Tag: Wu-Tang Killa Beez

Bronze Nazareth – “Elysian” review

Here is the 7th solo LP from Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer & Black Day in July Productions founder Bronze Nazareth. Known for his membership with the Wisemen alongside his late brother Kevlaar 7 & eventually the Wu-Tang Clan’s in-house production team the Wu-Elements, he made his solo debut The Great Migration almost 2 decades ago & then School for the Blindman only 5 years later. Bundle Raps & Ekphrasis produced entirely by Leaf Dog & Roc Marciano respectively became his strongest output since his debut, coming off his childhood friend Apollo Brown producing Funeral for a Dream in tandem with Escapism Recordings last summer to have his sibling behind the boards 1 last time for Elysian.

After the “Elysian Invocation” intro, the opening song “Soul Stirrer” hops over a boom bap instrumental talking about being next in line whereas “Adesanya” shows some love towards UFC Hall of Famer & former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. “All I Could Do (Open 2)” whips up a sequel to a track off Illah Dayz’ 3rx album Ponch’e leading into “Lupus” featuring Hollywood Dots the Oncelor talks about the disease that killed the late, great J Dilla over 2 decades ago.

“Jacob’s Ladder” combines elements of soul boom bap to hit us with a flow smoother than cologne & after the “Kevlaar 2” intermission, “Bad Boys ‘04” featuring Salute da Kidd finds the pair likening themselves to the Detroit Pistons back when they won their last NBA Championship to date. “You’ve Been There” continues the 2nd half of Elysian with another soulfully dusty crossover talking about superstition not having a place within the journal inside his head.

Kevlaar 7 himself appears posthumously on “So7o” so the Cross siblings can rock the mic together 1 last time while “House of Legends” runs it back with Salute da Kidd provides an audio visitation rather than performing verses talking about feeling alive again inside. The final song “My Dead Brother Superhero” featuring Lord Jessiah preceding the “Elysian Benediction” outro ends Elysian with a soulful boom bap closer remembering his brother.

Nearly a dozen years since Kevlaar 7 passed away around Christmas 2014 of a blood disorder, his younger brother Bronze Nazareth digs up some of the final batch of beats he made giving them everything it deserved from his perspective & I don’t see how anyone who’s been down with them since the Wisemen days would be disappointed with the results of Elysian if he were here. Bronze ambiguously tackles streetology, life in the Motor City, aspirations, the wins & the losses while simultaneously making it clear K7’s sound hasn’t left.

Score: 4.5/5

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Remedy – “Remedy Meets Wu-Tang” review

Remedy is a 51 year old MC/producer from Staten Island, New York who first made his mark with the song “Never Again” off the Wu-Tang Killa Beez’ debut album The Swarm in the summer of ‘98. He eventually made his full-length debut The Genuine Article in the spring of ‘01 & followed it up with Code Red about 2½ years later. The last we heard from him on his own was when It All Comes Down to This but as the 11-year anniversary of that approaches in a few weeks, he’s enlisting a star studded cast of veterans to be featured on his 4th album.

Ghostface Killah tags along for the opener “Modern Day Miracle” working in an occultist loop to verbally abuse anyone who wants to challenge them whereas “Death Defying” with Inspectah Deck finds the 2 over an operatic instrumental talking about choosing whether to kill or be killed. “Sparrow” takes a more soulful route feeling comparing himself to the titular bird leading into Ghostface returning alongside Conway the Machine for “The Pulpit” incorporating some orchestral samples talking about the street life.

Meanwhile on “Crazy 8’s”, we have 5 of the 9 current Wu-Tang Clan members joining Remedy alongside Solomon Childs & Streetlife for a cool 3-minute cypher just before RZA hops on the dusty “Supreme Intellect” getting on their Killa Bee shit. “To Say the Least” has a more suspenseful tone addressing George Floyd’s murder, but then Solomon returns with Trife Diesel for the piano-laced “Greatness: The Kila Bee Legacy” talking about witnessing such.

“The Recipe” weaves in a more funkier sound as Remedy & Method Man get flirtatious whereas “The Art Basel” with Ghostface Killah & Shyheim climactically talks about belonging in such. “Calculated Risk” lusciously sums of Rem’s life in 2 & a half minutes while the song “Killa Bee Invasion” with Cappadonna & Solomon Childs serves as a gritty homage to the collective of affiliates.

The penultimate track “Noir Story” is a full-on Killah Priest solo cut with a drumless instrumental & his lyricism on here is a reminder as to why he’s this reviewer’s 2nd favorite affiliate right behind Killa Sin in terms of lyrical skill, but sticks out like a sore thumb compared the previous cuts. “Never Again” then ends the album by mournfully paying tribute to those we’ve lost along the way.

If you’re a diehard Wu fan like I am, then you’re gonna come away from this highly impressed. It’s great to hear Remedy completely rejuvenated & he does an awesome job of paying homage to my all-time favorite hip hop group from the guests to the production.

Score: 4/5