Twenty years after dropping one of the rawest debuts in the
history of rap, the Wu-Tang Clan is set to release their sixth official studio album,
A Better Tomorrow, and from the
tracks I’ve heard thus far I have to admit I’m not all that hyped. This is
coming from someone who will defend just about every Wu-Tang release, including
the U-God solo albums, so the fact that I’m already disappointed in what I’ve
heard from the Wu Generals is proof that something is definitely up here. To
me, Wu-Tang is supposed to either grimey or soulful, whether it’s gritty drums
of “Bring Da Ruckus” or the Wizard of Poetry Ghostface Kilah rehashing a
Delfonics classic and just spitting bars over the entire track. What I’m
hearing recently though is more live instrumentation and fewer samples. But should
any of this be a surprise?
Look, the 90s have been gone for a long time now, and the
fact is that most of the artists from back then are gone too. Longevity is not
common in rap. How many artists from 20 years ago are still making music that’s
seeing placement on the major blog sites? Even artists that are releasing
tracks are mostly written off as having fell off or go completely ignored by
everyone other than their extremely loyal fanbase. The Wu is still thriving
though, and perhaps the change in their sound is not only a reason for their
continued relevance, but also a reflection of the fact that they aren’t in
their 20s anymore.
Anyone who’s paid attention to the Wu should have seen this
transition taking place (and since most people don’t anymore, I’ll break it
down real quick). From the radio show with a live band a few years ago to RZA’s
expansion into other genres of music, the Wu-Tang haven’t been doing 36
Chambers type music in a minute. But then again, at 40 years old, these guys
aren’t in the staircase daily anymore. They have families now. Anyone whose
parents hated the music they played as a kid can relate to what is most likely
happening here. Instead of computer generated beats, a true musician, at some
point in his life, becomes more about enjoying the feeling the music produces
rather than making a hit single. And if you still wanna tour and do shows for
as long as you physically can, the sound of a live band makes for a more
involved experience with who you’re sharing the stage with. Playing off the largely
improvised movements of a guitar, bass and drums allows the artist to not only interact
with the audience on a more personal level through a truly unique show, but it
allows the artist to interact with the people he’s doing the show with more and
thus it creates an incredible energy throughout the whole venue. I’m not saying
live bands are better, but the difference is one that an older musician can
most likely appreciate more than a young artist on the come up trying to focus
on getting the crowd hype.
A few years ago Big Daddy Kane dropped an album with a live
band, and while it didn’t have the impact of his first two albums (not even
close, most probably aren’t even aware of it), it was a good record, full of
tight bars from one of the greatest of all time along with a backdrop
soundscape of full-sounding lush instrumentation. Also an elder in the game,
Kane isn’t ever going to see radio play again, and the days of ladies throwing
themselves on stage at show are long gone, so most likely, as someone who
clearly loves music and wants to keep working in his profession, Kane found a
band and made a project for the other grown folks in rap. Therefore it shouldn’t
be a surprise that the Wu-Tang also are at the point where they would prefer to
put their words to something other than an mp3 track.
The fact is that hip hop is a young man’s game and always
has been. But for as long as hip hop has been around, it’s still very new in
that we are just now seeing what the first generation has to offer as artists
removed from the spotlight of the game. So while the average teenager won’t normally
step foot into an unknown, small, quiet venue to see an old jazz musician freestyle
on the instrument he spent his life mastering, artists like Big Daddy Kane and
Wu-Tang have become in a way just like those jazz musicians. They’re continuing
to be professional musicians, but on their own terms, and at their age, being
able to love what they do for a living and enjoy it with an intimate crowd of a
hundred or so is probably more satisfying than working overtime to sell out
large venues with thousands of faceless people, many of whom just wanna get
fucked up and party.
