The 12 Hours of Wu-Tang: #8 - Moongod Allah - Ten Tigers Of Kwantung (2001)

Figured I couldn’t get through today without tackling one of the more out-there Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated projects, just in case there are actual Wu stans that still follow my writing, so this write-up will focus on Dutch producer Moongod Allah’s homage to both kung-fu flicks and the Wu-Tang Clan themselves, the 2001 album Ten Tigers of Kwantung.

Moongod Allah, born Jeremy Waterloo and now going under the moniker Dokter Moon, is a rapper-slash-producer based out of the Netherlands. Along with his solo work, he was also a part of the group Lin Brotherz, alongside rapper-slash-producers Barrakjudah and Cilvaringz. The careers of both Moon and Cilva are linked in more than just this one way, however, even with their different origin stories: both are (or were, who knows how any of this is working out for him now) disciples of The RZA, who apparently used to mentor absolutely anybody that popped up in the Wu offices that claimed to be huge fans of the Clan. (See also: Remedy.) Here’s one way to tell them apart: Moongod Allah didn’t produce Once Upon A Time In Shaolin.

So as a huge diehard fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, it isn’t difficult to connect the dots to the inception of Ten Tigers of Kwantung, Moongod Allah’s debut album (as far as I can tell - feel free to correct me in the comments). He and his collaborators (including the other Lin Brotherz, among a few others) had the idea to not just sample kung-fu flick sound bites like their heroes, but to write their own kung-fu flick, with each artists playing various roles to help tell the story. Yep, Ten Tigers of Kwantung is a concept album. No, wait, come back!

Primarily produced by Moon himself, Ten Tigers of Kwantung features guests on every single track who have agreed to help write and act out the tale of Bai Me, a young student eager to complete his kung-fu training, but who comes across many obstacles along the way. Cilvaringz plays a huge role on the project, contributing many guest verses (that came before his official solo debut, but after his Wu-affiliation became official) and even the production on one track. Other names you likely have never heard of before or since provide guest vocals throughout the album. One thing they all have in common is a sincere love of the genre, both the kung-fu flick and the RZA’s kung fu-flick-inspired production, which means Ten Tigers of Kwantung sounds like a very specific period in Prince Rakeem’s musical career, one which a lot of us wish he would revisit.

Let’s see where this wormhole takes us.

1. TRIAL OF THE BROKEN BLADES (FEAT. BARRAKJUDAH & FRAZE)

When your cosplay is based on what influenced the Wu-Tang Clan and not the personalities of the members themselves, your song will end up sounding like “Trial of the Broken Blades”, on which rappers Barrakjudah and Fraze align their bars with the loose mythology of kung-fu flicks, even going so far as to act out their own scenes (as opposed to sampling sound bites, although as Ten Tigers Of Kwantung is supposed to be our host’s own homage to the genre, there would be no actual movie where they could crib from). Moongod Allah’s instrumental functions as the vehicle transporting the duo toward their first challenge. The music isn’t bad, actually: it does resemble the type of beat Wu stans would like to hear their heroes at least occasionally acknowledge these days, and Barrakjudah/Origin’s verse was engaging as hell. Couldn’t remember much from Fraze’s performance, but I also don’t remember it sounding bad, so it is what it is. Also, if you listen closely during the really hard-to-follow intro, you may hear The RZA’s voice floating around, so at least he’s likely cognizant as to the existence of this project.

2. INSTRUCTOR OF DEATH (FEAT. DOC BLAKE & GI SAMURAI)

Another drawn-out sample (complete with a callback to the introduction on the Wu’s “Bring Da Ruckus”, for those of you alert enough to catch it) morphs into not one, but two distinct instrumentals for Doc Blake and GI Samurai to run wild with their Shaolin temple imagery and boasts-n-bullshit befitting the limited scope. Both artist sound fine over Moongod’s work, which maneuvers around the highly specific Wu-esque soundscape with ease, but with a song title such as “Instructor of Death”, there isn’t going to be much these guys will be able to do to add depth to the situation, so.

3. MOON WARRIORS (FEAT. LIN BROTHERZ, MOST HIGH BROTHERS, & GI SAMURAI)

There are six goddamn verses on this posse cut, and yet your enjoyment of “Moon Warriors” will be wholly dependent on whether or not you find Moongod Allah’s instrumental to be any good, as the song itself is poorly mastered and hard to hear at times. For what it’s worth, I liked it enough, even though it’s “plan our attack” vibe established at the very beginning is quickly abandoned for shit-talking and shit-talking but with swords and stuff. Hilariously to me, Origin is a member of two of the groups featured on here: the Most High Brothers and the Lin Brotherz, which doesn’t explain why he has the best verse on here, but it certainly helps. Cilvaringz’s opening verse is terrible, as he sounds like an entirely different person, but he has plenty more chances on Ten Tigers Of Kwantung to catch the beat, so.

4. DYNASTY OF BLOOD (FEAT. FRAZE & CILVARINGZ)

The instrumental is pretty damn good, but the artists’ tendency to act out their own kung-fu flick sound bites left me feeling a bit cold: it’s cultural appropriation two degrees removed, especially as they’re trying to sound vaguely Asian even though they’re mimicking poor English-language dubbing. It’s weird, is what it is. Cilvaringz and Fraze will get away with it, though, because Ten Tigers Of Kwantung was released seventeen years ago and nobody cares about it, but that shouldn’t make it any more acceptable. Cilva’s verse plays up the Wu-acolyte aspect of his persona, the guy who worships at the altar of Prince Rakeem, while Fraze eschews Wu references to help push the narrative further. Not terrible, even if our host’s input was limited (Cilvaringz actually produced this one).

5. SAVIOR OF THE SOUL (FEAT. CILVARINGZ & DOC BLAKE)

Welp, here we have it: Moongod Allah should stick to production, as his opening verse on “Savior of the Soul” was awful. Perhaps he figured himself to be the only person qualified to speak these words to help move the story along, I’m not sure, but it’s bad. Doc Blake and Cilvaringz fare much better over our host’s instrumental, which is the type of sword-bap content you may be craving if you’re still reading this review, but I was more intrigued by the musical switch-up Moongod Allah pulls just before reverting back to the original when Cilvaringz starts to rap, Regardless, this wasn’t bad, and even though the artists on Ten Tigers Of Kwantung are constantly switching roles out of narrative necessity, somehow one can still keep the story straight,

6. THE WONG MASTERS (FEAT. CILVARINGZ & BARRAKJUDAH)

On which Cilvaringz shifts from waiting for Hung Si Kwon, as he was at the end of “Savior of the Soul”, to being Hung Si Kwon during a lengthy verse alongside fellow Lin Brother Origin, one where he can’t help himself, giving significant chunks of airtime to Wu-Tang Clan references and playing up his official Wu affiliation. Barrakjudah fares better, although Cilva isn’t bad on our host’s rushing instrumental: it’s just that figures such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard shouldn’t exist within the world Moongod Allah and his co-conspirators have created for Ten Tigers Of Kwantung. Then again, Origin mentions Mortal Kombat villain Shang Tsung, although it could be argued that at least could make sense. Anyway.

7. SHAOLIN HANDLOCK (FEAT. MAGPIE)

I understand what our host was trying to do here, inserting “Shaolin Handlock” as a way to slow down the hurried pace of the album, but it’s boring, it runs for far too long, and Magpie isn’t a compelling-enough artist to carry the track by himself. And so.

8. SINGING KILLER (FEAT. CILVARINGZ, FRAZE, & GI SAMURAI)

The three verses (one apiece from Fraze, Cilvaringz, and GI Samurai) all fly by in a flash over our host’s instrumental which may take the wrong lessons away from the Wu’s obsession with kung-fu flicks, but still sounded pretty good to me. Aside from Cilva’s proclamation, “Wu-Tang forever ‘til the death of me”, which, I’m sorry, cannot be shrugged off within the storyline, everyone is invested in the material, but there’s over a full minute of music that just plays after GI Samurai finishes his last bar. Was Moongod Allah hoping that someone else would wander into the studio and spit a verse just because? At least the instrumental portion gives the audience some time to breathe.

9. A TASTE OF COLD STEEL (FEAT. CILVARINGZ)

A Cilvaringz solo effort, back from the days when he merely looked up to the Wu and wasn’t trying to actively tarnish their image by promoting his version of Mathematics’ The Saga Continues as a “proper” Wu-Tang Clan album with a single copy pressed and sold to reviled pharma-bro Martin Shkreli all in the name of “art”. (I just won’t let that shit goi, apparently. Until someone lets me listen to Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, anyway.) The man sounds excited on “A Taste of Cold Steel”, delivering his pseudo-spiritual belief in the martial arts with enough passion to convince listeners that he is the character he’s portraying here. Our host’s instrumental aids Cilva on his quest, and the combination of the two truly works. Huh.

10. COME DRINK WITH ME (FEAT. BARRAKJUDAH & MAGPIE)

I kind of loved the instrumental on the album closer “Come Drink With Me”: it’s oddly inclusive for a project created with such an insular vision. But I took issue with Magpie’s performance of the chorus, which seemed offensive and disingenuous, as it’s obvious Moongod Allah would have loved for the late ODB to have sung it, so why not ask an entirely unrelated person to imitate that style? That hook fucks up what could be the best and most accessible track on Ten Tigers Of Kwantung, and Origin’s bars sound excellent over the beat. Ah well.

The following is listed as a bonus track.

SCIENCE (FEAT. BARRAKJUDAH)

After a very long wait, Origin sneaks in a self-produced one-verse wonder that doesn’t necessarily fit into the project’s narrative, although it doesn’t not fit. The dude is pretty impressive with his performance: why he never popped up on any Wu-affiliated projects from the core members is beyond me, as he could easily keep up with the best of the B-teamers. Hell, his own beat is even pretty fucking good, too. “Science” was a nice surprise, a pleasing mint after a meal filled with rich foods, great conversation, and far too many Wu-Tang references.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Ten Tigers of Kwantung isn’t for everybody. It’s essentially the hip hop nerd equivalent of playing Dungeons & Dragons: Moongod Allah and his friends go so deep into Wu lore that they lose themselves in the kung-fu flick mythology and Wu-based boom bap that surrounds them. Aside from Cilvaringz’s anachronistic (given the subject matter, not the time period the album was recorded) Wu references, this project is a noble attempt at telling a new story within a loosely-knit universe that already existed. Moon’s production sounds poorly mastered the majority of the time, but it works to his advantage, as it helps Ten Tigers of Kwantung sound like a lost relic from the early days of the Clan, which was likely his intention. The Wu stans in the world who frequented Chambermuzik.com and live for the tracks from the Z-team affiliates that honor the group’s Shaolin roots will fall all over themselves to praise Moon’s work here, but if you aren’t a rap nerd, you may not see what the big deal is: most of the verses are pretty entertaining, and they mesh with the beats well (this album sounds like a true collaboration, as the nature of the project likely meant that everyone had to be in the same room at least once), but the content may be so inside baseball that you’ll feel left out. So again, Ten Tigers of Kwantung isn’t for everybody, but if you’re a Clan obsessive who misses the group’s older production sound, you’ll find something to like here, and if you like bars, Origin walks away with the best performances of the project, and he’s all over this, so.

BUY OR BURN? I don’t think it’s even possible to purchase this one anymore, so the decision is easy: burn it. But only if you’re a Wu-obsessive that somehow doesn’t already have this on your hard drive. Everyone else can stick to the core nine members of the Clan, as these spinoffs can be unyielding to the casual hip hop head.

BEST TRACKS:  “Come Drink With Me” (with the above caveat); “Science”; “Singing Killer”; “Moon Warriors”

-Max