WU-TANG CLAN
The W (Loud/Columbia)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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Welcome back!! After being semi-disappointed by the sprawling, sometimes superb (Triumph, For Heaven's Sake, It's Yourz, Dog Sh*t, The M.G.M., Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours, Maria, Heaterz, and Hellz Wind Staff), but a bit bloated Wu-Tang Forever (the two cds would have made an A+ album if it were a bit shorter), my ten favorite MC's bust back. Well, nine right now. You get the usual suspects: The RZA (AKA Bob Digi), Method Man (AKA Hott Nikkels), The GZA (AKA The Genius), Inspectah Deck (AKA Rebel INS), Ghostface Killah (AKA Ironman), Cappadonna (AKA Track Slasher), U-God (AKA Lucky Hands), Masta Killa (AKA High Chief), and Raekwon (AKA Lex Diamonds)who happily tear into the 13 tracks here, and seem invigorated by their absence as a group from this rap game. Outkast just dropped Stankonia, and Kool Keith is almost omnipresent, so you know the Wu had to deliver.

And deliver they do, with cameos by Isaac Hayes, Junior Reid, Nas, Redman, and Busta Rhymes. I'll bet when word got out the Wu was headed back to the studio people were just waiting for that phone to ring, and hoping that The RZArector's assured voice would be on the other end with an invitation to lend a hand. Ol' Dirty Bastard gets the cd dedicated to him, and is, as I write this, AWOL from the rehab center his crazy self is supposed to be in getting his head together. He does make an un-credited appearance with Snoop Dogg on Conditioner. You can tell it's him right away, but the Clan wasn't taking his absence for granted, and his presence on a larger scale here is missed. He brings a comic relief to the room, and his raps are always witty, funky, and just off-center enough to put your finger on the RWD button on the stereo again and again.

Without "Osiris," I still caught myself doing that several times on tracks like "Redbull," "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)," and "Gravel Pit." This just came out, so there's little doubt I'll have a fresh batch of different favorite tracks by tomorrow. Solid!

© 2000 - Jason Thornberry