The 12 Hours of Wu-Tang: #10 - My Gut Reaction: U-God - Venom (March 30, 2018)

Lamont “U-God” Hawkins, the Wu-Tang Clan member forever at odds with the Wu-Tang Clan due to financial issues stemming from The RZA’s leadership, had a busy first quarter this past year. After having announced it two years prior, his fifth solo album, Venom, finally hit store shelves thanks to Babygrande Records. He also appeared in a completely different medium: his autobiography, Raw: My Journey Into the Wu-Tang, dropped a few weeks prior, providing important context for some of the more personal tracks on Venom, in addition to those from the rest of the man’s discography. I had toyed with the idea of another one of those Max’s Book Club entries featuring U-God’s book, as there are some specific topics I'd like to broach,but I haven’t yet gotten around to it: if that sounds like something you’re interested in discussing, let me know in the comments below, but don’t actually discuss the book in the comments, as that would defeat the purpose.

Various Artists - UGodz-Illa Presents The Hillside Scramblers (March 16, 2004)

You see it in every family.  There's always that one person who demands attention but doesn't receive it regularly, constantly overshadowed by the exploits and excitement surrounding various other relatives, but rather than play it low-key and wait for a window of opportunity to arise, they choose to take the bull by the horns and make a bold, dramatic move outside of the family unit, oftentimes while talking shit about their loved ones.  Eventually, they will end up crawling back to their family, who are nice enough to take them back in without fuss, and things quickly appear to go back to normal, as though nothing ever happened, although now everyone else has some ammunition to pull out when a certain someone decides to act out again.

That's pretty much what happened between U-God and the Wu-Tang Clan in 2004.

My Gut Reaction: U-God - The Keynote Speaker (July 23, 2013)

I had intended on writing about this project earlier, because it's a Wu-Tang Clan release and, seriously, come on, but life got in the way, so if any of you two were getting pissed that I hadn't yet gotten to U-God yet, well, fuck off, some shit went down last week, and I had to reshuffle my schedule, which is why Xzibit made a random appearance on the site.  However, if you were merely curious as to why I hadn't written about The Keynote Speaker until today, hopefully this post will appease you, and I apologize for being rude.

My Gut Reaction: U-God - Dopium (June 23, 2009)

U-God's last solo album, Mr. Xcitement, was fucking awful.

That's all I feel that needs to be said about it.

However, this post is about Lamont Hawkins and his third attempt to earn some respect in the hip hop game, in the form of Dopium. When the project was announced, U-God promised collaborations with fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan (on the mic only, not behind the boards - methinks Babygrande, his new label, didn't front enough of an advance for the man to afford a Tru Master, 4th Disciple, or Bronze Nazareth beat, let alone one from Prince Rakeem) and with other big names in hip hop. I'm not sure that Jim Jones is technically a "big name", but the man has sold more records than U-God himself, so I guess he met that particular qualification.

When this project leaked last week, I received more than a few notes from readers recommending that I check Dopium out, because it actually wasn't that bad. Cool cover art notwithstanding, I'm not convinced that Dopium will be that good. However, I'm the guy who still loves 8 Diagrams today, so I may be wrong.

And yes, 8 Diagrams is a good album. You two just need to listen to it again with an open mind.

1. TRAIN TRUSSLE (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH & SCOTTY WOTTY)
Kind of weird that the first voice you hear on a U-God album is that of Ghostface Killah, isn't it? My guess is that Golden Arms wanted to immediately cleanse the listener's mind of the Mr. Xcitement residue, so he elected to pass the baton in an effort to show that his hatchet with the Clan was buried. (Well, with most of the crew, anyway: The Rza still doesn't make an appearance.) The beat (by Teddy Ted and J. Serbe, names which just don't roll off of the tongue) sounds decent, if a bit repetitive, and Ghost sounds as good as he usually does. U-God even makes an appearance, as well. The most interesting component of this track is Scotty Wotty's verse, as the man manages to somehow sound both talented and annoying as shit, oftentimes within the span of three words in a sentence. This isn't bad otherwise, and it is definitely a better intro than anybody could have expected.

2. GOD IS LOVE (FEAT CAPPADONNA & KILLAH PRIEST)
Cappadonna says the word "atonement" before kicking his opening verse, validating my theory that the gypsy cab driver is still on his The Yin & The Yang Apology Tour. This is not how Wu-Tang music should sound, though: I've always preferred the aggressive, violent drums over the more soulful tracks the group's put out. Cappa's hook is fucking awful, but his verse isn't bad, and U-God doesn't fuck anything up (that's thinly veiled praise right there). Killah Priest sounds out of his element, but I'm more surprised that he's appearing on a Wu member's solo album in the first place, as this barely ever happens, so that counts for something.

3. STOMP DA ROACH (FEAT GZA/GENIUS & SCOTTY WOTTY)
Scotty Wotty's presence is most definitely not required on here. What is U-God doing with his cereal that he has to constantly clear roaches out of his Fruit Loops box? Maybe he needs one of those containers Kristen Bell gave to Jason Segal in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. As far as I'm concerned, The Gza steals this song outright, but (and it's very hard for me to write this, mind you) U-God's verse is actually really good. Not "Supa Ninjaz" good, but nevertheless.

4. LIPTON (FEAT MIKE LADD)
Credit where credit is due: the production on Dopium is light years ahead of Mr. Xcitement. The fuck is this shit, though? Baby Uey sounded alright, but once the hook kicked in, my eyes glazed over and my mind started pulling memories of much better rap songs from its hard drive. (Did I just imply that I was a robot?) Also, I'm not the biggest fan of Lipton tea. Next!

5. COKE (FEAT RAEKWON & SLAINE FROM LA COKA NOSTRA)
Rae's narcoleptic flow is making me not look forward to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2. Sure, I'm going to buy it anyway (damn my collector's gene!), but the man clearly is in need of one of those Mountain Dews specially formulated for online gamers and/or nerds to stay awake for months at a time. When U-God outshines you on a song, you've fucked up. That doesn't actually happen on here, but Uey sounds alright. Slaine knocks this shit completely out of the park, although considering he's from a crew called La Coka Nostra, that shouldn't be altogether surprising.

6. MAGNUM FORCE (FEAT SHEEK LOUCH & JIM JONES)
I've always felt that Sheek (from The Lox) sounded good because, after constantly being overshadowed by teammates Jadakiss and Styles P. lyrically, he's had to work that much harder. That line of thinking ends here. Sheek sounds pretty bad, Jim Jones (why the fuck is he on here?) is an awful as always, and U-God is dragged into hell alongside them. You read that right: Lucky Hands is the best thing about this song.

7. HIPS
I knew it couldn't last. This song is really fucking stupid, so much so that it may encourage girls with fat asses (and who doesn't love girls with fat asses?) to work out and diet more just so they won't be lusted over by U-God the sexual predator. I'll be honest: this type of song was exactly what I was expecting when Dopium was announced.

8. WU-TANG (FEAT METHOD MAN)
I appreciate that the title is as unambiguous as possible. More proof that U-God has embraced his past as a member of the hip hop Beatles. The hook is asinine, going for a Southern-style dialect when the beat is clearly aiming for vintage Wu-Tang b-team supply. This probably should have included more members of the Clan, but even though (or especially because) Meth has the upper hand here, this sounds really fucking good.

9. DOPIUM
With that title, I was expecting a more upbeat track (unless producers Teddy Ted and J. Serbe were deliberately shooting for music one would hear in a dopium den during the reign of Jack the Rapper). Instead, what you get is U-God justifying your purchase of his album and thanking his followers in an indirect manner. While he probably could have listed his fan individually, the sentiment is still there, and the man isn't bad lyrically.

10. RIMS POKIN' OUT (FEAT LEATHAFASE)
I was hoping for an actual verse from Leathafase (who apparently changed his name from Leathaface, unless the label was too cheap to hire a proofreader), who is by far the only one of Uey's weed carriers that can hold his own on the mic, but instead we get a hook that could have been performed by any random ninth grader plucked from English Lit class. Pass.

11. NEW CLASSIC (FEAT LARGE PROFESSOR)
Featuring Large Professor? Can it be true? Fuck no it can't: his voice shouts the word "Classic!" a bunch of times over his beat, but I highly doubt he was anywhere near the studio while this was recorded. (It reminds me of that track on Extra P's 1st Class where he shouts the phrases "No question!" and "Word!" a bunch of times as part of the instrumental.) U-God finally gets some name-brand production, and he manages to not fuck it up royally. Color me impressed. The beat is much better than the rhymes, though.

The final three tracks on Dopium are bonus tracks which are fucking European dance remixes of "Stomp Da Roach", "Dopium", and "Hips". No, seriously, that's what they are. All three of them sound awful. I'm not sure what audience the record label was shooting for: nobody dances to the Wu at the club. As far as I'm concerned, "New Classic" is the final track on Dopium, and I guarantee that you'll feel the same way. The mixes are so bad that I won't even bother naming the remixers responsible for these individual travesties.

THE LAST WORD: The good thing about hip hop (and most entertainment mediums, now that I think about it) is that all it takes is a new project to change public perception. Dopium is easily U-God's best solo album ever. That said, Lamont is still the worst rapper in a nine-member group where one of the guys is dead and is still a better artist than he'll ever be; he's just gotten smarter about surrounding himself with talent, both on the mic and behind the boards. A lot of the songs on Dopium aren't very good; in fact, the ecstasy-fueld road trip into raveland at the end of the album is poor enough to warrant that nobody actually purchase this album ever. (I choose to believe that even U-God is puzzled as to why three of his songs were remixed.) But I would be lying if I said that this wasn't very entertaining in spots. So congratulations, U-God, you proved me wrong: maybe there is a valid reason that you're a part of the Wu-Tang Clan, and not just because The Rza lost a bet. But you're only as good as your next album, so it's time to get to work, motherfucker.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
More Wu-Tang Clan posts to peruse during your downtime at work.

My Gut Reaction: U-God - Mr. Xcitement (September 15, 2005)

Um, so U-God has a second solo album, called Mr. Xcitement.












That's all I got.

1. BLOW YO MIND INTRO
The music on the track (provided by DJ Homicide, who's probably most successful for his work with Sugar Ray, even though he's produced songs for Chino XL and Aceyalone) isn't too bad, but Lamont's attempt to record his own blaxploitation theme song falls flat.

2. IT'S A WRAP (FEAT LEATHA FACE)
I gotta be honest: this song isn't that bad. The interchange between U-God and his main potholder Leatha Face is pretty good, and DJ Homicide's beat is halfway decent. Songs such as this one might have made Baby Uey's debut, Golden Arms Redemption, a much more entertaining listening experience.

3. HIT 'EM UP, ROLL OUT (FEAT LEATHA FACE)
The first person that starts teaching aspiring rappers how to write a good hook for their songs will retire a fucking billionaire. Seriously. I'm talking Diane Warren money. My first lesson: if you decide to name your song "Hit 'Em Up, Roll Out", make fucking sure that you actually use the phrase "Roll out" in the chorus, instead of "Ride out", idiot.

4. GET DOWN (FEAT MC EIHT, BOO KAPONE, & SQUEAK RU)
Oddly, U-God actually sounds more comfortable collaborating with West Coast artists than Ol' Dirty Bastard ever did. Does that mean this song is any good? Hell no, but I felt that saying something positive would help offset how bad this shit sounds.

5. DON KING SPEAKS TO U-GOD
Annoying as fuck. I realize that Baby Uey was on the outs with the Wu-Tang Clan at this point, which is why there is zero Wu input on Mr. Xcitement, but including the mispronunciation of the word "Wu-Tang" multiple times is just fucking disrespectful to your own legacy, dumbass, regardless of how small your contributions were. As if you would have somehow managed to get a record deal of your own without The Rza's help, motherfucker.

6. I'M TALKIN' TO YOU
This shit is a mess. A hilarious mess, not unlike one of those direct-to-video Jean Claude Van Damme flicks, but a mess nonetheless. The delivery of the hook is fucking comedic gold all by itself.

7. KICK AZZ
Producer The Produkt provides a sound that is as far removed from the Wu-Tang standards of kung-fu samples and dusty basement drums as one can get. A different, much better rap artist might have made this instrumental work for them, but U-God isn't that man. He may not even be living on the same planet as that man. The hook is really fucking funny, though.

8. YOU DON'T WANT TO DANCE
Surprisingly, U-God doesn't entirely fuck up this song, which is shocking, as the hook completes the title phrase with "...with a gangsta". If U-God were a child, he would get a gold star and a cookie.

9. GO GET PRETTY LIKE ME
Um...were you coked out of your mind when you came up with this one, Lamont? Because I would need some powerful shit to not find this hilarious.

10. A LONG TIME AGO (FEAT EBONY BURKE)
Longtime Wu-Tang producer 4th Disciple sneaks around The Rza's back and slips Lamont the only link he has to the Clan. U-God uses the beat to air out his daddy issues in a musical forum, and while the song itself isn't very good, it isn't bad enough for me to make fun of.

11. STOP (CARRY ON) (FEAT EBONY BURKE)
Meh.

12. BUMP
This stripper anthem is actually offensive to exotic dancers the world over. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the union has barred any dancer from providing U-God with a lap dance of any sort, leaving him to beg the waitresses for a favor.

13. DEDICATION SKIT
...

14. DRUGS
Is it bad that this anti-drug public service announcement only makes listeners want to seek out some illicit materials even more so?

15. HEART OF STONE
Stupid me, I was halfway expecting a cover of the Rolling Stones song. Actually, that would have been preferable to what I'm actually listening to. Sigh...

16. JENNY
Well, I would never actually sing on a record, so U-God has one up on me. However, this song is laughably bad, so the universe maintains its balance.

THE LAST WORD: While, as a Wu-Tang stan, I've been sitting on a copy of Mr. Xcitement for quite a while, I had never actually found the time to listen to the fucking thing prior to today. (Life kept getting in the way: there were always newer, better CDs to listen to, or I would need to go to work, or I would be taking a nap, or I just didn't like U-God that much, stuff like that.) Now that I've finally heard it, I can honestly say that my life is a little worse for wear. While I will admit that a couple of the beats are decent, and U-God occasionally sounds like someone who resembles an actual rapper, there is no fucking way that I will ever listen to this shit again, Wu-Tang affiliation be damned. I would complain that I want that hour of my life back, but I kind of brought this on myself: since I wrote about the first U-God solo disc, I kind of forced my own hand here. But maybe I can save my two readers the trouble.

-Max

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U-God - Golden Arms Redemption (October 5, 1999)

Sometimes, in life, you get to a point where there you come across a task that you really don't want to do, but you must, because you promised the two readers of your blog that you would get around to it eventually. As I am a man of my word, I'm going to get this over with.

You may believe that you already know how my write-up of U-God's Golden Arms Redemption is going to end, and let's be honest here, you're probably right. But I think you should read the post anyway, just so you can feel complete.

Lamont Hawkins, whose mother had to legally change his name to U-God after losing the name Lamont in a cock fight, became a member of the Wu-Tang Clan almost immediately after it was formed. (Masta Killa was actually the last member to be offered membership, but this happened much later.) He appeared sparingly on the debut, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), for what I suppose is a good enough reason: he was in jail for most of the recording process. This is also why he didn't appear on the Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard solo albums, but has popped up on every one since.

U-God has taken a lot of shit from me on my blog, but that's mainly because his rhyme skills aren't up to par, at least when compared to the other eight members of the group. He is also the member most outspoken about his treatment within the group itself (or at least he was, until this recent Ghostface stuff was made public); he claimed that he was jerked around for money (which, sadly, seems to be the norm for the Wu), and always talked about favoritism within the Clan. Naturally, I take the side of the Clan, it being my favorite rap group of all time and all, but even I admit that he probably has a point here; however, he's only complaining because he was never anybody's favorite; in fact, during the time that these statements were being made (which were being made solely to promote an album, it turns out, made up of his weed carrier's own weed carriers, who called themselves the Hillside Scramblers), The Rza completely downplayed U-God's role in the group, and even referred to him as "expendable". (The quotes are mine, but that's essentially what Rza said, and if I understand correctly, this came out during an argument the two men had over the radio airwaves.)

Another reason U-God sucks is because his character in the Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style Playstation game was the worst one to control, with the worst fighting style, lamest finishing moves, and all around suckiness.

I admit, that last point probably wasn't the fault of U-God.

Overall, though, I did actually find U-God to be the most expendable member of the group, which is why I was very surprised in 1999 to find a CD single for "Bizarre" in my local Sam Goody. This was airtight proof that, sometime within a year (or nine hundred Wu years) of my purchase, U-God would release the eighth solo album from the Clan, and Masta Killa would be left out in the cold, again. Because of my collector's nature, there wasn't any way that I could leave the store without picking this single up, so I planned on being disappointed once I got home, which, of course, I was.

The album Golden Arms Redemption (which is a horrible album title, but not as bad as Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em) was released during a windfall of Wu-Tang projects late 1999; within two moths prior, we saw the release of Big Baby Jesus's N---a Please, Method Man (and Redman)'s Blackout!, and the Inspectah Deck Sleep Aid, so Wu fans were ecstatic. At least, I was; I loved buying CDs back then; I just found it exciting to peel the plastic wrap off and fumble with that damned sticker at the top of the jewel case, and listen to an album for the first time. U-God was the first (and only) of the original Wu-Tang members to sign to the Wu-Tang Records vanity label, which was distributed by Priority Records, a relationship that wouldn't last very long, since Wu-Tang albums trend downward sales-wise.

Now, Inspectah Deck's album had hardly any Wu involvement at all; it was almost as if he was trying to consciously make a non-Wu album just to prove his worth and talent. (Yes, I know that's the point of all of these solo releases; get off of my back!) U-God, just like the previous seven rappers, tried to go the same route, but for reasons I'm still trying to figure out in my mind, the Wu lent more support to Lucky Hands than to Deck's solo. (Perhaps they wanted to show their support of the lyrically handicapped, to earn some good PR). The Rza actually produces three tracks on Golden Arms Redemption, and instead of the benchwarmers Deck had as guests on his solo, U-God somehow blackmailed Method Man and Raekwon into appearing at the studio, perhaps using a picnic basket with an entrancing aroma emanating from within as bait. He also uses his debut to feature his loyal weed carrier Leatha Face, who, admittedly, isn't bad at all.

I'm getting to the point where I'm just rambling, so I will end with this: Golden Arms Redemption turned out to be one of the worst-selling Wu-Tang projects in history, but it still probably sold more copies than Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. Since I've been putting this off long enough, let's get started.

1. ENTER U-GOD
There is no actual instrumental here; U-God just raps his acapella verse to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". I imagine that there is no instrumental because of sample clearance issues. Whatever the case may be, a Rza track without an actual Rza track is always a bad way to start your listening experience.

2. TURBULENCE
True Master produces a backdrop that actually sounds like it would have been better utilized as an introductory song for U-God. However, his monotone delivery sounds lazy and unfocused, and his lyrics seem pieced together from random words and phrases he pulled from a dictionary laying nearby.

3. GLIDE (FEAT LEATHA FACE & DREY WIT DA Y)
Inspectah Deck apparently doesn't hold any grudges; he provides yet another boring-as-shit instrumental for U-God and friend to rhyme over. (Like I said before, it's obvious he kept his best material for himself.) Leatha Face, as mentioned before, isn't bad; he's not a Trife or a Streetlife, but he's better than he should be.

4. DAT'S GANGSTA
No, it's not.

5. SOUL DAZZLE
Produced by Homicide (whose publishing company is named, according to the horrifically spellchecked liner notes, 'Suppa' N---a Productions). Ridiculous misprints aside, this beat isn't that bad, but U-God should have given the beat to someone else, or at least, invited some other folks to join him. Ol' Dirty McGirty would probably have sounded good over this.

6. BIZARRE
The first single, although I don't recall seeing a video. This song still sounds fucking awful today. Whoever suggested "Bizarre" as the first single should be delegated to picking up The Rza's blunt ashes with his ass cheeks.

7. RUMBLE (FEAL LEATHA FACE, INSPECTAH DECK, & METHOD MAN)
True story: when I first bought Golden Arms Redemption back in 1999, I ran through the album once and promptly forgot about it. (To be fair, immediately following this CD was Raekwon's second album, so my focus was rightfully shifted.) That year, I received the Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style video game for the Playstation (which I still think isn't terrible, for what it is), and I read that you could put the CD in a regular CD player and you could listen to the game's soundtrack. Included on that disc were The Rza and La The Darkman's "Wu World Order", a Masta Killa freestyle, and the clean version of "Rumble", which, when you listen to it in the context of playing the game, fucking rocks. This is clearly the best song on the entire album, and today, it still sounds great, but U-God is the weak link. Inspectah Deck returns the guest spot favor presented to him on Uncontrolled Substance, and Method Man...well, who cares why he's on this song, but he has the best verse of them all.

8. PLEASURE OR PAIN (FEAT HELL RAZAH)
And here I thought Sunz Of Man had more of a working relationship with Gza/Genius, due to his affiliation with Killah Priest, but nope, Hell Razah actually appears twice on this CD. This song sounds like U-God's attempt to make a serious track, but he fails miserably, due to his limited skills. The Rza has gone on record to say that U-God is the most impressive of the collective on The 8 Diagrams; I just don't see how that's possible.

9. STAY IN YOUR LANE
The hook sucks. The song itself sucks just one pinch less. U-God rides the Rza beat like a drunken toddler in a walker; why was he chosen to be in the Clan again? And anyone who uses the phrase "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain" in a rap song deserves to have his record deal revoked.

10. SHELL SHOCK (FEAT LEATHA FACE, RAEKWON, & HELL RAZAH)
I would feel bad that Raekwon stooped to this level, but the truth is, he sounds more energetic on this song than I'm sure he will on the entirety of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2; if that album ever gets released, that is.

11. LAY DOWN
The beat isn't bad, probably the most Wu-sounding instrumental here, but this song is just a fucking joke.

12. HUNGRY
Meh. Although I could really use the one-word review for multiple tracks presented on Golden Arms Redemption.

13. TURBO CHARGE
I would say that U-God has waster yet another Rza beat, but the beat actually sounds worse than the lyrics; U-God actually sounds like he was actively listening to criticism on this track. That's not to say he's suddenly The Gza with his lyrical content, of course.

14. KNOCKIN' AT YOUR DOOR (FEAT LEATHA FACE)
This album is just chock full or creative misfires. U-God needs "no-men" (as opposed to "yes-men") more than most rappers need oxygen.

15. NIGHT THE CITY CRIED
...zzz...oh, wait, is the album over? The last thing I remember is this track starting, and...hey, who took my pants?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Golden Arms Redemption is, by far, the. Worst. First. Solo. Album. By a Wu-Tang Clan member. The beats are uniformly awful, save for a couple of interesting choices. The lyrics, though, are what kill this album; U-God's lyrical prowess is nowhere near the rest of his Wu brethren; had he not been a member of the Wu, he would probably have trouble securing a job at the local Burger King, let alone signing a record deal on his own. As for his cohort Leatha Face, all I can say is that his rhymes, while not perfect, show promise, and during the fallout between the Wu and U-God, Leatha Face stood by U-God's side, which is more than you can say about some people's respective entourages. (T.I. and Michael Vick, looking in your general directions.) And the funny thing is, I know that I'll probably get complaints, because there are actually people on the Wu-Tang Corp. message boards that boast about how much they love U-God and how underrated he is. Sorry, but you can't be underrated if you were included on several albums that sold more than one million copies; that's not how it works!

BUY OR BURN? Neither. Don't even bother; nothing on here is that good anyway. Thank God the Wu felt compelled to include "Rumble" on their Wu Chronicles, Chapter 2 compilation, thus rendering the existence of Golden Arms Redemption obsolete. You should run from this CD as if the Infected were chasing after you through the mean streets of Shaolin. And while you're out, if you could pick up my dry cleaning and spread the word about Hip Hop Isn't Dead, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. You're good people.

BEST TRACKS: "Rumble"

-Max

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