alright, but Oh No sounds bored as shit, and Al comes off as even less convincing than he did on the previous song. The best (and funniest) byproduct of this truly unfunny song is its accompanying video, with its “I just rented a video from Blockbuster and this is suddenly 1993” quality. You'll see what I'm talking about below.

THE LAST WORD: Chemical Warfare misses the mark on so many levels that you're left wondering is The Alchemist was even aware that there was a target involved. Many of his instrumentals sound incomplete (and they all pale in comparison to some of his more classic work from previous years). Al has a much higher profile now than he ever did, thanks to his role as Eminem's deejay, so the caliber of guest stars has been inflated accordingly (unlike his last “solo” album, 1st Infantry, which features Mobb Deep involvement on nearly half of the disc), but the inclusions of Fabolous, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and Twista are questionable. Al's heart is clearly in the right place (see: “Grand Concourse Benches” with KRS-One and “Therapy” with Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli, and a Kid Cudi performance that could have been rightfully deleted), but as a whole, Chemical Warfare is a package that would be best returned to sender. Overall, the disc is meh, although, oddly, the skits are pretty funny, so I have to give Al credit for that.

BONUS VIDEO:
Gangrene (Oh No + Alchemist) - "Under Siege"



-Max

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein (May 15, 2001)

I've had the debut (and to date, only) album from New York rappers Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, who did business as Cannibal Ox (alongside their usual deejay, DJ Cip One), sitting in my pile for quite a few months now. I've played with the idea of reviewing it before, but in typical Max fashion, I grew quite lazy, and I moved over to other shit. The Cold Vein was in heavy shuffle rotation on my iPod, though, and its tracks would periodically come up at the oddest times (I had written in the past that "Stress Rap" was one of my favorite tracks of that moment: this is why), so I knew that I couldn't let it slide for much longer. Also, one of the Reader Reviews that I received a few months ago was for this very album, so now is as good a time as any to move forward. (You should also be seeing a Reader Review for The Cold Vein coming up very very soon.)

I'm not going to lie and pretend that I know a hell of a lot about Vast Aire and Vordul Mega as artists, people, or humanitarians. All I know is that the duo hasn't recorded a group album since The Cold Vein (although they have occasionally worked together), a point of contention between the underground hip hop community and Cannibal Ox themselves, but if a group absolutely had to leave at the very top of their game, one could do a lot worse than The Cold Vein.

The Cold Vein was the first full-length project to be released on former Company Flow member El-P's record label, Definitive Jux. El-Producto also fully produced the album, and the consistency of his work, which oftentimes cribbed from several musical genres as well as science fiction concepts and movements and measures normally seen within the context of classical music, combined with the rhyming abilities of Vordul Mega and Vast Aire, led The Cold Vein into the wonderful world of critical acclaim. The disc didn't sell many copies upon its initial release (which isn't that much of a shock), but it has slowly grown into an undeniable cult classic. To date, many of this album's fans consider this to be the finest project that ever came out of the Definitive Jux label, and they're not very far off.

The Cold Vein is filled with lyrical tales focusing on the life of New York rappers blessed with skill but without the burden of overexposure: the bragging that folks have come to expect from their favorite artists comes out in full force, but the subject matter is more becoming of two men who are struggling to find their footing in a world that is constantly changing around them.

Oh, and there's cursing. Lots of cursing.

1. IRON GALAXY
After a brief intro that combines equal parts of creepy and interesting, Vast Aire and Vordul Mega introduce themselves to the listening public. While neither can lay claim to the title of best MC, both are good in their own way, and both men are complemented extremely well by El-P's spacey/computer-malfunction-like instrumentation, especially during the moments in which the song takes a weird turn and comes off as an alternate soundtrack to It's A Wonderful Life. A recommendation lies in that statement somewhere. The use of Wall Of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" was also kind of interesting.

2. OX OUT THE CAGE (FEAT EL-P)
Having left their bag of choruses at home, Vast, Vordul, and their producer opt to rip shit anyway, rhyming about absolute randomness over an intermittent backdrop. El-P kicks things off and quickly leaves, while Vordul Mega ties the room together at the end.

3. ATOM (FEAT ALASKA & CRYPTIC ONE FROM ATOMS FAMILY)
Listeners that choose not to pay attention will be forced to notice, at this point, that El-P has produced the shit out of The Cold Vein, as this sounds like nothing else in the hip hop world. It's almost as if you can't not do anything creative when you listen to these beats: I recall many folks back in the day name-dropping The Cold Vein as perfect music to write to (a statement which I apparently agree with, since I'm writing as I hear this). The four artists presented here (two of whom are from a crew that most of my two readers have never heard of) decided that they were inspired enough to rhyme, and while they all meant well, the results still come off as really really good. I especially enjoyed how Vordul ends his verse by simply stating the song's title, seemingly apropos of nothing in particular.

4. A B-BOY'S ALPHA
Vast Aire's shock-value opening bar grabs your attention (while simultaneously grossing you out), but the song itself truly ascends most of what is considered “real” hip hop once the drums kick in. El-P's instrumental is hauntingly beautiful (no, seriously), providing a perfect companion piece for Vast and Vordul to spit some shit, although it also works well on its own merits, as the rhymes end more than a minute before the actual song.

5. RASPBERRY FIELDS
There's a lot going on with this beat...actually, there's too much going on with this beat, as it fills your mind to capacity, pushing useful knowledge out of your left ear canal. Vast Aire's false start is kind of funny, and the flows of both artists lead me to believe that they would sound exactly the same if they were ever forced to spit to a bounce track from the South.

6. STRAIGHT OFF THE D.I.C.
Nice and peaceful, even if it punches you in the eye with its 1980s keyboards during the “chorus”. Vast and Vordul work so well together that, at this point, you'll never want to hear them apart, regardless of how unrealistic that though is. I mean, they're not attached at the hip, people.

7. VEIN
Probably the simplest track on The Cold Vein, although I'm only referring to the beat. (Sometimes, less can be more.) If you weren't convinced that Vast Aire was nice with his awkward flow yet, you'll probably leave this track feeling exactly the same, but I'd be inclined to ask what the fuck your problem is.

8. THE F WORD
I realize this is only because El-P produced this entire album, but it's refreshing to hear how organically every song meshes with one another, while each maintains its separate identity. There aren't many rap songs out there about longing for platonic friends, and certainly none as abstract as this shit (okay, I take that back, there is one other rap song that is as abstract as this shit: RJD2's remix of “The F Word”, readily available on the Interweb), which is so deeply depressing and dark that you will need to reach for your bottle of anti-depressants before the next track. On this (mostly) solo offering, Vast Aire truly impresses.

9. STRESS RAP
This song is just fucking magnificent. Vast Aire and Vordul Mega slowly make their way through downtown NYC while a thundercloud filled with piano keys rains upon them, thanks to El-P's previous seeding of said cloud, and neither rapper thought to bring an umbrella. I can't emphasize enough how good this song is. You should probably give it a quick spin before continuing with this write-up. Go ahead, I can wait.

10. BATTLE FOR ASGARD (FEAT C-RAYZ WALZ & L.I.F.E. LONG)
The title alone will probably turn off the readers that listen to the radio religiously, but even though this shit sounds nerdy as hell, there isn't really anything here that isn't accessible to the regular hip hop head. (Vast Aire doesn't rhyme about vikings or twelve-sided die or anything like that. Well, maybe he does if the record is played backward.) The guests play off of their hosts well.

11. REAL EARTH
Raise your hand if you expected to read about a Guru (from GangStarr) vocal sample making an appearance on The Cold Vein. Although I'm now left wondering how these two would sound over some vintage DJ Premier boom bap, this track sounds really fucking good, with a polish that comes off as if El-P were actually scoring an independent film and decided to give the music to Vast Aire instead (Vordul Mega was, apparently, on a food run when this track was recorded.)

12. RIDICULOID (FEAT EL-P)
It's more than a bit unnerving when “Real Earth” abruptly ends, thanks to the creepy “Skynet is taking over”-type sound effects, but listeners are rewarded for their patience with the artists (and El-P) spitting over an elaborately-dressed breakbeat, with entertaining results. El Producto, especially, comes off a lot better than he did earlier on “Ox Out The Cage”. You'll probably freak out when the music stops suddenly before Vast Aire's verse: I did, anyway.

13. PAINKILLERS
Musically, this song goes off in a direction that is unexpected, but it's still a bit long-winded for my tastes. El-P gets his DJ Shadow on during the last minute, and the results aren't bad, but it's all rather unnecessary.

14. PIGEON
Since this is supposed to be the final song on The Cold Vein (although it isn't), it makes sense that it's also the most musically ambitious track on here. While the music sounds good, a lot of my two readers will probably become tired of putting in the effort to follow an extended bird metaphor, and may cut the song off prematurely.

The following is considered a bonus track, if only because Cannibal Ox didn't list it on the back of their album.

15. SCREAM PHOENIX
Overly long, as some bonus tracks tend to be. It's not bad, but, realistically speaking, The Cold Vein has thrown so much stuff at you at this point that this track probably won't even leave a small indentation on your consciousness.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Cold Vein is that rare underground album that deserves a wider audience, and if more people bothered to listen to it today, it could very well be on the receiving end of a renaissance. Vast Aire and Vordul Mega are highly capable rappers that bridge the gap between Killah Priest and the actual members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Indeed, the fifteen tracks on The Cold Vein are so consistent, you're left wondering how it's possible that Cannibal Ox have yet to release a second album. The (not-so) unsung hero of this disc is producer El-P, however: his production takes this shit to an entirely different plane of existence. The Cold Vein kind of reminds me of DJ Premier's work with Group Home on Livin' Proof (a blasphemous comparison, I know), in that the production envelops the artists so completely that you'll be convinced that Cannibal Ox shouldn't ever work with any other producer again. The difference is that the rappers in Group Home suck monkey scrotum, while Vordul Mega and (especially) Vast Aire are really good.

BUY OR BURN? Not only do I strongly urge you two to buy this shit immediately, I would also recommend picking up El-P's Cannibal Oxtrumentals, since the music on here, even without the vocals, is still really fucking good. Also, if you purchase both albums, El-P will leave you a tweet expressing his gratitude that you just bought two of his albums, helping support Definitive Jux Records, so that's cool.

BEST TRACKS: “Stress Rap”; “A B-Boy's Alpha”; “The F Word”; “Atom”; “Ridiculoid”; “Real Earth”; “Straight Off The D.I.C.”

-Max

My Gut Reaction: Royce da 5'9" - The Revival EP (July 7, 2009)

Royce da 5'9" has been riding a wave of goodwill in hip hop blogland lately. After releasing his acclaimed mixtape The Bar Exam 2 (for free, for fuck's sake!), Ryan Montgomery hooked up with three other rappers on the verge (Joell Ortiz, late of Aftermath Records; Crooked I, who was once signed to Death Row Records; and Joe Budden, the Def Jam reject who has taken to bashing Method Man and any other artist who has an issue with him in online freestyles) and formed Slaughterhouse, a hip hop supergroup that has the potential of bringing back that "real" hip hop (notice I put "real" in quotes, as opinions vary as to what makes hip hop real), even though they won't sell any copies of their record except to backpackers and folks like myself, who like to beat dead horses.

Anyway, The Revival EP is one of four digital-only releases that the Slaughterhouse members will be releasing in the coming weeks to build up hype for their group debut, coming later this year. Royce took the title from an album that he was supposed to release a couple of years ago, but after getting locked up for a parole violation after copping a DUI, he focused more on his mixtape game rather than forming a real album, so those sessions remain officially "in the vault", although a lot of that shit has probably leaked already.

That's certainly a lot of words written for an EP that only features four fucking tracks.

1. GUN HARMONIZING
I could have done without the childish gun noises coming out of Ryan's mouth, as it reminds me of a bunch of kids re-enacting a shootout on the playground at recess (or, at least that one episode of Spaced). The fact that the sounds double as a chorus of sorts makes me want to never hear this shit again, regardless of how pleasant the chanting/singing in the background is.

2. COUNT FOR NOTHING
Uses the same Chuck D vocal sample (from Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down") that DJ Premier chopped up for Biggie to use on his "Ten Crack Commandments". This is more of the sort of track I would expect Royce to appear on, with a beat that keeps things moving along while the punchlines chime in with full force. My only issue is that this sounds more like an incomplete mixtape-only track than an actual song readied for a release, digital-only or otherwise. Ryan also manages to drop more names than The Game on any given Sunday on here.

3. WARRIORS (FEAT SLAUGHTERHOUSE)
Did you ever wonder what a Wu-Tang Clan posse cut would sound like if each rapper held down two verses instead of just the one? Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, and Ryan Montgomery attempt to answer that question (and in no way did I just compare Slaughterhouse to Wu-Tang) and simply rip the fucking stuffing out of a soothing beat that seems to be better suited for a dramatic film score, but I'm clearly wrong. This shit could actually get people excited about hip hop again, especially if you look past Joey's recent fuckery. (I'm obviously partial to Method Man, by the way. Remember back in the day, when the Wu refused to enter into rap beef, they would just smack the shit out of you? Now we have to deal with Gza/Genius dissing Curtis Jackson and Inspectah Deck writing songs about Joe Budden. What the hell happened?)

4. STREET HOP 2010
Another incomplete-sounding song filled with punchlines and random pop culture references (Royce actually mentions Marlon Brando's controversial Academy Awards acceptance speech at one point). While the title is meant to invoke thoughts of Ryan's eventual Street Hop album (another project that The Revival EP was supposed to foreshadow), the quality of the song (and its short length) indicate that this was a leftover track from one of his Bar Exam mixtapes or, at best, an afterthought.

THE LAST WORD: The Revival EP sounds like a rushed product that was intended to draw attention to the forthcoming Slaughterhouse crew album. Which, of course, is what it was supposed to be. One song bangs and one song sounds decent, but the other two falter miserably, and considering there's only four songs on here, those are very questionable odds. The sheer lyrical energy behind "Warriors" alone will carry this project, as the song is good enough to warrant that kind of publicity (even though the four rappers are ultimately saying nothing), but methinks Royce should have performed some quality control on the project, or at the very least, included his "Redemption" freestyle. Sigh.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Other Royce da 5'9" write-ups can be found here.

My Gut Reaction: Various Artists - Wu-Tang Chamber Music (June 30, 2009)

I've been sitting on this one for almost a week, as circumstance and a lack of motivation have prevented me from having the time to sit and actually listen to the goddamn thing. Here are some observations that I had while opening Wu-Tang Chamber Music for the first time.

-After frequenting other blogs, I know I'm not alone in believing that this project literally came out of fucking nowhere. Especially since it was marketed as the Wu-Tang Clan as backed by a live band, The Revelations (yeah, I had never heard of them, either). Not that this was unwelcome, mind you: I was certainly looking forward to this more so than U-God's Dopium. I am a bit concerned with the El Michaels Affair though: weren't they suppoosed to be the go-to for live Wu-Tang instrumentation?

-This is not an official Wu-Tang Clan album (as evidenced by the fact that Method Man, Masta Killa, Gza/Genius, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard don't appear at all), but, rather, a collaboration between the Clan and other New York rap artists who may or may not have played a huge role in defining the rhyme styles of the group. Even though The Rza is listed as the executive producer, I imagine the title was an honorary one: other than garnering much-needed publicity, spoken-word interludes (seriously), and a couple of tracks, the input of Prince Rakeem is slim, which makes sense when you realize that Wu-Tang Chamber Music is the pet project of, among other contributors, Fizzy Womack, also known as Lil' Fame from M.O.P. Yes, one-half of the Mash Out Posse is responsible for trying to bring the Wu-Tang Clan back into prominence. Which is kind of cool.

-I suppose Koch Records got sick of the phrase "Koch graveyard" when describing their talent roster, as they have since officially changed their name to E1 Music. Which is a subsidiary of E1 Entertainment, who actually produces the show Hung for HBO. I caught the pilot episode last week (the one directed by Election's Alexander Payne...that movie is funny as shit, by the way), and I didn't find it as good as it could have been. I don't fault star Thomas Jane, though: he just wants his kids back.

-Wu-Tang Chamber Music remains pretty limited in its scope when it comes to guest stars. Kool G Rap? M.O.P.? Saw them coming (especially the M.O.P. spot, thanks to Fizzy Womack's interference - did you really think M.O.P. wasn't going to appear?). But Cormega, Sean Price, and Masta Ace? Those are some power moves right there. It's not enough to make me forget that Method Man isn't on here, nor does it make the exclusion of nearly every other New York rapper from that time period (early 1990s) excusable, but at least its heart is in the right place.

Anywho.

1. REDEMPTION
A kung-fu flick-sample combined with some instrumental work. This is a promising start.

2. KILL TOO HARD (INSPECTAH DECK, U-GOD, & MASTA ACE)
The Revelations do an admirable job of aping a Wu-Tang Clan beat that didn't actually exist until now. Deck and Masta Ace sound as good as you would expect, but U-God, continuing his Dopium winning streak, strings his words together quite nicely.

3. THE ABBOT (THE RZA)
A mostly instrumental interlude, with some useless one-sided interview answers from Robert Diggs. Entirely unnecessary.

4. HARBOR MASTERS (GHOSTFACE KILLAH, AZ, & INSPECTAH DECK)
This was the only leaked song from this project that I paid any attention to, and it's fucking fire, thanks to the simple-yet-banging 1970s-style drum work that dominates the beat. The hook is weak (did you expect anything less?), but Ghost and Deck rock shit, and AZ sounds at his most Doe or Die-esque. Which is meant to be a compliment. Anthony Cruz has worked with the Wu in the past (specifically with Raekwon and The Rza), but this is officially his best collaborative work with the crew.

5. SHEEP STATE (THE RZA)
The Rza leads the march into pretentious obscurity. This would have been more interesting as a strictly instrumental affair. Sigh.

6. RADIANT JEWELS (RAEKWON, CORMEGA, & SEAN PRICE)
Raekwon sounds downright lucid on here, but the appearances of both Mega Montana and Sean Price (from Heltah Skeltah) are much more interesting. I'm glad to see that a song with this appealing a lineup actually lives up to expectations, and the beat manages to make you feel nostalgic for something that never happened. My only complaint is that the song simply ends after Sean's verse.

7. SUPREME ARCHITECTURE (THE RZA)
Wow, another interlude with The Rza? I hope these don't become a recurring theme or anything.

8. EVIL DEEDS (GHOSTFACE KILLAH, THE RZA, & HAVOC)
Hearing Ghostface threaten to leave your body looking like it was raped is actually pretty fucking frightening, right up there with being impaled by that giant golden bird he used to carry on his arm. Good thing Prince Rakeem comes in with quasi-religious psychobabble that cuts the potency down significantly, not unlike adding Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola to a glass of Jack Daniels. Havoc (the not-imprisoned half of Mobb Deep) doesn't sound like himself at all: I had to re-read the liner notes to confirm his presence. This track should have been a lot better. Then again, I don't understand why you would include Havoc on a song and not have him work behind the boards, but maybe that's just me.

9. WISE MEN (THE RZA)
Groan...

10. I WISH YOU WERE HERE (GHOSTFACE KILLAH & TRE WILLIAMS)
So if Ghost had the time to appear on three songs on Wu-Tang Chamber Music, why was his last Def Jam debacle such utter bullshit? (The world didn't need to hear a Ghostface Killah fucking Christmas carol.) This comes off as one of the slower Pretty Toney tracks trhat I would listen to once and never again (at least, not until I had to write about it), but for what it is, it's not bad, and I liked Tre Williams (a Nasir Jones affiliate, from what I understand) and his voice, and not just because this is more his song than that of Tony Starks.

11. FATAL HESITATION
A kung-fu flick-sampled interlude. These are always welcome, but I'm sure they'll run out of movies to cull from soon, and will have to resort to Roger Corman-produced flicks. Some of which are really good: Death Race 2000 is my shit (R.I.P. David Carradine).

12. ILL FIGURES (RAEKWON, M.O.P., & KOOL G RAP)
No surprise that Fizzy Womack produces this track, and it is fucking dope. It fits Rae's sleepytime flow perfectly. The Mash Out Posse bring much more energy than the track deems necessary, and G Rap doesn't sound at all like himself (maybe he and Havoc recorded their verses after consuming nothing but helium for three days straight), but overall, this shit is fucking nice. It's waaaaaay too short, though: this begs for a remix featuring the rest of the Clan.

13. FREE LIKE ODB (THE RZA)
At least Rza is doing his part to keep the rap name of Russell Jones alive.

14. SOUND THE HORNS (INSPECTAH DECK, SADAT X, & U-GOD)
You almost hope that Inspectah Deck enlists The Revelations for at least a few tracks on is eventual next solo album, as they seem to bring out the best in him (save for what passes for the "chorus"). I don't recall anybody asking for the Wu to pair up with Brand Nubian's Sadat X, though, and this song is pretty much the reason why: Sadat sounds boring as fuck. Hell, even Baby Uey comes off better over the beat, and writing that sentence just made my eyes roll back into my head, and I'll move on now.

15. ENLIGHTENED STATUES (THE RZA)
Fuck, we get it already: The Rza likes to talk!

16. NYC CRACK (THE RZA & THEA VAN SEJEN)
This is the only track on here featuring any production work whatsoever from The Rza, so of course he's the only rapper to appear on here. (Um, what happened to the overall theme, guys? Hello? Bueller?) However, with the exception of the, well, exceptional bonus track "Don't Be Afraid", this one song is better than all of the last Bobby Digital album. No, it really and truly is.

17. ONE LAST QUESTION (THE RZA)
A useless outro.

THE LAST WORD: With only eight real songs, Wu-Tang Chamber Music plays as more of an EP than a full-on album release. The Revelations do a great job with the musical backing, and although they don't always succeed with evoking the vingate Wu sound of yesteryear (as The Rza claimed they would while doing his press for the disc), what they do create is consistently entertaining. The project veers into pretension fairly early on, thanks to the "contributions" of Prince Rakeem, but Wu-Tang Chamber Music is easier to swallow if you look at it as the soundtrack (and the score) of a nonexistent film, with Rza's spoken word interludes doubling as snippets of dialogue. Or, better yet, upload only the songs onto your iPod and leave everything else by the wayside. Either way, Wu-Tang fans (like myself) will be enamored. With the entertaining Method Man and Redman album, a surprisingly interesting U-God solo disc, and now this, a Wu-Tang revolution may very well be upon us. God, I hope Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 doesn't fucking suck elephant testicle. The ball's in your court, Raekwon: stop having your fucking album pushed back!

-Max

The Hard Sell: Q-Tip - The Renaissance (November 4, 2008)

I really wasn't kidding in my Gut Reaction post. I'm atoning for my sin of not supporting Q-Tip by telling everyone that they need to pick The Renaissance up ASAP. And with the recent news that the man's long-awaited "true" sophomore album, Kamaal The Abstract, will be seeing an official release this September, there's no better time to start wondering what it will take to get A Tribe Called Quest together again.

The following sampler may or may not help sway your decision, but try to enjoy these videos anyway.

Q-Tip - "Gettin' Up"



Q-Tip - "ManWomanBoogie" (feat. Amanda Diva)



Q-Tip - "Move"



Q-Tip - "Renaissance Rap"



BONUS TRACKS:

Q-Tip - "Renaissance Rap (Remix)" (feat. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, & Lil' Wayne) (link takes you to an unofficial video)

Q-Tip - "We Fight/We Love (Remix)" (feat. Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West, & Consequence) (link takes you to an unofficial video)
I didn't do a real post about this particular remix, but it sounds decent enough, and it proves that A Tribe Called Quest has a much bigger influence on Kanye than anybody may have ever guessed, considering his more recent Autotuned output.

Q-Tip - "Life Is Better" (feat. Norah Jones) (not a real video, but this album cut from The Renaissance deserves to be heard)

Q-Tip - "Let's Ride" (from Amplified)



And here's the link to the original post. Real content coming soon.

-Max