© The Wu-Tang Corp.
- 2005-09-23
U-God - Mr. Xcitement
Label: Free Agency
Review by Matthew Gasteier
Prefixmag
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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