The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2024 - Day #10

One of the problems with the Wu-Tang Clan becoming as big as they are, or were in the mid-to-late 1990's, anyway, is the mind-boggling number of hangers-on that tried to finagle a casual friendship or even a chance meeting at RZA's lawyer's office into a legitimate career in the music industry. Obviously some of these acts had talent, while others simply didn't, but what the members of the Z-team shared was the likelihood that this particular strategy would actually pay off in the long run. Many of the Wu-Tang affiliates have long since dropped off the board, but several have not only survived, they've fucking thrived by way of creating their own lane and sticking to it. 

Such is the story of Ellery "Buddha Monk" Chambers, a producer, rapper, author, and childhood friend of the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. His entrance into the hip hop game, via Dirty's solo debut Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, was treated as some sort of mythical unveiling, not unlike the fabled Sheng Long in Street Fighter II (who never existed) or even Reptile in Mortal Kombat (who did). Buddha Monk's own stage name made him sound like a mysterious stranger, an artist only a lucky few would ever get the opportunity to experience if they completed all of the tasks and answered all of the twisted elf's questions correctly and in order during the third blood moon of the century while chanting in some dead language and, I don't know, inhaling Oreos or some shit. Of course, in reality Buddha Monk was simply a dude who wanted to get put on, and lucked into his career thanks to his longtime connections - his unstable flow, similar to his friend's, and taste in darker beats was something we discovered in real time. 

His own solo debut, The Prophecy, has become somewhat of a cult classic, as it showcases the Wu-Tang aesthetic through the lens of an outsider, with all of the posse cuts, kung fu flick samples, and sparse, dusty instrumentals that come with the territory. Ol' Dirty Bastard returned the favor by making a guest appearance, while the rest of the cameos come from various members of Monk's different, somewhat interchangeable crews (older Wu heads will know what I mean). To paraphrase something I wrote two years ago when this review originally ran, if you're the type of Wu stan that gets excited by a Shorty Shit Stain guest spot, then The Prophecy may be your cup of tea.

Click here to read about Buddha Monk's The Prophecy, a Patreon exclusive that is now open to members at all levels! (A minimum of a free membership is required to access - sign up today!)

-Max