While the Wu-Tang Clan still
stand as arguably the best Hip Hop group of all time, heads still wish they’d
further cement their legacy. Clansmen like Ghostface
Killah and GZA continue to
release quality albums, and uber-producer RZA
has expanded his soundscapes to film scores, but all members unifying for group
efforts is as rare as a Haley’s Comet
sighting. However, coinciding with recent news of the group’s impending 8 Diagrams album coming soon, Clan producer Mathematics releases Wu-Tang
Clan & Friends: Unreleased, a
digital only-release from The Orchard of remixes and leftovers he produced for
the group and its cohorts over the years.
If anything, Unreleased is a
testament to the knob twisting skills of Mathematics.
With a career of being in the shadow of the almighty RZA–voluntarily or otherwise–Mathematics
seems excited for the opportunity to showcase his talents on a project that may
garner more initial attention than one of his solo albums. Each of the disc’s
beats knock with the Wu-Tang Clan‘s signature
blend of harmonious melodies, dungenous sound effects and stripped percussion
style. It is really no surprise though; over the years as RZA has often experimented with some “other shit,” Math has stayed closer to the Wu-Tang sound.
“Treez” sees Raekwon spitting
street tales over minimalistic keys and snares, and “Rap Burglars” sounds like
it’s straight from the cutting room floor of Enter The 36 Chambers with its murky keys and vicious verses from Rae and Inspectah Deck. While remixes of classics “Wu Banga” and “Maxine”
don’t trump the originals, they still shine with their fresh interpolations by
a member of the crew. “Wu Banga” is especially dope though, basically blending
the original posse cut from Ghost‘s Supreme Clientele with Brand Nubian‘s classic “Step To The
Rear” from One For All. “Where
Brooklyn At?” May sound familiar to some of you as well as Mathematics flips the same sample that E-Swift did for Tha
Alkaholiks “2014 from Coast II Coast.”
Unfortunately, the Clan‘s core
members don’t make enough unheard appearances on the disc. Too many songs give
unwarranted shine to no-name Wu
affiliates who can’t hold their own weight, despite capable soundscapes by Mathematics. I.e., too many friends,
not enough Wu. Three skits are also
scattered throughout the album’s 20 tracks; while they’re presumably added to
provide the feel of an album, they come off as contrived and useless. Still, Unreleased does a great job of
showcasing an underrated Wu-Tang beatsmith
and building anticipation for the group’s upcoming efforts.
