Wu-Tang Clan: The W

The W, the latest installment in the ongoing Wu-Tang saga, proves to be the group's most lyrically and technically mature effort yet.\n RZA, picking up where his exceptionally proficient "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" soundtrack left off, produces The W with confidence and sheer genius. These albums, in addition to his production work on fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah's second album, Supreme Clientele, and his own 1998 venture, RZA as Bobby Digital, helped re-establish RZA as the definitive hip-hop producer; a true madman behind the boards.\n The W continues the proud Wu-Tang mythos of comic books, old-school kung-fu flicks and Mafia references. However prominent these elements are, they receive far less emphasis than on the Clan's two previous works, Enter the 36 Chambers and Wu-Tang Forever.\n Tracks registering particularly well include the anti-melodic "Chamber Music," the simplistic yet highly infectious "Careful (Click, Click)," catchy party inciters "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)," "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)" and the current, booty-rocking single "Gravel Pit."\n The album's piece de la resistance is a subdued joint titled "I Can't Go To Sleep," in which Ghostface Killah teams with Isaac Hayes to cover Hayes' soulful classic of the same name. The dynamic pairing, powerful message and extraordinarily phat beat meld together beautifully to form hip-hop for the ages.\n The W contains numerous guest appearances that work to varying degrees. "The Monument," featuring Busta Rhymes, works nicely because he ingratiates himself into the sound of The Wu-Tang Clan. But tracks featuring Snoop Dogg and Nas are less successful because they sound more like cuts off these artists' albums and do not accurately represent the album at hand.\n In a banner year for hip-hop, which also included widely respected efforts by OutKast and Jay-Z, The Wu-Tang Clan separated themselves from the pack with the fully realized and slightly more eclectic effort The W.