Wu-Tang Clan Are Still For The Children…
It may seem like eons since the whole world came to a crashing halt when Enter Da 36 Chambers dropped like ten tons of bricks on the heads of unsuspecting music listeners who were sick of MC Hammer and were begging to hear what the East Coasr had up their sleeve. That record blazed a trail commercially as well as artistically while setting a template for rap needed to sound like in the 90s and beyond. It’s fair to say that nothing the collective released since quite scaled the same heights but the one thing that is certain is that the Wu-Tang Clan still ain’t nuttin’ to fuck with.
Coming off what anyone paying attention would tell you were easily the Clan’s worst efforts to date in 2007’s 8 Diagrams and 2014’s A Better Tomorrow, it was fair to wonder when the retirement announcement was coming. The Clan sounded as if their ideas were hollow and the weight of being the last saving grace for tried and true lyrical hip hop groups had become too much to bear. It is with that thought in mind that I approached the announcement of a new single and record with more than a pinch of trepidation. That feeling of unease was gone after the first two bars…
People Say is a banger. It’s still a more mature Wu Tang Clan but it’s a sound that at once a throwback but also a sound that is very much contemporary. It’s raw and the degree of urgency is such it’s quite apparent that the group isn’t ready to concede just yet. While not every prominent member features on this tune, there’s more than enough here to whet one’s appetite for what’s to come. Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Masta Killa haven’t sounded this good respetively in years and even honorary member Redman throws it down hard to make sure you remember his name.
If this indeed is a harbinger of what is to come then I might be able to wear my Wu shirt with pride again. I want to believe!
