Rushing Elephants - Track Review

[brock]

Rushing Elephants

8 Diagrams
2007

Raekwon
GZA
RZA
Masta Killa

RZA



[Intro]

Yo, yo, yo, what up kid? Yo, these niggaz is back, son
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) I'm telling you, spit that, done it nigga
Yeah... yeah... yeah, yeah, I seen it like a Zenith, man
You hear me man? Word up, man, y'all know what it is
It's on again, man, for real, Top Gun, what what

(Raekwon)

Ayo, we came through thumping like elephants
The new Range is super-charged, I remains intelligent
Back to the formula, lord, hard grammar
This is God school, make sure the lobby ain't jammed up
Excalibur swords, T-Rexes, bibles of rhymes
We in the lunchroom, weed and veggies for breakfast
Polo campus, sicker lances, the crisp
Hundred dollar kick niggas, that be showing you hand steps
Back to the dormitory, where niggas
Broke my forearm and index finger, now you write glory
True holding my flag, it's all engraved in my blade
So when I wave it, you gon' say Rae mad
Now it's 28 Days Later, now Wu's up, do something, you can't
It's blood in my eye, I might get amped
To rip something down, the billboard holders is back
So when you see me, you gon' say he gets down

(GZA)

From darkness to DNA, I move with my brother
And we resonate, energy that shifts in colors
Bringing emcees punishment, then I'm done with it
The meter leave way on the fast break, I run with it
It was not a hobby, but a childhood passion
That had started in the lobby and was quickly fashioned
Every line to line, bar for bar is clockwork
Hazardous and powerful enough to have your block hurt
Check the total amount of MC's inflicted
With torture, from moving with work that's restricted
We criticize producers til they joints are right
Then acupuncture the track with pinpoints of light
Hitting them from well concealed firing positions
With explosiveness that'll make the deaf listen
Drastic, pyroclastic, connected with the same old
Down the dangerous slopes of an active volcano

(RZA)

Blitz like the Green Bay Packers, sack like the linebackers
Hang with niggas, like redneck crackers
Strangle cold bottles of Beck's, like a vexed German
Duck low behind the car, my tech burning
Neck burning, from eight karats of sunlight
Absorbed, in the grill, Big Pun like
Lord of the Wu-Tang sword, know what that means?
Like J.R. Tolkien, it's the Lord of the Rings
This is my man, Chef, auto, like Grand Theft Auto
The 18th letter, followed by the mark of Zorro
Plus A, not for apple, but I pack an apple
Shorty try to buck back, and knock me off the saddle
Caramel, pecan, sundae, Praline
Plump breasts, was filled with saline
Her big booty cousin, nasty Nadine
Get you on the floor, whore tried to double team

(Masta Killa)

Is he still that nucca? Is he in the hood like that?
Is he really strapped? Will he really split yo' shit?
I thought you said he rap? Pull up in the yard, ten sets
He ain't flexing, microphone ripping, heat holding
Who testing? Rope-a-dope his black lotus
Can't quote this, chat with the sword tongue
Duck when the axe is swinging, Wild Apache drum
Crazy Horse kicking his thoughts, he won't quit
Can't tell 'em nothing, he grown, give the man room
Space was demanded, beat banging through the speaker
Voice, heat seek missile, guided at the listener
Swing to the gospel, catch up and wet at the brothel
Unstoppable, direction of my flow, optional
To the ear, depending on the current of air, the crowd's in

[pmack215]

fuckin awesome. these are the kind of beats 8D needed throughout! i give it about a 4.5/5.

[brock]

Ok, so here's a question for everybody who gives something a 4.5/5 and then votes 4. Where did you learn to round? No seriously, where? I'm not addressing anyone specific, i just see it a lot, and it kinda baffles me.

[pmack215]

Ok, so here's a question for everybody who gives something a 4.5/5 and then votes 4. Where did you learn to round? No seriously, where? I'm not addressing anyone specific, i just see it a lot, and it kinda baffles me.

for me, when something is a 4.5, i have to round down (even though i know proper math) b/c its not a 5 in my eyes, & 4.5 is not an option, so i have to go w/ a 4.

** i only vote 5 for the songs i believe are, w/o question, one of their best of all-time. so, i think "elephants" is better than a 4, but its not on their 'greatest of all-time' list.

[brock]

I divide it simply into percentages, anything in the top 20% gets a 5. A 9/10 = 5

[BGS]

crazy beat, but unfortunately one of the, if not rza's worst verse ever....

[OreoZebra]

One of the best songs on 8 Diagrams. GZA's verse is the illest by far, followed by raekwon and masta. RZA's verse was not that great, but I wouldn't say it was his worst verse ever.

[brock]

Not even close to RZA's worst. That verse is deeper than people seem to realize.

[Beowulf]

5 star classic, no doubt. The verses are worthy, but the real draw here is RZA's beat. I think I'm in the minority on this because everyone I've turned this song onto doesn't really think so, but I think this is one of RZA's top 5 beats ever.

To me, this beat is the crystalized essence of the mature wu sound. You've got wailing strings in the upper register doing a call-and-response with the cello on the lower register, all while the generals fill out the mids.

Its a masterpiece of design to my ears. The constant thumping beat, and even RZA's low volume "tension note" on the horns (something only he can do well). Changing the key for Masta Killa's verse makes his the highlight of the song for me. If you took one thing away from the beat, it would fall apart. If you added even the tiniest thing, it wouldn't work.

Its got a mature organic sound, but its also got that KNOCK that defines the sound of the Wu. Its not a violent beat like Criminology or a menacing beat like Duck Seazon, but it has elements of both.

I always laugh at Rae saying "Yeah Yeah Yeah" 83 times before the beat kicks in. RZA's verse isn't bad, but I can see why people don't like it. Its entertaining for me to hear RZA on "Lawud of the Wu-Tang swaud, no what that means? Like J.R. Tolkein, its the lawd of the wings!"

No one gives their best performance on this track but it doesn't matter with a beat this good. 5 stars.

[brock]

^^^I always loved those clashing sounds too, from the brassiest brass, to the lowest thundering bass, and I think what he was going for, was the highs represent a screeching elephant and the lows represent a stampede.

[BGS]

5 star classic, no doubt. The verses are worthy, but the real draw here is RZA's beat. I think I'm in the minority on this because everyone I've turned this song onto doesn't really think so, but I think this is one of RZA's top 5 beats ever.

To me, this beat is the crystalized essence of the mature wu sound. You've got wailing strings in the upper register doing a call-and-response with the cello on the lower register, all while the generals fill out the mids.

Its a masterpiece of design to my ears. The constant thumping beat, and even RZA's low volume "tension note" on the horns (something only he can do well). Changing the key for Masta Killa's verse makes his the highlight of the song for me. If you took one thing away from the beat, it would fall apart. If you added even the tiniest thing, it wouldn't work.

Its got a mature organic sound, but its also got that KNOCK that defines the sound of the Wu. Its not a violent beat like Criminology or a menacing beat like Duck Seazon, but it has elements of both.

I always laugh at Rae saying "Yeah Yeah Yeah" 83 times before the beat kicks in. RZA's verse isn't bad, but I can see why people don't like it. Its entertaining for me to hear RZA on "Lawud of the Wu-Tang swaud, no what that means? Like J.R. Tolkein, its the lawd of the wings!"

No one gives their best performance on this track but it doesn't matter with a beat this good. 5 stars.

THIS makes me wanna listen to this banging track right NOW! the beat switch is super dope and so is the whole beat, great sample! but i still can't get into rza's verse...