A Reverse Ranking Of The Wu-Tang Members, Based On No Tangible Methodology. Part 1 of 2. By: Nick Zablocki
A
Reverse Ranking Of The Wu-Tang Members, Based On No Tangible Methodology. Part
1 of 2.
By:
Nick Zablocki
Like my long-winded title implies,
there is no formula, no methodology behind the ranking that is about to come. I
just decided this week to rank the ten[1]
members of the Wu-Tang Clan from my least favorite to my most favorite. I will
most likely contradict myself throughout this list. And, for anyone who knows
me, you know EXACTLY who number one is going to be. This will be a 2 part
series, because I went fucking long with this one. Shocker. Let’s begin.
10:
Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Potentially blasphemous for some old
heads, but, they should be happy that I love the Wu enough to write about them.
Look, ODB’s schtick has just never stuck with me. I don’t hate
ODB, I just don’t frequently listen to much of his material. I think his
gimmick is interesting, but, he pigeon-holed himself into a corner with it. His
spirit lives on most obviously with Meechy Darko of the Flatbush Zombies, in
the best possible way.
9:
Cappadonna
Okay, so like, here’s
the deal, my first experiences with Cappadonna I was wowed. I think the first
verse I heard of his was on “Winter Warz” off Ghost’s ’96 album Ironman.
That’s a phenomenal verse.[2]
One of my favorite Wu verses. I also really like his verse on “Iron Maiden,” also
from Ironman. But, after that, there’s not a lot of great Cappa verses
to be found. His verse on “Ice Water” from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is
alright, but probably the weakest of the 3 verses. This dude is low key whack
most of the time. But, he has more verses that I genuinely love than ODB, so he
gets the “higher” ranking.
8:
U-God
Honestly, who else did
you expect here? At this point in the list it had to be either U-God or Masta
Killa. I think Masta Killa is better. I like what Masta Killa does more. U-God’s
gimmick, if you will, seems to be his bassy, baritone voice. My favorite U-God
moment is on “Black Jesus” from Ironman. He arguably has the best verse
between him, Ghostface, and Raekwon, which is unheard of usually. That’s
quintessential Wu, though, on posse cuts, you never truly know who is gonna
have the best verse. Other than that, there’s not a lot of U-God verses that
grab my attention or steal the show. Why is he higher than Cappadonna then,
because he’s more consistently good. I’d rather have U-God’s consistent 7/10s
than Cappa’s two 10/10s and mostly whack shit after that. This is my list, not
yours.
7:
Masta Killa
Masta Killa is another one who is
consistently good. He tends to come in with more methodical, slower-paced
verses. This can help balance out a track after RZA or Ghostface just went
bonkers with fast-paced barrage of bars. He may not be the best rapper of the
bunch, but, he consistently holds his own. Oftentimes, he places more emphasis
on syllables, as opposed to matching end rhymes, letting internal rhymes carry
him home. Some of his best verses are on “Assassination Day,”[3]
from Ironman, “Wu-Gambinos,”[4]
from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, and “Glaciers of Ice,” also from Only
Built 4 Cuban Linx…
6:
Inspectah Deck
Known for kicking off some of the
best Wu-Tang posse cuts with verses filled with multi-syllable rhymes, and
often alliteration, Deck is potentially the most underrated of what I consider
the foundational Clan members. To me, there is a certain line that
distinguishes my bottom 4 member from the upper 6, the foundational members.
Deck got screwed out of the solo success some of the other key members had due
to the infamous flood in RZA’s basement studio. He suffered the
most from the lost files and tapes, losing most of his debut solo album. His
momentum and career never recovered. It sucks. To end on a high note, some of
Deck’s best verses are on “Guillotine (Swordz)” from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…,
and his legendary verse on “Triumph”[5]
from Wu-Tang Forever.
This concludes Part 1. Check back
next week for Part 2.
[2]
In August of 2014, Cappadonna tweeted that this verse was a freestyle.
Doubtful. If it was, maybe he should’ve freestyled all his fucking verses,
cause he definitely peaked with this one, freestyle or not.
[3]
This song is weird because it’s on Ghostface’s album Ironman, but,
Ghostface literally isn’t anywhere on this song. Instead it’s Inspectah Deck,
RZA, Raekwon, & Masta Killa. Honestly, only something the Wu could/would
do.
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