[Album Stream] WU-TANG CLAN "A BETTER TOMORROW"

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Originally Posted by TheWuCepticon

No, The Source was the biggest hip hop publication at that time, that still mattered most, and gave The W only 3.5 mics. That was WITH Wu on the cover, and still gave them a mediocre score, and earlier that year they gave Supreme Clientele a 4.5/5. Also, even Wu didn't seem think it was up to par, the reason why they released Iron Flag the following year. Wu never released albums back to back, and definitely not that fast. They obviously felt like most fans felt about The W, that it lacked the aggressive raw content. That's the reason why Iron Flag sounds more aggressive overall, whereas, The W was them attempting to be more mainstream. Hence the reason for having songs like Gravel Pit with a Flintstones inspired video, Jump Off at an attempt for some radio play with a colorful throwback 80s club video. And having so many big name platinum artists (at that time) that they broke bread with during the years, featured on there. It's obvious what they (or RZA) tried to do, that album was far from a traditional Wu album, it was soft compared to Forever, and dumbed down lyrically compared to Forever, over featured, and going for more mainstream appeal. When I get a Wu cd I wanna hear the Wu, and only Wu....not Snoop Dogg over a garbage, lazy, Bobby Digital beat with ODB.

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Iron Flag was released because Loud was about to fold. It wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Vibe gave it 4.5/5

NME gave it 4/5

Spin gave it 8/10

Some of those are actually higher than their then rating for Forever so your opinion just reflects you personal taste rather than what actually happened.

Well, Conditioner was the weakest song on that album, but that album had great songs. That era was all about dumbing down when it came to lyrics and the Southern hiphop was about to explode in upcoming years. After all it was a multiplatinum project with both classic Wu-knowledge of self songs like I Can't Go To Sleep and Jah World and mainstream-oriented Gravel Pit. Careful video was banned in various countries of Europe.

Iron Flag was an anomaly and it was forced by Loud ppl.

Conditioner was a dirty banger

what are u queers talking about

I remember reading a lot of reviews at the time and some critics were saying shit like "after the mess that was Forever, The W is a return to form" or something like that. Outside of Wu fans I heard a lot of people describing Forever as a 'bloated mess'.

Whatever doh, I like both albums, fuck wat critics thought bout them

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Originally Posted by ShaolinDarts

Iron Flag was released because Loud was about to fold. It wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Vibe gave it 4.5/5

NME gave it 4/5

Spin gave it 8/10

Some of those are actually higher than their then rating for Forever so your opinion just reflects you personal taste rather than what actually happened.

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NME? Vibe? Spin? These are considered serious for hip hop reviews? Please dont say Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly next. The Source was by far the biggest most respected hip hop publication at that time, and kept it real, and gave it 3.5/5 ...and thats what it still is. And regardless whatever reason Iron Flag was made, The W went platinum, yet RZA still felt the need to stir clear of what he did on The W ... and make what was, obviously more aggressive content, without outside features (because alot of fans had a big problem with that). The focus was back on The Clan, and them only, because it was a mistake to invite outside rappers on an album called "The W". It was never called 36 Chambers 2000, maybe by you, because like you said it's personal taste, but never by a general public, these are facts, not opinions. You cant call a Wu album 36 Chambers 2000, and have four very well known non Wu affiliated rappers on it. Shit, it shouldn't have been called The W, should've been called Wu-Tang And Friends.

After having given ABT quite a few spins, I rank it this way in the overall group catalogue. And yeah, I know Chamber Music and Legendary Weapons aren't full fledged group albums but you know what I mean right.

Forever > 36 Chambers > The W > ABT > Iron Flag > Legendary Weapons > Chamber Music > 8 Diagrams

ABT is pretty close in quality to The W.

None of these albums suck, although parts of 8D kinda put me to sleep.

All of this is just personal opinion obviously. If you like other albums better, I'm glad you're enjoying them.

LOL @ some music critics back in the day saying 'Forever is a bloated mess'. I guess the lyrics went over their heads.

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Originally Posted by SL33

Well, Conditioner was the weakest song on that album, but that album had great songs. That era was all about dumbing down when it came to lyrics and the Southern hiphop was about to explode in upcoming years. After all it was a multiplatinum project with both classic Wu-knowledge of self songs like I Can't Go To Sleep and Jah World and mainstream-oriented Gravel Pit. Careful video was banned in various countries of Europe.

Iron Flag was an anomaly and it was forced by Loud ppl.

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Wu also dumbed downed lyrically during that era, because The W, was nowhere near as sharp lyrically as Forever, either. Southern rap had already exploded after No Limit and Cash Money came through in the late 90s. I Can't Go To Sleep was a mess, RZA did nothing with that beat at all, just a lazy mess. Jah World was boring. Careful had to be hard, because there had to be something grimy on a Wu LP. Gravel Pit was an attempt to be commercial without completely sounding like sell outs, and it worked somewhat, I suppose. I mean it did sample Enter The Dragon. And yeah, Conditioner was horrible, minus the snippet of GZA freestyling at the end over that grimy beat, that RZA got scared of, and cut off short (because any longer would've taken away some commercial appeal, makin it too dark).

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Originally Posted by 5th state

After having given ABT quite a few spins, I rank it this way in the overall group catalogue. And yeah, I know Chamber Music and Legendary Weapons aren't full fledged group albums but you know what I mean right.

Forever > 36 Chambers > The W > ABT > Iron Flag > Legendary Weapons > Chamber Music > 8 Diagrams

ABT is pretty close in quality to The W.

None of these albums suck, although parts of 8D kinda put me to sleep.

All of this is just personal opinion obviously. If you like other albums better, I'm glad you're enjoying them.

LOL @ some music critics back in the day saying 'Forever is a bloated mess'. I guess the lyrics went over their heads.

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You put Forever over 36 Chambers, hmmm, that's interesting. Its nice to see somebody change it up for once. Enter The Wu is definitely my favorite, but Forever is technically better for sure.

Forever is a unique album and many find it hard to digest: Wu-Revolution intro is almost occult for fans who do not know nothing about NGE and things of that nature. I'm talking about European, Asian, Australian fans. And that's just an example. Many ppl thought that Wu is some form of a sect or something because of their slang, hoods etc. 36 Chambers is just fly lyrics over raw beats.

Regarding I Can't Go To Sleep, I beg to differ: it was an excellent song with nice Isaac Hayes feature and original artist's appearance on a hiphop song that contains his own original track is not a common thing in music.

Ppl hate Gravel Pit for no reason.

I'd say that RZA wasn't scared of Yes Yes Ya'll. He was hust experimenting with hidden tracks at the time and Thang Thang contains a little cut of The W that appeared as Int bonus track on the IF album.


Also, I dare to say, Preacher's Daughter has the best verse/chorus ratio on ABT. Great interpolation overall.

Have we figured out who the producer really is for Crushed Egos? Adrian has tweeted he produced it but the album is crediting RZA as its producer. Was he just not credited? Or did he only slightly help Rza in the tracks creation?

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Originally Posted by FasterBlade

why do people want to keep RZA in a little box? let that man cook, what hes done is interesting

its not like its a bunch of rock samples, live bass has been in hip hop for a long time. Pete Rock uses live bass in like 90% of his beats, its dope as hell on Mistaken Identity. its still hip hop

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This website is filled with people living a hip hop Peter Pan syndrome refusing to accept that the 90's are long gone.

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Originally Posted by SL33

Forever is a unique album and many find it hard to digest: Wu-Revolution intro is almost occult for fans who do not know nothing about NGE and things of that nature. I'm talking about European, Asian, Australian fans. And that's just an example. Many ppl thought that Wu is some form of a sect or something because of their slang, hoods etc. 36 Chambers is just fly lyrics over raw beats.

Regarding I Can't Go To Sleep, I beg to differ: it was an excellent song with nice Isaac Hayes feature and original artist's appearance on a hiphop song that contains his own original track is not a common thing in music.

Ppl hate Gravel Pit for no reason.

I'd say that RZA wasn't scared of Yes Yes Ya'll. He was hust experimenting with hidden tracks at the time and Thang Thang contains a little cut of The W that appeared as Int bonus track on the IF album.


Also, I dare to say, Preacher's Daughter has the best verse/chorus ratio on ABT. Great interpolation overall.

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True I know many persons who didn't understand Wu revolution and many wu songs. Even me I consider NGE as a sect. I am African but I lived in France when Forever released. Many wu fans I knew there were disappointed when they listened to the double cd the first time. I consider this album as the wu testament ! The last time they formed like Voltron. Yeah they use their slang but even in my country there is a slang called "nouchi" ! I know sometimes it's hard to understand what the hell they talks about.

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Originally Posted by Jin10304

Have we figured out who the producer really is for Crushed Egos? Adrian has tweeted he produced it but the album is crediting RZA as its producer. Was he just not credited? Or did he only slightly help Rza in the tracks creation?

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according to the cd booklet rza produced it, adrian younge co produced it

Pre-ordered mine today. Listening 2 it since it got streamed/leaked. Will add

my 2 cents when all the hype settles.

I have a question for you in the usa you have a video clip for the release of the album?
wu tang of an album without music video !!