Customer Reviews

Wu Tang Iron Flag

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Sometimes it's hard to be impartial when reviewing a band/group/artist you really like. That is the case at hand, but I must admit that this is by far the weakest album by Wu-Tang. I couldn't wait to buy this as soon as it came out, but I heard the complete album before its release and wasnt too happy. Wu-Tang is known for their unique, dark beats, but this album is commercialized as far as beats go. Don't get me wrong though, the lyrics are tight, typical Wu style. The two people that make this album good, Method Man and Inspectah Deck. A suprise in this album is the improvement of the not-so-good Cappadonna. Ghostface is Ghostface, bringing the random, yet hot verses to this cut. U-God & Raekwon have seemed to decline lyrically over the past few years, but still do a decent job on the Iron Flag.
RZA & GZA both remain solid, and RZA has even improved lyrically. RZA's best work is still on Wu-Tang Forever. Masta Killa isn't on the album that often, which really isn't a good thing because he could have displayed his improvement. (For an example of this, check out Mortal Kombat by Afu-ra.) Below is the track rating (1-5):

In The Hood: 5
Rules: 5+
Chrome Wheels: 3
Soul Power: 1 ( The beat is so annoying)
Uzi: 4
One Of These Days: 3.5
Y'all Been Warned: 5
Babies: 3
Radioactive: 3.5
Back In The Game: 4.5
Iron Flag: 4
Dashing: 4.5

I don't think anybody would disagree with me when I say this has
been the worst year for hip hop...possibly EVER.
Sure, Jay-Z's album was tight. But what else? You have to know
that when Eve, Ludachris, Bubba Sparxx, Nelly and Trick Daddy
are the top players in the game that something is seriously wrong.
As far as the Wu goes, their last two albums as a group have
been rejected by fans (unfairly in my opinion) and have struggled
to regain the crown they held around 1994-1996.
Wu-Tang Forever was waaaaaay too long and loaded with filler.
The W lacked a cohesive group feel and was loaded with unecessary guest appearances.
And Iron Flag??
To make a long story short, this album is just plain incredible.
The highlight is the production which always keeps
the listener on their toes. Some beats are loud and hype (In
The Hood), some have a west-coast gangsta feel (Chrome Wheels),
some sound like they came from DJ Premier's files (Rules), some are smooth (Babies), some feature Wu-esque samples (Iron Flag) and others are just completely unique (Uzi, Soul Power).
The latter features a flute and drum sample that sounds like it was recorded with a tribe in the African jungle.
Lyrically, the Clan is on point as usual and the weaker mcs (U-God, RZA) spend less time on the mic as the stronger ones
(Inspectah Deck, Method Man).
There is no filler and there isn't even one track recorded with the purpose of getting commercial airplay.
I don't know if this will sell a lot of copies or become one of
MTV's babies, but this is definitely the album Wu fans have been
waiting for.

First of all, I have been listening to a leaked copy of this album for about two weeks. At first I really didn't like it that much, but then after listening to it a few times it got a lot better. In my opinion this is the fourth great album that the Wu has done. First was Enter Ther Wu-Tang, their debut album with raw production and fresh lyrics. Next was Forever, the innovative double LP. After that came The W, the grossly underrated and unusual album. Now comes Iron Flag, the new album, with polished lyrics and great production similar to the old days with simpler loops. All four of Wu-Tang's albums have been totally different from each other and every other rap album out there.

Allright, now more about this album. Simply, it's great. Even though there were some disappointing sophmore solo efforts from Wu-Tang's members, Iron Flag is lyricly as good as any other Wu-Tang album, if not better. It seems like everybody has really got their stuff together. I guess I'll go through each member one by one and talk about their lyrics:

Method Man - Absolutlely spitting his best lyrics since Enter The Wu-Tang. Although he doesn't show up as much as I'd like, he rarely slows down when he gets on the mic. Best verses: "Ya'll Been Warned"
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Ghostface Killah - Luckily the only member who talks about the Sept. 11th attacks more than once. Still, he does a good job even at that, and the rest of the album he continues to deliver the obsucre rhymes and great storytelling that make him unique. Best track: "Babies"
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GZA - Not quite as good as he used to be I'd say, but he's running at 90%. Best Track: "Back In The Game"
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U-God - Much better than he used to. Although he hits a few rough spots, he comes off with some great lyrics. Best track: "Soul Power"
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RZA - RZA's lyrics are excellent on Iron Flag. Like on "Chrome Wheels", he hits an incredibly nice line: "Guns jammed up// I'm crammed up in my lab//". RZA at his best. Best Track: "Chrome Wheels"
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Inspectah Deck - Deck is just as good as ever, and even on the 1 or 2 tracks with so-so beats, Deck makes them worth listening to. Best Track: "Dashing (Reasons)"
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Masta Killah - I didn't used to like Masta Killah, but I have to admit, he's gotten better. Best track: "In The Hood"
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Raekwon - It's kind of weird how he spits like only 4 bars on 2 songs, but on the songs where he does have longer verses, he delivers complicated and almost haunting verses. He sounds different then he used to, but his lyrics were more intricate too. Best Track: "Iron Flag"
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And as for the Wu afilliates, they also make a strong showing. None of the second hand Wu members spat any bad verses. I was a little worried that they might ruin some tracks, but they added to them. On the other hand, there are a couple of annoying female vocals, like on "Chrome Wheels" and "Babies".

Ok, now to talk about the songs. Here are the songs in order of best to worst:

1. [In The Hood] - Includes a superb intro and the most energetic beat of the whole album.
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2. [Rules] - Great beat with some samples of old Wu albums mixed in for fun. A fun track to listen to with a damn nice hook by Meth.
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3. [Ya'll Been Warned] - RZA and Meth tear it up. The hook is not as good as Meth can do but it's still a nice pair of bars. If I heard right this will be the second single (After Pinky Ring [Uzi])

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4. [Iron Flag] - Even with the great verse from Raekown, this isn't exactly the #4 song, but it's also got a semi-hidden song at the end called "Good Thing We Brought The Glock". This hidden song is pretty funny and innovative with a crawling beat.
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5. [Chrome Wheels] - Not exactly a parody of commerical rap like I thought it would be when I saw the track title, but it's actually kind of a remiscent track about the old days before Wu-Tang and a high-school anthem of sorts.

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6. [Radioactive] - A great beat with some freaky stereo sound effects.
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7. [Pinky Ring (Uzi)] - The first single to be released, featuring (I think) every non-incarcerated Wu member. Kind of like "Triumph" due to all the people on the track. A really addictive beat with lots of horns.
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8. [Back In The Game] - A really great drum loop beat and a hook by Ron Isely. I honestly don't like the hook that much or else this song would be higher up on my list.
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9. [Babies] - Not the best beat, but by far the best storytelling track on Iron Flag with Ghostface and Raekwon showing their skills.
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10. [Soul Power] - An underrated song. Decent beat and the hook by Flava Flav. This might be one spot lower except U-God is at his best ever on this track. I really like his verses on Soul Power and I usually don't.
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11. [One of These Days] - Good lyrics by Deck and others but I really didn't like the beat.
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12. [Dashing] - I just didn't like the beat, but once again Deck's lyrics make it listenable.

Even the worst songs on the album are still good to listen to, which is more than you can say for most albums, even great ones. The quality is always high especially lyricly.

I have to admit, the production wasn't exactly on the same level as other Wu albums. I'd give the production 4 stars out of 5. But like I said, the lyrics are amazingly good, so that why I gave Iron Flag 5 stars.

Thsi album is not quite on the level of Enter The Wu-Tang, but it is definetly worth buying, and will become a true classic.

I was content when Ghostface Killah came out with his "Bulletproof Wallets" but then I hear that the entire Wu-Tang Clan is coming out with a LP soon called "Iron Flag". Well I was reluctant to go out and buy it right away due to their last LP together (The W)which was wack to me. Well I bought it and I am glad I did!!! This is the Wu-Tang Clan that I remembered!! This LP is classic RZA production laced with the Clan's style of "dart throwing" aka spittin'lyrics! The beats are good and the rhymes are rapid just like the old days. Get this album. But there are draw backs to the LP, the guest spots!! Flavor Flav and Ronald Isley?!? What's the deal with that? Plus where is Cappadonna? Is he still with the Clan? Anyway, with that it can't take anything away from the quality of this album. The MVP of Iron Flag in my opinion is....RZA for the beats. He went back to the sampling formula this time around. The usual suspects like Ghost, Rae, Meth, INS, and GZA holds it down. U-God and Masta Killah did their thing too!! So with that get the album it is way better than "The W", and Wu-Tang is still showing you that they are nothin'to f'wit!!

"Iron Flag" is what "The W" should have been, a turn back to the dark gritty beats and rapid-fire succession flows that made Wu-Tang Clan famous in the first place. Though the album is short, it is also focused and lacks in minor areas.

As far as lyrical content is concerned, it is heightened now that RZA, Masta Killa, and GZA have more mic time. Aside from ODB, U-God, Ghostface Killah and, thankfully, Cappadonna have been essentially left out, having little or no time to rap. Still, those who step up leave destruction in their wake. On "Y'All Been Warned," Method Man, RZA, and Inspectah Deck blaze battle-style on the RZA-esque apocalyptic guitar beat. On "Chrome Wheels", RZA's digital style is apparent on the keyboard-heavy beat and an appearance by 12 O'Clock, a Wu affiliate, gives the song all the more lyrical impact. The GZA spits mad verses on every song he's on, with more and more Mathematics and complexity in everyone's lyrics. Masta Killa's flow is so tight that he doesn't even rhyme on some verses, but talks.

Though the Wu-Tang Clan is obviously in top-form on this album, comparable to the way they were on "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", some songs do not fly. "Iron Flag", for one, does not reflect the Wu power and is restrictive in structure. It's more of a song for a march. Other than that, "Soul Power" is marred by Flava Flave's appearance--he does nothing but recite the hook, and I personally find it obtrusive.

In summary, "Wu-Tang Iron Flag" is a step in the right direction for the Wu-Tang Clan. They tried to make a commercial comeback with "The W", but it did not work in terms of sales. This album does what their first two albums did--bring raw hip-hop in its purest form to the masses. When something is this good, it only sells itself.

..didn't like this album at first but I've been listening to it all the way through a few times over the last few days. First got it about a year ago so I was surprised to find myself liking it. Some of the lyrics aren't as good as some other Wu-Tang stuff but the whole thing is pretty tight.

Most of the members shine throughout the album actually, especially GZA, Inspectah Deck, Method Man and U-God.

Beats aren't typical Wu-Tang stuff but they're banging, some of them may have to grow on you though. I hated Chrome Wheels, Radioactive and Soul Power at first for example. Overall it probably has to grow on you, but its a really nice album.

Top 5 songs:
Uzi
Radioactive
Ya'll Been Warned
The W (Bonus track, full version of interlude from The W)
Babies

Many people had their doubts about Iron Flag, but I don't. This album is hot. GZA is probably the best out of the group with his nice flow and lyrics. Inspectah Deck is underrated and my favorite. Method Man is hard. RZA had some nice beats on this one. My favorite tracks are "Yall Been Warned", "Radioactive", "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", "Chrome Wheels", and some others. If you think the Wu is dead, you're wrong.

Let's get one thing clear, Inspectah Deck, GZA, and Masta Killa hold this whole darn album down! Raekwon does have one of his better lyrical moments on "Iron Flag", but he mostly stays in his flip-phone-granola-mottorola-icy frame of spitting. Ghostface is slightly sub-par, probably still shaking the lyrical dust off from his excentric, slightly rushed, and somewhat incomplete 'Bullet Proof Wallets' album. RZA isn't bad; he avoids the 'Digital Bullet' pitfalls and comes here with the prime beats tweaked with horns, some decent flows, and even a hilarious album intro. U-God plays his supporting cast role to perfection as usual. They even find a way to add PE member Flava Flav, for a catchy hook, even though he talks too much towards the end of the track. But collectively, the WU offers listeners a good album. The album doesn't really strike you at first, apart from the three MCs' powerful lyrical bursts mentioned at the very top. It's the kind of album that will grow on you, with time. Coming off of the success of 'The W', and now quickly delivering 'Iron Flag', the WU shows that they still have it! The legacy is still intact.

They haven't fallen off..............

yet.

People need to stop harping on about 36 Chambers. That was 1993 and its over. I dont want to hear another 36 Chambers because I already own a copy. I want to hear new Wu and this time Rza really brought it.

This is an excellent album, close to classic proportions. The production is tight on every song and the lyrics especially from the Gza, Method Man and Inspectah Deck are superb. Even the much-maligned U-God comes correct with some funky vocal delivery on 'Soul Power' and 'The Uzi'.

The beats on these songs are severely head nodding and very different to what we have previously heard from the Wu. Only 'Y'all Been Warned' and 'Iron Flag' carry that traditional Wu sound. On the other hand Rza really brings the noise with a Public Enemy style noise attack on 'Radioactive' and the highly charged 'In the Hood' is an exciting start to the album. My only complaints really are the RnB singing on 'Chrome Wheels' and 'Back in the Game' although I think it works really well on the compassionate 'Babies'.

Time to stop judging the Wu on ancient history and to recognise the quality of the New Wu Order. This album may be hard to get your head around at first but it is seductive and will suck you in. Its a good thing they brought the glock so they can use it on those babies who keep whining about 36 Chambers.

Where here it is, the one and only "Iron Flag". A lot of people hated this album, and it makes me mad. Even true Wu fans were like "Man why did WU release this?". They are ignorant. Trust me. This album is definately hott. After "The W" came out, a year later they released this in 2001. It sort of seemed to short after "The W" that they released this album. Sort of seemed that they should have waited a little longer to put more time into it. But I didnt trip on that because this album is really good lyrically and nice production wise. Let me break it down for you.

Lyrically, WU AGAIN, DOES NOT FALL OFF! The lyrics are still on point. Im totally feeling the rhymes on this album. Some WU member shine more than others, but than happens on all the albums. On this album, there are a couple tracks where the lyrics arent as good as some on other tracks, but they are all on point. They still talk on that street sh**, and AGAIN no mainstream/commercial sh** which I loved. The lyrics are street, in point and they drop knowledge together, on the 4th clan album! Lyrically, this album succeeds!

Production wise, THIS is where people are like "WHAT THE F*CK!" lol, well let me explain, the beats on this album are hott. True street beats. People said WU went mainstream with this album, you have got to be KIDDING ME! Seriously, wow a group isnt going to make the same beats for ever, production changes and you true Hip Hop fans know this, they never stay the same. "36 Chambers" beats arent going to be around forever though. But this album is unique and banging in its own little way. Compared to "The W", there isnt as much grimyness in it. A little more light in that factor, but its still banging. There are a couple tracks that are close to being grimey. Production wise, this album is hott and dont let ANYONE tell you sh** if you liked the other WU albums, this album is great.

So let me tell you, if you have already heard "36 Chambers", "Wu-Tang Forever" and "The W" then this is the next group album your getting. 12 songs of pure hiphop. There is again alot of production by RZA, so dont worry about anything. If people tell you to not get this album, dont listen to them, listen to ME and get it. Because its not mainstream/commercial sounding, its real hiphop like im saying. Cop this now and support the WU MOVEMENT!!

***SUPPORT WU-TANG CLAN AND REAL HIPHOP AND BUY THIS***

My Top 5 Songs
1.In The Hood
2.Uzi (Pinky Ring)
3.Ya'll Been Warned
4.Radioactive (Four Assassins)
5.Dashing (Reasons)