Cilvaringz- "I" album review

[num2son]

Since he put some songs with new lyrics but same beat I would have like it if he put the song he did with bronze on the album or even ninja starz.

[100pr00f]

peace and respect to cilva
for dropping comments and trying to elaborate what things really mean on his cd

this is what make this site great...but would be better if other members or fam of wu would promote and drop comments about their cd to us
and just hang for some time
cuz as u see the corp is a good place to get ur shit heard ...

ill be picking ur cd up as soon as it hits the states

peace

[hide1998]

Sean P's.

Here's a great example of what I mean. Personally, I really enjoy P's newest album. Right now, it's somewhere in my top 10 releases of the year so far. And, certainly, it could be intelligently argued it's a better album than Cilvaringz album (I'd disagree, but you get my point), but how is it SO much better that Cilvaringz' album is average? Furthermore, even if we're comparing it to say....Illmatic (which we're not because of alot of factors), which is obviously better, that's ONE release. "Average" would imply MANY releases of such a superior quality that even the qualities of Cilva's release are lessened in the music playing field.

Again, for those rating this album a 3/5 or less, if you don't mind, could you list a bunch of recent releases that make this CD somehow seem average??

[Jeru]

Here's a great example of what I mean. Personally, I really enjoy P's newest album. Right now, it's somewhere in my top 10 releases of the year so far. And, certainly, it could be intelligently argued it's a better album than Cilvaringz album (I'd disagree, but you get my point), but how is it SO much better that Cilvaringz' album is average? Furthermore, even if we're comparing it to say....Illmatic (which we're not because of alot of factors), which is obviously better, that's ONE release. "Average" would imply MANY releases of such a superior quality that even the qualities of Cilva's release are lessened in the music playing field.

Again, for those rating this album a 3/5 or less, if you don't mind, could you list a bunch of recent releases that make this CD somehow seem average??

What did you vote?
And how much would you give Illmatic?

[MASTER PAI MEI]

Ruby Spirit is such an irritating lil pest.
Go figure out how to fry some catfish and make a threrad on it.
You opinions are way off base and quite frankly no one cares what you have to say.

[hide1998]

Illmatic is, without question, a 5/5 classic. But, with that said, not EVERY 5/5 album is a classic. Hell, there are some subpar albums (2/5, 1/5) that are classics. I feel a classic needs to be impactful in a major way. Just something you're feelin', even if you're feelin' it ALOT, doesn't make it classic (which is why I never got why the word "classic" gets thrown around the way it does). It seems like this day in age the word "average" is being abused as much as the word "classic," but in complete opposite ways. Why is it so hard for people to look past their own individual, detailed, tastes when rating an album. As with the example I listed earlier, EL-P's newest album doesn't touch me like it's doing with so many different respected critics everywhere. EL-P as an MC never really touched me all that much. With that said, it would be difficult to intelligently argue his album is "average" or worse without clearing just being biased. With all the creativity and things about his album that make it stand out, no "average" CD would be able to do that. It's definately at least a 4/5 album, even if I doubt I'll be buying it anyday. I rated Cilvaringz' I a 5/5, but I am NOT claiming it's a classic. I don't have a problem with the album on any level (lyrics, production, vibe, guest spots, replay value upon repeated listens, etc). So I rated it based on that. Everything on the album, in my opinion, has a purpose in providing an overall vibe and "feeling." Nothing feels like a complete waste (even the phone skit feels....right). In fact, "I" is so dope it makes me feel less about some other CDs I own.

[Jeru]

In short :

Illmatic = 5/5
I = 5/5

Now am I the only one seeing something wrong with this picture?Not to slam your opinion by any means, I respect it.But I'm having troubles with the fact that the greatness that is Illmatic isn't the same thing I feel for I.I stick to my opinion that it's just good.I've said this before, people were expecting a wu classic, as was I, but we didn't get it, we got a good album with some flaws that could easily be avoided IMO.My guess is that it was overhyped and no this ain't Cilva's fault.For the buzz it created, it was missing something.And don't ask me to tell you what it is cuz I can't describe it.

[crass]

^^^fallacy...I and many others still listen to fishscale every day. It's probably the top hip-hop album in a while and one of the best Wu albums ever. A definite classic and Cilvaringz I is close to that status as well.

my review coming tomorrow....

what i'm saying is that a lot of people who said "FISHSCALE IS A CLASSIC" the second they listened to it were the same people who a couple months later were saying "it's aight." this is fact.

as far as cilvaringz's album, i gotta point out something about some of the things he's been saying in this forum. namely he says we criticize him for the religious focus, and not wu-tang, sunz of man/killah priest for their religious lyrics, and we criticize his skits and not skits on wu-tang albums. this seems kind of whiny to me -- it reminds me of a kid who got in trouble in school and he's like, "but they didn't get in trouble! they did the same thing." that and also the fact that a LOT of people hate wu-tang's 5% lyrics and sunz of man/KP religious overtones, and excessive skits on wu-tang albums. i know people who LOVE Tical 2000 but hate every single stupid skit on that LP.

[Jeru]

...i know people who LOVE Tical 2000 but hate every single stupid skit on that LP.

As do I

[hide1998]

In short :

Illmatic = 5/5
I = 5/5

Now am I the only one seeing something wrong with this picture?Not to slam your opinion by any means, I respect it.But I'm having troubles with the fact that the greatness that is Illmatic isn't the same thing I feel for I.I stick to my opinion that it's just good.I've said this before, people were expecting a wu classic, as was I, but we didn't get it, we got a good album with some flaws that could easily be avoided IMO.My guess is that it was overhyped and no this ain't Cilva's fault.For the buzz it created, it was missing something.And don't ask me to tell you what it is cuz I can't describe it.

You're oversimplifying what I stated. "I," is obviously not as great as Illmatic. Again, not every perfect album (I seriously have no issues at all with Cilva's release on any level, thus the rating I gave it), is a classic. Illmatic, for many many MANY reasons is classic album (perfect as well).

If the equal 5/5 ratings is getting to you that much, then let me put it this way...

10/5 - Illmatic
5/5 - I

I am certainly not trying to put I & Illmatic on equal footing. As someone else stated, classics are hard to come by. Which is part of the reason why I wish a 5/5 rating wasn't paralleled with being a classic, as it's listed on here.

But back to my initial point. Can someone who rated the album a 3/5 or less (I'm not at all questioning someone who gave it a 4/5, since it's understandable how someone may not feel the skits or subject matter make it worthy of a perfect rating) please list all these recent albums which someone somehow make "I" come across as average.

[crass]

5/5 = perfect album

so there are many 5/5 albums that are better than other 5/5 albums. it is foolish to think that 5/5 is the same exact level of quality all across the board.

wu-tang example: cuban linx and liquid swords are both 5/5 to me, but i think liquid swords is way better.

[Sun Tzu, Tha Soul Controllah]

wow its this bad...wow

[mikeatris]

Every1 has opinions on here and that is cool. My opinions on "I" is just hearing it after 2 days. Not a classic by far. Give it time and see if you would be listening it to a year from now. I can answer that for me and that is not a chance. I just know how I am about music. Honestly this album is good to a certain extent. But I know I won't be listening to it a few months from now. I know this is a Wu site and the bias will be off the charts but I don't listen to rap hardly at all and Wu is one of my fav crew of all time. I love them but I am a realist and if it is good it is good or average , etc, etc. I think Cilvaringz made an ok album. I never said it was wack I just said it was alright. Remember this album has only leaked for a couple of days. To me it is not been out enough to warrant a final review. When the next Wu album come out most of the people will probably call that a classic and Cilva will be a mist in the air. That is how it works most of the time.

[brock]

I'm just gonna rate the tracks in the order I like them and give an overall score

5- Wu Tang Martial Expert- Beat is off the wall, lyrics and flow here are strong like the jijijijiji-had line. great opener.

5- Valentines Day Massacre- Start with a banga, end with a banga, great verses and ooooh raspberry...

5- Sheherezad my beloved- One of the best love songs Wu has ever done, I mean that. I don't mind at all that he borrowed the hook from All I Need and the fact that he changed the ending is really a respectful gesture toward women if you think about it. Complimenting a woman's cooch on wax ain't exactly romantic, ya know?

5- Elephant juice - the fake I love you, great title, material here. Strings are unbelievable here, perfection. I hate Thanksgiving too so this song has added meaning for me. God damn family get-togethers.....

5- Damascus - "I terrorize truthfully...." flow is great, love the inflections, anyone who says the man can't flow is dead wrong. This is all Wu.

5- jewels/Christ & Judas - The beats are sick, so is the change-ups. The best thing about the song and thing that cracks me up is the chick in the background who goes "sodomized!" during the lyrics, thats just plain funny. jeers to gza for recycling more lines in his lyrics, gettin tired of that shit, still a dope track.

4 The Weeping Tiger - Raekwon absolutely rips shit which is very comforting to me because it gives me hope about ob4cl2 even though this was probably recorded like 5 years ago. Loses a point for stupid sound effects

4 In the name of Allah - Wu needs more 7 minute songs, that was nice, not really feelin the hook too much, beat once again is classic this song reeks of Wu Tang Forever.

4 The Saga - great samples here especially that guitar, reminds me of the pillage a little, could go without the audio tracks in the middle of the song.

4 Dart Tournament - Cilva vs Sin ala Mef vs Chef blue raspberry coming with another strong vocal.

4 Blazing Saddles - I have a beef with Ruby on this one, you can dance to this song and ghosts hook vocal is hot. piano baseline is a highlight for me.

4 Brothers ain't brothers - Sometimes family members need a little jab to wake em up. I hope it encites more great vocals like this. again reminds me of the pillage

3 Dumb Deaf and Blind - Production is good but not really feelin this too much. Lyrics are pretty good but also way too opinionated. Hook is alright, nothing spectacular

3 Forever Michael - Lousy hook Lousy time to honor michael jackson.

3 Death to America - I really wish this wasn't accapella, but the words he speaks are strong words and his delivery is tight.

I gotta dump a point for the skit with missed calls, heard that shit before and you ain't impressin nobody wu tang. Neyo's call was especially stupid, completely staged and not funny. All the rest flow well with the album.

63-1/14=4.4 very close to being a classic.... I gave it a 4 in the poll
Whatever you think of Cilvaringz views, you can't deny he came hard with the classic Wu sound on this one. An impressive debut.

[hide1998]

Every1 has opinions on here and that is cool. My opinions on "I" is just hearing it after 2 days. Not a classic by far. Give it time and see if you would be listening it to a year from now. I can answer that for me and that is not a chance. I just know how I am about music. Honestly this album is good to a certain extent. But I know I won't be listening to it a few months from now. I know this is a Wu site and the bias will be off the charts but I don't listen to rap hardly at all and Wu is one of my fav crew of all time. I love them but I am a realist and if it is good it is good or average , etc, etc. I think Cilvaringz made an ok album. I never said it was wack I just said it was alright. Remember this album has only leaked for a couple of days. To me it is not been out enough to warrant a final review. When the next Wu album come out most of the people will probably call that a classic and Cilva will be a mist in the air. That is how it works most of the time.

I feel you to a certain extent. People are fairly fair-weather when it comes to alot of releases (and Wu, like Nas, have been given very unrealistic expectations, thus the reason alot of people without knowing any better call nearly all post-97 Wu releases wack or BARELY ok).

But I seriously doubt Cilva's album will be a "mist in the air" when the next Wu album drops. The Great Migration came out over a year ago and that's still gettin' brought up on this board (and actually made it's way into my stereo once before I went to work, and after I came home).