The traditional Rap group has gone the way of the Whig Party since the turn of the century. Sure, Hip Hop is swimming in “crews” galore – and Golden Era posses still come around every eclipse or so to rekindle that old school magic – but the frequency of new Rap groups emerging on the major-label level have trickled out of the ecosystem. Rising in its place have been a steady stream of Avenger-style team-ups, where oft-marginalized emcees join forces for a select mission or two, combining lyrical abilities for the greater creative good of their fawning fan bases. There was Random Axe with Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, and Black Milk. There was Nas and Damien Marley. There was Pete Rock and Camp Lo (as 80 Blocks). The trend is absolutely en vogue and seems to be smart business. With Wu Block, two of New York’s most notorious collectives (Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan and Yonkers’ D Block) collide to drop 20-year old bromides that somehow still sound fresh.
Peep the scene. Ghostface Killah is sitting on the couch, smoking a Dutch, watching TV, when Sheek Louch calls talking about a girl he smashed in Queens who’s waiting to be wifey. “Tall glass of lemonade / Chandelier’s hanging over my head / Sitting in like a cloud of haze / Larry King on Mute / They’re about to bury Wesley [Snipes] for taxes,” Pretty Tony kicks on “Different Time Zones” (with Sheek Louch and Inspectah Deck). It’s another one of those classic Ghost verses that are so ill because they ain’t about nothing; because he viscerally puts you in the room. He’s directing rhymes in a fashion more likely seen in the pages of a movie script than on RapGenius – an uncanny ability he’s proven to be the unabashed Abbot of over his two decade-long career.
Much of Wu Block moves as expected. There are very few stylistic surprises or indications that Ghostface and Sheek Louch (this project’s captains) had any desire to venture anywhere they haven’t already planted their flag. The soulful “Crack Spot Stories” (Ghost, Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, Raekwon) and “Cocaine Central” (Ghost, Sheek, Styles P) are about exactly what their titles indicate. The raucous “Pull Tha Cars Out” (Sheek, Ghostface, Method Man) feels as though it was made for vintage Rap clubs like New York City’s The Tunnel, complete with a ballerificly shallow chorus: “Pull the cars out / We gettin money over here / Them bottles on the table / The weed is in the air / The women staring at us / The haters ice grillin / Wu Block / You know we in the building.”
Featuring Erykah Badu, “Drivin Round” finds each emcee describing the plight witnessed while driving through the hood. Of course Sheek Louch and Masta Killa are watching poverty through the window of luxury jeeps – a Rap requirement of the ’90s ruling class. If GZA’s verse wasn’t so artfully thoughtful and the production so smoke-and-ride perfect, cliche would strangle the dope out of this one. Kind of like “Guns For Life,” where Ghost, Sheek, and Styles P venture into Pharoahe Monch (“Stray Bullet”), Nas (“I Gave You Power”), Tupac (“Me And My Girlfriend”)-territory, metaphorically personifying their relationship with their guns. It would be awfully corny if it wasn’t such an awesome song.
“Stella” is another great narrative. And the souled-out ’70s sampled “Been Robbed,” where Sheek and Ghost trade four bar verses in impeccably is also absolutely appreciated. From mic to plug, Wu Block is a vintage Rap release only lacking in invention. Ghost and Sheek have made these songs repeatedly their entire career, only this time they created them together. And that’s all right. It’s hard to hate on pioneers for doing what they pioneered.
“The soulful Crack Spot Stories”
Just reading that is LOL
You haters! Go listen to:
– 2chainz
– lil wayne
– nicki minaij
– 50 cent
– meek mill
– rick ross
– game
and other homo’s and attention whores
You dont see Wu Tang everyday on Twitter posting bullshit like today i farted and this morning i dissed some rappers without a reason. Wu is from an era when hiphop was real Go write a review about Ne-Yo new album stupid facts
You hate rappers for using twitter? DAMN! You might as well stop texting and go use a pay phone, old-school style. Stop living in the stone age. G’s can twitter (but that twit beef is lame, tho)
I’m a huge 50 fan and ALSO making a first day buy with this LP…..does that signify me as a “HATER”….stop making BLANKET statements THINKING because you like the Wu you know Hip Hop inside and out…..
50 Cent has one legit album, hasn’t been good since the Beg For Mercy days…
Finaly its here been waiting on dis for a long tym, am Ghost fan who also hapen to be a Sheek fan ever since money power n respect and camay days…(wats beef? two niggaz bats, aint shit compared to 1 cat wit gat…)oh! thoz wer the dayz!!!!!!5 stars
album is getting 3,5 stars but why??????? What is not good about this album????? Tell me?????
goog not grat
good nothing special i ment
its good
If this was a MMG release then it would have getting 4 stars because HIPHOPDX get paid by rappers for positive articles. HIPHOPDX is afraid to be negative about all those bullshit rappers. as a journalist you must be objective and not chose sites
Dont forget Shady/A-Math/Interscope.. this site giving Slaughterhouse’s album a 4.5 is almost as bad as The Source giving Made Men a 4.5
A 4 in my opinion solid project hopefully the WU returns
It’s impossible these days for a rap album to get a higher rating, unless it has something for the hipsters and the pseudo-conscious sissys. This is lyrically ill, introspective street sheet. Only for real nggaz. You have to scratch beneath the surface to get to the message. As always HHDX stay hatin’ on the Wu!
HEY REVIEWER…………….isn’t that a 2pac song called “me and my girlfriend” and the Biggie song is called “Me and My Bitch!” Come come now son sonny,lets get it right…………..either way DOPE REVIEW FOR A DOPE ALBUM.
nice catch. thank you.
HIPHOPDX must have the most dumbest people in there staff.
Me and Bitch a Pac song.
Not that good could of been better sounds like a mix tape I did compilation with Wu that was more on point it was the clan rhyming over dub step beats….
Mmm…I’m not sure about dubstep with these type of emcees? The record label Babygrande put out a dubstep remix of Inspecta Deck’s last album & and a dubstep remix of that ‘Wu-Culture…etc’ comp & they both were just plain horrible!!! There’s a group out of the UK called ‘Dope D.O.D.’ you might want to check out…if you’re looking for emcees over dubstep who I think does it the way it should be done if you’re going to rap over that dub stuff.
Tupac’s “Me and my bitch”? As you say, lame ass reviewer
No you dumb fuck, Tupac Me and My Girlfriend… Me and My Bitch is a Biggie song genius. Don’t hate on DX cuz you can’t keep your legends straight. If you can’t name all the songs of Ready to Die and Killumanati, go do your fuckin homework
guys guys guys calm down best thing is to listen to the album yourself and judge it.
ghost is G.O.A.T.
i sometimes think he is too
You don’t point out anything negative, and still give it 3.5 stars. This is a first day buy, support the Wu!
Ghostface be killing shit.
This is shit for real hiphop fans and for those skinny jeans faggots
where you hear/get this? Seeing if i should buy this or the Roc Marciano. Already copped the Mic Tyson. November is heavy. Still havent heard the guilty yet either.
That Roc Marciano is boring man. His production is nice but can put you to sleep after a few tracks. But this is MY opinion.
Taped together bowlshit.
I WILL BE COPPIN THIS AFTER WORK I GOT THAT DENVER GOOD IN THE CAR WITH THAT GRAPE ZIG ZAG WRAP ON DECK!!!! LEGGO!!!!!
100000000000% COPPIN THIS TING.
IT SHOULD BE ALBUM OF THE YEAR.
u say that about every album that comes out probably dude
Yo…the reviewer seemed like he dissed the shit out this album while giving it props at the same time! Damn son…guess you cant front on good music no matter how hard you try. lmao
Best album I’ve heard in a long time that 90’s shit
hiphop
dope album
Lets go
omg im not even american and i know wtf im from brazil
this is not a wu-tang or d-block album this a collaboration between ghost and sheek and the other rappers are features
and yea is fuckind dope deserves a 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu-Block
All i’am going to say is…Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuttin Ta F**K with
lawwwwddddd i love gfk
lawd i love gfk
What a terrible review. This is at least a four star album if your at all into that kind of rap.
questionable review. album is at least a 4…..at minimum. there is a significant difference between a 3 1/2 and a 4 star album. a 4 and above is a must listen and i think this album is solid enough that hip-hop fans should give it a listen.
Ja rule feature woulda made it a 5
Solid album.
What the fuck i swear the album ain’t out yet ???????????????
Is it out already?
It comes out on Nov 27. Snippets are on Youtube (as one 24 min “video”).
@abu_maryam Good looking brother
The review does not point out any major flaws, but gives it only 3.5/5.0? I listened to samples of all the songs on the album on Youtube and it is very solid. The cover art may be whack, but the album isn’t. I am coppin this one as soon as it comes out.
I noticed one thing about HHDX reviews: Wu releases get a far lower rating than the user ratings. The biggest differences between editor & user ratings are on Wu related releases. HHDX stay hatin’ on the Wu!
I can not find this album ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
me too.
best buy has it
This has not come out yet. The release date is November 27. They obviously reviewed a preview copy.
Thanks Captain Obvious. Such an insightful comment.
before even opening this page I knew DX was gonna give this 3.5
Five mics! wu-block 4 eva!
Laz
I also dont understand why the review got a 3.5? What didn’t you like about it? After reading the review you would have thought it was a 4 or 4.5. Strange, step your review game up, if your not going to give it a 4 or a 5 explain why.
I think they only reviewe the snippets. LOL! You can expect anything from DX. Last time they reviewed a thrown together mixtape made by a wu-corp member and acted like that was the actual album. Some losers!!!
weak rappers. Drake and Weezy wud outrap diz old ass niggaz. Wu Tang and D-Block? itz not da 80s anymore. lmao… go away old niggas. swag
First of all, how old is you, son?
Your idols studied from these gentlemen.
Show respect, even if you don’t like it.
you know you’re fucked for the next generation when you expect Weezy and Drake to be better than Wu Tang.
PROTECT YO NECK NIGGA.
GTFOH
This album is great. Some real NYC rap no southren beats or southren bullshit rappers. Aint no shit better then 90’s and 80’s rap. Back then we aint have faggots with eyeshadow wearing skinny jeans and uggs.
Just downloaded the album and am listening now and i ain’t heard hip hop like this in a while and that’s a great thing. I thought the production would let the album down but it doesn’t. Really impressed so far.
Stand out tracks so far are
Crack Spot Stories (Feat Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch, Raekwon & Jadakiss)
Guns For Life (Feat Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch & Styles P)
Drivin’ Round (Feat Sheek Louch, Masta Killah, GZA & Erykah Badu)
cannot wait to hear this be another week till i get it delivered from amazon but im gon resist downloading it till i get the physical copy the 2 best hip hop groups ever lyrically no one fuckin with either
I’m really excited to hear this joint. Actually, i had low expectations on this collabo, just because the cover is so fucking awful and makes it look like a mixtape.
But after watching the playlist including features and production credits, i really look forward to hear that stuff.
How come you guys are already listening to this? This is supposed to come out next week!
dont sit on this 8/10
shit is straight crack 5/5
sick
wu tang forever
5 stars to balance things out.
5
The production is average nothin special!
They have nothin to say here. Its a weak album 2.5/5.
I recommend you : Raekwon- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Ghostface Killah- Supreme Clientele
The production is great
WTF
ALL DOPE BEATS
need some new shit cant wait till this drops november 27th WU-BLOCK WU-TANG D-BlOCK
perfect FIVE you faggots
NEWYORK!!! RAEKWON only built 4 cuban linx, immobilarity, lex diamond story only built 4 cuban linx 2 shaolin vs wu-tang
GHOSTFACE KILLAH ironman, supreme clientelle, bulletproof wallets, pretty toney, fishscale, more fish, big doe rehab, appalo kids.
You forgot Ghostdini. That shit wasn’t that bad dude.
Don’t sleep on this wu tang forever
Nah.
A bromide is a chemical compound containing a bromide ion or ligand. This is a bromine atom with an ionic charge of 1 in ionic compounds such as caesium bromide, or else a bromine atom with an oxidation number of -1 in covalent compounds such as sulfur dibromide.
“Your idols studied from these gentlemen”
Must have been a short study.
wu-tang never gone
You pretty much
You pretty much said nothing bad about this album, except they’ve done these tracks before. Yet you knocked off 1.5 stars for that? The fuck?
This be hard body!! Stompin without remorse.
Gritty street nostalgia 5star
GREAT ALBUM!!!!
AT LEAST 4
I GIVE A 4.5 STRONG!
bruh staight heat
3/5 don’t get carried away people
are people rating the actual music all the group? smh
Talk shit all you want Wu tang is the most classic, diverse, lyrical, consistent and original group of all time nuff said
Too dope, 4.5
This is going to be album of the year.
Not in the states.
so good, classic shit
Cant wait to grab this ish tomorrow
dope
4/5. Very cohesive and lyrically strong.
The review is trash. I copped this shit today and it is a contender for album of the year. Very, very solid. GFK is as funny as ever, the features are strong and there are some great instrumentals.
Classic
Wu is 4 Ever
Album is decent but sounds dated. Wu Block doesnt break any newground here.
Classic
It’s good, but no album of the year.
this shit is a lot better than i expected. who gives a fuck if it didnt break new ground. it is what it is SOLID hip-hop! I like to listen to shit 4 what it is…its much more enjoyable than expecting something to be something its not or being dissapointed bc it’s not grounbreaking. theres plenty of “groundbreaking” or “conscious” or “ignorant” hip hop out there. ppl just need to respect shit 4 what it is and nothing more
If your A skinny jeans sister wearing brother you should but on mak up and lipstick cause you might as well be a bitch. This aint for you authentic hip-hop fans that appreiciate the artform this is a classis without a dought cop it support Wu-Block.
yup
You know the hip hop game is at a bad point when people on here talking about the Album cover instead of the music itself. And Ghostface and Sheek Louch how can you not have high expectations for the Album when two of the most disrespectful MCs collab to make an Album with the rest of their family from Wu-Tang and Dblock. I aint hear it year but i will be soon.
sheek and ghost sound good together. almost as good as rae and ghost. but this album was a bit of a let down. the wu-block mix tape was much better.
any RZA production on it?
they should have featured Killah Priest & Canibus somewhere
Solid as fuck!!
GHOST A GOOD DUDE MAN….b boy shit. i hate toronto..
I gave it a few spins the last couple of days and i must say… very solid and good album. They really held it down on this. I like all of the tracks, except of “Stick up kids” (they overdid that “Stick’ em” phrase a bit) and “All in together” (what the hell, they literally yelled me out of the room! 🙂 ).
But otherwise it’s definetely a 4 star album. If you’re a fan of at least one of these groups, then you’ll most probably like it, and i’m a fan.
Standout Tracks:
– Crack Spot Stories
– Different Time Zones
– Pull the Cars out
– Stella
– Take Notice
– Comin for ya head
Straight Fire! Best album of the year. Hop off kendrick Lamars Ballz
Halfway through it… 2 stars. It’s exactly what you’d expect from either The Lox or Wu Tang, but that’s the problem. With this much perceived talent, there should have been better stories to tell.
Your opinion and perspective sound illegitimate. I bet your a big J-cole fan
I’ve listened to it 5 times and the only song I don’t think is dope is All in Together Now…the rest? Shit is bangin’. Can’t really ask for much more. Ill album. 4.5/5 all day.
“Your opinion and perspective sound illegitimate”
Your opinion and perspective sound confused, probably like your sexuality.
This is what i’m talking about album is banging! We gonna defo need a Wu Block II !!!!
Wu Block
D-Clan
Great Piece… Great Album
Frankly, i’m glad they stuck to the old formula. I don’t wanna hear Wu or D-Block doing some new style shit on some soft ass beats. I can buy some 2 Chainz or Weezy if i wanna hear that garbage.
who can stop the WU!!
a breath of fresh air from having to hear all this wack rap on from this era. flawless as far as im concerned.
nothing they’ll ever put out will sound wack to ya’ll
This shit has been playing in the whip all day its fucking dope
dope album!
Fire
piece of shit
im just greatful to get a placement on this album #stella
WEAK
A good listen but to be realistic, people won’t be playing this in a year from now. This album would of been the best if it came out anywhere from 2000-2007. For a monumental pairing between two of hip-hops greatest factions ever I expected a bit better. No Alchemist? Pete Rock? Premo? Rza, True Master or Mathematics? Who wants to hear Sheek Louch on every single song over Vinny Idol beats? This stuff does sound dated in a way. I love the old era but ladies and gentleman this is 2012. There was wayyy too many albums better than Wu-Block this year. Should I list them? Oddisee, Nas, OC/Apollo Brown, Roc Marciano, Sean Price, 9th Wonder/Buckshot, Kendrick Lamar, yU, Big KRIT, Action Bronson, 1982, AB/Guilty Simpson….I can keep going. In the end, this is a 3.5 album.
Wu-Block saved HipHop
shit album. not even worthy of two stars. why even bother wu tang clan. a definite miss.
I read the review on this website about this album and think they missed it. I read the reviews and grew up listing to Wu but this album is horrible don’t know how it got such a high rating rrrrrr
worst wutang album I ever heard or rap album
This album is crazy! Ghostface murders every track his on. 5 stars.
Nice production with classic story telling.
I found this album having this very homoerotic vibe throughout.
Album musta been produced by the pink mafia or some shit.
Pretty Tony is a gay sounding name also.
This was very outdated. If i could give it zero stars i would too.
Im heterosexual myself you see.