Wu-Tang Clan
THE W
(Loud)
Steeped in New Yawk neck throbbers and
teeming with wicked wordplay, The W delivers another dose of hearty
Wu-Tang hip-hop fare. The first single, "The Jump Off," packs an old-school
punch; "Careful (Click Click)" could be the rawest Wu cipher joint since
"Diesel," from the Soul in the Hole soundtrack. And paraplegics could
get loose on the bounciest track and latest single, "The Gravel Pit." Clocking
in at under 55 minutes, The W is short on filler and heavy on hooks,
though the track featuring a cameo by rapper Nas, "Let My Niggas Live," never
hits its true stride. Busta Rhymes and Redman also make brief appearances, as
does Snoop Dogg, who teams with ODB on the half-baked "Conditioner." Inspectah
Deck and the baroque baritone of Masta Killa (think a more monotone Method Man)
claim a generous share of the spotlight, further proof the Wu's bench squad can
hold it down. And Ghostface Killah, who once proclaimed that his increasingly
space-age vernacular was akin to "feeding steak to a baby," lays down verse
that's chewier than a Bickford's T-bone special. But his bugged-out delivery is
what nails it on "I Can't Go to Sleep," where Ghostface and the RZA sell the
drama with shrieking, tweeter-shredding vocals atop eerie keys and dripping
violin.
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