“The world won’t get no better if we just let it be.” It is with the spirit of Harold Melvin, that the Wu-Tang Clan returns with a message for A Better Tomorrow. The much anticipated album is the Clan’s sixth studio effort, and has generated substantial buzz dating back to 2012. Prior creative differences between Raekwon and RZA subsided peacefully in May of this year, culminating in the complete nine-man ensemble for recording.
A Better Tomorrow is about self-preservation. RZA has spoken at length about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, but philosophically, it’s about more than eating right; perhaps more chiefly, it’s about how to make the best of a bad situation. Each member still raps about their favorite vices, but they also have moments where they spit hard-earned wisdom.
The album flows like a classic Wu-Tang record, with movie dialogue in the form of samples interluding most tracks. Expectedly, the cohesion of the production is praiseworthy. One specific theme would be hard to pinpoint, though there is a very cinematic feel to experience. For instance, in a moment of true artistic ingenuity, RZA samples Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” on the track, “Preacher’s Daughter.” The Springfield song, often associated with the film Pulp Fiction, is the basis for RZA’s homage to Quentin Tarantino. Method Man, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, and Ghostface rap about their respective daughter characters carrying emotional baggage. This, coupled with the beat invariably recalls Uma Thurman’s character in the film.
But this moment is only one facet of the mosaic. When the beats aren’t sample-based, RZA dabbles in guitar and horns to generate everything from street (“Hold The Heater”) to Vegas desert vibes (“Ron O’Neal”). He’s flanked by Mathematics (“40th Street Black / We Will Fight”; “Keep Watch), 4th Disciple (“Miracle”; “Necklace”), and Adrian Young (“Crushed Egos”), who all emulate the Wu-Tang sound without sacrificing what they bring to the table. There are some caveats to this. While “Miracle” is well intentioned, it misses sharply, surrounding the collective in an ooey-gooey afterglow we’ve, perhaps, never quite seen of them before.
Lyrically, the rhymes, though at times outdated and hokey, mostly find their way home. Method Man and Masta Killa lead the way with eleven appearances each, though the others make the most of their time too. Raekwon lays down bars of his patented criminal slang on “Crushed Egos,” while GZA reestablishes his famous “Genius” moniker on “Hold The Heater,” spitting: “The emergence of the earliest atoms / Transform to a level extremely hard to fathom / Same soup, different bowl, Wu ceramics / Same group on them large-scale dynamics.” For fans that seek the classic Wu-Tang sound, the group satisfies most needs. At the same time, the album has something else to offer: worldly wisdom. “Mistaken Identity” is about fighting through rough adversity, while “Never Let Go” samples bits of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. The album achieves a successful yin and yang between the long-time Wu sound and RZA’s overall, progressive vision. All in all, the Wu remains palatable. They each have their own skillset they bring to the table, and all of them do so with varying degrees of grit on the album. As such, it truly feels like a coming together, instead of what felt half-hearted on 2007s 8 Diagrams. 21 years later, Wu-Tang clan still “ain’t nothin’ to fuck wit’.”
album was boring, most of the verses were good, but the hooks and beats were really boring
Gud shit album of the year coming from Africa I love this shit its going down wu 4ever
Production is better than on Cocaine Pinata, but it’s still a very boring album to listen to.
Cal1 approves “A better tomorrow”!
It surely is no 36 Chambers nor a Wu-Tang Forever but its still dope. It has a unique sound and thats what the WU was always about – being unique.
I’m following the output of the Clan since 1997. Of course I wished for a more raw album, more sample-based and neck-breaking beats. But if you listen to this album with an objective mindset its still very good!
i thought the album is pretty dope.
First impression was not so good, but after second and third listening to album I have to say it’s pretty dope. 4/5
I went into this album with hopes of that classic Wu sound and I can say that, I was not disappointed. Though, RZA has incorporated different sounds from all over, it all flows with a seemingly equal viewpoint. I know RZA is trying to cater music that can be for everyone and Digi Snacks is a prime example of that.
I have enjoyed this album so far and some of the cheesy hooks for the most part aren’t that bad. All except the hook on Miracle. The hook feels completely separate from the rest of the track and makes it seem unbalanced. The message is good, its just the lyrical style that makes it feel like a showtune from a disney flick.
I’m also glad that RZA ended up doing a mixture of both live and processed productions for this album. This is again, a clear sign of RZA trying to incorporate new things and he pulls it off, but I do favor the classic ways of production when coming from RZA.
I give this album a 4.
4 for me. The only tracks I didn’t care for too much was the Reunion track and We Will Fight.
I think it’s an excellent effort. RZA’s production for me was the stand out, and Method Man and Inspectah Deck were the ones that came through with the best verses for me.
Great album rzas unique production varies from chilled guitar strumming, to epic mafioso backdrops, to psychedelics with ease. whilst also bringing out the best in all his brothers ghost Rae and genius shine on their rare appearances but the real standout in my opinion is masta killa. I shuddered when I heard this was a positive mature album in actuality where I’m at at this stage of life it was the perfect album for me
At first this album may appear as lots of sounds coming from everywhere but once you start to understand what RZA has done production wise, everything starts to fit great.
As suprising as it sounds I think that Masta Killa might have been best MC on this album. He really stepped up his game. 4/5.
wutang4ever!! plus Grab #Actavis purple syrup #kush #cannabis oil n #pain pillz (8033104220)
SICK ALBUM
OK album, not great.Not bad, just OK.
Hopin’ a bit more classic WU sound.
I just can give it 3 stars.
I wasn’t expecting “shaolin” beats however the beats are ok with the exception 3 or 4 tracks.
The bad thing is that you can feel that they didnt record the album together rand there is no more chemistry among all the Wu members (Rae, Ghost and GZA don’t care about Wu Tang anymore)
This album is a huge, but not surprising dissapointment. The first singles prior to the album release didn’t do much to excite me for this album, and listening to it tonight is a frustrating and embarassing experience. I’m surprised by the positive feedback this album got in the hiphopdx review. I’ve been a huge fan of the wu-tang since 1995, and this is not how the Wu is supposed to sound like. The live music experimented with on this record just doesn’t work for the Clan. Trying something new is good in itself, but does not always work. I expect to hear hip hop beats when listening to a Wu-Tang record. Each Clan-album is just getting worse. Someone needs to sack RZA as the producer of the Clan, he can’t cut it no more.
wow u have no life
LOSER
THEZ ARENT RAP LEGENDS…..THEY ARE RAP GODZ….
I like ‘Keep Watch’ and ‘Hold the Heater,’ that’s about it. RZA sounds awful, Ghost def mailed it in, and Cappa probably has the best showing on the album. 2/5.
Enjoying the album. Things change, this is a good album.
i thought this was a dope album..way way better than 8 diamgrams, that album is torture to get through and try to enjoy.
that said this album was enjoyable..different beats but that doesnt mean it didnt work. i thought rzas beats were on point and wu members didnt need to sacrifice those lyrics for different beats and still sounded good on it..
this albums a banger imo but i think there will be a few die hards out there who dont like the ‘new’ sound..even if its pretty good still. different isnt always bad and in this case it worked.
It’s better than 8 diagrams and about as good,maybe better than Iron Flag. I think the review is fair and the score of 3.5/5 for this album. The effort was there from some members but not from a couple of the strongest members. Too much Masta Killa, Cappadonna,and U-God. Not enough Raekwon or Ghostface. This album is better than lots of albums that get the same score on this website though.
Too much Cappadonna. Masta Killa’s contribution is about right, two more songs by U-God are needed.
This album is trash. I know it’s not 94 anymore but this is just awful. 90% of Wu Tang fans want that ol soul, Kung fu flick samplng and hardcore rhymes. This is the audience they should be targeting, these guys ain’t gonna appeal to generation now. I love the Wu but really hope this is their last joint effort because it’s tarnishing a great legacy. Now I’m off to bump that new GhostFace he is the only one that comes with that shit!
Ghost’s new album is fire. But, don’t overlook the fact that it’s not boom-bap. It’s closer to A Better Tomorrow than it is other releases this year.
2 Stars. I am highly disappointed with this effort. Wu became a cult-like following based on their old style. I don’t know what this album is in terms of direction or cohesion. It’s just various sounds and instruments thrown together on beats with no meaningful purpose. Individual members’ lyrics sound cut and pasted throughout the album and they don’t have that classic chemistry between them. Crushed ego is the only dope track on there. I have been a Wu fan so long that I bought their first album on cassette tape. With that said, I have heard enough Wu music over the years to reasonably say this new album is wack.
I disagree that the album is thrown together, but agree that there is no chemistry whatsoever between the members on the tracks. It’s pretty evident that there were very few – if any – studio sessions as a complete group. Even still, it’s a very solid album. The production is progressive, mature, and yet still edgy.
yall really gonna rate this so low and bitch about it? how bout yall focus that criticism on the fucking 2 chainz and Migos niggas and not the Wu
That would mean we would have to listen to 2 Chains and Migos…no thanks…but they can’t be much worse than this album.
trash get on drakes level you hasbins. It would be sad if they can’t even satisfy the 30 fans that they have left with this garbage. No drake feature no relevence no listens from any average music fan who isn’t a hipster nerd still stuck in the 90s with no swag.
Your obsession with Drake makes you look like a groupie.
Ahahahaha….this album is weak only in the beats department, I grew up on the shoalin slang masters, but this is a far cry from the level of artistry they used to rock with, rza has fallin off….I feel like an fucknigga for just sayin it, but hey Rae n ghost hav been sayin it for years anyway.but for you to say drake should have been anywhere near this shit is straight bullshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, drakes too sweet for that babypa.now get to your pedestal worshipping you fake ass wannabe suckin on drizzy tip, corny as tight jean wearin, johnny cum lately wouldn’t know real rap if it up jumped the boogie an stabbed you in your asshole that’s been stretched so wide I can see yo momma inside of it.
That is all, thank you children. And for gods sake if niggaz was rockin 90s hip hop they too fuckin old too be swagged out hipsters
After my first listen I think it’s pretty good. I like the production, it’s new and refreshing and the verses are almost all dope. Needs a little more Ghost and Rae but thats not RZAs fault.
I haven’t listened yet but I’m not eager even though I’m a huge Wu fan. I feel like they just wanted to give the fans something and tried their best to give it to us as fast as possible given the circumstances. They know they should all be in the studio together for every track but they know they won’t have time to do that for a while and that’s why we’re getting these albums
I also doubt Ghost/Rae/Meth are happy with the album. Fans want darker shit but RZA wants to give us this humble shit that I remember Rae saying he didn’t wanna record while they were beefing.. But of course he did
Ghost should get full control over Wu projects. He’s the only one still dropping ill shit. RZA is trying to do all this artistic shit like Kanye to impress us but we just want that rugged and raw Wu.. And I know they can pull it off but fuck… Seems like RZA just wants 100% control and the other members are left de-motivated and just go along
Also this was obviously rushed. all the songs were prolly recorded before Rae even hopped on. He spit some throw aways and they were just cut/pasted onto the tracks
Underwhelming and mediocre Production. A lot of cut and paste lyrics via email and not enough chemistry and the definitive WU sound. True Master, 4th Disciple, Bronze needed more on this to bring the best outta RZA. Necklace could’ve been dope if the annoying looped hook was scratched in or used once or twice..Lyrics are top not notch as expected buy I can only hope some accapellas leak and they get a better treatment. Another long wait, another let down. Ghost to save the WU…again
yawn about the definitive WU sound. Its grown over the years and I think its more of a progression that 8 diagrams was. 8 diagrams was awkwardly in the middle, trying to capture both. This is a completion of that.
it’s not wrong to push growth and try new things, but if ppl around you are not feeling it you should listen to them. seems like rza pushed for this album that half of the team isn’t really feeling but then that’s his legal right as he owns the name and the rights. at least they shoulda made it a double album. half of the guitar shit, the other half the raw shit for the original fans. because obviously there are a lot of people out there that believe that thee guys still have it in them
better than 8 diagrams, which is a relief
Not even close man, this album is the worst they have ever done
Eating a dead raccoon is better than eating a pile of shit, too, but that don’t make it good.
better than 8 diagrams
People can suck a dick u want the old wu buy 36 chambs…Has kind of an adrian younge slickness to it as well…if u don’t like this well i figure u should spend time doing a music degree and come tell me what u think of the album after..the olny reason the production sounds how it does is because they fused analog technology with digital mastering and personaly i think it’s different but cohesive at the same time…it’s music to play and enjoy while going about ur daily..grown man shit not turn up shit..give it a few days/weeks people will catch on once they stop having backwards expectations…and if someone says thats not the wu sound u getting smacked..do ur music knowledge!
I agree w/ this. its more organic than 8 diagrams. Its not stellar, I’ll say that, but its solid. I think one thing it retains is its rawness, but not in the youthful way enter 36 was like. Its grown so the approach is like that. Id give it a 4
Majority of the Wu fans that actually growed up with 36 chambers , Wu – Tang Forever and solo catalog and some of the 2000 releases wont like this album, RZA is the creator of all this but he can destroy all of this.
Alot of people dont like it even though they are big wu tang fans.
Honest this album is a fail, and the production is the main reason.
The clan needs to laced with autenthic wu Eastcoast underground production for them to spit raw lyrics.
Tracks like Preachers daughter isnt a hiphop beat cmon RZA.
After all this Raekwon talk hating this is what he meant after all
He doesnt want RZA fully in charge no more after hearing the production remember.
And hes RIGHT!
It doesn’t make sense that when musically anyone tries to do something different from what there known for theres always backlash…We haven’t heard niggaz say nothing about a Nas doing Hip Hop is dead or Life is Good that it’s not Illmatic enough..the nigga grew up..and so did the Wu.fair enough it was Rza’s project but I’d rather here this than spend another 10 dollars listening to 40 year old men tell me about shit that they not living no more. This album is no 36 chamb or forever but it’s good non the less..people need to wake up and learrnn MUSIC not just niggaz rapping on break beats!!!
Agreed.
Only listened twice or thrice so far.. but album is a letdown, and I can’t see it growing on me.
Main reason like others have said, production is weak. No soul, no feeling. I was hype at first reading about it, how Rza was working with Adrian Younge, using real instruments to give it that soulful feeling, but they failed at trying to recreate that sound.
I guess Rza lost his touch, being all involved in movies, headphones, and whatever else he’s been up to.
Step down, stay involved, but do like Rae did with Cuban Linx 2, put together a few producers who can recreate that sound- use Mathematics, 4th Disciple, Lil Fame, Pete, Alchemist, Scram Jones, Just Blaze, No ID, Apollo Brown, Justice League, Frank Dukes, Jake One, Illmind, Audible Doctor, use Adrian Younge and the Revelations.
Hopefully their $9 million album, if it actually comes to fruition, is much better than this, especially if thats gonna be their last LP.
only way the album is a let down is if you go in close minded..at this stage in the game wu tangs been there 20 plus years.. they cant go back to that young dumb rowdy shit.. they grew up and you can tell this is grown man music.
people need stop acting like older classic are inmature albums , new sound or style isnt Always better
SEE: For a group that can’t make young and dumb rowdy music they sure named a bunch of songs as if that’s what they were indeed trying to do…Ruckus in B Minor, We Will Fight, Hold the Heater, etc…
It’s a great balance between rah rah in a new form and sound as well as a certain progression in terms of maturity.It’s not that the old school classics eg mysteries of chess and em are immature but thats not what i want from them collectively at this point in their career.
I just copped this album yesterday and Upon first listen, this is a dope album. The use of live music and the inclusion of WU producers mathematics and 4th disciple gave this album a more sophisticated sound. Any True Wu-Tang fan should appreciate this album.
its a five for me
i played the whole album 8 times straight the first day.
Not a fan
excellent
great album! my how they have grown since 1993
I havent even heard the album, so i’m not gunna rate
It has nothing to do with old wu sound or new. The album is just flat out trash. Dat J-Cole, Eminem, Ghostfacekillah and this. All aint hit hard. Worst year for hiphop ever fellas.
You got “Run The Jewels 2” and “Cadillactica”, I am obviously missing a whole bunch of other Year end best albums but it is far from the worse year ever.
This album is fucking GrrrRRREEEAAATTTT!!!!!!
That 36 Seasons album makes this album look silly. I’m a life long Wu fan, but I can’t justify this album. It’s just weak son. I listened to it twice and have no desire to listen to it any more. It’s not interesting. I respect the live instruments musically, but to me, it’s not really hip-hop. It’s kinda corny, admit it. They all knew, except Rza. But they can’t tell this nigga nothin’. The thing is, I like Rza’s solo projects where he can do his own thing and experiment with some stuff that works and some stuff that doesn’t, but for the Wu album he needs to understand that we wanna hear HIP-HOP. This album is soft and weak. Long live the Wu.
this shit made me appreciate 8 diagrams…for real though
I am truly disappointed with the state of hip-hop. most of the artists are black men who come from very humble beginnings. they have become very wealthy in spite of many hurdles and obstacles in front of them. they, however, with their success have a great opportunity to lift up their communities and speak up about racial injustice – ferguson,california,cleveland, nyc. instead kanye, nas, jay-z, lil wayne, fifty, fab, drake, say nothing. some of you may say they don’t have to. others may say I should stop preaching. if you think that, also know this, the rights you enjoy came from civil disobedience and disturbance. many black celebrities stood up with the brother and sisters in the streets then to advance the rights and freedoms we enjoy today. if these people are not willing to support us and those who look like them why should we continue to support them. have courage brothers. don’t just talk about it in a song.
I agree 100%
Take Nas out of that category. If you’ve ever listened to Nas he drops knowledge. Check his catalog and listen.
Blood suckers of the poor,it’s that culture of individualism that shoved down ours face’s. The white elite praises selfishness in the black community and uses token negroes as an arguement as to show how racism no longer exists. Disregarding historical inequality as a viable fact for why blacks are at the the bottom class in every section of society
It’s funny how artists get put in a box by critics and fans which causes them to suffer from one of three faiths. If they stick to the same sound from a certain era they are called played out. If they try to expand there sound while not copying trends people want the old sound back. Thirdly, the artist copies trends to try and stay relevant, in my opinion these people should not be called artists.
In this case I think the Rza and the Wu Tang Clan did a solid job at expanding their sound and taking their music to other levels and building on what made them great in the first place. The music (can’t be called beats) is soulful, dark and different then anything else out.
All the members came correct lyrically and after listening to the album several times I don’t think anyone called it in.
Some of the reviews I have read by critics and these are critics that have a large platform and are suppose to be reviewing music (the same names you see on Metacritic). Are focusing on how it doesn’t sound like old Wu or there is no unity. Bottom line is all the members came together and made a album and as we all know it was all or none. Rza is the one who brought everyone together and as all the members will say he is the architect. The music sounds good, the lyrics are on point and I promise you if people didn’t have their own personal expectations about the old Wu sound and we didn’t have the 20 years of expectations built up and this was a debut album by a new group people would be calling it a great album.
It’s a shame that fan/ critic expectation and a artists past success causes people to not judge a album on its own meret. I have to say I don’t always agree with HipHopDX and even though I enjoy the album more then the reviewer. I’m glad this review stayed away from that and reviewed the album as a singular album.
Come on y’all. Y’all complain about the state of hip hop but don’t support the real shit. SMH.
I think some of yall, especially the so called Wu fans need to stop being so close minded. IF you take the time to listen to this album like I did, you would realize that even though the sound is more of a live instrumentation, you can DEFINITELY hear the Wu sound. A Better Tommorrow is a solid album from front to back. You want the old Wu sound, go listen to their older work. It’s a new era, people grow, people want to do different things. Wake up.
I actually love the live instrument feeling to this album! Could be because I’m also a fan of The Roots. This album is solid and I’m digging a lot of these tracks on their own merit. rza production is dope on this but not all tracks on this album were produced by RZA. People that say this album is unlistenable sorely need to expand their musical palates!
This is a very creative and forward thinking album. These cats are in their 40’s and have every right to advance their music. This is a nice addition to an exceptional catalogue. My only complaint is the lack of cohesion with many of the verses. Although it’s tough to do when you have nine members with separate agendas, a few group studio sessions would have given this project more energy. History has proven when rappers record together they tend to bring their A-game and feed off of other members energy. Production wise, this is a very good album. I love the extended running time on a few of the tracks. As far as the members go, if I could tweak anything, I’d remove Cappadonna from half of his appearances (he adds absolutely nothing to the group) and I’d increase Rae, Ghost, RZA, and U-God’s appearances. Also, some of the member’s verses are too short, but I think that goes back to the fact that they didn’t record together and RZA had to piece the project together.
Well said.
I love GZA’s verse all over the Album. And I disagree with Cappa, at least on Necklace he really shines. That said, sure Ghost could have been good to increase his participation on this, as well as U-God.
The album is slowly growing on me, is a woodstock rza but I still hear the raw lyricz and the undeniable chemistry of the W
finally!
RZA s not motivated to make hiphop beats anymore that why you hear other music styles.
Everybody can say what they want , from the mature to grow up bla bla , the beats that he made in the 90’s compare them to what he makes now.
Back then he was RAZOR RZA one of the best.
Not a hater like some of you may think but this album doesnt have the impact like a 36 chambers or a wu tang forever.
This album isn’t supposed to be 36 Chambers or Wu-Tang Forever. Let it go.
it is supposed to be listenable though right? this shit sounds like some 16 year olds fucking around on a computer
^^Yeah sure it does. You should get your ears checked.
I personally LOVE the album been listening to it since it dropped on tuesday, the beats are refreshing much better than most of the trash coming out today. Favorite songs are RUCKUS followed by NECKLACE, FELT, HOLD THE HEATER, MISTAKEN IDENTITY, CRUSHED EGOS,etc. Tight production and classic WUTANG LYRICS overall 4 out of 5 stars….hope they tour and actually perform these songs!
its dope gets better and better with each listen
Great job. Yes.
I haven’t heard the album properly but by the sounds of it, it is Wu’s worse album to date even worse than 8 Diagrams.. But why are people surprised? The signs of their decline have been there for many years even before 8 diagrams. It seemed Wu completely lost it after Odb’s death..
Wu will never recapture the early-mid 90s sound which made them big in the first place.. Let it go people the party is clearly over. Wu is finished son..
8 Diagrams was fucking ill, most y’all motherfuckers are crazy
I agree the problem is people go on about the wu like they r still hot, they r like groups in the 90s, brand Nubian, tribe, naughty by nature, gangstarr, ditc, 2 live crew, poison crew, rocafella, etc, THEY R DONE AND BELONG TO THAT ERA, unless they can improve and KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES which is clearly not the case, lets see, we got Raekwon who got more commercial through the years but didn’t seem to hold down the wu really, more on a independent hustle, then u got ghost who is crazy up-to-date and keeps it FRESH, ins who did the czarface with aotps esoteric, kept his ear to the street and his vision onto todays mathematics of raps then u got rza who is hollywood, gza who fell from the earth after beneathe the surface and got into some whiteboy skater/science geek vibe, then u got u-god who didnt shine with any solos he dropped and always was less lyrical then the wu brethren, masta killa who got sloppy from being just mediocre-lukewarm listenable, cappadonna who is basic for the most part, meth who is MAD BORING to me and u OF COURSE r u gonna fall off, this is a 0/5, I would rather listen to some new starvin n, kool g rap keeps it popping still after 3 decades, nas is great, az is fresh too, I like sean price, planet asia, smoovth, Vinnie paz and aotp, diabolic, ras kass who just hit a classic with Apollo brown, spit gemz, epidemic, low budget, hus kingpin, chino xl, vorheez, el da sensei, malik b………….THERE IS MORE TO HIP-HOP THEN WU WAKE UP U FUCKIN ZOMBIES, WU IS DONE AND SHOULD JUST HANG UP THE MIC UNLESS ITS INS, GHOST OR RAE
PERIOD.
^ After Beneath the Surface GZA released Legend of the Liquid Sword, Pro Tools, and Grandmasters with DJ Muggs. All of which are top 10 Wu solo releases since Wu Forever. He’s def on a science vibe now though.
This is The worst Wu-Tang album of all time! i cannot stomach their fall from Grace!
yup
best Wu album since their debut, everybody on point
Wu since day one, a true suporter of the hip hop culture.
This is a straight classic!!
After it grows on you , you understand this is one of the best Wu albums in years.
Ghost new album is dope too, but this ones much better.
I’am Wu even when I am by myself
The production is insane creative.
I think “36 Seasons” has a slight edge on ABT, especially if you listen to it as an operatic version of “I Used to Love H.E.R.”
Every Wu album has gotten better with eash listen, ever since 36 Chambers.
After one listen I gotta say that I’m pretty disappointed in this album. Musically, I expected it to have a much grittier feel to it and a lot of the beats were underwhelming. The rhyming on the album was solid though which is why I would give it 3 stars. I do expect it to grow on me after more listens, but I expected better things from the crew, especially production-wise with this one.
Here is a case where artist evolution isn’t a good thing. People love Wu for their original style and it can’t be duplicated. Their old style in terms of production, gritty lyrics,voice inflections, and rawness is what made them hip hop icons. So why deviate from that blueprint if they wanted to commemorate their debut album at year 20? This new Wu album just isn’t good. Rza endorsed this album and it’s failure falls squarely on his shoulders. Thank goodness Ghostface’s new album is dropping.
Meth and ODB had the illest lyrical styles of them all. Meth changed up and try to become more lyrical. But his old way was unique and made him standout more. Rae still has lyrics but they don’t hit the same. He doesn’t have the same energy in his delivery. Ghost is still ill. Everyone else don’t have the same energy and lyrical content like before.
Exactly, RZA got a second chance to gain trust after 8D.
Probs with Raekwon, why the fuck would you go softer after that shit with 8 diagrams.
Not a smart thing, RZA.
After hearing the productions last few years, he clearly isnt motivated to making hiphop but mixes other blends jazzy rock shit.
Firstly I like the album and I don’t understand the negativity towards it, these guys are in their 40s now, trying to recreate what they were doing in their 20s would be fake and embarrassing, thug life is over, they’re middle aged men with wives and kids and nice houses so really what did anyone expect? When you look at how badly other rappers have aged and the crap they put out, Eminem springs to mind immediately rapping like a 40 something whiny man child, and Snoop where they end up looking like fucking cartoons, at least Wu have put out a fairly solid album and keep their dignity intact
Wu has reached it’s limit
To everyone here that is pissed off about this sloppy seconds album do some research on Y-Kim. Years ago I read and heard through radio interviews that Wu Group and Y-Kim had differences. Y-Kim went on to claim that he was the one to provide most of the album concepts for all the early Wu albums. I had my doubts and always looked for RZA’s innovation in his new projects. Since that time RZA has had some bright flashes here an there but has not been able to put out an entire album out that compares to the classics. A modern project that came close the classic feel was legendary weapons. From what I can tell Dreddy Krugger learned form Y-Kim and has been able to replicate the style, hence the sound of Wu Tang: Meets Indie Culture. If you look at everything Wu related that has been nice since WU Forever most of it has been influenced by outside sources and all the material controlled by RZA has been average at best. This makes me think that Y-Kim might have had the level of creative involvement that he claimed to have in the early albums. If RZA had been the solo creative force behind the classics he would have been able to at least replicate the sound in projects post 36 Chambers but he hasn’t come close. “Show n Prove” was a lesson I learned from the Wu and the only thing RZA has shown and proved is that he can’t produce entire albums.
I think Y kim is a fucking liar ! Why he hasn’t been able to produce a dope album by his own ? Why even Rae doesn’t give a fuck about what he claims. Since wu forever Rza produced some dope beats and even did some interesting things. I think at the beginning he was hungered as was the group. Many artists are like that. Many fell off after their first release. In the 93-97, wu formed like voltron. Each solo was a group album. And don’t forget the energy bring by the ODB. The last time they formed voltron (with all the members) is on Wu forever. Then Rza said something, before releasing a song he wanted to be sure his brothers liked it. But Rza changed after wu forever and he explained why. When his brothers messed the tour with Rage against machine it hurt him. He started to focus on himself. He was tired and disappointed. He said that produce the first albums took 3 years of live. He knew he wasn’t able to produce as he did during the first part of the saga. We lost the Rza at this time. Maybe Y kim provided advice to Rza as many producers did lile RNS (Rza’s mentor), Prince Paul…
Just what I expected from grown men with lots of wisdom if you want to hear grimy shit then listen to them when they were still 20 and wet behind the ears. I like both new and old Wu because they matured through the years unlike other artist who can’t seem to grow up at this age they need to dropping knowledge and rza understands that
I hate when people act like once rappers are in their 40’s, their music is too ‘mature’ for people to understand. There are plenty of rappers (Jay-Z, Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Common, DJ Quik, Prodigy to name a few) that are still making good music. They’ve evolved their sound without compromising the quality of their music. Wu-Tang, not every member individually, but as a group, has lost their sound. Niggas be like “they’re 40, what do you want them to rap about? selling drugs and fuckin’ bitches?”….nigga, last time I checked life doesn’t stop when you’re 40. You can still rap about a million different things. Ghostface doesn’t struggle to come up with material. I could guarantee you that if Ghostface had creative control of the Wu-Tang album he would have made it way better. And I love Rza, but out of respect for that brotha I can’t let him get away with putting out weak ass material. He’s too talented for that. This album is weak son, admit it.
“Like dragon fly jones was dragging fly Tone, lol”
Album is decent but more Ghost and Rae would’ve pushed it over to the next level!!
I think this album is dope. It’s musically rich and has a very positive vibe which is lacking these days. It’s not the tear a door off hinges group they were in their 20’s. If I wanna hear that I’ll listen to those classics. Rn RZA wanted to put out something different that feels right for the times. I want big on 8 diagrams thought it was weak but to me this is their best album since The W
Good album. Prob in my top 5 of year behind RTJ2, Cadillactica, Dark Comedy, Piñata. Don’t understand level of hate this is getting. It’s crazy. Smoke some kush and hit play. If you accept the album for what it iS you’ll find a lot to like
How is that lame Shady mixtape and That dam migos album getting better reviews than this?? Smh
A lot of Eminem groupie on this site. That’s probably why.
great album people need to digest it properly ! Wake up !
Meth explains the whole album’s philosophy in his verse on “Keep Watch.”
Wu consumers need to stop acting like this is Star Wars… or the Kennedy assassination footage.
You will be disappointed if your understanding of Black Music begins and ends with rap.
raw
WU TANG IS FOR THE KIDS
All I can say, it’s a good album but not what I expected from the clan of Shaolin. The so called wu fans expected a “36 chambers” number 2 ! Come on ! When “enter the wu” released The dudes were young poor hungered black men who came from the ghetto ! Today they are millionaire who have lived a lot of “lives”. They have changed a lot especially the Bobby Steels. And as he said himself at the beginning he was the only general and the other dudes were soldiers. The guy tries to be a musician respected by his friends like Tarantino, Bono, John Frusciante etc… I respect that even if I do think he was better as hip hop producer. Bobby is trying to enter a new chamber and wants to conquer new eras as he has always done. The source called him a hip hop adventurer when he released the first Bobby Digi album. But the other wu members don’t understand that especially Raekwon. For the safe of wu legacy they should find a compromise. The best compromise would certainly be 2 cds. One cd that fits the Rza vision and the other one that fits the generals vision. Because the other dudes know how to produce an album and they know what they wanna hear or what kind of beats they want to rap on. The advice I can give to Rza : Stop thinking you are the dictator you once was !
As relevant in the 21st century as back in 93……….PEACE AND LUV THE WU.
Hiphop was born out of innovation and progression of music styles. Not saying that anything that’s new is good, but treating hiphop as something static that should stay the same for two decades is just preposterous. Stop comparing it to Enter and Forever, stop saying it’s not hiphop if it got some live instruments. It’s a new time, so a new Wu. Although it needed multiple listens for it to grow on me, I think it’s a very solid album. I was afraid for a new dissapointment, but this truly is a wu reunion.
4.5/5
It took a little while to grow on me but I love this album. All of the beats and rhymes are great, my only gripe is that some of the hooks are annoying. But I really, really like it. 4/5
I didn’t expect a sentimental or a friendly album, but hey Wu-Tang is for the children as well
A great title track but some songs are embarassing
This album has a dope mix of live instrumentation and hard boom bap. 5/5
Scarface said it best..The trick is to make the same album each time!
And where am I right now?
I agree. I wish RZA did what Premo did in keeping the identity of the wu sound without stagnating. Instead he is trying to be that renaissance man, the film director and sonic composer. Personally I think aside from his wu-work, his other projects have been average. Always thought he was one of the weakest on the mic also.
Expected more from Hip Hop DX.
Any true Hip Hop head knows that this album is a major disappointment and failure. To treat it like anything else is a joke.
This isn’t a review, its fluff.
Speak for yourself you YG, Rich Homie Quan listening piece of crap. A true hip hop head would say this album is amazing. From the messages in the rap, the flows and the beats. And I’m sorry you spoiled so called hip hop brats if artists want to grow and do mature music using live instruments. This is why hip hop is going backwards into a space of ignorant music. Grow up. The only joint on this album that was terrible was Miracles.
This album just didn’t do it for me either. Grew with the Wu and I was taken back by how sloppy and weak it was.
Ya’ll perpetuate the bullshit and ignorance but shit on the greatest rap group for shining the light in ya face
So true. It’s just that most Rap listeners are ignorant and not ready for such a progressive sound.
‘A better tomorrow’ is a grower. I actually despised it on first listen. It sounded to me like “Old man rap,” and to be fair, they are in their 40’s. However, before long I found the album is not without its highlights.
Miracle
Heater
Keep Watch
40th street black
Everything else is forgettable.
After the long wait…..it just seems ok. Expected more.
Ill December! Wu-Tang – “A Better Tomorrow” on the 2nd, Ghostface – “36 Seasons” and Hell Razah – “Gates of Hell” on the 9th… #BringDaRuckus
i expected bs but it’s pretty good
This album wasn’t very good , Ghostface Killah’s new solo album is better in my opinion , i just wasn’t feeling this new Wu album
it could have been better . 3 Stars outta 5
…love it. That’s why my name is Wu-Tsembha… Thank you for the album, you guys are always showing good job.
From Mozambaique
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Album is dope, got that Wu Tang feel to it. BONG….
Very good album, I don’t know why people are hating on this. Its like 8 diagrams, I didn’t like it first time around but now its one of my fav’s because you need to appreciate the genius of the beats, atmosphere/production and the way it all comes together…same with this album. I think the WU did a great job and it was sad to think that after this one there wont be another..one of the best albums of the year
good album
Better than the lackluster 7 Diagrams..Was that Rza singing on the preachers daughter? LOL. Anyway a good finally non jig Wu album, that’s probably a good album to follow The W…and probably best material since.I’d like to see a Wu Massacre 2 lp, done right, a Tical 3, Beneath The Surface 2 and a final Fall of the 36 Chamber album.I give this a 3 1/2..
Yeah, that was RZA on the hook.
I really like this album, only thing that let me down was Cappadonna’s verse on We Will Fight, it’s off beat – just had to edit it out myself lol
You’re a fucking idiot. Cappadonna had all the strongest verses on this album. Even Raekwon and Ghost did interviews saying Cappa used to body them in freestyle battles. Lmao
Awful album. 1/5. And I’m a Wu head. Please don’t let this garbage be the last.
slept on record. lots of Growth. Not 1 of their albums is supposed to sound the same.