Maybe you’re like me. I have about ten Wu tang Clan albums, meaning a few actual Wu tang Clan albums and then a few solo albums from the group’s members. Altogether, this roughly adds up to about ten to twelve cds and quite a few downloads of some of my favorite singles by the group or their solo projects.
The other day I was working on making a playlist to listen to while going to work, and decided to make it a Wu Tang playlist. Despite the fact that I have about ten cds of their music, and numerous downloads, I still felt that I didn’t have enough Wu Tang music. Maybe the ten albums that I do have consist of only seven to eight percent of their whole catalogue! The Wu tang Clan is Hip-Hop, but it is also its own genre in Hip-Hop.
Who is your favorite member of the Wu? Does the Wu tang Clan have their own form of astrology? How can I get the remix version of Rainy Dayz twenty years later? Will the Old Dirty Bastard ever receive sainthood for his prediction of 9/11 on the Wu tang Forever album? May he rest in peace. These questions are all part of the daily anxieties that a Wu fan must endure. It is what it is!
All the members of the Wu tang Clan are household names, including Cappadonna and U-God. U-God’s role in the Clan was always one of mystery. Yet, he has always been very upfront about his feelings on the direction of the Wu tang Clan, and supportive of its overall mission. Like the grim-reaper with angel wings, the emcee whose words are felt strongly in the wake of silence. U-God is one of the Wu tang Clan’s most valuable assets, a meaning that is clearer to those who reside in the Wu as opposed to the spectators looking from the outside in.
U-God blessed the world in 2013 with the release of his fourth studio album, Keynote Speaker. It is not only, in my humble opinion, U-God’s best album, but the most-prized Hip-Hop item of the year. Golden Arms easily broke platinum attempts for the belt because of the consistent theme of originality expressed throughout the entire album.
Different than other musical contributions offered by U-God, Keynote Speaker is his signature piece. He doesn’t sound like he is trying to prove himself amongst his brothers. Instead, we hear a twenty-year veteran who has an antidote to put some life into a dying rap game. It’s called Hip-Hop.
Keynote Speaker is sure to be one of the top ten albums of the 2010s era of Hip-Hop. According to reports, the title Keynote Speaker was inspired by President Obama, like a president, a keynote speaker. What I like most about this album is that it’s a grown man’s album. It’s not like some older brother trying to sound like he is 16. It’s about being confident where you at in life. That’s as real as Hip-Hop can be. This is what Keynote Speaker represents, a new era in the resurrection of the realness.
The album is an album. All the songs seems to flow into each other . U-God is holding his own and sounding like it. There are a few guest appearances, among them Gza, Method Man, Styles P, Inspectah Deck, and surprisingly Kool Keith. This is really a gold mine! Still, throughout it all, U-God holds his own. Additional appearances by Scotty Wotty and Elzhi makes this nostalgic masterpiece even hotter sun and its good to see the god shining!
The music, beats, however you want to call it, we can all agree on the term ridiculously flavorful! Wu tang has always been noted for their psychedelic, dark-layered, punch someone in the face music. Keynote Speaker delivers something just as strong with message of hope for everyone in the struggle and with that Keynote Speaker stands out as the “house that U-God built!” It’s real. Some of the featured producers are, Rza, DJ Homicide, Teddy Powell, Steve Reaves, Leaf Dog, and Blastah Beatz,. Keynote Speaker is an album of the year album and the talk of the town. Congratulations U-God for blessing us with this masterpiece!
Warlock Asylum
