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REVIEW:
Overall Rating:
 
Lyrics:
Beats:
Written By: Matthew Gasteier
[www.prefixmag.com]
Comparing
U-God’s sophomore full-length to Masta Killa’s No Said Date
from last year is a study in opposites within the Wu
dynasty. Both emcees, often overshadowed in a nine-member
core group that includes icon Method Man, lyrical god GZA
and critical king Ghostface, had two paths to take -- with
Wu or against Wu -- and they parted ways at the fork in the
road. Masta Killa’s long-delayed debut was produced entirely
in-house, by either RZA or RZA’s disciples, complete with
martial-arts samples and blood splashed all over the cover.
It seemed like a lost album from 1995, in a good way.
U-God’s Mr. Xcitement, his first after the mixed results of
his 1999 debut, Golden Arms Redemption, sounds like nothing
to do with Wu Tang. It’s straight thug, with no paranoia
chaser. It’s a street record without mythology, reality
instead of metaphor. And it’s not better for it.
The step away from Wu Tang isn’t surprising. Early last
year, U-God earned some press for calling out RZA as a
leader who played favorites, at one point comparing him to a
slave master. Members of the Wu have since performed
together, and I would hope the absence of any Wu-Tang
members on Mr. Xcitement is not due to any kind of
punishment but is instead U-God forging out on his own.
Regardless, the move is a mistake. Mr. Xcitement is plagued
by forgettable beats and painful choruses: "You don't have a
chance/ You don't want to dance/ My gun goes blam/ You don't
want to dance with a gangster."
Lyrically, the album is on that “Yes yes, y’all, to the
beat, y’all” tip. Simple couplets spill over drum hits and
synth lines. At times, U-God’s deep bass is reminiscent of
L.L. circa “I Need Love,” and although the record can pull
off some enjoyable lyrical displays (both U-God and Letha
Face on “Hit ‘Em Up, Roll Out”), too often U-God’s
performance ends up having to carry the whole song. He’s
better than his reputation as the weakest emcee in the Wu
(which is not particularly an insult), but he doesn’t have
enough of a unique flow or personality to carry an album
without a defined sound.
Also known as, among other aliases, the Four Bar Killer,
U-God is perfect for a verse here or there. He knows how to
flip your expectations on a beat and make you see it from a
totally different perspective, even after three or four
others have jumped on, and that’s why he is so good in a
group setting. But after the initial choice of flow on each
track (which can be awesome), there isn’t much else to
bring. All the songs are here for the generic rap album:
“Jenny” is the love song, “Stop (Carry On)” is street
inspiration. But stepping away from the Wu isn’t an excuse
to slip into mediocrity.
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