In 1993 the Wu-Tang Clan exploded onto the scene with their critically-acclaimed debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This catapulted the group to hip-hop honors as one of the most influential groups of all time. From the release of their single “Protect Your Neck” to the final track “Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Pt. 2” the group brought uniqueness to the music industry never witnessed before. Now they continue their quest to bring the ruckus in their new album Wu-Massacre (albeit Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah).
The hype of this new album not only toted three of the most powerful emcees but production from the RZA himself. Unfortunately now that the final product has been released, only one track credits RZA as the creator ("Our Dreams"), and this might be the most unimpressive song on the album, and believe me when I say that’s not a complement. Overall this album feels like an EP, or incomplete, at best. It totals in length a mere 30 minutes and 6 seconds (30+6=36…coincidence?) and leaves you feeling incensed.
With no intention to go thru every song, the first several tracks play an important role in defining the overall album. While the first track, “Criminology 2.5”, has a great sound to launch you into the continuation of the Wu tradition, an initial sign that this might feel like an unfinished album comes from the fact that only Method Man and Ghostface laced it, leaving out Raekwon from the get go. The irony here is that this song, with a variation of its lyrics, originally appeared as a promotional cut for an up and coming Raekwon album last year. So even with an eerie melody of bells and a chorus of ghostly horns reminiscent of a Wu who stepped out from the 36 Chambers, you still tend to feel cheated, especially since the next track, “Mef vs. Chef” is exactly that…only the two of them. Yes, I know this is a sequel to Method Man’s Tical cut, however his lyrical spar that’s accompanied by a Kung fu composition reminiscent of a legendary fight scene leaves out Ghostface all together (and unfortunately this seems to become a habit throughout most of the album). Another major setback is that it’s constructed with a synthesized brass section rather than a real martial art film sample which unfortunately may take out any loyal Wu listener from this dactylic match.
Speaking of lyrics, you may be sorely disappointed. Most of the lyrics have lost their abstract appeal and become more cliché like the rest of the hip-hop game. You’ll be hard pressed to find Method Man alluding to his favorite past time of smoking herb, and Chef Raekwon cooking up something in the kitchen. However, Ghostface never stops with his now famous stream-of-conscious style tapestry with lines like, “Behind those mahogany walls, indoor pools with steel doors, flipping eggs over in my silk drawers”.
Don’t get me wrong, on track three I realized a very important lesson for this review: I wasn’t looking for a duplication of their freshman album. In “Ya Moms”, schoolyard trash talking is traded, akin to the opening of Enter’s “Method Man”. It even has a background that sounds like it’s going to play a sample similar to that of something off of 36 Chambers. Thinking that may be the case, it revealed to me that I wasn’t looking for a reproduction but instead a journey to the unknown. However most of the soul samples used on this album, like in “Gunshowers”, “Miranda”, "Youngstown Heist", and “Made Men”, seem more forced than fitting (Except “Smooth Sailing”) and the Kung fu snippets, that make them who they are, appear nil.
When it comes to the production, a variety of different producers were used, unlike Enter The Wu-Tang where RZA produced every track. Names include Mathematics, Scram Jones, Emile, and Ty Fyffe. The most disappointing find is in the melody of track eight, “Pimpin’ Chipp”, because it is precisely that of which is found on Method Man’s hit single “All I Need”. Perhaps the best lifted melody comes on the last track where a variation of “Na, Na, Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye” is played, and that’s only because by that point in your listening journey you’re ready to return those same sentiments.
One thing that will last in your mind, and arguably the best part of Wu-Massacre, is Marvel’s art work created by Chris Bachalo. It portrays a comic caricature of a blunt smoking, fire conjuring Method Man; a bling toting, ski masked Ghostface; and a blade chopping Raekwon.
I understand that the number 3 is an integral part of their philosophy, so that gave me hope for what these 3 particular emcees could do collectively. However, when I realized that the 3 of them (Meth, Rae, and Ghost) appeared together on only 3 of the 12 tracks (and yes, I know 3 and 3 makes six, and 12 times 3 equals 36, and so on and so on), my faith in this philosophy died.
Overall the entire project feels forced with no cohesiveness that I’ve come to expect over the years. The tone of the album is more of a daytime driving rather than late night creeping. To have named this album Wu-Massacre is ironic, because I think that’s exactly what they did to the potential they were gifted with.
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