Showing posts with label Ol' Dirty Bastard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ol' Dirty Bastard. Show all posts
February 16, 2014
My Gut Reaction: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Message To The Other Side (Osirus Part I) (November 17, 2009)
February 15, 2009
Reader Review: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (March 28, 1995)
(To start off the second round of Reader Reviews, Banksta presents you two with what Hip Hop Isn’t Dead was obviously missing – yet another Wu-Tang Clan album review. However, he tackles one of their earlier solo efforts, one of which may be a buried treasure amongst your knick-knacks which are collecting dust on your respective shelves. And for all of the readers that continue to complain about the immense number of Wu-Tang mentions on HHID: Enjoy!)
Again, you already know Wu-Tang Clan's history (we’re hoping), so I'll just jump to the essentials. Ol' Dirty Bastard, the most insane and, yet, most commercially appealing rapper from the Clan, released what would end up being the second solo Wu album, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (I'd also like to review the others later, in case Max will keep posting reader reviews). After this album, which is usually considered to be the most Wu-sounding Wu-Tang solo album, Dirt McGirt found success in the music industry, and, also, many years of incarceration (albeit for increasingly creative reasons).
But you already knew all of that. What you (probably) didn't know, though, is that he's my favourite rapper ever (I kept the spelling true to the actual submission, although my spellchecker is having a fit). It's not like he was most talented member of the group - in fact, he was the second-to-worst rapper in the Clan, next to U-God (or Lucky Hands - both nicknames are fucking irrelevant, if you ask me). (Golden Arms is also a pretty useless moniker. His career may have been better off if he actually went by his government name, Lamont Hawkins – at least that way, maybe people would have been tricked into purchasing what they believed to be an audiobook to fall asleep to while on their flight.) He wasn't very creative either, since in his career he would repeat some of his verses hundreds of times. (That was probably just the massive amounts of drugs in his system, to be fair.) I love Russell because both he and his delivery were erratic, insane, original, brilliant, and “there was no father to his style”, as Method Man stated (although Dirty's style was inspired by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash). Shortly after becoming familiar with the Clan and Osirus himself, I ordered this album, and when I finally received it, I was so happy, but I can’t explain exactly why: it just felt like I finally found the soundtrack of my life, and, well, I was right (which probably is a matter for my therapist to ponder).
Now, it's time for sharing my opinion about this album.
1. INTRO
After this long, insane intro, you (should) know what to expect from the rest of this album.
2. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA
I don't know why the version with an actual second verse, which appeared in the track’s video, didn't make the cut. Still, crippled or not, this song knocks.
3. BABY C’MON
ODB reuses lyrics from his demo tapes (a recurring theme throughout his short career: in this case, they’re from a song called “Wu-Tang” (which is a fantastically creative title)), but with a shakier delivery. (Once again, that may just be the drugs.) The two different beats work well, and Ason's voice loop at the end is crazy.
4. BROOKLYN ZOO
The first single, and proof positive that a Wu-Element (True Master, in this case) can produce songs as good as The RZA. This shit is fucking great.
5. HIPPA TO THE HOPPA
Decent, but way too short.
6. RAW HIDE (FEAT RAEKWON & METHOD MAN)
I bet one hundred to one that cocaine is primarily responsible for ODB's delivery. This track is just awesome. (I always thought it was bizarre that Method Man was rapping about menstruation, but that’s probably just me.)
7. DAMAGE (FEAT GZA/GENIUS)
Russell Jones and his cousin Gary Grice do a fierce back-n-forth and rip the shit out of some RZA/4th Disciple production.
8. DON’T U KNOW (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST)
Ol' Dirty Chinese Restaurant decided to reconfigure a freestyle from a talent show he performed at with his cousin, Prince Rakeem (which, I want to say, occurred before The RZA released 'Ooh We Love You Rakeem', but I'm not sure) into an actual song. Killah Priest kind of interrupts ODB's ranting, though.
9. THE STOMP
Not to be confused with “Stomp”, as that was a completely different Dirt McGirt song (from A Son Unique). This shit is pretty fucking good, but I recall hearing some of the lyrics presented here on at least three of Dirty's demo tapes. (Clearly, this guy is a massive ODB fan, since even I don’t have all of the man’s fucking demo tapes.) I cannot imagine another title for this beat.
10. GOIN’ DOWN
Huh. I just did ODB’s throat sound exactly twice as long as him on my first try. Does that mean it's weak? Hell no! It's a great fucking song in which Dirt Dog showcases various styles over some pretty good Rza interaction. Overall, this was a brilliant musical experience through and through. (I’m still trying to prove that Banksta isn’t ODB’s posthumous publicist.)
11. DRUNK GAME (SWEET SUGAR PIE)
This is easily the worst song here on album. A weak beat and the lack of actual verses add up to a shitty track, and I didn’t really need to hear the fake orgasm. (Neither did the rest of the fucking planet.)
12. SNAKES (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST, THE RZA, MASTA KILLA, & BUDDHA MONK)
This is easily the best song here on album. (I concur.) The beat is just awesome, with great bass loop and drums, and the featured guests rip the shit out of it. ODB spits random nonsense here (as always), but the most hilarious thing he does on here is when he gives a shout to the Wu-Tang Clan, he doesn't mention Masta Killa, even though he is present on this fucking track.
13. BROOKLYN ZOO II (TIGER CRANE) (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Ason repeats his lyrics from "Damage", but in an even more erratic and insane way. This song is decent, but... Ghostface? What the fuck?
14. PROTECK YA NECK II THE ZOO (FEAT BUDDHA MONK, PRODIGAL SUNN, ZU KEEPER, MURDOC, KILLAH PRIEST, 12 O’CLOCK, SHORTY SHIT STAIN, & 60 SECOND ASSASSIN)
It's not better than "Snakes", but I still love this song. The guests that popped on here are all on the Wu-Tang junior varsity team (or in the case of Shorty Shit Stain, the waterboy), but they all sound decent over The Rza's aggressive production. (I've heard ODB's verse here on at least three demos, too.)
15. CUTTIN’ HEADZ (FEAT THE RZA)
The instrumental from the Wu-Tang Clan's “Clan In Da Front” is played in reverse (or, rather, “Clan In Da Front”' was a backwards “Cuttin' Headz”, since this is a reworking of a song from their demo tapes), and ODB and his cousin, Robert Diggs, rip shit in a very pleasant manner.
The following are bonus tracks (which only appear on the CD version).
16. DIRTY DANCIN’ (FEAT METHOD MAN)
The bass-filled beat is pretty good, as well as the whole package.
17. HARLEM WORLD
A long, boring, and shitty way to end your album.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is just kick-ass. It's not because Dirty's my favourite rapper, though (riiiiight) - it just sounds good, although it's a head-scratcher as to why. On most of the songs presented here, Russell spits mainly nonsense in his verses, and sounds nuts, but not as crazy as he does on N---- Please. His debut also shows how fucking great a producer The Rza can be, since he was able to tailor his sound to match the feel of the featured artist, and it also becomes apparent exactly how much of an impact he had on the Wu-Tang sound.
BUY OR BURN? This shit deserves a BUY. Sure, other Wu-Tang solo releases such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... or Liquid Swords are better (you see, you two, he’s clearly not crazy), but that's why you need to get those, too. (Hell, if you purchase the entire set, Cappadonna will throw in a few free cab rides around New York City, which can be a hard commodity to come by, so take advantage now.)
BEST TRACKS: "Snakes", "Raw Hide", "Brooklyn Zoo", "Goin' Down", "The Stomp", "Damage", "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo", "Cuttin' Headz".
-Banksta
(Be sure to leave comments below if you're interested in keeping this experiment going, or if you just like talking trash. And for further reading, here's a link to my original post.)
Again, you already know Wu-Tang Clan's history (we’re hoping), so I'll just jump to the essentials. Ol' Dirty Bastard, the most insane and, yet, most commercially appealing rapper from the Clan, released what would end up being the second solo Wu album, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (I'd also like to review the others later, in case Max will keep posting reader reviews). After this album, which is usually considered to be the most Wu-sounding Wu-Tang solo album, Dirt McGirt found success in the music industry, and, also, many years of incarceration (albeit for increasingly creative reasons).
But you already knew all of that. What you (probably) didn't know, though, is that he's my favourite rapper ever (I kept the spelling true to the actual submission, although my spellchecker is having a fit). It's not like he was most talented member of the group - in fact, he was the second-to-worst rapper in the Clan, next to U-God (or Lucky Hands - both nicknames are fucking irrelevant, if you ask me). (Golden Arms is also a pretty useless moniker. His career may have been better off if he actually went by his government name, Lamont Hawkins – at least that way, maybe people would have been tricked into purchasing what they believed to be an audiobook to fall asleep to while on their flight.) He wasn't very creative either, since in his career he would repeat some of his verses hundreds of times. (That was probably just the massive amounts of drugs in his system, to be fair.) I love Russell because both he and his delivery were erratic, insane, original, brilliant, and “there was no father to his style”, as Method Man stated (although Dirty's style was inspired by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash). Shortly after becoming familiar with the Clan and Osirus himself, I ordered this album, and when I finally received it, I was so happy, but I can’t explain exactly why: it just felt like I finally found the soundtrack of my life, and, well, I was right (which probably is a matter for my therapist to ponder).
Now, it's time for sharing my opinion about this album.
1. INTRO
After this long, insane intro, you (should) know what to expect from the rest of this album.
2. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA
I don't know why the version with an actual second verse, which appeared in the track’s video, didn't make the cut. Still, crippled or not, this song knocks.
3. BABY C’MON
ODB reuses lyrics from his demo tapes (a recurring theme throughout his short career: in this case, they’re from a song called “Wu-Tang” (which is a fantastically creative title)), but with a shakier delivery. (Once again, that may just be the drugs.) The two different beats work well, and Ason's voice loop at the end is crazy.
4. BROOKLYN ZOO
The first single, and proof positive that a Wu-Element (True Master, in this case) can produce songs as good as The RZA. This shit is fucking great.
5. HIPPA TO THE HOPPA
Decent, but way too short.
6. RAW HIDE (FEAT RAEKWON & METHOD MAN)
I bet one hundred to one that cocaine is primarily responsible for ODB's delivery. This track is just awesome. (I always thought it was bizarre that Method Man was rapping about menstruation, but that’s probably just me.)
7. DAMAGE (FEAT GZA/GENIUS)
Russell Jones and his cousin Gary Grice do a fierce back-n-forth and rip the shit out of some RZA/4th Disciple production.
8. DON’T U KNOW (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST)
Ol' Dirty Chinese Restaurant decided to reconfigure a freestyle from a talent show he performed at with his cousin, Prince Rakeem (which, I want to say, occurred before The RZA released 'Ooh We Love You Rakeem', but I'm not sure) into an actual song. Killah Priest kind of interrupts ODB's ranting, though.
9. THE STOMP
Not to be confused with “Stomp”, as that was a completely different Dirt McGirt song (from A Son Unique). This shit is pretty fucking good, but I recall hearing some of the lyrics presented here on at least three of Dirty's demo tapes. (Clearly, this guy is a massive ODB fan, since even I don’t have all of the man’s fucking demo tapes.) I cannot imagine another title for this beat.
10. GOIN’ DOWN
Huh. I just did ODB’s throat sound exactly twice as long as him on my first try. Does that mean it's weak? Hell no! It's a great fucking song in which Dirt Dog showcases various styles over some pretty good Rza interaction. Overall, this was a brilliant musical experience through and through. (I’m still trying to prove that Banksta isn’t ODB’s posthumous publicist.)
11. DRUNK GAME (SWEET SUGAR PIE)
This is easily the worst song here on album. A weak beat and the lack of actual verses add up to a shitty track, and I didn’t really need to hear the fake orgasm. (Neither did the rest of the fucking planet.)
12. SNAKES (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST, THE RZA, MASTA KILLA, & BUDDHA MONK)
This is easily the best song here on album. (I concur.) The beat is just awesome, with great bass loop and drums, and the featured guests rip the shit out of it. ODB spits random nonsense here (as always), but the most hilarious thing he does on here is when he gives a shout to the Wu-Tang Clan, he doesn't mention Masta Killa, even though he is present on this fucking track.
13. BROOKLYN ZOO II (TIGER CRANE) (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Ason repeats his lyrics from "Damage", but in an even more erratic and insane way. This song is decent, but... Ghostface? What the fuck?
14. PROTECK YA NECK II THE ZOO (FEAT BUDDHA MONK, PRODIGAL SUNN, ZU KEEPER, MURDOC, KILLAH PRIEST, 12 O’CLOCK, SHORTY SHIT STAIN, & 60 SECOND ASSASSIN)
It's not better than "Snakes", but I still love this song. The guests that popped on here are all on the Wu-Tang junior varsity team (or in the case of Shorty Shit Stain, the waterboy), but they all sound decent over The Rza's aggressive production. (I've heard ODB's verse here on at least three demos, too.)
15. CUTTIN’ HEADZ (FEAT THE RZA)
The instrumental from the Wu-Tang Clan's “Clan In Da Front” is played in reverse (or, rather, “Clan In Da Front”' was a backwards “Cuttin' Headz”, since this is a reworking of a song from their demo tapes), and ODB and his cousin, Robert Diggs, rip shit in a very pleasant manner.
The following are bonus tracks (which only appear on the CD version).
16. DIRTY DANCIN’ (FEAT METHOD MAN)
The bass-filled beat is pretty good, as well as the whole package.
17. HARLEM WORLD
A long, boring, and shitty way to end your album.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is just kick-ass. It's not because Dirty's my favourite rapper, though (riiiiight) - it just sounds good, although it's a head-scratcher as to why. On most of the songs presented here, Russell spits mainly nonsense in his verses, and sounds nuts, but not as crazy as he does on N---- Please. His debut also shows how fucking great a producer The Rza can be, since he was able to tailor his sound to match the feel of the featured artist, and it also becomes apparent exactly how much of an impact he had on the Wu-Tang sound.
BUY OR BURN? This shit deserves a BUY. Sure, other Wu-Tang solo releases such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... or Liquid Swords are better (you see, you two, he’s clearly not crazy), but that's why you need to get those, too. (Hell, if you purchase the entire set, Cappadonna will throw in a few free cab rides around New York City, which can be a hard commodity to come by, so take advantage now.)
BEST TRACKS: "Snakes", "Raw Hide", "Brooklyn Zoo", "Goin' Down", "The Stomp", "Damage", "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo", "Cuttin' Headz".
-Banksta
(Be sure to leave comments below if you're interested in keeping this experiment going, or if you just like talking trash. And for further reading, here's a link to my original post.)
January 31, 2009
Ol' Dirty Bastard - O.D.B.E.P. (1996)
In 1996, Elektra Records capitalized on the success of the Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard's first solo album, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, by combining the single releases for his hits ("Brooklyn Zoo" and "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"), deleting all of the stuff that was already available on the album, and sequencing it all onto one shiny compact disc. A couple of unreleased tracks from the vault were tossed in, and O.D.B.E.P. was born.
Now, the two of you may be asking yourself: "What the fuck is Max talking about? There is no such thing as O.D.B.E.P.!" Well, that's where you're wrong, kids. O.D.B.E.P. was released exclusively to the Japanese market only, for reasons that I'm pretty sure the Japanese public aren't aware of, either. I obtained this disc back in the late 1990s through a website called CD Japan, which may or may not be around anymore, and was stunned to realize that it was not a bootleg, but an official Elektra Records release. (As for the cost of this thing, well, apparently back then I had money to fucking burn. Sure would be nice to have some of those funds back now...)
The album cover contains tiny type that implies that O.D.B.E.P. was for promotional use only, but that's complete bullshit. What isn't bullshit, however, is the scarcity of a few of these songs, some of which were only made available here (or, if you're familiar with the Interweb, you may have downloaded them already, rendering this sentence moot).
I'm going to tell you up front: there is no recommendation to purchase this album at the end of the write-up. Especially in the current economy, I can't justify asking readers to spend upwards of fifty bucks on a fucking compact disc with only thirteen songs on it. (I didn't pay quite that much for it, but the disc is now out or print, so people can basically charge whatever they think they can get for it.) So the real question of the O.D.B.E.P. write-up is: should you even bother trying to find it?
Well?
1. BROOKLYN ZOO (CLEAN LORD DIGGA REMIX)
This remix has an alright-sounding beat, but part of the charm of the original "Brooklyn Zoo" was the confrontational nature of the instrumental (which you'll hear on the next track). The lyrics, as such, don't mesh well with the calm Lord Digga beat, and that makes this song a failure for me.
2. BROOKLYN ZOO (LP INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, but it still sounds really fucking good. Fun fact: while the liner notes of O.D.B.E.P. name The Rza as the producer, most Wu-Tang stans are keenly aware that "Brooklyn Zoo" was actually produced by both True Master and Dirt McGirt himself. You may have already known this, but I felt like filling up the empty space.
3. BROOKLYN ZOO (LORD DIGGA REMIX INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads.
4. GET IT TO YA RAW (LP VERSION)
For some reason, Japanese consumers know the Ol' Dirty Bastard track "Give It To Ya Raw" as "Get It To Ya Raw". Whatever. The phrase "LP version" is misleading, as this song never appeared on any ODB album. However, this track is pretty fucking awful, thanks to The Rza's non-beat, which is migraine-inducing.
5. GET IT TO YA RAW (SD50 REMIX)
Conversely, over some tweaked drums (reprogrammed by SD50, also known as the Stimulated Dummies), "Get/Give It To Ya Raw" now completely works. This particular version of the song is among my favorite Big Baby Osirus b-sides. This is a pretty good illustration of the importance of the backing music in determining if a song is any good, although I'll be the first to point out that Russell Jones is in no way, shape, or form any sort of competition for the likes of a Ras Kass. But, once again, if lyrics were all that were necessary to create a good song, then we'd all be listening to spoken word poetry.
6. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED VERSION)
This version includes a verse that was left off of the album (Return To The 36 Chambers: The DIrty Version, for those of you keeping score), but was used in the video version of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", which is weird, considering that the video version actually had to condense the track in order to tack on a verse of "Baby C'mon" at the end. Strange. This longer version is okay, but, to me, it's the exact same song as the original, so I have no differing opinion on it.
7. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (STUDIO TON REMIX) (FEAT MC EIHT & E-40)
The Wu-Tang Clan has always had a fascination with the West Coast, and this song was one of their first recorded attempts to branch out. Sadly, it appears in a censored form, which renders MC Eiht entirely unnecessary, as you can toss a football back and forth with your father through the empty spots in his verse. Russell also sounds creepy as hell with his new slow flow, which, thankfully, is reciting some freshly written lyrics for the occasion. Studio Ton, a Bay area producer, provides an instrumental that isn't completely horrible, but it isn't good enough to warrant more than just the cursory one-time listen.
8. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED ACAPELLA)
Come on, you fuckers already know what this will sound like.
9. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, only longer.
10. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (STUDIO TON REMIX INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads.
11. DON'T U KNOW, PART II
A sequel to an album track from Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which originally featured Killah Priest alongside Dirty, but is now one hundred percent Osirus. While I remember liking the original song a lot, for the sequel, Russell's sex rap takes routes that nobody needed to ever travel on. Ultimately, this just made me miss the original. Maybe I'll put that disc back into the rotation.
12. BABY C'MON (LP INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, but still remains a great example of one of The Rza's crazier beats.
13. OL' DIRTY'S BACK (LP VERSION) (FEAT 12 O'CLOCK)
Some rappers are known for their stream-of-consciousness rhymes. This entire song seems to have been constructed in a similar fashion, as there is little to no structure to be found, just as you would expect from an Ol' Dirty Bastard album. However, Cherokee Chief's beat includes some dusty-ass Wu-Tang drums, and both Dirt McGirt and his brother, 12 O'Clock (who is credited as Dirty's "baby brother" in the liner notes - hilarious!) work shit out just fine, thanks very much. Looking past the fact that Russell's lyrics fade out prematurely (although the beat continues on: that pisses me off even more so than when a song just abruptly fades out mid-verse), this isn't bad, in a buried-treasure sort of way.
FINAL THOUGHTS: O.D.B.E.P. is obviously a fans-only disc, as its appeal to anybody outside of the Wu-Tang spectrum is essentially zero. Most of the songs that appear here are available on maxi-singles that most Wu fans may already own, but there are a few unreleased gems that never found their way stateside. The presentation is goofy, but the end result is a bit grating: honestly, does anybody really need to sit through five versions of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" in a row?
BUY OR BURN? Nobody needs to buy this, although you probably won't be able to find it anyway. For Wu stans, a burn is sufficient, and for everyone else, we'll see you next post, when maybe I'll write about something that isn't quite so esoteric.
BEST TRACKS: "Ol' Dirty's Back"; "Get/Give It To Ya Raw (SD50 Mix)"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Ol' Dirty Bastard for you, you, and possibly you.
Now, the two of you may be asking yourself: "What the fuck is Max talking about? There is no such thing as O.D.B.E.P.!" Well, that's where you're wrong, kids. O.D.B.E.P. was released exclusively to the Japanese market only, for reasons that I'm pretty sure the Japanese public aren't aware of, either. I obtained this disc back in the late 1990s through a website called CD Japan, which may or may not be around anymore, and was stunned to realize that it was not a bootleg, but an official Elektra Records release. (As for the cost of this thing, well, apparently back then I had money to fucking burn. Sure would be nice to have some of those funds back now...)
The album cover contains tiny type that implies that O.D.B.E.P. was for promotional use only, but that's complete bullshit. What isn't bullshit, however, is the scarcity of a few of these songs, some of which were only made available here (or, if you're familiar with the Interweb, you may have downloaded them already, rendering this sentence moot).
I'm going to tell you up front: there is no recommendation to purchase this album at the end of the write-up. Especially in the current economy, I can't justify asking readers to spend upwards of fifty bucks on a fucking compact disc with only thirteen songs on it. (I didn't pay quite that much for it, but the disc is now out or print, so people can basically charge whatever they think they can get for it.) So the real question of the O.D.B.E.P. write-up is: should you even bother trying to find it?
Well?
1. BROOKLYN ZOO (CLEAN LORD DIGGA REMIX)
This remix has an alright-sounding beat, but part of the charm of the original "Brooklyn Zoo" was the confrontational nature of the instrumental (which you'll hear on the next track). The lyrics, as such, don't mesh well with the calm Lord Digga beat, and that makes this song a failure for me.
2. BROOKLYN ZOO (LP INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, but it still sounds really fucking good. Fun fact: while the liner notes of O.D.B.E.P. name The Rza as the producer, most Wu-Tang stans are keenly aware that "Brooklyn Zoo" was actually produced by both True Master and Dirt McGirt himself. You may have already known this, but I felt like filling up the empty space.
3. BROOKLYN ZOO (LORD DIGGA REMIX INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads.
4. GET IT TO YA RAW (LP VERSION)
For some reason, Japanese consumers know the Ol' Dirty Bastard track "Give It To Ya Raw" as "Get It To Ya Raw". Whatever. The phrase "LP version" is misleading, as this song never appeared on any ODB album. However, this track is pretty fucking awful, thanks to The Rza's non-beat, which is migraine-inducing.
5. GET IT TO YA RAW (SD50 REMIX)
Conversely, over some tweaked drums (reprogrammed by SD50, also known as the Stimulated Dummies), "Get/Give It To Ya Raw" now completely works. This particular version of the song is among my favorite Big Baby Osirus b-sides. This is a pretty good illustration of the importance of the backing music in determining if a song is any good, although I'll be the first to point out that Russell Jones is in no way, shape, or form any sort of competition for the likes of a Ras Kass. But, once again, if lyrics were all that were necessary to create a good song, then we'd all be listening to spoken word poetry.
6. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED VERSION)
This version includes a verse that was left off of the album (Return To The 36 Chambers: The DIrty Version, for those of you keeping score), but was used in the video version of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", which is weird, considering that the video version actually had to condense the track in order to tack on a verse of "Baby C'mon" at the end. Strange. This longer version is okay, but, to me, it's the exact same song as the original, so I have no differing opinion on it.
7. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (STUDIO TON REMIX) (FEAT MC EIHT & E-40)
The Wu-Tang Clan has always had a fascination with the West Coast, and this song was one of their first recorded attempts to branch out. Sadly, it appears in a censored form, which renders MC Eiht entirely unnecessary, as you can toss a football back and forth with your father through the empty spots in his verse. Russell also sounds creepy as hell with his new slow flow, which, thankfully, is reciting some freshly written lyrics for the occasion. Studio Ton, a Bay area producer, provides an instrumental that isn't completely horrible, but it isn't good enough to warrant more than just the cursory one-time listen.
8. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED ACAPELLA)
Come on, you fuckers already know what this will sound like.
9. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (EXTENDED INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, only longer.
10. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA (STUDIO TON REMIX INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads.
11. DON'T U KNOW, PART II
A sequel to an album track from Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which originally featured Killah Priest alongside Dirty, but is now one hundred percent Osirus. While I remember liking the original song a lot, for the sequel, Russell's sex rap takes routes that nobody needed to ever travel on. Ultimately, this just made me miss the original. Maybe I'll put that disc back into the rotation.
12. BABY C'MON (LP INSTRUMENTAL)
Plays exactly as it reads, but still remains a great example of one of The Rza's crazier beats.
13. OL' DIRTY'S BACK (LP VERSION) (FEAT 12 O'CLOCK)
Some rappers are known for their stream-of-consciousness rhymes. This entire song seems to have been constructed in a similar fashion, as there is little to no structure to be found, just as you would expect from an Ol' Dirty Bastard album. However, Cherokee Chief's beat includes some dusty-ass Wu-Tang drums, and both Dirt McGirt and his brother, 12 O'Clock (who is credited as Dirty's "baby brother" in the liner notes - hilarious!) work shit out just fine, thanks very much. Looking past the fact that Russell's lyrics fade out prematurely (although the beat continues on: that pisses me off even more so than when a song just abruptly fades out mid-verse), this isn't bad, in a buried-treasure sort of way.
FINAL THOUGHTS: O.D.B.E.P. is obviously a fans-only disc, as its appeal to anybody outside of the Wu-Tang spectrum is essentially zero. Most of the songs that appear here are available on maxi-singles that most Wu fans may already own, but there are a few unreleased gems that never found their way stateside. The presentation is goofy, but the end result is a bit grating: honestly, does anybody really need to sit through five versions of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" in a row?
BUY OR BURN? Nobody needs to buy this, although you probably won't be able to find it anyway. For Wu stans, a burn is sufficient, and for everyone else, we'll see you next post, when maybe I'll write about something that isn't quite so esoteric.
BEST TRACKS: "Ol' Dirty's Back"; "Get/Give It To Ya Raw (SD50 Mix)"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Ol' Dirty Bastard for you, you, and possibly you.
January 6, 2009
Not Available In Stores! Ol' Dirty Bastard - A Son Unique (2004-2005)
After Russell Jones was finally released from prison (an experience which, from what I understand, truly fucked with his psyche), he was whisked away to a press conference alongside Damon Dash and, of all people, Mariah Carey, to announce his signing with Roc-A-Fella Records. If I remember correctly, none of Ol' Dirty's Wu-Tang brethren were involved with the festivities, but that can't be right: The Rza, at least, should have been there, being family, right? Maybe my mind is just messing with me.
Ol' Dirty Bastard's signing was just another in a long series of power moves that Dame Dash executed without getting approval from his partner, Jay-Z, who generally had the final word on any artist that was signed to his vanity label. (Dame also tried to promote Cam'Ron to vice president of operations, or some other useless title (not unlike "associate producer"), while Shawn Carter was away on vacation.) These internal power struggles took their toll, and, inevitably, Roc-A Fella crumbled. Jay-Z became president of Def Jam Records and took the Roc-A-Fella name with him (and proceeded to sign many artists to that subsidiary, although the only two that listeners even bothered with were Kanye West and Hova himself), while Dame Dash started up the Dame Dash Music Group (or DDMG), with the full intention of releasing Dirt McGirt's A Son Unique, Russell's comeback vehicle (which was fully recorded and mastered prior to the split) as its flagship title.
Which, of course, never happened.
The passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard (from a drug overdose) meant that his estate automatically became involved with the release of A Son Unique. For whatever reason, the Osirus mixtape (released under a different label) was authorized by the family, but the one album that could have actually served as a viable swan song for the troubled rapper remains in legal limbo. For his part, Dame Dash seems to have completely given up on the disc, almost guaranteeing that this shit will never see the light of day officially.
Which is a damn shame. A Son Unique contains all-new verses from Dirty, unlike the Osiris debacle, and its name-brand production (provided by the likes of The Rza, The Neptunes, and others), combined with its (admittedly way-too-numerous) guest stars makes this the true (and only) successor to N---a Please.
1. LIFT YA SKIRT (FEAT MISSY ELLIOTT)
The addition of Missy Elliott is questionable, as the original, Missy-less track had been available online for quite some time when this disc "dropped" on the Interweb. Producer Mark Ronson, who does a pretty fucking good imitation of early Rza work on here, swiped Dirty's now-unused second verse for use on his own Britney Spears cover "Toxic" from Version. Even with Missy on here, I still like this song, especially the breakdown before each chorus that is lifted wholesale from an older Gravediggaz track whose name I can't place right now.
2. POP SHOTS (FEAT LIL' FAME OF M.O.P.)
The same song that appeared on that insipid and uninspired Osirus mixtape, except with the addition of Lil' Fame. I found it weird that, for two songs in a row, the special guests have made it a point to quote Dirty's lyrics from the Wu-Tang Clan track "Shame On A N---a". I also love how all of Russell's references to Roc-A-Fella were deleted by Dame Dash, although they are all present and accounted for on the Osirus mixtape.
3. OPERATOR (FEAT CLIPSE & PHARRELL WILLIAMS)
I liked this Neptunes beat when it was first released as a sort-of remix to James Brown's "Make It Funky" (and also when it was utilized in a Sprite commercial), and the good news is that it also seems to fit ODB like a sequined glove. This is the third song in a row that featured established guests added onto a song that previously existed as an ODB solo, but I guess that, at that point in time, the addition of the Clipse could have possibly moved some units. Dirty sounded just fine by himself, though.
4. BACK IN THE AIR (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
ODB actually sounds somewhat lyrical on here, and Ghost is as indecipherable as someone can be that chooses to speak in his own personal code. The Rza's (supposed) production work sounds kind of bland on here, but otherwise, this song isn't bad.
5. WORK FOR ME (FEAT YOUNG CHRIS)
This song is pretty fucking stupid. ODB has never been one to shy away from more commercial-sounding instrumentals, but I'm almost positive that this beat (and the Dame Dash-approved guest, Young Chris from the Young Gunz, a rap duo I'm almost certain most readers have never heard of despite their moderate commercial success) was forced upon him as a condition of his contract.
6. ODB DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (FEAT MACY GRAY)
There is truly no way to critique this song. There are no words. I'm sure Elton John would be amused by this, though. I hear he has a healthy sense of humour. (See how I added the "u" for emphasis? Classy, right?)
7. STOMP (FEAT THE RZA)
I liked everything about this track except for Rza's stupid-ass shouting on the hook, which comes off as if he were actively auditioning for System Of A Down. Didn't ODB already have a song called "Stomp" in his back catalog?
8. HOW YA FEELIN'
What the fuck is this shit? This sounds worse than all of Osirus.
9. INTOXICATED (FEAT RAEKWON, METHOD MAN, & MACY GRAY)
I believe this leaked online just prior to Dirty's passing: there's a twelve-inch single for it and everything. I don't know why Macy Gray needs to appear twice in A Son Unique, but she sounds good on the hook, and the "Rawhide" team of Rae, Dirt, and Meth (with The Rza behind the boards) bring the heat. (I don't think I've ever used the phrase "bring the heat" on this blog before. Huh.) Dirty does sound like he's rhyming to a completely different beat, though, perhaps one that originated in his head.
10. DIRTY & GRIMEY (FEAT NOREAGA)
This is another one of those Dame Dash-approved partnerships, as N.O.R.E. was a part of Roc-A-Fella at the time. Would ODB have worked with Noreaga otherwise? Probably, since both artists tend to favor the production work of The Neptunes, but it would have been nice if it was on his own terms, as the end result would have to have sounded a little bit better than this forced shit. Noreaga is especially annoying on the hook.
11. DANGER ZONE (FEAT JOE BUDDEN)
This is probably the strangest partnership on the whole of A Son Unique, as I'm not convinced that the artists were familiar with the other's work: hell, I'm not sure that Joe Budden even remembers he recorded this fucking song today. The hook couldn't have sounded good to anybody in the studio that day. Hey, Dame, did it ever occur to you that, instead of using your connections to create artificial duets, Dirty's fans may have wanted to hear a few more collaborations with the Wu? I'm sure Buddha Monk could have found room in his busy schedule to make an appearance.
12. SKRILLA (FEAT THE RZA)
The credits read "featuring The Rza", but I couldn't hear him anywhere on the track, and I listened to it three timed just to make sure. The hook to this is pretty stupid, but the song is enjoyable nonetheless. The Rza took his instrumental and tweaked it for Method Man's "The Glide", a Wu-Tang posse cut off of 4:21...The Day After. I'm not sure why he didn't bring over one of Dirty's verses with him: I'm sure the Wu heads in the world would have appreciated hearing Dirt McGirt alongside his Clan, even if the collaboration was manufactured in the studio.
13. DON'T HURT ME DIRTY
This is pretty awful. It isn't bad enough to negate the good that A Son Unique has done, though.
SHOULD YOU HUNT IT DOWN? I know that there was a lawsuit that held up the release of A Son Unique, but my understanding is that it was settled quite a while ago, and Dame Dash continues to sit on the masters of this disc, with no release date in sight. That's a fucking mistake. A Son Unique should have sounded awful (if Osiris was any indication), but it doesn't: in fact, save for a handful of songs, this sounds really really good. It's as entertaining as N---a Please (and, to some extent, Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version)), and some of the songs on here rank among Dirty's best. Hell, if A Son Unique ever got a proper release date, I would recommend that all two of my readers pick up a copy the day it drops, I think it's that good. It's a fucking shame. Oh, well. At least we have the Interweb to help us get our fix.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Wu! Wu! Wu!
Ol' Dirty Bastard's signing was just another in a long series of power moves that Dame Dash executed without getting approval from his partner, Jay-Z, who generally had the final word on any artist that was signed to his vanity label. (Dame also tried to promote Cam'Ron to vice president of operations, or some other useless title (not unlike "associate producer"), while Shawn Carter was away on vacation.) These internal power struggles took their toll, and, inevitably, Roc-A Fella crumbled. Jay-Z became president of Def Jam Records and took the Roc-A-Fella name with him (and proceeded to sign many artists to that subsidiary, although the only two that listeners even bothered with were Kanye West and Hova himself), while Dame Dash started up the Dame Dash Music Group (or DDMG), with the full intention of releasing Dirt McGirt's A Son Unique, Russell's comeback vehicle (which was fully recorded and mastered prior to the split) as its flagship title.
Which, of course, never happened.
The passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard (from a drug overdose) meant that his estate automatically became involved with the release of A Son Unique. For whatever reason, the Osirus mixtape (released under a different label) was authorized by the family, but the one album that could have actually served as a viable swan song for the troubled rapper remains in legal limbo. For his part, Dame Dash seems to have completely given up on the disc, almost guaranteeing that this shit will never see the light of day officially.
Which is a damn shame. A Son Unique contains all-new verses from Dirty, unlike the Osiris debacle, and its name-brand production (provided by the likes of The Rza, The Neptunes, and others), combined with its (admittedly way-too-numerous) guest stars makes this the true (and only) successor to N---a Please.
1. LIFT YA SKIRT (FEAT MISSY ELLIOTT)
The addition of Missy Elliott is questionable, as the original, Missy-less track had been available online for quite some time when this disc "dropped" on the Interweb. Producer Mark Ronson, who does a pretty fucking good imitation of early Rza work on here, swiped Dirty's now-unused second verse for use on his own Britney Spears cover "Toxic" from Version. Even with Missy on here, I still like this song, especially the breakdown before each chorus that is lifted wholesale from an older Gravediggaz track whose name I can't place right now.
2. POP SHOTS (FEAT LIL' FAME OF M.O.P.)
The same song that appeared on that insipid and uninspired Osirus mixtape, except with the addition of Lil' Fame. I found it weird that, for two songs in a row, the special guests have made it a point to quote Dirty's lyrics from the Wu-Tang Clan track "Shame On A N---a". I also love how all of Russell's references to Roc-A-Fella were deleted by Dame Dash, although they are all present and accounted for on the Osirus mixtape.
3. OPERATOR (FEAT CLIPSE & PHARRELL WILLIAMS)
I liked this Neptunes beat when it was first released as a sort-of remix to James Brown's "Make It Funky" (and also when it was utilized in a Sprite commercial), and the good news is that it also seems to fit ODB like a sequined glove. This is the third song in a row that featured established guests added onto a song that previously existed as an ODB solo, but I guess that, at that point in time, the addition of the Clipse could have possibly moved some units. Dirty sounded just fine by himself, though.
4. BACK IN THE AIR (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
ODB actually sounds somewhat lyrical on here, and Ghost is as indecipherable as someone can be that chooses to speak in his own personal code. The Rza's (supposed) production work sounds kind of bland on here, but otherwise, this song isn't bad.
5. WORK FOR ME (FEAT YOUNG CHRIS)
This song is pretty fucking stupid. ODB has never been one to shy away from more commercial-sounding instrumentals, but I'm almost positive that this beat (and the Dame Dash-approved guest, Young Chris from the Young Gunz, a rap duo I'm almost certain most readers have never heard of despite their moderate commercial success) was forced upon him as a condition of his contract.
6. ODB DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (FEAT MACY GRAY)
There is truly no way to critique this song. There are no words. I'm sure Elton John would be amused by this, though. I hear he has a healthy sense of humour. (See how I added the "u" for emphasis? Classy, right?)
7. STOMP (FEAT THE RZA)
I liked everything about this track except for Rza's stupid-ass shouting on the hook, which comes off as if he were actively auditioning for System Of A Down. Didn't ODB already have a song called "Stomp" in his back catalog?
8. HOW YA FEELIN'
What the fuck is this shit? This sounds worse than all of Osirus.
9. INTOXICATED (FEAT RAEKWON, METHOD MAN, & MACY GRAY)
I believe this leaked online just prior to Dirty's passing: there's a twelve-inch single for it and everything. I don't know why Macy Gray needs to appear twice in A Son Unique, but she sounds good on the hook, and the "Rawhide" team of Rae, Dirt, and Meth (with The Rza behind the boards) bring the heat. (I don't think I've ever used the phrase "bring the heat" on this blog before. Huh.) Dirty does sound like he's rhyming to a completely different beat, though, perhaps one that originated in his head.
10. DIRTY & GRIMEY (FEAT NOREAGA)
This is another one of those Dame Dash-approved partnerships, as N.O.R.E. was a part of Roc-A-Fella at the time. Would ODB have worked with Noreaga otherwise? Probably, since both artists tend to favor the production work of The Neptunes, but it would have been nice if it was on his own terms, as the end result would have to have sounded a little bit better than this forced shit. Noreaga is especially annoying on the hook.
11. DANGER ZONE (FEAT JOE BUDDEN)
This is probably the strangest partnership on the whole of A Son Unique, as I'm not convinced that the artists were familiar with the other's work: hell, I'm not sure that Joe Budden even remembers he recorded this fucking song today. The hook couldn't have sounded good to anybody in the studio that day. Hey, Dame, did it ever occur to you that, instead of using your connections to create artificial duets, Dirty's fans may have wanted to hear a few more collaborations with the Wu? I'm sure Buddha Monk could have found room in his busy schedule to make an appearance.
12. SKRILLA (FEAT THE RZA)
The credits read "featuring The Rza", but I couldn't hear him anywhere on the track, and I listened to it three timed just to make sure. The hook to this is pretty stupid, but the song is enjoyable nonetheless. The Rza took his instrumental and tweaked it for Method Man's "The Glide", a Wu-Tang posse cut off of 4:21...The Day After. I'm not sure why he didn't bring over one of Dirty's verses with him: I'm sure the Wu heads in the world would have appreciated hearing Dirt McGirt alongside his Clan, even if the collaboration was manufactured in the studio.
13. DON'T HURT ME DIRTY
This is pretty awful. It isn't bad enough to negate the good that A Son Unique has done, though.
SHOULD YOU HUNT IT DOWN? I know that there was a lawsuit that held up the release of A Son Unique, but my understanding is that it was settled quite a while ago, and Dame Dash continues to sit on the masters of this disc, with no release date in sight. That's a fucking mistake. A Son Unique should have sounded awful (if Osiris was any indication), but it doesn't: in fact, save for a handful of songs, this sounds really really good. It's as entertaining as N---a Please (and, to some extent, Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version)), and some of the songs on here rank among Dirty's best. Hell, if A Son Unique ever got a proper release date, I would recommend that all two of my readers pick up a copy the day it drops, I think it's that good. It's a fucking shame. Oh, well. At least we have the Interweb to help us get our fix.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Wu! Wu! Wu!
September 11, 2008
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Osirus: The Official Mixtape (January 4, 2005)
I'm disturbed by the photograph that adorns this album cover, as it looks like it was taken while Dirt McGirt was laying in his fucking coffin.
Russell Jones, best known to the hip hop world as Ol' Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan, died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and Tramadol, a prescription painkiller, on November 13, 2004, two days before his thirty-sixth birthday. He collapsed at the Clan's own recording studio, a sign that he was either deep into his work or, at the very least, hanging out with his old friends. Actually, both of those statements might be true: upon his release from prison, Dirty quickly signed with Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records, and was eager to record. (I recall a very bizarre press conference that featured Mariah Carey welcoming Russell home: anybody else remember that?)
Big Baby Jesus set about recording many songs, most of them fragments of concepts that would be fleshed out much later, at a time when ODB wasn't coked out of his fucking mind. At the time of his death, he had completed what was to be his comeback vehicle, A Son Unique, and was in the process of compiling a mixtape to tell the world about the return of Ol' Dirty Bastard. Osirus: The Official Mixtape ended up being that mixtape, and it was completed by Dirty's estate and released posthumously.
This disc of all original material would end up being the final release of all new material by Russell Jones, and unlike what the rest of the world was hoping for, the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan had nothing to do with it. It was slapped together in a rush, in an effort to capitalize on the death of its star (it was released less than two months after his passing) and, ostensibly, to raise some money for the Jones estate, although I'm curious how well that did for the family, considering that nobody actually bought this album.
My theory is that including the word "mixtape" in the fucking title led most rap fans to believe that a download was just fine, thanks. Also, the quality of the music presented may have had something to do with it.
Let's see if I was right.
1. POP SHOTS
DJ Premier and Dirt McGirt? Sure, why the fuck not? It's not Primo's best beat by any stretch of the imagination, but it serves its purpose, and Russell sounds more like an actual emcee than he has since Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version).
2. DIRTY DIRTY (FEAT RHYMEFEST)
Other than the terrible terrible hook, Mark Ronson's impersonation of a simplified early Rza track is successful, and the pairing of ODB and Rhymefest works brilliantly, which makes perfect sense when you realize that Che was writing Dirt's rhymes at this point in his career.
3. GO GO GO (FEAT BLAH OF BLAHZAY BLAHZAY)
This track floated around on the Interweb as Blahzay Blahzay's update of their own classic, "Danger", on which a very prominent Ol' Dirty Bastard vocal sample was a co-star, before finding new life as this revamped horseshit. I truly believe that drawing comparisons between apples and nuclear war would make for a more productive use of my time.
4. WHO CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN LIKE DIRT?
At this point in time, could Dirt even make it happen like Dirt?
5. HIGH IN THE CLOUDS (FEAT BLACK ROB)
I wouldn't have ever thought to pair Big Baby Osirus with Bad Boy Records stalwart Black Robert, but it's not the worst collaboration that I've ever heard. (Now, that song with Ol' Dirty Bastard and Jordan Knight? It's up there, people!) The problem here is the godawful K-Def beat and Russell's ridiculously stupid rhymes, both of which contribute to a very distracting listening experience.
6. RAHZEL SKIT 1 (FEAT RAHZEL)
Unnecessary, but it's good to see that Rahzel is capable of getting work after separating from the Roots Crew.
7. DIRTY RUN
Meh.
8. STAND UP (FEAT CAPPADONNA)
Cappa is the only Wu-related presence to appear in a rhyming capacity on Osirus (an old Ghostface Killah vocal sample awkwardly appears as the hook of this song, however). Perhaps if Ill Will Fulton (seriously, these producer names these days) wasn't so concerned with getting chicks to shake their asses on the floor, this song would actually be considered good, but what we end up with is something that's only borderline passable.
9. DON'T STOP MA (OUT OF CONTROL)
I'm actually confused as to how Russell believed, at any given point during the writing or recording process, that this would somehow be a good song. There are songs from shitty Southern artists that make more sense than this tripe. Producer Chops (from the Mountain Brothers) should be fucking ashamed of himself.
10. IF Y'ALL WANT WAR (FEAT ROYAL FLUSH)
Royal Flush's appearance is not surprising, as he also appeared in that aborted fetus of an album that was The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones. Also not that surprising: how much this song sucks.
11. PUSSY KEEPS CALLING
That is a fucking great title, one that is deserving of a better track to attach itself to. To be fair, though, ODB is the only acceptable rapper ever when it comes to naming songs random things such as "Pussy Keeps Calling" or "Where My Balls At?", so the mere fact that he actually used the title deserves a couple of points in and of itself. Only a couple, though.
12. DOWN SOUTH
If you're ever unfortunate enough to hear this song (meaning if you are either being tortured in Gitmo or if you write a blog such as mine), you may recognize Dirty's "verses" from Method Man's "Dirty Mef" from 4:21...The Day After. I put the word "verses" in quotes, though, because this shit is barely a song: Chops, um, chops up one fucking Dirt verse into separate four-bar increments: four lines will play, and then an extended shitty hook, then four more bars, extended shitty hook, lather, rinse, and repeat. ODB should dig himself out of his grave and punch that motherfucker Chops in the fucking eye. And possibly eat his brain, as well: if Russell manages to actually dig himself out of his grave, I assume Big Baby Zombie would be rather hungry.
13. RAHZEL SKIT 2 (FEAT RAHZEL)
This is a skit for an ODB mixtape, correct? Then why the hell is Rahzel recreating (moderately faithfully, I must say) the beat to fucking Method Man's "All I Need" from Tical, an album that Dirt McGirt had nothing to do with?
14. CAKED UP (FEAT BABY SHAM FROM FLIPMODE SQUAD)
I assume that Busta Rhymes was so busy racking up DUI's that he had to send his weed carrier Baby Sham to assist his former labelmate. This song is awful, as was to be expected, but Baby Sham is actually okay, so at least there's a somewhat silver-plated lining.
15. FUCK Y'ALL
No comment.
The following are listed as bonus cuts for no apparent reason.
16. MOVE BACK (FEAT CARDAN, DRAG-ON, JAE MILLZ, THE LENNOX AVE BOYS, & TERRA BLACKS)
I can't imagine that ODB would collaborate with any of these chumps had the drugs not taken control of his soul. As expected, this "posse cut" sounds like Dirt McGirt was tacked on as an afterthought. Fuck this song, and fuck all of these artists. Yeah, I said it.
17. FIRE (DIRTY DIRTY ALT VERSION)
This assault on the senses will forever be engraved on Ill Will Fulton's tombstone: "May have been an okay guy in other aspects of his life, but as a producer, he's a much better chartered accountant". At least Rhymefest must be happy that his own vocal contribution to the original "Dirty Dirty" were excised.
18. POP SHOTS CLINTON SPARKS REMIX
You're fucking kidding, right? A fucking mixtape deejay (one with one of the most annoying catchphrases in the game: "Get familiar"? Seriously?) actually thought he could one up DJ Premier, one of the top five producers in hip hop history? How dare you, sir. If you're going to grow the sack to do something like this, Sparks, you should make damn sure that your song is fucking listenable, let alone decent. And maybe you should make sure that your additions to the song's title are put inside fucking open and closed parentheses on the album cover next time.
The following is an unlisted bonus track.
19. UNTITLED HIDDEN TRACK
At this point, I stopped paying attention. Sorry.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Osirus: The Official Mixtape essentially alienates the rest of Dirt McGirt's fans, at least those that were still around after The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones. There is no reason that this disc should exist: ostensibly, it was released to pay tribute to Dirty's life, but all it truly does is make it seem that Ol' Dirty Bastard was almost completely useless without his Wu-Tang brethren, and what the hell kind of legacy is that to give your children?
BUY OR BURN? Neither. If you're in a record store and someone takes even a cursory glance at this disc, smack it out of their hand and punch them in the fucking eye. Don't worry, Max says it's okay.
BEST TRACKS: "Pop Shots"; "Dirty Dirty"
-Max
RELATED POSTS
Read reviews for other, better Wu-Tang-related discs by clicking here.
Russell Jones, best known to the hip hop world as Ol' Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan, died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and Tramadol, a prescription painkiller, on November 13, 2004, two days before his thirty-sixth birthday. He collapsed at the Clan's own recording studio, a sign that he was either deep into his work or, at the very least, hanging out with his old friends. Actually, both of those statements might be true: upon his release from prison, Dirty quickly signed with Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records, and was eager to record. (I recall a very bizarre press conference that featured Mariah Carey welcoming Russell home: anybody else remember that?)
Big Baby Jesus set about recording many songs, most of them fragments of concepts that would be fleshed out much later, at a time when ODB wasn't coked out of his fucking mind. At the time of his death, he had completed what was to be his comeback vehicle, A Son Unique, and was in the process of compiling a mixtape to tell the world about the return of Ol' Dirty Bastard. Osirus: The Official Mixtape ended up being that mixtape, and it was completed by Dirty's estate and released posthumously.
This disc of all original material would end up being the final release of all new material by Russell Jones, and unlike what the rest of the world was hoping for, the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan had nothing to do with it. It was slapped together in a rush, in an effort to capitalize on the death of its star (it was released less than two months after his passing) and, ostensibly, to raise some money for the Jones estate, although I'm curious how well that did for the family, considering that nobody actually bought this album.
My theory is that including the word "mixtape" in the fucking title led most rap fans to believe that a download was just fine, thanks. Also, the quality of the music presented may have had something to do with it.
Let's see if I was right.
1. POP SHOTS
DJ Premier and Dirt McGirt? Sure, why the fuck not? It's not Primo's best beat by any stretch of the imagination, but it serves its purpose, and Russell sounds more like an actual emcee than he has since Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version).
2. DIRTY DIRTY (FEAT RHYMEFEST)
Other than the terrible terrible hook, Mark Ronson's impersonation of a simplified early Rza track is successful, and the pairing of ODB and Rhymefest works brilliantly, which makes perfect sense when you realize that Che was writing Dirt's rhymes at this point in his career.
3. GO GO GO (FEAT BLAH OF BLAHZAY BLAHZAY)
This track floated around on the Interweb as Blahzay Blahzay's update of their own classic, "Danger", on which a very prominent Ol' Dirty Bastard vocal sample was a co-star, before finding new life as this revamped horseshit. I truly believe that drawing comparisons between apples and nuclear war would make for a more productive use of my time.
4. WHO CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN LIKE DIRT?
At this point in time, could Dirt even make it happen like Dirt?
5. HIGH IN THE CLOUDS (FEAT BLACK ROB)
I wouldn't have ever thought to pair Big Baby Osirus with Bad Boy Records stalwart Black Robert, but it's not the worst collaboration that I've ever heard. (Now, that song with Ol' Dirty Bastard and Jordan Knight? It's up there, people!) The problem here is the godawful K-Def beat and Russell's ridiculously stupid rhymes, both of which contribute to a very distracting listening experience.
6. RAHZEL SKIT 1 (FEAT RAHZEL)
Unnecessary, but it's good to see that Rahzel is capable of getting work after separating from the Roots Crew.
7. DIRTY RUN
Meh.
8. STAND UP (FEAT CAPPADONNA)
Cappa is the only Wu-related presence to appear in a rhyming capacity on Osirus (an old Ghostface Killah vocal sample awkwardly appears as the hook of this song, however). Perhaps if Ill Will Fulton (seriously, these producer names these days) wasn't so concerned with getting chicks to shake their asses on the floor, this song would actually be considered good, but what we end up with is something that's only borderline passable.
9. DON'T STOP MA (OUT OF CONTROL)
I'm actually confused as to how Russell believed, at any given point during the writing or recording process, that this would somehow be a good song. There are songs from shitty Southern artists that make more sense than this tripe. Producer Chops (from the Mountain Brothers) should be fucking ashamed of himself.
10. IF Y'ALL WANT WAR (FEAT ROYAL FLUSH)
Royal Flush's appearance is not surprising, as he also appeared in that aborted fetus of an album that was The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones. Also not that surprising: how much this song sucks.
11. PUSSY KEEPS CALLING
That is a fucking great title, one that is deserving of a better track to attach itself to. To be fair, though, ODB is the only acceptable rapper ever when it comes to naming songs random things such as "Pussy Keeps Calling" or "Where My Balls At?", so the mere fact that he actually used the title deserves a couple of points in and of itself. Only a couple, though.
12. DOWN SOUTH
If you're ever unfortunate enough to hear this song (meaning if you are either being tortured in Gitmo or if you write a blog such as mine), you may recognize Dirty's "verses" from Method Man's "Dirty Mef" from 4:21...The Day After. I put the word "verses" in quotes, though, because this shit is barely a song: Chops, um, chops up one fucking Dirt verse into separate four-bar increments: four lines will play, and then an extended shitty hook, then four more bars, extended shitty hook, lather, rinse, and repeat. ODB should dig himself out of his grave and punch that motherfucker Chops in the fucking eye. And possibly eat his brain, as well: if Russell manages to actually dig himself out of his grave, I assume Big Baby Zombie would be rather hungry.
13. RAHZEL SKIT 2 (FEAT RAHZEL)
This is a skit for an ODB mixtape, correct? Then why the hell is Rahzel recreating (moderately faithfully, I must say) the beat to fucking Method Man's "All I Need" from Tical, an album that Dirt McGirt had nothing to do with?
14. CAKED UP (FEAT BABY SHAM FROM FLIPMODE SQUAD)
I assume that Busta Rhymes was so busy racking up DUI's that he had to send his weed carrier Baby Sham to assist his former labelmate. This song is awful, as was to be expected, but Baby Sham is actually okay, so at least there's a somewhat silver-plated lining.
15. FUCK Y'ALL
No comment.
The following are listed as bonus cuts for no apparent reason.
16. MOVE BACK (FEAT CARDAN, DRAG-ON, JAE MILLZ, THE LENNOX AVE BOYS, & TERRA BLACKS)
I can't imagine that ODB would collaborate with any of these chumps had the drugs not taken control of his soul. As expected, this "posse cut" sounds like Dirt McGirt was tacked on as an afterthought. Fuck this song, and fuck all of these artists. Yeah, I said it.
17. FIRE (DIRTY DIRTY ALT VERSION)
This assault on the senses will forever be engraved on Ill Will Fulton's tombstone: "May have been an okay guy in other aspects of his life, but as a producer, he's a much better chartered accountant". At least Rhymefest must be happy that his own vocal contribution to the original "Dirty Dirty" were excised.
18. POP SHOTS CLINTON SPARKS REMIX
You're fucking kidding, right? A fucking mixtape deejay (one with one of the most annoying catchphrases in the game: "Get familiar"? Seriously?) actually thought he could one up DJ Premier, one of the top five producers in hip hop history? How dare you, sir. If you're going to grow the sack to do something like this, Sparks, you should make damn sure that your song is fucking listenable, let alone decent. And maybe you should make sure that your additions to the song's title are put inside fucking open and closed parentheses on the album cover next time.
The following is an unlisted bonus track.
19. UNTITLED HIDDEN TRACK
At this point, I stopped paying attention. Sorry.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Osirus: The Official Mixtape essentially alienates the rest of Dirt McGirt's fans, at least those that were still around after The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones. There is no reason that this disc should exist: ostensibly, it was released to pay tribute to Dirty's life, but all it truly does is make it seem that Ol' Dirty Bastard was almost completely useless without his Wu-Tang brethren, and what the hell kind of legacy is that to give your children?
BUY OR BURN? Neither. If you're in a record store and someone takes even a cursory glance at this disc, smack it out of their hand and punch them in the fucking eye. Don't worry, Max says it's okay.
BEST TRACKS: "Pop Shots"; "Dirty Dirty"
-Max
RELATED POSTS
Read reviews for other, better Wu-Tang-related discs by clicking here.
February 23, 2008
Ol' Dirty Bastard - The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones (March 19, 2002)
The Wu-Tang Clan's fourth collective album, Iron Flag, was a critical success, if not a commercial one, and while some random blogger named Max may have called it a better album than The W, I believe that everyone can agree it was missing one key component: Ol' Dirty Bastard. As he was imprisoned at the time, it makes sense that he was unable to appear on the group's fourth opus. However, that does not explain the existence of The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones.
First, a little background. Dirty's original label, Elektra Records, realized that the gold-selling and commercially successful artist that they had signed off of the strength of his appearances on Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was an unstable drug addict, prone to both crashing awards ceremonies and occasional superheroic efforts (I always liked the story about Dirty lifting up a car to save a little girl), and once he was locked away, made a hasty but not unexpected business decision to drop his sorry ass. The legal way for them to do this (without facing the wrath of the Wu-Tang Killa Bee Lawyers, anyway) was to complete the terms of his contract, so Elektra employed the "bullshit greatest hits album" technique, which is both time-tested and patented; never mind the fact that this motherfucker had only released two albums. The hits album sold about as poorly as you would expect an album with zero promotion to sell. (To add insult to some previously mentioned insults, Elektra actually released a second greatest hits album after his passing, which contained everything from the first hits album and a couple of his outside guest spots. Appalling behavior, even for something as shady and unethical as a record label.)
Dirt McGirt was left without a major label to call home, so this is the point in the story where D3 Entertainment stepped in. (I know, I had never heard of them either.) D3 was apparently the blueprint for the rap artist graveyard that Koch Records would soon perfect, releasing albums from rappers who were past their prime, such as Big Syke, Spice 1, and Wu-Tang b-teamers Sunz of Man (minus Killah Priest, who was busy cutting his Wu ties at the time, although he would later retract his anti-Wu statements, probably under duress). Shit, Ol' Dirty was the biggest star on the goddamn label, and I bet the motherfucker never even saw the inside of D3's office, which was located in the upstairs break area of a Los Angeles-based OfficeMax.
Dirty's third solo album, if you can even call it that, would be his final CD to be released in his lifetime, which of course means that Ol' Dirty is essentially overshadowed by the multiple ridiculous guest appearances, most of which were determined by picking names out of a magician's hat. The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones is largely considered to be an unauthorized album, released without the thumbs-up from the Jones family, but while ODB wasn't actually present to give everyone high-fives and pour Gatorade on the engineer, you shouldn't fool yourself. This album is, sadly, an actual official Wu-Tang release, although you wouldn't be able to tell that just by hearing it. (What, you mean you don't actually listen to music?) None of the principle members of the Clan make appearances, not even U-God, who probably had a hair appointment during the duration of the recording. This leaves plenty of room for some of the flat-out dumbest guest spots to ever appear on a Wu-Tang record, and I've been unfortunate enough to listen to La the Darkman's collaborations with Vanilla Ice. The beats are almost exclusively provided by the apparent D3 in-house producer Tytanic, and these beats attempt to showcase Dirty in a fun and freewheeling way, albeit in the most amateurish way possible. It's no wonder that Tytanic hasn't produced anything since: he probably was promoted to the night supervisor slot in the copy center and never looked back.
It won't be a surprise for my two readers to read that The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones describe neither the court trials nor any tribulations in his life: indeed, the disc has about as much substance as a box of Splenda. The album is a horrible ending to the legacy of the most spontaneous artist in the Clan, and should probably be ignored for the most part. (The critics agree: this album was savagely ripped apart upon its release, and nobody you know has ever heard of this CD, let alone owns it.) While it is obvious that at least a handful of these tracks were honest attempts by Ason to record a composition with the intention of releasing it to the public (a couple of the collaborative efforts come to mind), the majority of these quote-unquote "songs" are patchwork quilts made up of previously released Dirty lyrics, some tenth-rate bargain-basement beats that ODB never intended to spit to, and sole leftover Bubble Tape. And if Dirt McGirt were actually around to supervise the mastering of the disc, I would certainly hope that he would have removed the fucking Insane Clown Posse from the album's intended first single, "Dirty & Stinkin'", since I cannot fathom any line of thinking where the addition if suck-ass hacks such as ICP would equal platinum sales. If D3 was insistent on including goofy white rappers on this album, they could have called on MC Chris or MC Paul Barman. But I'm getting off track.
What says Max of this bullshit album? (Oops, did I give it away?)
1. INTRO
Not a good start.
2. CAUGHT UP (FEAT MACK 10 & ROYAL FLUSH)
Wow, the hook is so annoying that I almost want to choke the motherfucker. I know that ODB has much love for his contemporaries on the West Coast, but Mack 10? Really? Was Coolio not available? Royal Flush is actually pretty decent, but he lost me at the end of his verse with the "blowing all the sergeants" line. Even when heard in context, you're left wondering if he really thought that was the best wording to use.
3. DIRTY & STINKIN' (FEAT INSANE CLOWN POSSE)
Three words: this shit sucks.
4. DOGGED OUT (FEAT BIG SYKE & TOO $HORT)
Utilizes some reused vocals from the Wu-Tang Clan's "Dog Shit", which isn't even a good enough song to want to utilize in the first place. The guests are wasted here, but I'm sure the meager checks D3 supplied for them were enough to justify going insane over the Wendy's 99 cent menu.
5. FREE WITH MONEY
Skit...
6. ANYBODY (FEAT C-MURDER & E-40)
This collaboration looks weird on the computer screen, and it sounds even more bizarre, so much so that it never gels properly. However, thanks to this song, I now know that ODB and E-40 share the same birthday. Great, that's another fucking card I have to mail.
7. WAITRESS # 13
Another useless skit. Why she isn't called Waitress # 45 is unknown to me.
8. REUNITED
8. REUNITED
When Wu-Tang Forever dropped, one of the most sought-after B-sides was an alternate version of "Reunited" that featured ODB interpolating Peaches and Herb over the same string-laden beat by The Rza. This is not that song, although it reuses his terrible singing voice. Also, while I'm complaining, there are no guests to be seen on this song, so who the fuck is Russell reuniting with? Huh?! Didn't think of that, did you, D3?
9. HERE COMES THE JUDGE (FEAT BUDDHA MONK)
Almost partially entertaining, if only because Ol' Dirty sounds better when he rhymes with someone that he has at least some chemistry with. Speaking of which, ICP? What the fuck?
10. CUTE DEVILS
Skit...
11. I WANNA FUCK (FEAT ROYAL FLUSH)
While it is pretty funny the first time to hear the dude who singe the hook to harmonize the phrase "bust a nut", it isn't funny enough.
12. HIGHJACK
Skit...
13. LINTBALLZ (FEAT 12 O' CLOCK, PRODIGAL SUNN, HELL RAZAH, POPA CHIEF, & BUDDHA MONK)
Sounds like an outtake from the N---a Please studio sessions, for good reason: "Lintballz" is the most Wu-sounding song here, if only for the guests and not the beat (Buddha Monk isn't The Rza, not by a long shot). The hook is completely lame, but the song itself isn't the worst thing I've heard today.
14. ZOO TWO
Um...reuses lyrics from Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version's "Damage", which Dirty had already reused on "Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane)", a song from the same album. The fuck?
15. ANYBODY (REMIX) (FEAT C-MURDER & E-40)
15. ANYBODY (REMIX) (FEAT C-MURDER & E-40)
Well, at least the beat is better this go-round.
16. TAKING A SHIT
16. TAKING A SHIT
One of the most unnecessary skits I have heard in my lifetime, and I've seen partial episodes of Mad TV.
17. C'MON
Reuses lyrics from "Baby C'mon", a far superior song. Listening to this album is almost like playing a bastardized version of Name That Tune, except instead of identifying songs based on their melody, you do it based on the lyrics. As such, it's too much work, and it taxes the brain.
18. DIRTY & STINKIN' (REMIX) (FEAT INSANE CLOWN POSSE)
No amount of tweaking would ever make this song sound good. You want to add some guitars? Sure, why not? It won't help: the song still sounds like ass. The Trak Starz, who would make their name as a production team by producing those annoying Chingy songs, remixed this track, which sounds predictably dreadful.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Listening to The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones is akin to trying to ignore every other child that isn't your own at a school talent show: you really don't want to hear their shit, but you feel embarrassed and ashamed for everyone involved. This audible car wreck is probably the reason that D3 no longer exists as a record label, but instead as a manufacturer of industrial-strength lubricant. Hearing these sub-par Dirty verses strung together makes me thankful that The Rza opted to not include him on Iron Flag, as blasphemous as that sounds.
BUY OR BURN? You couldn't tell? I will say that I would rather listen to this than U-God's solo debut, but if I were stranded on a desert island with only these two albums to listen to, I'd break one in half and slash my wrists. It's that awful.
BEST TRACKS: None.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
August 12, 2007
Ol' Dirty Bastard - N---a Please (September 14, 1999)
After some turbulent times (drug addiction, frequent run-ins with law enforcement, crashing the Grammys), Russell Jones decided he wanted to become a superstar. He would always have ties with the Wu-Tang Clan, especially since the other two founding members were his cousins. However, he wanted to try something different.Upon purchase of N---a Please, ODB's second solo album released on Elektra Records, one notices that a certain production duo who wouldn't normally even be considered to be considered for a Wu project pops up on three tracks: The Neptunes were tapped to bring a more commercial sound to this project. Normally the idea of a rapper whose very name screams "radio friendly" trying to appeal to the masses with a pop hit would sound ridiculous, and that's how I took it when I saw the first video, "Got Your Money", which featured Kelis back when she had big hair and nobody knew who the hell she was. However, after hearing it a few times, I realized that the song was pretty damn catchy, so I guess that experiment worked.
Irv Gotti, he of the Murder Inc. and getting-arrested-for-possessing-Viagra-without-a-prescription fame, also provides some of the production duties here, and the majority of the rest comes from Dirty's beloved cousin Robert Diggs, a/k/a The Rza. Other than the Abbott himself, there are no other core Wu members appearing on N---a Please. Some would look at this as a dismissal of Dirty's champagne dreams, but I choose to believe that everyone else was busy churning out terrible sophomore efforts, or in the cases of Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa, they were busy trying to convince The Rza to finally let them release their debuts, arguments that would actually work for two of the three artists involved, with mixed results.
N---a Please was a critical and commercial success, surprising since in order for an album to sell as many copies as N---a Please did, white people would be forced to actively seek out an album with the n-word in its very title and purchase it with a straight face. But hey, "Got Your Money" has a good beat, and you can dance to it, so I suppose that was enough incentive to risk looking like a fucking racist at the record store.
And who doesn't love that cover, with Dirty doing his best Rick James impression?
I don't, for one. But that's only due to how he would later die, of a drug overdose, which was spookily similar to how Rick James passed.
1. RECOGNIZE (FEAT CHRIS ROCK & PHARRELL WILLIAMS)
I don't remember reading anywhere that the world was clamoring for Chris Rock to rap. (I heard his rap parodies on that Born Suspect album, the comedy CD he released before hooking up with Prince Paul; I was not impressed.) Pookie does his best to not completely embarrass himself, and Pharrell does his falsetto thing on the hook, a harbinger of things to come in Pharrell's (and pop radio's) future. ODB sounds as nuts as he always did, but you immediately miss The Rza's dusty basement beats.
2. I CAN'T WAIT
Irv Gotti takes a sample from TJ Hooker and gives Dirty a track that sounds like he's going to introduce tonight's edition of 20/20. I should mention that this album is much harder to listen to than his first solo release, possibly because the effect of the various drugs in DIrty's system caused his rhymes to be more erratic than they used to be. Just imagine Kool Keith on shrooms, and you won't be anywhere close to what I'm getting at.
3. COLD BLOODED
Dirty covers the Rick James song to hilarious effect, but I still can't shake that spooky feeling. Thinking of Dave Chappelle helps, though.
4. GOT YOUR MONEY (FEAT KELIS)
The first, and as far as I know, only single. It still sounds alright, but anyone who truly thinks this song is better than anything else in his back catalog should be left behind in a Brooklyn zoo.
5. ROLLIN' WIT YOU
I wonder if Elektra Records had Dirty sign an insurance waiver before they would let him into the studio, because, even if he could blame it on the drugs, the racist comments during the intro would have definitely caused him to get his ass beat down by both black and white people, in a display of racial harmony. That being said, this song sounds ok.
6. GETTIN' HIGH (FEAT 12 O'CLOCK, LA THE DARKMAN, & SHORTY SHIT STAIN)
So far, this would be the most Wu sounding song on N---a Please, with the beat provided by Buddha Monk, and guest vocals by Russell's brother 12 O' Clock and heavily praised Wu affiliate La The Darkman. However, Dirty doesn't appear on this song, so it doesn't count. Good to see the guy with the worst rap name in the whole of Wu-Tang history still getting work, though.
7. YOU DON'T WANT TO FUCK WITH ME
At this point, Ol Dirty's incessant shouting of both his lyrics and his choruses will probably drive you insane.
8. N---A PLEASE (FEAT THE RZA)
The best song on the album, with one of the best Rza "digital" beats. ODB sounds like his old self here, rhyming about how cocaine clears out his sinuses, although even that lyric is unsettling now. As the song fades out, The Rza promises us an album featuring "The Abbott & The Crazy Monk", which of course never happened.
9. DIRT DOG
This is one of the most plain sounding productions I have ever heard, and both The Rza and Buddha Monk had a hand in it. Dirty sounds like his old self, but the beat doesn't help him at all.
10. I WANT PUSSY
Sounds like a Rza throwaway track, and Dirty sounds pretty fucking terrifying at the end when he states "my mama cannot protect ya'll, bitch". This is how you reach for a broader audience, by crawling up your own asshole?
11. GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE (FEAT LIL' MO)
I never cared for this song, because Lil' Mo is overrated, and I never liked Dirty's singing, no matter how sincere he was being.
12. ALL IN TOGETHER NOW
True Master provides the sonic backdrop for a song whose title pays homage to the rap group The Rza, Gza, and ODB were originally a part of. Dirty hardly bothers with even the most simple rap music convention, "rhyming to the beat", but this song should appease Wu-Tang fans.
N---a Please also features an unlisted thirteenth song that can't be considered a bonus track:
13. CRACKER JACK
Rumored to be a Rza track, and hopefully it is, as it is so much more interesting than Dirty's lyrics. Probably should have been left off the album, but then that would cause bloggers (including myself) to assign a mythical quality to it as a cherished "unreleased track", and I would be forced to scour the Interweb for it. Sigh...
FINAL THOUGHTS: As a Wu-Tang album, solo or otherwise, N---a Please is awful. If you had never even heard of the Clan before picking this album up, there is literally no way you could connect this project with the other eight members of the group. However, that's not how this album should be judged. The Wu have always been, and always will be, nine solo artists who would occasionally join forces to release a group effort, so N---a Please should be judged as a Dirt McGirt solo album and nothing more. That being said, this album can be seen as either hilarious or frustrating, depending on your state of mind and any illicit substances you may be under the influence of at the time, because at least on Return To The 36 Chambers, ODB was rapping most of the time. To appeal to as many people as possible, though, you have to branch out, and that's what old Russell did, and in doing that, he secured the throne of Most Mainstream Wu-Tang Member, dethroning Method Man, who probably didn't want that position anyway.
BUY OR BURN? Mainstream or not, N---a Please hasn't aged very well, so I would recommend a burn. Hardcore Wu-Tang fans like myself who already own this one will be better off listening to their copies of Return To The 36 Chambers again.
BEST TRACKS: "N---a Please"; "Got Your Money"; "Gettin' High"; "Cold Blooded"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version)
The Rza - Rza as Bobby Digital In Stereo
Pharrell - In My Mind
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever
April 11, 2007
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers (The DIrty Version) (March 28, 1995)
This serves as the second solo release by a Wu-Tang Clan member after the group debut. Russell Jones (a/k/a Dirt McGirt, a/k/a Big Baby Jesus, a/k/a Osirus) is, as I may have mentioned before, the craziest motherfucker in the Clan, hands down. But it was a role that only he could have filled (that's a compliment, somehow).Return To The 36 Chambers obviously takes its cues from the original group album title, but on here Ol' Dirty Bastard, along with cousin/producer extraordinare The Rza, spins the Wu-Tang essence into a carousel ride through the darkest alleys of Staten Island, as experienced while tripping on ecstasy.
Once again, somehow that's a compliment.
1. INTRO
Rap album intro, yes. However, this one is just plain silly, so you should hear it at least once. But just once, though; no need to overdo it.
2. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA
The second single with the crazy-ass Soul Train-esque video. This song still rocks.
3. BABY C'MON
I first heard this song on the tail end of the "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" video. This album contains some of the rawest Rza production work either, but then again, he's good at tailoring his style for his artists.
4. BROOKLYN ZOO
The first single. To be fair, Rza didn't do anything for this song except stand around in the background in the video. But this song is just awesome. If you don't think so, then I don't like your motherfucking profile.
5. HIPPA TO DA HOPPA
Never cared for this song.
6. RAW HIDE (FEAT RAEKWON & METHOD MAN)
I love these Wu collabos on the solo albums. They don't do this enough anymore.
7. DAMAGE (FEAT THE GENIUS/GZA)
Dirty, along with his other cousin in the group, does a playful back-and-forth over a ridiculous beat.
8. DON'T U KNOW (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST)
Don't know why Killah Priest isn't credited in the booklet on this song.
9. THE STOMP
Meh.
10. GOIN' DOWN
After a strange interlude, a downright amazing beat kicks in for your enjoyment.
11. DRUNK GAME (SWEET SUGAR PIE)
Also not produced by The Rza, but you can kinda tell when you hear it. This is not a good thing.
12. SNAKES (FEAT KILLAH PRIEST, THE RZA, MASTA KILLA, & BUDDHA MONK)
The best Wu posse cut on the disc. Love this fucking song.
13. BROOKLYN ZOO II (TIGER CRANE) (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Oddly, for a song that claims to be a sequel to "Brooklyn Zoo", Dirty repeats lyrics from "Damage". Ghostface sounds just slightly out of place over this beat.
14. PROTECK YA NECK II THE ZOO (FEAT BUDDHA MONK, PRODIGAL SUNN, ZU KEEPER, MURDOC, KILLAH PRIEST, 12 O' CLOCK, & SHORTY SHIT STAIN)
The worst Wu posse cut here (this one features a bunch of their weed carriers), but still not bad. That last guy's name, though...how do you sleep at night?
15. CUTTIN' HEADZ (FEAT THE RZA)
Take the instrumental from Wu's "Clan In Da Front" and play it fucking backwards, and you have "Cuttin' headz". This is a good thing.
16. DIRTY DANCIN' (FEAT METHOD MAN)
This shit is weak.
17. HARLEM WORLD
Calm down; this song has nothing to do with Cam'Ron or Dipset. It does, however, suck.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Return To The 36 Chambers is the debut that only Dirty could get away with. Most of the lyrics make no sense (like a Kool keith album), and his delivery is that of a drunken stupor personified, yet this album actually sounds good overall. It's not surprising that, while Meth won the Grammy and the others are better rappers (except fucking U-God), Ol' Dirty is the one who had the biggest hits.
BUY OR BURN? If you're a Wu fan, then you already have this. The casual listener should work gradually to this. Everyone else, quit reading and buy this shit already!
BEST TRACKS: "Snakes"; "RawHide"; "Brooklyn Zoo"; "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Method Man - Tical
The Genius - Words From A Genius
Sunz Of Man - The Last Shall Be First
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