The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #12

In 2005, former Royal Fam rapper Dreddy Kruger entered the business side of the music industry with his Think Differently Music Group, an entertainment company intended to make moves in many mediums. His first effort was Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture, a Babygrande Recordings-distributed effort that paired Wu-Tang Clan friends and family members with underground rappers who he felt deserved their flowers now, including Ras Kass, Sean Price, Roc Marciano, MF DOOM, Aesop Rock, and R.A. The Rugged Man, among many others. Over Wu-flavored instrumentals provided by Bronze Nazareth, Preservation, and several others, the Wu represented their respective worldview while indie film auteur Jim Jarmusch popped in several times to offer words of advice or to just shoot the shit. It was a successful experiment, one that Wu stans craved more of, but aside from a collection of outtakes labeled as Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture: The Lost Files four years later, there was nary a peep from Dreddy’s corner of the universe, and many assumed the Think Differently brand had dissolved.

Until 2020, when both Kruger and his company made a quiet return with Think Differently Two :: The Audio Film, which functions as a sequel (of sorts) to Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture and follows a similar blueprint, mixing underground artists and Wu-familia together, except this time around the indie rappers are really obscure and the focus is more on the creation of, well, an audio film, as the title claims. Although Jim Jarmusch pops up once again, so at least there’s some continuity.

Click here to read my thoughts on Think Differently Two :: The Audio Film, a former Patreon exclusive that is now available for all!

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #11

The Day 11 mix is the final one of this holiday season. No, there won't be a switch-up on the last day with new episodes of an entirely different RandoMax Radio series - I already did that shit last year. All I'm saying is that this is the final mix I recorded back in 2021 specifically for this purpose, which means there was more love added than usual, by which I mean you'll be pleasantly surprised at some of these choices, especially if you happen to be a Wu-Tang b-teamer steadily plugging away at your career after all these years.

The fifth and final Max-Approved Mixtape with the Wu's foot all up in it, at least of the year, includes ten hand-selected Wu-related songs intended to showcase the crew's influence and reach. The tracklist appears below the embedded player, so press 'play' and reminisce of holidays past.

THE 12 DAYS OF WU-MAS 2021 - DAY #11 MIX

1. Killarmy - "Camouflage Ninjas"
2. Sunz of Man - "Natural High" (featuring Traybag)
3. Moongod Allah - "Fifty Days of Sword Practice" (featuring Cilvaringz, Origin, Magpie, and Fraze)
4. Wu-Tang Clan - "Don't Stop"
5. Method Man - "The Turn" (featuring Raekwon)
6. Cappadonna - "Five on the Black Hand Side" (featuring Kelso, Ratchet, Rollo, and SugarShane)
7. Ghostface Killah - "The Chase" (featuring Sun God)
8. Royal Fam - "March of the Hooded Soldiers" (featuring Osirius, Sharecka, and Track Killing Omar)
9. Solomon Childs - "Red Rum"
10. Hell Razah - "Rowdy Rowdy" 

Enjoy this mix, tomorrow's closing post, and your New Year (for those who celebrate)!

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #10

2019 brought us Gravitas, a collaborative effort between producer Bronze Nazareth and rapper KXNG Crooked, one which was unexpected, but welcome. Crooked, late of the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, has long been known for his knack for destroying every microphone in his presence, while Wu-affiliated producer Nazareth worked his soul samples, boom bap sensibilities, and his underground music connections in his home state of Michigan into a prolific career as a part of the current phase of the Wu-Tang dynasty. Gravitas features the artist formerly known as Crooked I spitting over Nazareth’s beats, oftentimes alongside a wide array of special guests such as Hus Kingpin, Ras Kass, and Planet Asia (in case you weren’t aware, this project was put together by Matthew “M80” Markoff, who either has a the longest list of contacts in his phone in hip hop history or a shit-ton of unreleased verses from various artists purchased in bulk), along with Wu-related acts such as Killah Priest, La the Darkman, The RZA, and members of Bronzey’s own Wisemen collective.

Click here to read my thoughts on Bronze Nazareth and KXNG Crooked’s Gravitas, a former Patreon exclusive that is now available for all!

-Max 

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #9

This Day 9 mix means we're almost at the end of this year's journey, but there's no need to feel sad - we should just enjoy the times we had listening to great music that just so happened to lean in the direction of the Wu-Tang Clan. I'm undecided if I'm going to do these again after the current miniseries (although it's not like I've run out of songs to sift through - remember, there are a lot of Wu-Tang affiliates), so for now let's bask in the glory of what we have.

Today's effort, the fourth of the Wu-sprinkled Max-Approved Mixtapes, includes another ten hand-selected Wu-related tracks intended to showcase the crew's influence and reach. This chapter features one artist that decidedly isn't a member of the Clan in a lead role, but still counts because the song itself appeared on a Wu-Tang effort, while another track I had to look through my files multiple times to confirm that I somehow never used it before. The tracklist appears below the embedded player, so press 'play' and light one up.

THE 12 DAYS OF WU-MAS 2021 - DAY #9 MIX

1. Killarmy - "Swinging Swords"
2. Cappadonna, The RZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard - "'96 Recreation (Demo)"
3. Ghostface Killah - "Purified Thoughts" (featuring GZA and Killah Priest)
4. Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
5. Q-Tip and Freemurda - "Just A Lil Dude (Who Dat Ovah There)"
6. Royal Fam - "Off With Your Head"
7. Masta Killa - "School" (featuring The RZA)
8. La the Darkman - "Lucci"
9. Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Baby C'mon"
10. U-God - "Jackpot" (featuring Jackpot Scotty Wotty)

Enjoy! Feel free to share this with anyone you feel would enjoy it - why not kick off the new year by supporting artists and independent writers?.

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #8

Of all the myriad Wu-Tang Clan offshoots that we’ve witnessed since the original nine members of the group first hit the scene, one of the crews that has had surprisingly long legs is the sextet Killarmy, whose boasts-n-bullshit were accentuated with military slang and war flick samples instead of strictly focusing on martial arts, which resulted in lengthier careers in the music industry than what any of us could have ever envisioned. The most surprising to pursue a solo career was RZA’s younger brother 9th Prince, which shouldn’t be that shocking in hindsight because of his family ties, his passion for making music carrying him through multiple solo offerings and, now, to Full Metal Jackets, the fourth album from Killarmy that exists simply because 9th Prince willed it into being. (And also because the album cover says he produced the entire project, even though that isn't exactly accurate.)

Down two members and a major benefactor (Dom Pachino and producer 4th Disciple had nothing to do with this project, while Killa Sin, still considered a part of the unit, is currently serving a prison term and couldn’t contribute in any meaningful way), 9th, along with fellow bandmates Islord, ShoGun Assasson, and Kinetic (who claims to also have been cut from the group’s ranks shortly after the release of the project), called upon multiple guests, from both within the Wu family and outside of their circle, to help bring Killarmy’s legacy into the COVID times.

Click here to read my thoughts on Killarmy’s Full Metal Jackets, a former Patreon exclusive that is now available for all!

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #7

With day seven, we've officially flown past the halfway mark of this holiday season's Wu-Tang bombardment, which means we're nearing the end, but that doesn't mean there's time for you to fret - there are six prior days' worth of content to get through, including three mixes and three unlocked Patreon posts (and also three brand new Patreon posts for the supporters - you can see those, too, just by signing up and helping me keep this project sustainable, just hit up the link in the sidebar).

Today's effort is the third of the Max-Approved Mixtapes commissioned for this special miniseries: ten hand-selected Wu-related tracks intended to showcase the crew's broader scope and vast influence over this genre we keep coming here to talk about. The tracklist appears below the embedded player, so press 'play' and dig in your heels.

THE 12 DAYS OF WU-MAS 2021 - DAY #7 MIX

1. Masta Killa - "No Said Date"
2. Wu-Tang Clan - "Weak Spot"
3. Wu-Tang - "Lesson Learn'd" (featuring Inspectah Deck and Redman)
4. RZA as Bobby Digital - "Brooklyn Babies" (featuring Masta Killa)
5. Cappadonna - "Run"
6. Eto and Trife Diesel - "Old Style"
7. Sunz of Man - "As It Was Written" (featuring The RZA)
8. Ghostface Killah - "Me, Denny and Darryl" (featuring Method Man and Cappadonna)
9. Raekwon - "Revory (Wraith)" (featuring Rick Ross and Ghostface Killah)
10. Deadly Venoms - "Drug Free (Free Ol' Dirty" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Shorty Shit Stain)

Enjoy! And if you're reading these words after midnight, best wishes for a happy new year to you and yours.

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #6

Usually an EP is something an artist will release to the public when they’re plugging away at a new project and want to gauge interest in whatever new directions their work is heading toward. It’s can also be used as the build-up to the forthcoming full-length album, the appetizer before the main course. This was not the case for The Appetition, a three-track offering that Raekwon the Chef seemingly recorded and released in 2020 just for the hell of it, not because of any underlying plan or schedule, as the man has yet to announce anything new in the realm of music. (He did just release his autobiography, so I assume he was just busy with that.) The Appetition was recorded at Red Bull Music Studios in conjunction with the energy drink brand, and its mere right to exist within our chosen culture is wholly dependent on whether or not you still give a damn about Raekwon when the beats are provided by people you’ve absolutely never heard from before or since.

Click here to read my thoughts on Raekwon’s The Appetition EP, now unlocked for everybody to enjoy! (“Enjoy” being a relative term here.)

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #5

 

Day five of this holiday season's Wu-blitz features another all-new Max-Approved Mixtape focused on the Wu-Tang Clan and their kin. Each track has been pulled from a lengthy list of songs credited to literally anyone associated with the crew, but not any of their myriad guest features for acts outside of their inner circle. That would bring an entirely different energy to the proceedings, and honestly that could be its own thing, so I'm taking my own idea into the development phase. So I guess you have something else to look forward to now, maybe?

The tracklist appears below the embedded player, so press 'play' and block out the outside world for the full effect. That first song alone is going to throw you for a loop. R.I.P. 12 O'Clock.

THE 12 DAYS OF WU-MAS 2021 - DAY #5 MIX

1. 12 O'Clock & Raekwon - "Nasty Immigrants (Rare Dirty Version)" (yes, you read that correctly)
2. GZA/Genius - "Investigative Reports" (featuring U-God, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah)
3. American Cream Team - "It's Not a Game" (featuring Raekwon and The RZA)
4. Method Man - "Release Yo'Delf" (featuring Blue Raspberry)
5. Killah Priest - "Whut Part of the Game?" (featuring Ras Kass)
6. Trife da God - "Punch In Punch Out"
7. Cilvaringz - "The Weeping Tiger" (featuring Ghostface Killah, The RZA, and Raekwon)
8. Cappadonna - "Pump Ya Fist" (featuring Killa Bamz and Tekitha)
9. Pop da Brown Hornet - "I'm Soooo...." 
10. Wu-Tang Clan - "16th Chamber / O.D.B. Special" 

Enjoy!

-Max

The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2021 - Day #4

In 2014, in the midst of the promotional run-up for the Wu-Tang Clan’s sixth (and, to date, final, as I think we can all agree that Once Upon A Time In Shaolin doesn’t count and The Saga Continues was more a Mathematics project) album, A Better Tomorrow, producer The RZA set aside a little bit of time to release a free EP to the Interweb. Called Only One Place To Get It, the Dr. Pepper-commissioned effort, intended to be the first in a series handled by multiple producers but never advancing beyond this lone volume from what I can tell, featured the erstwhile Prince Rakeem working the boards for artists outside of his immediate comfort zone (read: non-Wu). This makes for an interesting exercise: hearing what The RZA is capable of doing outside of his musical genre of choice with artists who typically wouldn’t find themselves in his orbit, an experience brought to you by Dr. Pepper, whose claims of mastery in the fields of medicine and hip hop are dubious at best.

Click here to read my write-up for Only One Place To Get It, a former Patreon exclusive which is now available to all, which I suppose means there are now only two places to get it.

-Max