| Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams |
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| Written by Nick Margiasso | |
 Wu-Tang Clan 8 Diagrams [Motown/Universal] Get It at Amazon  Wu-Tang was once a part of the hip-hop school, spinning sadistic street lore and slangin’ tales of the hard life, too. Now, the time between those initial seminal releases and 8 Diagrams has cultivated a maturity and artistry that uses those age-old genre methods as a canvas for a real rap renaissance. All that while still busting a cap and a beat in ya ass. They speak about health and family amongst an animated canvas of 8mm soul, dripping afro grease from guitar riffs, and drum beats switching lanes from big boom to spacey solos and back. And they don’t miss a chance to still get nasty and graphic about the smoke and sex streetcorners, as Wu-Tang Clan “ain’t nothing to fuck with.” The transformation of the Wu Tang Clan is put best by comparing that famous adage from the group’s legendary debut 36 Chambers to a similar, but markedly more progressive comment: “Wu Tang Clan is unpredictable.” And that’s where Rza comes in. The audiophile mish-mashes his muses and ideas until they’re oozing out of every beaker in the 8 Diagrams project, which starts, of course, with an old karate audio clip. This time around, though, the sweet and guttural swoon in the background spews blacksploitation all over this piece from the get go. Method Man leads off the record with Ghostface batting cleanup right behind him, putting all things right with Wu in the world once again. The first three songs do not really echo the smart slickness that waits on the rest of the album, but when “Rushing Elephants” bounces in with a symphony swagger all bets are on. After a weak attempt at a morphed Beatles classic in “The Heart Gently Weeps,” the album really climbs to that next level. The second half of the album is absolutely untouchable, from the doo-wop backing matching with dirty soul overtures on songs like “Wolves,” “Stick Me For My Riches” and “Starter” to the reserved raps rolling over bobbing beats on “Gun Will Go” and “Windmill.” The album, understandingly enough, caused a ruckus amongst famously gritty members who labeled it with a “hip hop hippy” sound before calling it “bullshit.” Maybe one day they’ll realize that this was their true great masterpiece, even if one man might have steered the ship away from familiar shores. They should know best that Wu-Tang has always been about exploring new horizons. |
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