“In the jungle, banging Nas, Mobb Deep, and Wu”
Since 1995, there has been a connection between Nas, Mobb Deep, and Raekwon.
Tag: Raekwon
Welcome back to the latest edition of Flashback Friday Flop, a weekly feature in which I examine a hip-hop album from years ago that was considered a flop, either critically or commercially or both, when it was released and see if it has gotten better – or worse – over time.
This week: Wu-Tang Clan’s A Better Tomorrow (2014)
In the twenty-plus years since arriving on the scene, the members of Wu-Tang Clan have released about 50 albums, both as a group and as individual solo artists. Depending on the criteria used (does Cappadonna count? What about Redman & Method Man albums? How about Czarface?) that number can rise significantly. Of those 50, some are undeniable classics.
This is the latest entry of Flashback Friday Flop, a weekly feature in which I will examine a hip-hop album from years ago that was considered a flop, either critically or commercially or both, when it was released and see if it has gotten better – or worse – over time.
This week: Raekwon’s Immobilarity (1999)
I make no secret of my devotion to all things Wu-Tang. I’ve studied their albums, their synergies, and even made it a point to be there to drink a beer dedicated to them.
But I’m also a realest, an honest disciple, and I’ll be the first to tell you that the Wu has had some rough times. Neither 8 Diagrams or A Better Tomorrow were good and it looks like they’ve become the hip-hop version of The Rolling Stone: no one wants to hear their new stuff but people will still pay money to see them perform their classics live.
This comes off a DJ Clue tape. For the album version, they switched up the beat and Nas spit a completely different verse. I prefer the original, which was only ever heard on mixtapes.
