2008 Woodie Awards
Wu-Tang's new album redefines its sound, image
Kyle Thacker
Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: Entertainment
1/30/08 - The fifth full-length album from the Wu-Tang Clan, entitled 8 Diagrams, had been a much-anticipated and much-hyped release. There was, of course, the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard and the sampling or more accurate, the interpolation of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which featured George Harrison's son Dhani, as well as John Frusciante and Erykah Badu. There was also the tension felt within the Wu-Tang camp over the artistic direction of the album, most notably from two of Wu-Tang's most prominent members, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. Raekwon went as far as dubbing Wu-Tang's producer/leader, Rza, a "Hip-Hop Hippie."
Rza, a hip hop hippie? That didn't sound all too bad to this longhaired, bearded and oh-so-fly white guy who enjoys reppin' the Wu. However, I could see why the likes of Raekwon might be a little apprehensive about a stylistic change of that magnitude. I mean, as Rae told us on C.R.E.A.M, he was a "young youth, yo rockin the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way, I begin to gee off was drug loot." You could see why he might not really mix well with flower power, dead heads and the unmistakable odor that is "hippie."
After the album was released and I was able to listen to it and put all the speculations and controversies aside, I realized I was listening to a solid record. It is indeed a record that has a different sound and vibe from the rest of the Wu Tang catalog. Rza's ambition to create a progressive album was achieved and ultimately surpassed, as he was able to bring the sound of hip-hop into an uncharted, and at times, unsteady and questionable soundscape.
The lyrics on the album generally don't stray much from Wu-Tang's usual gritty, drug and gun infested memoirs and stories. This is definitely not a bad thing or a knock against the Clan; lyrically they are as prolific as ever. Wu-Tang as a collective displays virtuosity for detailing their personal experiences and an equally stunning ability to construct fictionalized narratives. The storytelling of Ghostface's verse on "While My Heart Gently Weeps" is unparalleled in today's hip-hop.
Rza, a hip hop hippie? That didn't sound all too bad to this longhaired, bearded and oh-so-fly white guy who enjoys reppin' the Wu. However, I could see why the likes of Raekwon might be a little apprehensive about a stylistic change of that magnitude. I mean, as Rae told us on C.R.E.A.M, he was a "young youth, yo rockin the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way, I begin to gee off was drug loot." You could see why he might not really mix well with flower power, dead heads and the unmistakable odor that is "hippie."
After the album was released and I was able to listen to it and put all the speculations and controversies aside, I realized I was listening to a solid record. It is indeed a record that has a different sound and vibe from the rest of the Wu Tang catalog. Rza's ambition to create a progressive album was achieved and ultimately surpassed, as he was able to bring the sound of hip-hop into an uncharted, and at times, unsteady and questionable soundscape.
The lyrics on the album generally don't stray much from Wu-Tang's usual gritty, drug and gun infested memoirs and stories. This is definitely not a bad thing or a knock against the Clan; lyrically they are as prolific as ever. Wu-Tang as a collective displays virtuosity for detailing their personal experiences and an equally stunning ability to construct fictionalized narratives. The storytelling of Ghostface's verse on "While My Heart Gently Weeps" is unparalleled in today's hip-hop.