 |
|
|
|
|
DJ Muggs vs. GZA
Grandmasters
Filter Grade: 86%
by CHZA
Various Artists
Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture
Grade: 78%
(Babygrande)
Release Date: October 18, 2005
The dungeons of East-coast rap were emptied out long ago, so it's a little odd to see an old jailbird return to the scene of the crime. The GZA is back and he's picked up some help along the way--mainly a hired gun from the old West (Coast), and some backpackers in between. On Grandmasters, that gunslinger is DJ Muggs, best known for making Cypress Hill sound more badass than they actually were, and the man who showed the RZA how to make soul sound creepy. Cleaner fun is to be had on the worse-than-it-sounds Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture, where GZA shadowboxes with indie-rap heavyweights.
Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture is a bit of a nip-and-tuck affair in terms of execution, and it's not hard to see why: Wu affiliate (read: childhood friend of the RZA) Dreddy Krueger couldn't cajole any of the Wu's other killah bees to swarm the nest. No Ghostface, no Raekwon, not even whatever's left of Method Man. At least the wordsmiths fare well--Del, J-Live, Aesop Rock and Cannibal Ox pretty much break even, though someone should probably tell Del and his off-key warbling that one Biz Markie is plenty enough--and the heavy sluggers don't disappoint. Sparks fly when RZA and MF Doom dissolve their flows in "Biochemical Equation" while Ras Kass and the GZA hurt each other so good on "Lyrical Swords."
More GZA equals fewer question marks on Grandmasters, which if it were based on facts and facts alone, might be the best hip-hop album of the year. Of course, it isn't--the GZA should know chess allusions are no longer in vogue--but there are his liquid swords are drawn far enough to warrant such lofty consideration. Unlike the Wu-Indie comp, Grandmasters can boast of a few granddaddies--the almighty RZA, Rae, and Masta Killah--stopping by for shits and giggles, making it tempting to label it a breakout performance from the Wu. But as with most cellblocks, this one's probably gonna take more than a few old kooks to get the revolution started again.
|
 |
|
|
 |
Never Miss a Beat!
Sign up for Filter Magazine's FREE Newsletter for the latest news, tour dates, and more. |
|
|
|
|
|
