[Review] Wu-Massacre: The Return of Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Massacre is a hip-hop album that was released on March 30th, 2010 by East Coast rappers Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon. These artists are the three central rappers of the legendary group the Wu-Tang Clan; hence the name of the album. All three rappers have already proved their incredible talent and were critically acclaimed both as a group and as individual artists. At the ripe ages of 39, 40, and 40, respectively, their impressive skills and techniques were gained through years of experience in the hip-hop game. Critics and casual fans, including myself, expected a lot from this album, and they probably were not too disappointed.



Track Listing (#.Song Title - Participating Artists)
1. Criminology 2.5 - Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man
2. Mef Vs. Chef 2 - Method Man, Raekwon
3. (Skit) Ya Moms - Method Man, Raekwon
4. Smooth Sailing [Remix] - Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Solomon Childs, Streetlife
5. Our Dreams - Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man
6. Gunshowers - Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Sun God
7. Dangerous - Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man
8. Pimpin' Chipp - Ghostface Killah
9. (Skit) How to Pay Rent - feat. Tracy Morgan
10. Miranda - Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man
11. Youngstown Heist - Ghostface Killah, Trife, Sheek, Bully
12. It's That Wu Shit - Ghostface Killah, Method Man

1. First Glance: The Title & Overall Coherence
The album’s title, Wu-Massacre, itself presents a powerful image; the “Wu” of Wu-Tang Clan is set as a prefix to the word “Massacre” The production and lyrical content of many songs in the album do indeed display a powerful style. However, not all of the songs are hardcore and tough. Tracks such as “Our Dreams” or “Miranda” contain emotional or relaxed lyrics, and the two skits are humorous, creating a diverse listening experience. However, because of this and the fact that none of the songs really have the super-tough feeling of a “massacre”, the title doesn’t seem to fit the album itself very well.
★★★☆☆

2. Album Art The album’s cover art is a compilation of three separate pictures. They are comic super hero-styled caricatures of the three rappers. (From left to right, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon) The cover was created by actual comic artists from Marvel and is very innovative. The artwork, combined with the “W” logo of Wu-Tang Clan and the raggedly stylized title, creates an overall powerful image
★★★★★

3. Music - Beats
The songs in the album are short, none of them being longer than 4 minutes. Also, despite the fact that the album is a cooperative project between three artists, 2 of the tracks are skits, leaving us with only 10, short, songs. Thus we must expect quality over quantity, and the quality is not at all poor. Most of the songs’ beats were produced by Wu-Tang Clan’s main producer, RZA. Some of the beats are experimental, with atypical drum sequences and melodies, initially creating a slightly incongruous feeling. While it is possible to get used to the beats after some listening, they may be a little annoying at first.
★★★☆☆

4. Music – Lyrics
Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon are all seasoned rappers with great lyrical prowess, and they show their skills freely in the album. With their respectively unique tones and styles, they display a diverse array of tightly-packed rhymes and flows. The fact that the rhyme patterns almost constantly stay above 2 syllables proves their advanced techniques. However, when looking at the beats, the length and composition of the songs and the lyrical content as a whole, the entire album looks like an experimental step. In other words, the purpose of the album seems to be to simply let people recognize the continuation of the rappers’ skills, rather than a “serious” album with a message or deep meaning.
★★★★☆

The Singles
Wu-Massacre has produced a total of 4 singles.
1. Our Dreams

Verse 1: Ghostface Killah
Verse 2: Method Man
Verse 3: Raekwon
The first single is the RZA-produced “Our Dreams.” The song sampled the song “We’re Almost There” by Michael Jackson as its chorus and is a typical East Coast style soft rap. Ghostface Killah’s punch-line, or wordplay, utilizing the word “together” (to get her) is notable.

2. Mef vs. Chef 2

Method Man, Raekwon
“Mef” and “Chef” and are the nicknames of Method Man and Raekwon respectively. On Method Man’s 1994 solo debut album “Tical,” there was a track titled “Meth vs. Chef” that featured a rap battle between the two rappers. This song is a continuation of it and it displays the diverse battle rhymes of both artists.

Method Man - Meth vs. Chef (feat. Raekwon)
The original song from Tical.

3. Miranda

Verse 1: Raekwon
Verse 2: Ghostface Killah
Verse 3: Method Man
The third single, “Miranda”, is a smooth song about a Hispanic woman named Miranda. Although the three artists are rapping about the same subject, the differences in their respective styles are evident.

4. Dangerous

Verse 1: Raekwon
Verse 2: Ghostface Killah
Verse 3: Method Man
Hook (Chorus): Ghostface Killah
The fourth single, “Dangerous”, is the only single out of the four that exhibit gangster-related lyrics by all three rappers.

5. Conclusion
Wu-Massacre, overall, is a decent album. While it may seem a bit unfinished or ambiguous, the pure skill of the three rappers almost entirely, if not completely, makes up for those shortcomings. As Method Man’s 5th solo album is rumored to be released soon, we can continue to expect great musical activity from Wu-Tang Clan.
★★★☆☆