Customer Reviews

Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, here's a listing of which artists perform each track:

1. Introduction
2. Lyrical Swords - Ras Kass & GZA
3. Slow Blues - Vast Aire (of Cannibal Ox), Byata, Timbo King & Prodigal Sunn
4. Still Grimey - U-God, Sean Price, Prodigal Sunn & C-Rayz Walz
5. Skit
6. Think Differently - Casual, Tragedy Khadafi, Rock Marciano & Vordul Mega (of Cannibal Ox)
7. Informercial #1
8. Biochemical Equation - RZA & MF Doom
9. O.D.B. Tribute - DJ Noize
10. Fragments - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
11. Intermission
12. Street Corners - Bronze Nazareth, Soloman Childs & Byata
13. Listen - Littles, Khalid & Planet Asia
14. Infomercial #2
15. Verses - Scaramanga Shallah, La The Darkman, Ras Kass & GZA
16. Preservation - Aesop Rock & Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
17. Cars on the Interstate - C.C.F. Division (Shacronz & Freemurda)
18. Give It Up - J-Live & R.A. The Rugged Man
19. Black Dawn - Bronze Nazareth

Now to the review: 'Wu Tang Meets Indie Cultre' is a compilation album put together by Dreddy Kruger, an affliate of the Wu Tang Clan and a part time rapper (you might remember his fairly bad verse on 'Graveyard Chamber' from the Gravediggaz' debut album). The concept was bringing Wu Tang affiliated rappers/producers and the best of the hip hop underground together for some crazy collaberations that you can't help but think were made to happen (whoever got GZA & Ras Kass together on the same track, let alone 2, deserves a medal). It's also interesting to read about how each song came to be, which is inclded in the booklet. The result is a unique blend of the signiture Wu Tang feel and the top voices of todays indie rap scene, in an album that anyone who likes the guest list should check out.

When I saw the list of the rappers that were set to appear on this album, I knew that this album had incredible potential. The album lives up to my expectations, and was definately enjoyable, but it could have been better. Some verses are a little weak, and some of the production could have been better, but as I said, the overall product is stll dope. Upcoming Wu producer Bronze Nazareth provides most of the production, doing every song but Still Grimey (Preservation), Biochemical Equation (RZA), Verses (DJ Noize), Preservation (Preservation), Cars On The Interstate (Mathematics) & Give It Up (Preservation). For the most part he does a very good job, keeping it interesting, and providing a great backdrop for the many different MCs featured here. I'm definately going to be looking for more material by him in the future (the only other things I had heard from him are his couple of beats on RZA's 'Birth Of A Prince'). On 'Street Corners' and his solo track 'Black Dawn' he shows that he's actually a pretty good rapper, too. Preservation also impressed me with his few beats ('Verses' was one of the best on the CD) and he did a great job with the production of the infomercials.

Top 5 Songs (In Order):

1. Verses - As I said, one of my favorite beats on the album, and features 2 of my favorite MCs (Ras Kass & GZA). I'm also a big fan of La The Darkman, who drops a hot verse as well as Scaramanga Shallah who I had actually never heard of before.

2. Lyrical Swords - Ras Kass & GZA are 2 of my all time favorite rappers, and easily 2 of the best lyricists in the game. My favorite beat on the album, plus 2 dope verses (this would've been #1 if it wasn't so short), this is a sick track you need to hear. These 2 REALLY need to do an album together...Incredible chemistry

3. Still Grimey - I don't like the chorus, but the beat and the genius combination of U-God, Sean Price, Progidal Sunn & C-Rayz Walz make this a stand out.

4. O.D.B. Tribute - This is only an instrumental with some scratched samples, but it's truly a GREAT track, and a fitting tribute to the fallen Wu members. DJ Noize does an incredible job here, and true fans of Wu Tang should recognize most, if not all of the vocal samples.

5. Fragments - Solo from Del, didn't like it that much at first, but it really grew on me, and is now one of my favorites. Just a great personal track with some dope production and sampling from Bronze Nazareth.

Worst Track:

Cars On The Interstate - Not really a bad song, but definately the worst on the album. After hearing Shacronz & Freemurda (CCF Division) on various Wu affiliated albums, I didn't expect much from this song. Good beat provided by Mathematics, but Shacronz just doesn't come through (Freemurda is only on the hook).

Lyrics/Substance/Subject Matter - 8/10
Flow/Delivery - 8.5/10
Production - 8.5/10
Overall Feel - 8/10

Overall Rating - 8/10 - Great album, any fan of underground rap and the Wu Tang Clan should pick this up.

This, the newest of many more Wu albums to come, is definitely something different and something that should be added to your Wu-Tang collection. I know that everyone who gets it will be pleased. Bronze Nazareth, the Michigan-born Wu producer, is definitely the "soul" of this album, producing 9 of the 19 songs. His soulful vibe and grimey beats is something that has been missing in Hip Hop. I know that he's going to make a huge impact in the game. La's making a comeback after a few years off radar, can't wait for his album. Of course the vets do their thang, as usual. There are some other newer voices that added to this classic compilation. It's been a while since a credible mass collab was successful. Don't pass this up!!!

Dreddy Kruger Presents Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture is an interesting album that blends the talents of Wu-Tang producers and artists with some of the biggest names in independent hip-hop. Just the unique lineup alone made me want to pick this one up. The results vary, but for the most part the album is pretty good. There are about 14 songs (19 if you include skits and interludes), and I have to say that out of 14, 9 are good. There are some very interesting collaborations like GZA & Rass Kass (Lyrical Swords), RZA & MF Doom (Biochemical Equation), and Aesop Rock & Del The Funkee Homosapien (Preservation). Production is handled by RZA, Bronze Nazareth, Allah Mathematics, Preservation, DJ Noize, and Fred One. The album also includes a bonus disc. The bonus disc includes remixes, exclusives, and interviews from a few of the associated artists. It's worth checking out.

The only issue I have with this album is that some of the production is forgettable. I'm not calling it bad, but there are some tracks that you'll forget as soon as they stop playing like "Black Dawn". Aside from a few forgettable tracks, the rest of the album is pretty good.

Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture is definitely tight. With names like Aesop Rock, GZA, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Ras Kass, RZA, C-Rayz Walz, J-Live, MF Doom, and Vordul Mega, I feel like there was some out of this stratosphere type of potential that was fielded here but it didn't quite mesh like I was hoping it would. But don't let that change your mind about picking this up, it's definitely dope. If you're looking for mainstream alternatives, this should definitely do the trick. Highly reccomended.

Standout Tracks: Listen, Give It Up, O.D.B. Tribute (My Favorite), Still Grimey, Lyrical Swords, Think Differently, Fragments, and Preservation

I heard a couple tracks off of this album when listening to Pandora and decided to pick it up. The first CD I've bought in a long time, I'm very very pleased with it. Almost all tracks are great and fans of the Wu and their old ways should not miss this one.

This is a solid effort from the mind of Dreddy Kruger. Big Up Dreddy Kruger for his concept and idea to get some of the best Underground MC to work with Wu-Tang to create an original refreshing CD to save Hip-Hop from mainstream evil and the rape of pop culture. I notice the people who rated this CD low aren't true hip-hop heads and probably prefer the radio pop MCs.

This CD is very mentally stimulating and probably not what most would listen to in a club. This CD is pretty grimey and real through. Everyone that collabrated on this project, Rock Marciano of The UN (he killed it on Think Differently, "cause for he who feel offended, a beat down can't be prevented"), Vast Aire, Vordul Mega, MF Doom, Sean Price, C-Rayz Walz, Casual, J-Live, RA The Rugged Man, Aesop Rock, Del Tha Homosapien, Tradegy Khadafi, Planet Asia and Littles all held it down on the MIC with tite verses, punchlines, and flows. But I also thought, Ras Kass came the srongest and killed it on both tracks he blessed, Lyrical Swords and Verses.

The tracks that shined to me were Lyrical Swords, Slow Blues, Think Differently, Biochemical Equations (MF DOOM the Great and Bobby Digi), Street Corners, Verses, Give It Up, Still Grimey, Listen, Black Dawn and Preservation.

One thing I enjoyed about purchasing this CD, the insert explains how each track came about from the vision to the finish product. Slap in the face to RZA for what he said about MF Doom. I was surprised he didn't know who MF was in 2005?!?! Now on Biochemical Equation MF Doom come with his usual flow, but only received one verse while RZA had two. The beat was what kept the chemistry together on that track, lol.

SUPPORT! ENJOY!

Dreddy Kruger should be applauded for coming up with the concept for this compilation album, while most hip hop heads dream about certain rappers working together and imagining what type of music would be made, Dreddy comes out of nowhere and drops this piece of quality on us.
Being a diehard Wu-Tang and underground fan this album caught me completley by surprise, I bought this on amazon and when I got it I put it straight into my system, went directly for the first track Lyrical Swords and was greeted by one of my favourate mc's Gza and Rass Kass,definatley was a good indication of things to come.
I must explain that Dreddy Kruger is a Wu affiliated rapper who has been with the Wu since the early ninties and has appeared on various albums such as Gza's Liquid Swords. His views on the state of the current trend of mainstream hip hop parallel my own in that it has become a sorry cliched mess which has quickly become stale leaving many hip hoppers disillutioned with the industry, realising this Dreddy decided to use his connections and put together an album featuring the Wu and other underground artists.
Production on this album is of a high quality, mostly coming from new Wu affiliate Bronze Nazereth who also raps and he is definatley a talent to watch in the future. Other productions are by Rza, Mathmatics and Preservation.

This album is a banger and needs to be checked out by Wu and Underground heads alike, some of the collabarations will surprise you and you will come to thank Dreddy for being able to pull this off.
Artists who appear on this album are as follows:
Gza
Rza
U-God
Prodigal Sunn
Timbo King
La the Darkman
Solomon Childs
Vast Aire
Rass Kass
Planet Asia
MF Doom
Del tha Funky Homosapien
Scaramanga Shallah
Aesop Rock
J-Live
Byata
Vordul Mega
C-Rayz Walz
Sean Price
RA the Rugged Man
Littles
Khalid
Tragedy Khadafi
C.C.F Division
Casual
Rock Marciano
This is a must, get it.

This is the first album I've felt compelled to review because it really is that good. I'm not sure how someone can't feel this, every beat is knockin' courtesy of Bronze Nazareth and Preservation. Even the interludes are ill and stimulating. This was my introduction to Bronze Nazareth and I must say he is top notch and has really rejuventated the classic Wu-sound in the past two years. And of course the emcees rip it up to shreds. I would give it more like a 9.5/10 just because of Cars on the Interstate and even that can be tolerated but get this album now if you like raw bangin' hip-hop. Big ups to Dreddy Kruger. Think Differently.

Wu-Tang built its empire on thinking differently. Forging ahead with a small army, rather than a group, and being led by a mastermind who would frequent the deepest chasms for those oh so rare samples, the Staten Island madmen ruled the hip-hop world in the mid 90s. Since the crew's zenith, they have collectively and individually released gems here and there, but not much to match the work from the golden era.

Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture is a fantastic edition to the Wu chronicles, even if it isn't truly a pure Wu-Tang album. Instead the album features Wu-Tang affiliated MCs and producers including RZA, GZA, U-God, and Dreddy Krueger, working with underground MCs like Vast Aire, Vordul Mega, Aesop Rock, and J-Live just to name a few.

Overall, this is a highly successful venture. In many senses, the title of the album captures its sound perfectly. Wu-Tang fans can expect that familiar gritty and obscure Wu sound, but the Indie influences add a measure of variety not present on most Wu-Tang offerings. In addition, the MCs shine here with lyrics typical of standard Wu-Tang fare: bold, unapologetic, and fierce without coming off as pretentious or needlessly violent.

Probably not too surprisingly to anyone who has continued to follow Wu-Tang, there are a handful of duds on this album, and for that reason, it cannot join the 5 star ranks of 36 Chambers, Wu-Tang Forever, or the early solo releases. Classic Wu bangers like "Think Differently" (a Liquid Swords inspired track), and the tag team made in heaven track featuring RZA and MF Doom, "Biomechanical Equation" (a seemingly Iron Flag of Wu inspired track), as well as many other tracks, however, make this album well worth your time and money. Though it doesn't always succeed, this album does a commendable job trying to adhere to one of its best samples: "Music creates order out of chaos. For rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divirgent. Melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed. And harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous." Thinking differently, indeed.

Awesome album, del and Aesop rock together is awesome, both have a super unique flow. Love the ODB tribute song, gotta know his story to appreciate it. Im also a fan of RA the rugged man on the track "give it up", and hes rapping with j-live who is also sick been listening to j live for a while. I like the track "street corners" by Bronze Nazareth, definatly worth checking out as a whole. I like gangster rap and progressive rap, just sick seeing an awesome mix of songs. SOLID

This album, like most others, took some growing on me. After a while the element that keeps me coming back to this album is its phenomenal production. I don't like rap unless it has some catchy beat to go with it. This CD is full of beats and flows that give a low and cool feeling. If your production can't take anybody to an emotional state, it's not worth listening to.

Nearly every song is a winner on this album. I wasn't pre-exposed to the artists, save MF Doom, so I got to know some great talent through the album. I'm now determined to listen to more Del tha Funky Homosapien thanks to Wu Tang, and I'd like to revisit the Wu later on. I think this cd has something to offer everyone. You may not like every song, but I'm sure you'll like some, because it's so varied.

Great Tracks: Slow Blues, Still Grimey, Think Differently, Fragments, Street Corners, Listen, and Preservation.

If you like Wu or rap with great classical samples looped in the beat, get this album. I got this with the Dan the Automator compilation, and this album was 10X more worth it.