My Gut Reaction: Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams (December 11, 2007) vs. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (December 4, 2007)

As you may or may not be aware, supposedly the Wu-Tang Clan are not those that should be fucked with, horrible choices in cover design notwithstanding. Their fifth album, 8 Diagrams, has been surrounded by controversy, mainly because two of the most beloved members of the group (Ghostface Killah and Raekwon Bergman) hated the final product, while everyone else besides the mastermind of the project (The Rza, naturally) is keeping oddly silent. It doesn't help that this project was originally conceived to pay tribute to their fallen brother, Russell Jones, best known to absolutely nobody as Big Baby Osirus, but turned instead into a haven of infighting (over money, writing credits, money, who took the last bagel, money, why Mobb Deep's Infamy sucked balls, you name it), with a dense layer of weed smoke hovering over the lair.


Well, we should all be aware that this will probably be the last crew effort that my favorite hip hop group of all time will ever release, so here goes.

1. CAMPFIRE (FEAT CAPPADONNA)
Cappadonna feels like an afterthought over a dark, low-key Rza beat, on which the rhymes take way too long to start. It's good to hear the kung-fu samples return, though.

2. TAKE IT BACK
Raekwon needs to stop cutting his vodka with Nyquil. While I'm glad to see Easy Mo Bee getting work in 2007, I'd like to take this moment to note that this album is pretty much what everyone has been bitching about for the past fifty-six years: The Rza produces every single song on 8 Diagrams, or at least co-produces. (So much for Rza's promises to "bring back that Old School rap" by including contributions by Marley Marl, Q-Tip, and DJ Scratch, although Scratch's "Watch Your Mouth", the first song released from the 8 Diagrams sessions, fell victim of the dreaded sample clearance.) Deck sounds more like his old self than on the last song I remember him being on, "9 Milli Bros" off of Ghost's Fishscale. Speaking of Ghost, he easily runs out of the make-believe ballroom with the instrumental in his fur-lined pocket.

3. GET THEM OUT YA WAY PA
I can see why everyone thinks that Method Man is killing it right now. The beat isn't that good, though, and I'm not impressed with U-God's verse, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Masta Killa proves that he's a team player.

4. RUSHING ELEPHANTS
Finally, a beat that actually knocks. Features the first appearance by Gza/Genius, who sounds as good as can be expected. The Rza pops up on here as well, and conveniently explains how exactly we should spell his rap alias. Always helpful, that Bobby Digital.

5. UNPREDICTABLE (FEAT DEXTER WIGGLE)
The guitars here gave me a headache. Rza is on some shit with the production on 8 Diagrams: whether that shit is actually good remains to be seen (speaking of which, since Shavo from System Of A Down is on the bass, does this sound signify what we should expect from his side project with Rza in 2008?). I am curious, though, why Raekwon warranted a writing credit for this song, on which he does not appear. Hmm...

6. THE HEART GENTLY WEEPS (FEAT ERYKAH BADU, DHANI HARRISON, & JOHN FRUSCIANTE)
Nobody is going to believe me here, but I swear to God that I haven't heard this song until today. I avoided it when it hit the blogs (yes, even the Ultimate Wu blog) because I really like The Beatles's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (off of The White Album, for those that need trivia like that) and didn't want to hear it ruined (Ghostface Killah had a song that (predictably, given his career) didn't survive the sample clearance wars called "My Guitar" that actually sampled the original song, unlike the interpolation that appears here). Also, not really a fan of Badu, since she kinda fucked up both Common and Andre 3000. (The original artist that was supposed to sing the hook was Corinne Bailey Rae: now that would have been interesting.) Now that I've finally heard this track, I appreciate the creativity involved, and Ghost's verse is good, but I'll be skipping this one from now on, thanks. I've always considered the Wu as the hip hop Beatles: this song proves that just because I can draw similarities between the two doesn't mean they should intermingle.

7. WOLVES (FEAT GEORGE CLINTON)
U-God doesn't sound bad on this beat, which sounds like some dusty Wu boom-bap filtered through a Renaissance Fair. Method Man needs to release his long-threatened album with exclusive Rza production immediately. Remember my comments about George Clinton on that Baby Elephant album? Of course you don't. Well, those comments would also apply here.

8. GUN WILL GO (FEAT SUNNY VALENTINE)
Rza is playing the guitar on this track? Since I actually like this beat, color me impressed. Raekwon finally found a beat that actually complements his bedhead flow. And this is the second song in a row where the beat switches up when Masta Killa starts rhyming.

9. SUNLIGHT
Sounds like something The Rza held back from his Birth Of A Prince recording sessions. Remember the international bonus track "Sunshower" from Wu-Tang Forever? Here's more of the same. I've always been of the opinion that there shouldn't really be any solo tracks on a Wu-Tang group effort, unless your name is The Genius and the song is "Clan In Da Front".

10. STICK ME FOR MY RICHES (FEAT GERALD ALSTON)
Wow, Meth's verse can't come soon enough. The singing is overkill on an already dead-on-arrival track. Rza sounds forced, and Deck sounds like a different rapper completely. Even Gary Grice is wasted on here. A misstep from Mathematics and Rza.

11. STARTER (FEAT STREETLIFE, SUNNY VALENTINE, & TASH MAHOGANY)
What, Blue Raspberry and Tekitha were too busy? What big things are they doing? Anyway, I was shocked to hear Meth's official seat warmer on a song without Method Man, but he comes off pretty well, I suppose. The fact that he comes off better than Gza. Deck, and U-God isn't the best of signs, though.

12. WINDMILL (FEAT CAPPADONNA)
Listen closely to the beginning for the same wailing vocals from Gravediggaz's masterful "Diary Of A Madman", combined with the underlying (and uncredited) instrumental from Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", a song made famous thanks to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 1, which was scored by (shocker!) The Rza. Very subtle in its approach to the traditional Wu posse cut. Overall, I like this track, but it hurts my heart to report that there are no songs on 8 Diagrams that feature all eight surviving members of the Clan.

13. WEAK SPOT
Hey, welcome to the world of the living, Corey! Oddly, given its title, this song is not the weakest on the album, but given some of Rza's production choices, that isn't saying much. The track is a little bit busy, though. The Dirt McGirt interview sample at the end does lead into the concept of the next track nicely.

14. LIFE CHANGES
The long-promised song that addresses how each Wu-Tang Clan member (sans Ghostface, who says he never received the track to record a verse over, which just adds to the infighting rumors) handled the untimely passing of the late, great Ol' Dirty Bastard. Not surprisingly, this is the most focused and heartfelt song on the entire CD, as each member (once again, sans Ghost), commits to disc their specific feelings on the events that transpired. You would expect The Rza and Gza's contributions to grab you the most (since they were related to Big Baby Jesus and all), but it's Inspectah Deck that grabs your attention while he pleads for forgiveness. If you don't like this song, then you're a heartless bastard with a black hole where your fucking soul belongs, and I hate you. However, four notes to take under advisement: (1) I understand it was probably an aesthetic decision to have each verse framed with the "chorus" (really just sampled lyrics from Freda Payne's "The Road We Didn't Take"), so that each artists's individual take on Dirty's affect on them would be separate from the next, but the song would sound better if you had the vocal sample, all eight verses, and then the sample again at the end; (2) Ghostface should just jack the beat and put his own version on The Big Doe Mixtape, which I just made up but he should twist into a reality anyway. He could even put Cappadonna on there too; I promise that I won't mind; (3) The Rza's backmasked vocal at the end of his verse is unnecessary and, when you hear what it actually is, kind of inappropriate considering the subject matter of "Life Changes" (he says, after wondering aloud "what do we do with these hos", that "we fuck 'em in the butt, Dirt"); and (4) the recitation of The Heart Sutra at the end completely threw me off.

The US retail ends here. However, The Rza considers the Wu's European fanbase to be the only "true" hip hop heads in the world (who the fuck knows why), so they get two extra songs, "Tar Pit" and "16th Chamber (ODB Special)", an Ol' Dirty Bastard demo reel Rza found in the basement of the Wu Mansion. However, those stateside that pick up their copy of 8 Diagrams at a Best Buy are rewarded with a bonus exclusive track, the aforementioned "Tar Pit".

15. TAR PIT (FEAT CAPPADONNA, STREETLIFE, & GEORGE CLINTON)
I'm pretty sure U-God just said that he doesn't sell crack, he sells "dopium", which, last time I checked, still doesn't actually exist. The production on here is preferable to some of the questionable choices on 8 Diagrams (thanks, Rza!), but I choose to believe that this song was left off of the US retail since Cappa and Street aren't actual Wu members, and U-God is, well...



Among other things (see: money, Infamy, etc.), Dennis Coles essentially threw a shit fit once the Wu announced 8 Diagrams would be released on December 4th, since he was throwing Shawn Carter a surprise gathering and thought the Clan would crash the party and eat all of the smoked salmon. I never understood his argument, but I know that he was serious enough that The Rza quickly bumped his own album back by a week. (Whoops, did I say his own album? I meant his own album with extensive Wu guest appearances.) Honestly, though, are there that many people that would buy The Big Doe Rehab and not pick up 8 Diagrams? I would think that the fanbase is essentailly the same.

1. AT THE CABANA SKIT (PERFORMED BY GHOSTFACE KILLAH & RHYTHM ROOTS ALLSTARS)
Random album intro. Nothing to see here, just move it along.

2. TONEY SIGEL, A.K.A. THE BARREL BROTHERS (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL & SOLOMON CHILDS)

Honestly, I don't see the big deal about this song. I know the Interweb went insane over Sigel's verse, but it's only passable at best. The album version also deleted Styles P's verse, and moved Solomon Childs's pedestrian contribution to the midway point. I'm sure Styles isn't too pleased with Dennis right about now.

3. YOLANDA'S HOUSE (FEAT RAEKWON & METHOD MAN)

The female vocals on here are truly unnecessary. Otherwise, this track is pretty good, featuring the gold standard of Ghost's visceral storytelling, and Method Man rhyming as if he needs to prove to Jay-Z that he's more commercially viable than his partner Reggie Noble. But seriously, my two readers, what the fuck happened to Chef Raekwon?

4. WE CELEBRATE (FEAT KID CAPRI)

The first single. Am I the only person that thinks of NWA's "Real N----z Don't Die" (instead of Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate") when the chorus hits? Anyway, other than the fact that Kid Capri's shouting annoys the fuck out of me on this track, I like this song. When Ghost exclaims that he's celebrating because he's happy just to be here, he sums up both the album and his career to this point very succinctly.

5. WALK AROUND

I can picture a video for this song, one that is as blatantly literal as Erasure's "A Little Respect". Ghost is as potent as always, but his ear for beats may be full of wax.

6. YAPP CITY (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & SUN GOD)

Does Sun God count as a weed carrier, when he's actually Dennis Coles's son?

7. WHITE LINEN AFFAIR (TONEY AWARDS) (FEAT SHAWN WIGS)

I lost interest right at the point when it turned into free verse rhyming random celebrity names. Pretty sure Gza/Genius did this a few years abo with his own "Fame", but that's just me.

8. SUPA GFK

Sure, Redman rocked over this sample too, but that doesn't mean Ghost doesn't commit himself well. I wonder how Reggie feels about Ghost stealing his gimmick, though.

9. REC-ROOM THERAPY (FEAT RAEKWON & U-GOD)

Boring as shit. U-God neither adds to nor detracts from this song (and yes, I realize that is the most positive comment I've made about Golden Arms in the past few months). Raekwon needs to mainline some Red Bull, post haste.

10. THE PRAYER (PERFORMED BY OX)

What the hell is this, a DMX album? This interlude is pretty boring, and out of place to boot.

11. I'LL DIE FOR YOU

Never mind, it seems to lead directly into this song. Those two cats that produced the majority of this disc, Sean and LV, seem to have given Ghost some of Shawn Carter's discarded American Gangster beats, all of which may have been better utilized as a torture device in Guantanamo Bay.

12. PAISLEY DARTS (FEAT RAEKWON, SUN GOD, TRIFE DA GOD, METHOD MAN, & CAPPADONNA)

This is so not what you would expect a Wu-Tang posse cut to sound like; after reading the guest spots on the back of the disc, I was excited, but the final product is mediocre at best. Still, Method Man is on fucking fire here, and even Cappadonna shows us a glimpse of his past self, back when he wasn't driving a gypsy cab and not sucking so goddamn much.

13. SHAKEY DOG STARRING LOLITA (FEAT RAEKWON)

The original, off of Fishscale, grabbed my ears immediately, and refused to let go until I agreed to let it hold a dollar. This song, in contrast, does not grab my attention at all. On the plus side, Rae sounds like he gives about half a fuck in the booth.

14. ! (PERFORMED BY GHOSTFACE KILLAH & RHYTHM ROOTS ALLSTARS)

Just the outro. See the comment for the intro.

The following songs are listed as bonus tracks:

15. KILLA LIPSTICK (FEAT METHOD MAN & MASTA KILLA)

Sadly, Meth is only featured on the chorus. This song isn't that great (poor choice of a sample, in my opinion), but I always appreciate the random guest spots by Masta Killa.

16. SLOW DOWN (FEAT CHRISETTE MICHELE)

I actually really like this song a lot. Although it would be better if Chrisette Michele's vocals were reduced to the "dah dah dah DAH" that introduces each verse over the admittedly great beat. Sadly, no Edie Brickell samples to be found on this one.

THE LAST WORD: The Big Doe Rehab has a very clear sound, just like all of Ghostface's solo discs: however, the sound is one that isn't very catchy, or pleasing to the ear, so I can't honestly say that I will actively listen to this disc after today, which would make it a first in his overall catalog. However, 8 Diagrams, with its production missteps, lack of overall consistency, and overall Rza drugginess, sounds at least as good as Iron Flag did when I heard it last, so I'll probably give it more spins to let it grow on me. So, Ghost and Rae, relax, you really had nothing to worry about, unless you were expecting the glory days of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), at which case, commence worrying. Now Rae, about that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang album you promised all of us...

-Max