After a six-year hiatus, the death of a member and friend, group infighting and multiple platinum solo albums, Wu-Tang Clan is back, and boy, did we need them. The growing popularity of "ringtone rap" (read: Dirty South rap) has considerably diminished the truthfulness and intensity of the rap genre, but Wu-Tang's 8 Diagrams, the group's first album since 2001's Iron Flag, provides the perfect anti-ringtone rap anthem.
The group's de facto leader, RZA, is at his best on the production side of the album, putting out arguably his most diverse collection of beats to date as the whole album moves at a slower, more intimate pace. It's clear RZA wants you to take your time when listening and to soak in every part of each track, from the bass drum kick through to the main rhymes.
"Rushing Elephants," the fourth song on the album, begins a four-track mini-masterpiece with a beat that sounds similar to a loop from the soundtrack for The Untouchables. On this track, Raekwon and RZA shine brilliantly with their rhymes in the first and third verses. RZA then speeds up the tempo for the next track, "Unpredictable," which could easily fit into a Tarantino car chase scene. Inspectah Deck stands out in the fast pace as he rhymes "Notice how we bang wit' them knuckles bare/ Wu-Tang!/ Keep it fresh like Tupperware."
A cover of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" played by George Harrison's son Dhani and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante sets the tone for the sixth track, "The Heart Gently Weeps." To put it simply, the song about the effects of living the hard life is beautiful, especially upon hearing the hypnotizing voice of Erykah Badu in between the rhymes of Wu-Tang's three most gifted lyricists, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and
The mini-masterpiece ends with "Wolves," providing a hip-hop-meets-the-Old-West beat as George Clinton chimes in on the chorus: "The fox is kinda foxy/ Mr. Wolf, he's the guy/ But oh he ran through the woods and ate grandma/ But a dog, is a dog, is a dog, is a dog/ Unlike the wolf/ Who made a widower of grandpa."
Other notable tracks include RZA's solo homage to Allah on "Sunlight," which features a simplistic beat to allow his lyrical genius to shine. "Life Changes," the last song on the album — and probably the most important to the group — is an ode to former member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004. Containing samples from Freda Payne's "The Road We Didn't Take," the seven-minute track is essentially what every Wu-Tang member other than Ghostface (who is, oddly enough, absent from this track) felt or would have wanted to say at the time of ODB's passing. Sadly, ODB's absence from the album doesn't go unnoticed, and 8 Diagrams doesn't feel like a true Wu-Tang release because of it. Instead, the album represents a new beginning for the group.
Luckily for Wu-Tang fans, 8 Diagrams is one hell of a new beginning. It is hard to find a whole lot wrong with the album, despite some misguided attempts with "Weak Spot" and "Gun Will Go." It is a lot easier to focus on the total package RZA delivers, and he especially shines with his lyrical presence. It is almost as if the Wu-Tang Clan dropped 8 Diagrams to provide some relief from the hip-hop thrust upon us these days on the radio. With any luck, it won't take six years for them to do it again.
4 1/2 stars out of 5