There’s this theory that I have—with the Wu-Tang Clan there is no middle ground, as you either dig the Wu or you don’t. Either you appreciate the Five Percent Nation-infused lyrics or you find the rhymes nonsensical. I fall soundly with the former.
And that’s why I’m kind of ashamed to have the RZA’s Birth of a Prince on my Resolution list. I mean, if I’m such a fan, how in the world did I sleep on this album?
Well, even to the fans of the Wu, RZA’s not the easiest pill to swallow. He rivals Ghostface in terms of non-sequitirs and his flow can be off-putting, but no one can deny that he’s a monster behind the boards.
And that’s why I feel so guilty for not giving this album its due when I first copped it. It’s one of the better Wu solo joints (and it retains the “Wu-ness” that some of Ghostface’s recent offerings have lacked). Seriously, this album is full of the vintage Wu vibe.
“Grits” finds RZA reminiscing about his own hard-knock life while “Drink, Smoke and F&ck” has him rhyming about variations on those three themes. But even when he’s rhyming about such a mundane topic, his flair and flow spice things up and make the song interesting rather than another generic ode to vice.
Surprisingly there are outsider producers on the project. Choco produces “Bob n’ I”, the album opener which really starts the album with a bang, yet mirrors RZA’s own style. On the other hand, Megahertz’s “We Pop” sounds like a desperate attempt to have a song that sounds current rather than classic. But the offerings by Bronze Nazareth, Barracuda and Tru Master show that they are clearly disciples of RZA.
Birth of a Prince really reminded me of everything that I loved about the Wu-Tang Clan and that I’d been missing. It was like a nice warm, hearty bisque on a cold day—just what I needed and it hit the spot perfectly.
