RZA
Birth Of A Prince
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Decrease Font SizeEditor's Review:
Over the last 10 years, RZA has established himself as one of hip-hop’s
most perseverant and most versatile producers, and he’s done so without
having to churn out a slew of radio-friendly pop hits for flash-in-the-pan MTV
artists. In fact, RZA, who broke out as the producer and de facto leader
of Wu-Tang Clan, has made a career about avoiding radio friendly pop hits. Though
this is technically RZA’s third solo album, it is the first that he’s
released under his own name — the previous two were credited to his alter-ego
Bobby Digital — and as with everything else from this Staten Island native,
Birth of a Prince bares his golden touch.
RZA’s true gift is in the crafting of beats. His style is clean and tight,
but unlike most producers who attain his level, RZA manages to retain that dirty,
gritty and almost dangerous vibe that is inherent in real, street-born rap music.
That vibe is omnipresent — whether it’s the slow, dirge-y and soulful
“Chi Kung,” featuring a powerfully minimalist chorus of ascending
female vocals; the down-home ghetto-love jam like “Grits”; the bouncy
“We Pop,” the closest thing to a radio-friendly hit on this record;
or the new underground party anthem “Drink, Smoke + Fuck” —
the most compelling aspect of all these songs is their natural flow and unfeigned
stance. RZA’s classic East Coast rap style, a casual, almost marble-mouthed
delivery, matches these beats to a tee, and ultimately, it’s easy to understand
why RZA composes film scores for people like Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino.
It’s because his shit is goddamn dope.
– Max Sidman
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 Record Label Sanctuary Records Released November 2003 |
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