I don't think age has got much to do with it other than maybe Raekwon. I noticed during the
Shaolin recordings that lyrics and cadence and intensity were all driven by the beat. If the beat was right, the matching vibe would come. But, not always. Sin for example and Deck both were asked to redo their parts in full because I felt the power was missing. Redman as well, but to a much lesser degree. I agree on the Ghostface comment. But again, if you hear him on what I define as the 'right beats' you get that old school Ghostface back. Needless to add, Ghost takes the prize for best verse on
Shaolin. Everyone that heard his verse on the title song bugged out. The story of the first time he put on a mask and what it did to him. That shit was fire. Sin was a close second I'd say. Made brothers rewrite their verses multiple times. And if you compare GZA from that time with how he laced his
NINJA verse (reluctantly) on
Shaolin, it's worlds apart. But we pushed for it to be performed harder and more intense, against his will almost I think. So in my opinion, it's all about the right production, both musically and guidance from the producer. Raekwon was the only one I couldn't get to sound like he did on
Rawhide. I managed it once, on
The Weeping Tiger, which made RZA give me a call and ask how I managed to get Rae to sound like that. But I never managed it again. So Rae was on more calmer compositions.
As for why the Clan hates me. That's a question you should ask them. But it's clear that
Shaolin had a major role to play in it. And it's not crazy. it's one of the most iconic records, garnered the biggest media attention since
Forever and with everybody thinking RZA and I took a million each, it became an emotional rollercoaster. The bullshit with it is how they're all now saying they didn't know about the album. How this is a fake Wu-Tang album. A wack album, etc etc.
If they really didn't know about this shit, do you think RZA and I would be so reckless to suddenly release the news about this thing without having spoken to everybody about it and having a democratically decided decision on it to move forward with it? If we didn't have that, wouldn't we have been slaughtered in the press by the entire Clan within 24 hours from announcement if they knew nothing about this? Can't say they missed the news, shit went so viral it was defined as the biggest musical news story of 2014.
But the contrary happened.
Masta Killa was the only other Clan member with a comment in the original Forbes article saying it was
"a blessing to part of this musical portrait". Years later that musical portrait would be redefined by Killa as
"I thought was some sort of a mixtape..." (Noreaga's drinking champs interview).
Raekwon said something similar... yet years earlier he saluted me as a genius with an ill idea and good execution. The proof is still there, on his Twitter (
https://twitter.com/Raekwon/status/449273636005117952).
U-God claims this album was not Wu-Tang but some Frankenstein project, his manager is all over Mics & Men talking dirt about me on behalf of him. Then in his lawsuit against RZA he's saying the same. But on TMZ he's saying it IS their album, something HE made (
https://www.tmz.com/2018/03/06/wu-ta...me-in-shaolin/).
And then there's Method Man and Ghostface, maybe the most vocal in their opposition to it all. In Mics & Men they claim it became a circus and they didn't wanna have a part in it. Ghostface says it's a fake Wu-Tang album, TRASH he calls it bluntly. But then why are they both on the Stephen Colbert show participating in a skit, talking to a Jeff Sessions cookie, trying to get the album back for the people? Who's participating in a circus now? And why get a fake/trashy Wu album back for the people? People want the real shit, not some fake and trashy shit surely.
But years ago Ghost wasn't saying all negative shit. If this was a fake Wu album and it was trash, it would've been a fake and trash from the get go. So why not say it then when he had all the oppertunity to go:
"Nah hold up, that aint no Wu-Tang Clan album, that's some fake shit, and it's trash."
Wanna know what he said instead? ->
https://youtu.be/qKicRlFQ5fc?t=444
Cause that's the truth. Unfortunately (for me), it seems the brothers can't make their minds up and it looks like they're happy to ride the wave when positive (press & praise from fellow industry folks), but happy to distance themselves from it and blame the easy target (me) when the riding gets tough (Martin Shkreli).
The Mics & Men director and producer know this, saw the proof, told me they were baffled by the 180 in their opinion on this album, but guess what, think they addressed it in the doc? Nope. Drama sells, so they edited and cut shit together and made it look like I hustled everybody. Well I be damned, little old Cilvaringz from Tilburg's got the mental capacity and Machavallian knowledge to hustle an entire group of wise individuals?
I can go on and on... but that's why there's a strong anti-Cilva movement I guess. But RZA and I are still ace. We just spoke two days ago and all is love. That's what really counts to me. Hope that answers your question.
Bookmarks