Despite a banged-up crew (Ol' Dirty Bastard is in jail and did not contribute to the album) the Wu-Tang Clan prove, it is here to stay with its latest release, "Iron Flag,"
The Staten Island natives offer a fresh new sound while also embracing their early style of minimal sampling and menacing lyrics.
Through vicious rhymes on tracks like "Rules" and "Back in the Game," the group exclaims to all its doubters that they are back.
After the landmark success of their debut, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," the group's next albums failed to live up expectations.
But the group's producer and mastermind, RZA, responded to backlash over the Clan's disorganized and raucous history.
An attack is mounted against just about all critics in the music industry on "Radioactive." A dark proclamation of the group's power can be felt among samplings of techno music and machine gun fire. Raekwon weighs in with a powerful rhyme blasting empty performers like 'N Sync.
While RZA utilizes more complex and refined beats on the single "Uzi (Pinky Ring)," his trademark raw sampling is evident on "In the Hood." The listener is plunged into the crossfire through the sampling of gunshots and sirens.
Bragging about drugs, guns and hoes, the group defiantly proclaim, "cops come, but thugs never drop their guns."
The Wu does not overlook the events of Sept. 11 on the song "Rules." In an assault on all fronts, the group employs some hard rock effects and catchy hooks to show the terrorists that they will not back down.
"Fly that s--- over my hood, get blown to bits," shouts Ghostface Killah. However, there is a double-sided commentary at play as the group raps about the prowess of America while also bashing corrupt cops.
Another impressive aspect of the release is the masterful work done by lesser-known members of the group. U-God explodes into a rhyme blasting fake MCs on "Uzi."
Usually in the background, Inspector Deck emerges to the forefront while proclaiming the hustler's code on "Back in the Game." RZA employs some scattered piano and acoustic guitar sampling to complement Ron Isley's soulful voice on this slower song.
"Iron Flag" is not short on great rhymes by the group's mainstays. Method Man raps about the longevity and loyalty of the group on "Rules." Meth also breaks out into an intelligent riff in "Uzi."
"Soul Power" demonstrates that the group is not completely forgetful of their hip-hop roots as the distinctive voice of rap pioneer Flavor Flav chants chorus.
The group runs the gambit on this tune by violently warning their doubters while also praising many influential black men and women. RZA creates a simple, yet open beat to allow for a varied rhyming style. Such variety makes this song the best on the album.
The album, however, is not without its share of duds. "Chrome Wheels" is your traditional anthem of excess that seems flat compared to other cuts on the release. The beats used by RZA on "Y'all Been Warned" are looser than normal and make the track quite weak.
"Babies," though, makes up for any of the album's shortcomings. GZA lets loose some masterful rhymes, telling the story of a woman who attacks a crooked cop in an attempt to protect her child. The song creates the air of hope shot down by corruption with some whining sampling and a soulfully conscious chorus.
The album, too, has its surprises. "One of These Days" is a cut that no one could have expected from the group. Employing a slower tempo to echo the bluesy female vocals, RZA creates a funky partial history of the group.
The six-minute title track also displays a more complex side of the Clan. Using multiple movements, the Wu rhyme about the art of war, saying, in reference to a Glock, "Never leave home without it."
"Iron Flag" reads like a rapper's bible. It has braggadocio about the hustler's life of pimping and drugs coupled with high-octane beats and ferocious rhymes. But the nine-member crew never forgets its past as the group raps about the complexity of the music industry.
Regardless of the Wu's message, it is clear that anyone who doubted the strength of this rhyme machine was wrong.
