Four Days Living Off The Grid.
What I learned about my taste in music after not having access to a phone or Internet.
Part I: Wu-Tang Clan
I would say that I’m well rounded when it comes to my music selection. I try and branch out as far as possible. But there are times when branches break sending you plummeting to the ground, so I tend to stick close to my comfort zone. Personally, I dabble in everything from gangster rap, classical, metal and alternative. I find that music awakens creative elements in me I didn’t know existed. There are a few genres right off the bat I can’t do, EDM being one of them. But at the same time, I’m willing to give most things a try. With this small project I wanted to look at my roots, wanted to listen to artist I had buried in my iPod that at one time inspired me to be, me. Of course there are the classic albums I throw on all the time, Nirvana, Wayne, Protest the Hero. But I wanted to listen to music I hadn’t touched since I moved to Chicago.
In this article I wanted to see if I still had the same taste in music as I did in my younger years. One of the main reasons this project came about was due to the fact that I would be without a phone or Internet from the hours of 4pm to 10am each day. What I would do is 1) select an album a night 2) listen to it in its entirety 3) log my emotions before and after and finally 4) give the album a grade.
Another reason behind this project is my living situation is rather boring. I have two unexciting roommates that tend to keep to themselves most nights. Usually I spend my evenings surfing social media, reading, or logging necessary writing hours. Since I won’t have access to my phone or any of its contents, I’m pretty much left living in the dark ages. I finished reading my current book, Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (side note, I highly recommend it, not only is it very informative on the subject of dating in modern times but it’s hilarious). Back on topic, so I wanted to find something that I could lock down and make a regular ordeal for four days.
The first artist up is, Wu-Tang Clan. Now, Wu-Tang as we all know will always be an unpredictable force of nature. Their album Enter Wu-Tang 36 Chambers is a classic. So there is no reason in me diving back into a legendary album. Instead I picked a lesser-known album in 8 Diagrams.
8 Diagrams by Wu-Tang Clan Released (December 11, 2007)
Initial emotions: excited (its Wu-Tang), calm, bit of biased mixed in there because Wu if one of my all time favorite rap groups.
I remember picking up this CD from BestBuy the day it dropped. How you ask? It was my fucking 21st birthday! This album will always stick out in my head. I was so pumped to listen to RZA, GZA, Method Man all united together for another go.
July 12th 2015, 816PM Red Bull: I know with this album Wu tried something different. They grew up. The flows are not as rugged and raw like the Wu of old. Times have drastically changed since 1993, forcing the clan to tackle some very different topics. Wu is known for their kung fu aspects, driving home life lessons and knowledge mixed with killer beats. They talk about the art of chess and its relationship to the world. One must be skilled in all things, mind body and soul to achieve enlightenment. But on 8 Diagrams, there is no radio hook, no studio polish, it’s just Wu-Tang doing what they do best, creating art. There are three songs that stick out on this album so I will touch on them in more detail.
“Stick me for my Riches,”
ft. Gerald Alston, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, RZA and GZA.
I don’t even know where to begin dissecting this song. After listening to the entire album once through, I listened to this song about three more times. Alston definitely sets the stage for the rest of the featured artist and lights the chorus on fire! Meth creeps in spitting a strong second verse discussing his up brining and how he uses his talents to get off the streets; nothing but classic Method Man. In comes the one and only Inspectah Deck, one of my all time favorite rappers. His quick wit, his lyrics, like boxing, hit you fast, small jabs to the mind and body. He speaks on New York’s gritty streets, how you have to hustle to make a living. Enter the master, RZA. Although his verse is short, it sets the stage for his counter part GZA. With the forth verse, RZA delivers the goods, proclaiming, are we men or mice? Finally we round out the song with verse five by GZA. What I gathered from this verse, it that you have to watch your back at all time. Some people are just shady, they may call you a friend, but as GZA states, stab you in the back, watch you bleed for a while.
“The Heart Gently Weeps,”
ft. Raekwon, Ghostface and Method Man.
People may recognize the name as it comes from a classic Beetles (George Harrison) song. The opening verse is pretty violent, Raekwon throws out a few bars discussing a pretty brutal slaying, but his poetic language paints the picture beautifully. Verse two by Ghostface describes an instance when a guy came to murder him in a fucking grocery store. How insane is that? Finally we get one more verse from my boy Method Man who speaks about a local cop trying to shake him down from a drug deal. The whole song is wrapped neatly in a chorus by Erykah Badu and I highly suggest listening to it with a nice whiskey in hand.
“Campfire,”
ft. Method Man, Ghostface and Cappadonna.
Although the album opens up with this song, I saved the best for last. The opening dialogue is pretty inspirational, I highly suggest paying attention to. The beat in this song is just so clean and smooth, hitting hard like hammers. Method Man drops in setting the stage for the entire album speaking about how legendary this group is, that everyone else is merely an imitator. The song takes a lighter not with verse two where Ghostface speaks on how his words can leave you in a comatose state. Finally the songs ends on a crushing verse by none other than Cappadonna. He throws the gloves off picking fights with those who state he fell off, but Cappa claims, he has been here the whole time.
Now I know people can interpret music in many different ways. This is just a summary of how I personally feel about this album. How it relates to my up brining and how I feel about it now after a three year hiatus. I can confidently say that, I have missed 8 Diagrams. Why the hell haven’t I had this on repeat? Wu-Tang Clan will go down as one of my favorite groups of all time. Although this isn’t Wu’s traditional in your face, rugged, raw, shaolin style, this new, grown up Wu, hits more like the relaxed whiskey you’ve been waiting for after a hard days work. The aged master that has finally mastered enlightenment and is ready to share his knowledge. You just want to sit back, kick the feet up, sip and listen.
Feelings after listening: rejuvenated, inspired, confident.
Grade: B+
