WU-TANG CLAN "A BETTER TOMORROW" ALBUM REVIEW
- chriswindmusic
- Dec 2, 2014
- 4 min read
December 2, 2014 - Today, Wu-Tang Clan's latest album "A Better Tomorrow" hits stores after the crew's 7-year hiatus. How does the Killer Bees' latest entry stack up to expectations? Wind Planet has the rundown!
As far as the title "A Better Tomorrow" goes, ANYTHING Wu puts out contributes to a better tomorrow for Hip-Hop and our communities in general. This Black-owned enterprise has been painting portraits of the streets and feeding knowledge for two decades. That kind of longevity doesn't happen for many, especially when you talk about groups in Hip-Hop. No matter how they drift, these guys always find their ways back to one another. Even despite the tensions between Rza and Rae over the project's direction, the invincible family bond once again helped them overcome and march forward.
Sonically, ABT's sound makes sense--considering, that most of Wu's current success is attributable to live shows and touring, the live instrumentation-driven production by Rza, Rick Ruben, and Mathematics to name a few would definitely translate great into performances. The young Black gods will no doubt be drawn to ABT for the knowledge, but Caucasian fans and others will likely be attracted to the Rock DNA that's heavily embedded in the sound.
Content-wise, ABT is just as the Clan described in interviews--it's a mature presentation of Hip-Hop. All 9 members have grown as MCs, businessmen, and people in general, so you probably wouldn't expect them to be on the same type of ish that the young cats in the industry are on. Wu is NOT A$ap Mob or Migos--and we THANK them for that. When you're in the mood for trap or club music, you can eat at THAT restaurant; but, when you want that true-to-heart street knowledge with an Asain twist, The Chef and friends serve that up for you.
Stand out tracks include pretty much everything between "Keep Watch" and "Pioneer the Frontier" and the title track "A Better Tomorrow". I think these are the best representatives of the familiar Wu sound stepped up a notch. Other tracks seem to be more demonstrational, showing each Clan members' versatility as they rap over beats that are a little different than what we're used to hearing them on.
Contributions from each Wu member are pretty much what you'd expect if you've been following the interviews leading up to the album's completion. With busy schedules and personal touring, most of the guys had to send verses via email, or were only able to appear on certain tracks. Rza, of course, pieced everything together and appears on a number of tracks, standing out with his verse on "Ron O'neil". Gza appears regularly, bringing what we've come to expect of the Genius over the past few years as he displays his comfort and mastery in delivering purpose. Meth contributes to quite a few of the hooks, while having some of the most memorable verses. His flow is time proven to be versatile and sounds amazing on "Felt". Deck maintains his title as the greatest jump-off spitter as he leads off quite a few tracks. His flow is probably the most conventional of the crew, but no doubt welcome. Ghostface is also relatively scarce on the album compared to what we're used to, but he's one of those dudes who doesn't have to say much to get a point across, and whose voice cuts through the track like blades. U-God brings his familiar b-boy flow which you either love or hate, but it shines on tracks with that classic Hip-Hop feel like "40th Street Black/We Will Fight". Masta Killah is Masta Killah--mysteriously appears, and appears about as often as you've come to expect with short and insightful entries. Cappadonna, who was present for the vast majority of the production, appears throughout the album and keeps it gutter. Even though Cap is obviously taking up the helm as the 9th, ODB still makes appearances through samples and previously un-used vocals. Last but not least, Raekwon appears a little scarcely since he's a busy busy man these days, making appearances on several collabs with phenoms like Kanye West. Call me crazy, but in the past, Rae's verses after 36 Chambers were rarely my favorites (with the exception of a few on both Cuban Linx projects). However, suprisingly, the few verses the Chef has on ABT are probably my favorite verses. He has clearly evolved in a way that allows him to maintain his familiar swag, but also have mainstream appeal.
Overall, Wind Planet gives Wu-Tang Clan's "A Better Tomorrow" an 8.5/10
Theme- 7.5, title suggests a strong theme, though the flow of the album is less consistent and more like a collection of tracks than a themed album.
Beats- 8.0, there's nothing particularly groundbreaking about the production, but Rza is a master of sonics, and arrangements are top notch musically.
Content- 10, Wu always brings food for thought to the table with substance.
Functionality- 8.5, probably not the most commercially viable album these days, but the production choices make the tracks perfect for live performance and presenting organic experiences to audiences.
Context- 9.0, The theme of preparing for a better tomorrow is very appropriate for today's tough times. The obstacles overcome in order to bring this project to life are noteworthy.
