Wu-Tang Clan: The Tainting of a Legend

Wu-Tang Clan's new album came out today and everyone seems to have a lot of different feelings towards it. If you know me, you know how much I live and breath Wu-Tang, but recently I can't help but feeling like sad and angry about this new project. I've been waiting in anticipation for the past 9 or so months for this album and then about a month ago comes this wave of bad press surrounding the Clan. It kinda sucks, to be honest. RZA apparently took the whole project into his own hands, wouldn't let any other producers in, The Neptunes, Kanye West are among the many producers who were drooling to work with them. Ghostface Killah is quoted saying "I feel the new Wu-Tang album is bullshit, it's real bullshit." Raekwon has been super vocal in expressing his opinion in the matter and apparently plans to get together and record a whole new album, entitled Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang without the RZA's hand. Again, all of this makes me very sad. To get more in depth, here's what else the Chef had to say on the matter:

(Monday, 10 December 2007) With Wu-Tang’s fifth studio album 8 Diagrams hitting stores tomorrow (Dec. 11), Raekwon spoke to MTV about his plans to record a new Clan album without RZA called Shaolin vs. the Wu-Tang. Rae has been very vocal in the last month about his discontent with the musical direction in which RZA took the new Wu album, claiming the other members didn’t have enough input. When asked about his plans for a RZA-less Wu album, Raekwon had this to say:

“That’s how I feel right now…It’s coming and it’s gonna be a lesson learned. That’s a lesson to bust the Abbott’s ass and let him know what we do. At the end of the day, if nobody don’t do nothing, Chef’s gonna show and prove. You [can only] hold in but so much, my dude.”

He continued:

“You dealing with a whole crew collectively, and [our] collective thoughts…You gotta keep that a part of the protocol. That wasn’t a part of the protocol — we still try to give this man as much props as he deserves, ’cause he did so much. It’s like listening to [Michael] Jordan, saying, ‘Follow my hand.’ But at the same time, Jordan ain’t been around for a while. So now it’s gotta be about the team. Ain’t no I’s in team. When Jordan’s head gets too big, you gotta tell Jordan that’s what it ain’t about. It’s team.”

This really sucks to hear them talk like this, I hope you get it together fellas for our sake and yours. Long live the Killa Bees and peace to the Gods and the Earths.

Some '93 nostalgia...