Wu-Tang Clan releasing a single copy of an album you can only hear at museums

[Guest Len B'stard]

Yeah but what i meant that was i want them to be street and true to that street thing, for them to be authentically street, not necessarily that they should rap only about the street, just that authentic working class ruggedness because I believe there to be a degree of honesty at the heart of that kinda shit, if my gripe was on that level I wouldn't entertain a band that went on about shoguns and ninjas and obscure kung fu flicks and eastern philosophy, thats some nerdy shit right there, when i say street i don't 'unintelligent' or nothing.

Wu Tang just are street, it's what and who they are, thats what I'm talking about, their reflect a life that they had been through but they are anything but defined by it. But that doesn't mean i don't think they should reach for something higher. In fact, thats kinda the whole schtick, these people from nothing that dare to reach for that kinda stuff, the very invention of hip hops quality is about that.

End of the day something is happening in the music industry, we're in the midst of change here...nice to see some intelligent gentlemen looking at it and assessing it and doing something positive from there. I mean what appears to be happening is whilst people are looking at the death of popular music there are people out there trying to lay its marker down as this timeless thing, to elevate it, the means of exhibition is/are the fundamental issue here, i think it's a brilliant idea. Yeah it's wild and fantastical and perhaps pretencious but look, fans of music don't really have a right to attack shit for being pretencious, music in itself is pretencious, art is indulgent by it's very nature, it's performance.

It's kinda exciting in a way cuz the future of popular music really is up in the air in terms of what direction it'll go in and, y'know, it's the time for people like this and ideas like these, maybe they'll be a few score wild stupid ones before coming across something that just blows everything wide apart, i love when shit goes down this path, music needs these kinda Malcolm McLaren type ideas now more than ever.

Music fans and makers are obssessed with saying that pop music is like high art, well here's its crack at that particular title, lets see how it goes. It'd be nice to see '100 N****** comin' with swords' to an art gallery

Those other pussy rappers I was talking about, they could be rapping about anything they fuckin' liked, they'd still be the same pussies, i weren't talking about subject matter necessarily, I'm talking about that gut.

Edited April 2, 2014 by sugaraylen

[magisme]

I'm not talking about the content of the rhymes. I'm talking about this glorification of high art and commissioned art and this wishing to be grouped in with them. I don't like the smell of it. Question: Whose interest do the works of commissioned artists serve, primarily? It ain't the street.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Ah, i see. But even then, what was Wu Tang about in the first place? Giving this shit a voice where it doesn't have one, representing a culture where it's representation lacked, showing that you're the shit to yours like they're the shit to theirs...this is a service to the culture man, not a denial of the selling out of it, Christ if the Wu was on that don't you think kids like Meth, Rae, Ghost, all these guys could be selling a helluva lot more records.

What I think would be sick though would be if they sent the record in it's ornate silver case out on tour and some bastard robbed it, now that'd be street Did you know London is premier place for rappers getting their chains snatched? Are you thinking what I'm thinking Mags? You're coming to England this year, are you not?

Edited April 2, 2014 by sugaraylen

[Guest Len B'stard]

Thats what its gonna come in

[magisme]

Thats what its gonna come in

Holy shit. That's sexy. I might have changed my mind on this thing.

We have a caper to plan. And if we get caught I'll just blame it all on you.

[TeeJay410]

Rza said there have been offers upwards of $5 million for it.

What's very possible is that a record company buys it and releases it themselves. That $5 mil price becomes realistic because they put no money into the project and do not have to pay royalties or anything to sell the music. Plus the company could eventually flip the original copy itself.

As far as wu-tangs music goes, I've always thought their solo albums were better than any of the group albums. Raekwon's Only built for Cuban Linx and Gza's Liquid Swords were just brilliant. Iconic Rza beats.

[Guest Len B'stard]

To me, every Wu Tang album is a Wu Tang album, like there is no solo, those are Wu Tang albums, by sheer volume of Wu Tangers on em, it's just each time it's each individuals chance to get hype...but its all just a family thing, even when they ain't getting along. They gotta be the only hip hop crew who really held their crew down, even when there's acrimony you'll never really hear Rae' say a word against RZA or vice versa, love that!

[GivenToFly]

LOL Lenny! If it were anyone you don't like doing this you would be ripping them a billion new assholes for being pretentious!

[Guest Len B'stard]

This is me your talking to, the fan of The Sex Pistols, the biggest stunt pullers of all time, fan of The Beatles, the one that tries to argue the merits of revolution 9 and the two virgins album, the guy thats written reams of shit on here in defence of concept art, the PiL fan, The Velvet Underground fan, where does this idea come from that im against this kinda thing?

If it was some other band I'd be against it, well i might, thats the thing though, its Wu's idea and they have the stature to pull it off, it ain't gonna work for Right Said Fred or say like, it doesn't mean the same thing coming from someone else so yeah, you're right, there's a good chance i would be against it if it was someone else, it'd depend on the circumstances i suppose.

Edited April 3, 2014 by sugaraylen

[GivenToFly]

This is me your talking to, the fan of The Sex Pistols, the biggest stunt pullers of all time, fan of The Beatles, the one that tries to argue the merits of revolution 9 and the two virgins album, the guy thats written reams of shit on here in defence of concept art, the PiL fan, The Velvet Underground fan, where does this idea come from that im against this kinda thing?

If it was some other band I'd be against it, well i might, thats the thing though, its Wu's idea and they have the stature to pull it off, it ain't gonna work for Right Said Fred or say like, it doesn't mean the same thing coming from someone else so yeah, you're right, there's a good chance i would be against it if it was someone else, it'd depend on the circumstances i suppose.

No no no, the only thing it would depend on is if you like them or not, that's all, I'm 100% certain of it.

If Roger Waters did this (he wouldn't, but let's say he did) tell me you wouldn't rip on him!

[Guest Len B'stard]

This is me your talking to, the fan of The Sex Pistols, the biggest stunt pullers of all time, fan of The Beatles, the one that tries to argue the merits of revolution 9 and the two virgins album, the guy thats written reams of shit on here in defence of concept art, the PiL fan, The Velvet Underground fan, where does this idea come from that im against this kinda thing?

If it was some other band I'd be against it, well i might, thats the thing though, its Wu's idea and they have the stature to pull it off, it ain't gonna work for Right Said Fred or say like, it doesn't mean the same thing coming from someone else so yeah, you're right, there's a good chance i would be against it if it was someone else, it'd depend on the circumstances i suppose.

No no no, the only thing it would depend on is if you like them or not, that's all, I'm 100% certain of it.

If Roger Waters did this (he wouldn't, but let's say he did) tell me you wouldn't rip on him!

Well if i thought they were shit then I wouldn't be rating it full stop, would I, what kinda stupid question is that

[GivenToFly]

This is me your talking to, the fan of The Sex Pistols, the biggest stunt pullers of all time, fan of The Beatles, the one that tries to argue the merits of revolution 9 and the two virgins album, the guy thats written reams of shit on here in defence of concept art, the PiL fan, The Velvet Underground fan, where does this idea come from that im against this kinda thing?

If it was some other band I'd be against it, well i might, thats the thing though, its Wu's idea and they have the stature to pull it off, it ain't gonna work for Right Said Fred or say like, it doesn't mean the same thing coming from someone else so yeah, you're right, there's a good chance i would be against it if it was someone else, it'd depend on the circumstances i suppose.

No no no, the only thing it would depend on is if you like them or not, that's all, I'm 100% certain of it.

If Roger Waters did this (he wouldn't, but let's say he did) tell me you wouldn't rip on him!

Well if i thought they were shit then I wouldn't be rating it full stop, would I, what kinda stupid question is that

I'm talking about the concept. You're not just praising the artist here, you're defending the concept as well. What I'm saying is you wouldn't do that if the same concept was employed by someone you don't like.

Edited April 3, 2014 by GivenToFly

[Guest Len B'stard]

This is me your talking to, the fan of The Sex Pistols, the biggest stunt pullers of all time, fan of The Beatles, the one that tries to argue the merits of revolution 9 and the two virgins album, the guy thats written reams of shit on here in defence of concept art, the PiL fan, The Velvet Underground fan, where does this idea come from that im against this kinda thing?

If it was some other band I'd be against it, well i might, thats the thing though, its Wu's idea and they have the stature to pull it off, it ain't gonna work for Right Said Fred or say like, it doesn't mean the same thing coming from someone else so yeah, you're right, there's a good chance i would be against it if it was someone else, it'd depend on the circumstances i suppose.

No no no, the only thing it would depend on is if you like them or not, that's all, I'm 100% certain of it.

If Roger Waters did this (he wouldn't, but let's say he did) tell me you wouldn't rip on him!

Well if i thought they were shit then I wouldn't be rating it full stop, would I, what kinda stupid question is that

I'm talking about the concept. You're not just praising the artist here, you're defending the concept as well. What I'm saying is you wouldn't do that if the same concept was employed by someone you don't like.

Solely based on the fact that I don't like them? No. What you're essentially saying here is that I dream up rationalizations for those I support and there is absolutely no merit to them other than their just being an attempt on my part to prop up an artist that i really like? Thats a helluva lot of clairvoyance being employed GT, i must say

Edited April 3, 2014 by sugaraylen

[magisme]

[Coma16]

This is the best thing Wu could have done to promote their new albums. The last 2 were flop.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Wu Tang can't flop, as long as they're the quality in terms of the bar thats set, commerce means nothing. What matters is the craft, the hip hop, Wu Tang although as a group have sold millions, as individual artists they haven't all sold huge huge amounts, Cuban Linx only just went platinum i think but it's artistic value, critical acclaim and respect in the community is at least as powerful as 36 Chambers was. A Wu album is a success when it's true, true to their thing and thats it.

These boys don't make bajillions off their music to where they can eat off it anyway really, it's why the ones that are true to their thing do movie roles and all this stuff, i remember Rae saying in an interview that i got a certain thing that serves a certain community and i know the extent of my thing, that doesn't mean i don't have range or won't once in a while pop up on some different type of shit but my thing is what it is and the worst that could happen for me would be for N***** to hear my album and be like 'nah, that ain't him'.

[Coma16]

Wu Tang can't flop, as long as they're the quality in terms of the bar thats set, commerce means nothing. What matters is the craft, the hip hop, Wu Tang although as a group have sold millions, as individual artists they haven't all sold huge huge amounts, Cuban Linx only just went platinum i think but it's artistic value, critical acclaim and respect in the community is at least as powerful as 36 Chambers was. A Wu album is a success when it's true, true to their thing and thats it.

These boys don't make bajillions off their music to where they can eat off it anyway really, it's why the ones that are true to their thing do movie roles and all this stuff, i remember Rae saying in an interview that i got a certain thing that serves a certain community and i know the extent of my thing, that doesn't mean i don't have range or won't once in a while pop up on some different type of shit but my thing is what it is and the worst that could happen for me would be for N***** to hear my album and be like 'nah, that ain't him'.

I listened to Iron Flag yesterday and I don't thing that was "wu" worthy of an album - a few tracks were great but the majority was meh. I'm gonna listen to 8 Diagrams today. No one (except for hardcores) cared when either one came out but now with this new stunt they are getting tons of publicity. Great move imo.

[magisme]

[Guest Len B'stard]

If I'm being straight up, with me 8 Diagrams was like...how can i put this? I see what The Abbott was trying to do there and i like it...and it's good musically...but it feels like an album made by a bunch of people not on the same pages so it's like...the rhymes ain't weak, the production ain't weak, it's just like...you feel like they weren't feeling what they were doing.

'i remember the N**** with the bike?'

[Coma16]

If I'm being straight up, with me 8 Diagrams was like...how can i put this? I see what The Abbott was trying to do there and i like it...and it's good musically...but it feels like an album made by a bunch of people not on the same pages so it's like...the rhymes ain't weak, the production ain't weak, it's just like...you feel like they weren't feeling what they were doing.

What are your thoughts on Iron Flag?

[magisme]

[Guest Len B'stard]

If I'm being straight up, with me 8 Diagrams was like...how can i put this? I see what The Abbott was trying to do there and i like it...and it's good musically...but it feels like an album made by a bunch of people not on the same pages so it's like...the rhymes ain't weak, the production ain't weak, it's just like...you feel like they weren't feeling what they were doing.

What are your thoughts on Iron Flag?

I think it's a good album out of bad times. It's a misrepresented one, they were kinda trying all these weird different sounds so Wu Tang purists might listen and go it's not 'THAT' sound, also Loud Records was fucking up hard at that time, it's certainly not a bad album by any means, it's just...The Abbott is always growing, always changing and his work reflects that and change is a complicated thing to work into a brand established on a very specific thing, i think it's impressive that he's trying and pulling it off well in terms of the beats and that.

Then Dirtys not really on it, someone else too, i think it's an interesting landmark in the Wu's evolution cuz it's the first real sign of a kind of...clash between RZAs progressiveness and certain members of The Clan wanting something different, something specific too, a conflict which has come to define The Wu in recent years somewhat. But it's certainly not a bad album or un-Wu in my opinion. In fact i think it's a very solid album.

One of my favoritest Dirt Dog clips ever, thats the one with Pras and them right? 'Nothin!'

[ronaldo9]

Updated story: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/05/06/unlocking-the-wu-tang-clans-secret-album-in-morocco/

The video segment includes a short clip of one of the songs around the 9:00 mark.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Y'know...I'm really getting into this release idea on lots of levels. Been listening to a lot of interviews with The Abbott and he's really...he makes a good case, as usual.

[Guest Len B'stard]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABL5Elr16hc#t=83

Thats the clip in one link thingie...you know what i mean, just the fuckin' song clip

Edited May 8, 2014 by sugaraylen