GZA/Genius

Pro Tools

Babygrande/Fontana North

Andre Mihsin (CHARTattack)

09/19/2008 9:28am

It's pretty obvious by now that the last Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams, suffered creatively due to the internal conflict that existed within the group, and not because they fell off like some people might think. How else does a group fail as a collective when individually they continue to produce some of the best records in hip-hop? Look at Ghostface Killah, who released a critically acclaimed record the same day that 8 Diagrams flopped. RZA dropped another great Bobby Digital album this year, while Method Man is set to release Blackout II with his partner in crime, Redman. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the group's most talented rapper has produced another solid solo record with Pro Tools. Virtually free of any hooks, GZA effortlessly spits bar after bar over effectively simple beats telling stories of juvenile delinquency ("Path Of Destruction") and life in a constant war zone ("Columbian Ties"). "Pencil" is the album's best track and features fellow Wu members Masta Killah and RZA, while "Paper Plate" takes a shot at 50 Cent and G-Unit, reminding everyone that despite any in-fighting, Wu-Tang Clan still ain't nuthin ta fuck wit.