“Its hard to believe its been six years since the last Wu Tang Clan album and to say the landscape of hip hop/rap has changed since then is an understatement. In that time there have also been changes in the lives of many of the clan members. Rza has spread his wings to films, cartoons etc, Ghostface has remained busy with a number of critically acclaimed solo albums and the group lost there most carasmatic member ODB. So with so many internal and external changes how will an album from one of hip hops most respected groups fare?

The album starts off in true Wu fashion with a short Ku-Fu flick intro which kicks into haunting drum beat of “Campfire” that perfectly matches the verses of Method Man, Ghostface and Cappadonna. At this point you should nodding/snaping your neck not your fingers. The album continues in this vain reminding you time when all you needed was a break, hard drums and lyrical darts were all you cared for. Unfortunately, this feeling is short lived as some of Rza’ productions seems to drift away from the Wu Tang formula, opting for production which would seem more at home during an episode of Afro Sumari. Tracks like “Unpredictable”, “The Heart Gently Weeps” and “Stick Me For My Riches” are cases for this point. This is where the main issue with the album becomes apparent. Because the production becomes less exciting, its causes you to concentrate on the lyrical talents displayed by each member of the clan. It is obvious which clan’s men have been still active during their time away, as Method Man, Ghostface and Reakwon seem to be sharper with their lyrics. There also seems to be little of the conceptual experimentation, energy and Kung Fu references normally associated with the Wu. The last track “16th Chamber” reminds us of how it was all so simple then.

Don’t get me wrong there are a few standout tracks like “Campfire”, “Gun Will Go” and “Weak Sport” that will please fans of the Wu. But the album on a whole doesn’t pack the same punch as there previous efforts .Which leads to the question “Will the Wu Tang Clan get together and take time to craft an album worthy of the symbol again?” Time will tell.

My rating is 2.5 out of 5

Rapid Fire Reviews

Jay Z ~ American Gangster
“Don’t expect any bangers in the modern sense of the word. This album is for Jay Z purists (those who still know the lyrics of Reasonable Doubt) and those who appreciate laid back rap with a 70’s back drop. Lyrically Jay Z returns to his best!”
4/5

Freeway ~ Free At Last
“Freeway makes a solid return since his 2003 Philadelphia Freeway debut. Takes a while to get used to Freeway without the production of Just Blaze and Kanye West, however if you can get past that then Free At Last is a worth a listen”
3/5

Chris Brown ~ Exclusive
“A good well rounded album which never leans too far towards any type of R&B (Pop, Kidde etc). Definitely one of the better albums R&B of the year”
4/5

Alicia Keys ~ As I Am
“With her third album Alicia Keys serves up what you’d expect her to, however there is nothing bad about that in anyway. This just means it’s another solid album which will be in many ipods around the world (Pink ipods probably)”
3.5/5