“The 8 Diagrams also relates to chess. The 8 columns lined up, create 64 squares. That still relates to the I-Ching, which has 64 hexagrams. That same 64 deals with life itself. If you take 64, that’s the year that Mathematics was brought to the surface for the Nation, you know what I mean? 64 is also…when you first have sex with a woman and you fertilize the egg it goes through the mitosis and meiosis process. It actually forms 64 cells before it becomes one embryonic cell. They just split and split and split. So, the I-Ching, chess board, life itself….its on that eight. Eight is the number of infinity. You know, we always say Wu-Tang is forever. Here comes that eight again.”

Interview: Interview with RZA October 2007

“The name 8 Diagrams comes from a classic kung fu film. But I have also been studying the I Ching. It is an ancient way of predicting the future. I Ching is about change, and it contains eight diagrams. Each diagram represents the way the stars are, the way life is, the destiny of a person, the destiny of a nation, and the destiny of our planet. The ancient Chinese used it over 4000 years ago to predict and calculate harvests, good times, bad times. The right time to do this, and the right time to do that. Each diagram represents a Wu-Tang member and the position that we play.”

Interview: Interview with RZA October 2007

I heard a lot of cry babies and fair weather fans complain about the direction that The Rza took on this album and totally disagree with it all. 8 Diagrams was a tight album. Far from their worst and still better than 90% of the current music out today.

Raekwon was the biggest baby as he whined to everyone in ears reach about Rza’s production. Glad he’s coming to his senses. I mean, why throw Rza under the bus when he isn’t able to get his own Cuban Linx part 2 project off the ground/shelf? Plus he was on almost every song.

But I digress..

Wu-World Order.

Thanks Tamoya

8 Diagrams US Tour

November 2008
29 – Portland, OR – Roseland Ballroom
30 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory

December 2008
1 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
3 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center
4 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues
5 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
6 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
7 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee
8 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
10 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
14 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
15 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
17 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
18 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
19 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
20 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
21 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
23 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom

January 2009
1 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
2 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s
4 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
7 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
8 – Richmond, VA – Toad’s Place
9 – Greensboro, NC – N Club
10 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
11 – Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend
12 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
13 – Columbia, SC – LEVEL
14 – Atlanta, GA – venue to be announced

http://wumusicgroup.com/

Method Man commits ’stage dive suicide’ at Day 2 of the Wu Tang’s 8 Diagrams Tour! It was packed out but that cluster of crowd just all moved out the way! (Shepards Bush Empire, London UK)

After a rather ominous “greatest hits” post on Friday, Tom Breihan has officially announced the end of his blog, Status Ain’t Hood. Obviously, this isn’t the end of Tom Breihan’s music criticism, so there’s no need to get too upset, not that such an event should be too upsetting anyway, but I do want to stop for a moment and pay a little tribute to one of my favorite music blogs.

Tom Breihan is not always the best critic. He is pretty self-absorbed, and he ranked “Party Like A Rockstar” as one of his favorite tracks from last year, despite the fact that it is pretty much the worst song ever made. In fact, he routinely stakes out praiseworthy stances of trashy, overproduced commercialized rap tracks. However, I like reading Tom Breihan’s blog because at heart, he’s pretty similar to me. That is, he’s an indie kid who fell in love with the world of hip hop, even though he is perennially forced to observe it as an outsider. This presents problems, since he often seems condescendingly amused by rapper antics, but I can forgive him because rappers do a lot of ridiculous things. Also, he’s just about the only voice in the mainstream music criticism establishment who sincerely likes Southern rap. As a fellow lover of the genre, I can’t help but be drawn to him.

I don’t always agree with Tom Breihan, but I like to read his opinions because he is one of the most cogent voices in hip hop criticism. Compared to some of the almost laughably obtuse reviews on HipHopDX or the repetitiousness of Okayplayer, even Tom Breihan’s dumbest moments seem pretty inspired. And most of the time, he’s right on. Even though I didn’t really like 8 Diagrams when it came out, I realized after a while that his review was pretty much right. Likewise, I came around, after a while, to really liking Tha Carter III despite my first impressions. He usually makes pretty valid points, and he likes a lot of the same artists I do for a lot of the same reasons (Kanye, Lil’ Wayne, Ghostface Killah, UGK). Most importantly, as he pointed out, the (sort of) new T.I. track is absolutely awesome.

As an occasional music blogger and reviewer, I certainly respect Tom Breihan’s ability to write consistently interesting and well-written blog posts, and I will be sad to see Status Ain’t Hood go, even if Tom Breihan will still be writing all over the internet and kind of annoys me. Also, his blog was pretty much the most interesting thing that the Village Voice had to offer. I don’t want to be lumping too much praise on some music blogger, though, so let me pose this post as a challenge to the internet: write some interesting hip hop criticism. Otherwise, I’m going to be stuck reading stupid Byron Crawford posts on XXL, and I don’t really have any interest in doing that.

-Kyle

: : : : : : : : : : :

The downfall of all great relationships is usually the point in which the communication stops. When one doesn’t know what the other is doing, it leaves openings for miscommunications, misunderstandings and separate agendas. What was once considered a dynasty, can then turn into nothing but argument sessions and shouting matches. From there, the relationship slowly deteriorates until there is nothing left but fond memories and bitter grudges. The members of Wu Tang have not yet made it to the point of no return. But with their new album and the war of words that have occurred over its release, it makes you wonder if this is Wu of old or just a compilation of disagreements.

Lyrics 9- If this album review was based solely on lyrics, this Staten Island crew would have a near perfect album. The lyrics are clearly the strongest part of this album. If you are capable of blocking out the sporadic beats and just focus on the actual words then this album has the ability to take any listener back to the 90’s when Wu Tang ruled and everybody knew about The Killer Bees.

Production 4- To say the production was bad would be too cruel. However, to say that the production was boring, repetitive, confusing, and a bit cluttered would be down right true. Some of the beats were so off that it felt more like spoken word than a song. Casual listeners will more than likely make it through 3 tracks before they toss this cd from their musical rotation. To add to the futility of the beats, most of the hooks are either non existent or just down right annoying, leaving several songs with horrible transitions. On the ODB tribute the beat totally switches towards the end of the song. This will leave many listeners scratching their heads, and wanting to smack the producer.

Songs 7- After going through two mainstream concept albums this past year, 8 diagrams is a breath of fresh air in this category. It offers no concept, no main topic…just strong words, somber stories and blunt declarations from an elite Hip Hop group. The Beatles sampled “Heart Gently Weeps” is a great example of the Wu’s story telling abilities and with the mellow beat, it offers listeners a chance to be introspective and doze off into their own thoughts.
Conclusion 7- If everyone on your team is against going left, what direction will you choose to go? Although this album wasn’t a complete disaster, it is a far cry from what it could have been. 8 Diagrams has its moments, but even a casual hip-hop fan who has never even heard of Wu-Tang can tell that no one was on the same page when this album was in the works. So for the Wu-Tang fans that were waiting for their triumphant comeback, you’ll have to wait a little bit longer. This album won’t be a complete disaster, but like Jay-Z’s “Kingdome Come” it will be labeled as the album that just didn’t cut it.

Nouvel extrait, mis en vidéo, du dernier Wu Tang, “8 Diagrams“.

Le titre “The Heart Gently Weeps” rassemble de prestigieux invités, avec notamment la reine Erykah Badu ainsi que Dhani Harrison (fils de George) et John Frusciante.

Wu Tang Clan ft. Erykah Badu, Dhani Harrison & John Frusciante – The Heart Gently Weeps

La particularité du morceau vient du fait qu’il est inspiré de “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” des Beatles, chanson écrite par George Harrison.

George Harrison – While My Guitar Gently Weeps

This video is about five months late and it’s not very good. However, I really dig the song, so I’m posting it. That’s pretty much all I have to say about that.

Off “8 Diagrams“  in stores now. Featuring Erykah Badu & the ever classic sample “My Guitar Gently Weeps” by George Harrison (The Beatles).

New Wu-Tang video off “Eight Diagrams” just dropped.  Not really feelings it… its kind of a mash up piece but whatever.

I wish … I with they would “take it back” … *bumps 36 Chambers.

15. Say Anything – In Defense of the Genre

My dog died last week. My dad picked up her ashes today, and the whole house has been throbbing and swelling like an irritated wound since. 12 years is a long time. I last saw her during Thanksgiving. She had long since mutated into protruding bones and sad organs – the dog who I’d previously seen run and pant into eternity was wilting in the wicked shade. My mom’s been crying at every upturned memory, at Christmas ornaments or cracks in the wall that take her back to two weeks ago, when Dawny would be waiting for the garage doors to open, and the cars would inch their way in as she went around to greet us as though we’d been disappeared for decades. My mom’s been taking every opportunity to egg me on into crying too, possibly just to have someone in this house who visibly suffers as much as her, for my dad internalizes everything until his insides are pure claws. I, I am content in knowing that this moment has passed, that suffering has ceased momentarily for a long-suffering being, that all the dust and insecurity have settled and made way for new, mad beauty. There is still sadness, but there is relief that I will never again see Dawny as only bones, skin, and pain.

14. Matthew Good – Hospital Music

It wasn’t conscious. I am not entirely convinced that this is even a sane way to react to death. It has made thing easier, though. A few hours ago I lifted up the tiny tomb and read the poem they attached to it and almost fell over, not in lieu of breaking down, but in reaction to the common realization that all the white hot lives in motion just today could be snuffed out, shattered light bulb-like. At least Dawny lived long enough to not stumble into the void, but fall peacefully into it. I’m hoping the same grace will be given to my grandmother, who I saw today, who has forgotten her birthday, who is stubborn about it, who probably feels as though she is descending into the arms of something she can’t entirely handle. I see my mother get exasperated at her every minor objection and I realize that the record is going to skip on this exact spot, 30 or so years down the line, and then it will be between her and me. It’s a sad, uncomfortable inevitability. Despite this, perhaps in response to her constant attempts to elicit outward emotion from me over Dawny, I cruelly told her that she’d probably end up just like her mother. That’s the way things work in my family: we slide minor toothpicks into each others’ sides until one of us starts bleeding over everything.

13. Panda Bear – Person Pitch

Which says less about my family and more about me, in that I’m willing to participate in it.

12. Devin Townsend – Ziltoid the Omniscient

FUCK YEAH DUNNA DUN DUNNA DUN DUNNA DUN DUNNA YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH FUCKIN’ YEAHHHHH FUCKIN’ PROG-METAL ‘BOUT COFFEE-ALIEN-EARTH RELATIONS WHICH IS AN ELABORATE DREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM OF A STARBUCKS EMPLOYEEEEEEEEEEEEEE FUCK FUCK FUCK YEAHHHHHH HERE’S A WICKED FUCKIN’ RIFFFFFFFFFFF HERE’S ANOTHER WICKED FUCKIN’ RIFFFFFFFFFFF HOLY SHIT THIS ALBUM IS FULL OF WICKED FUCKIN’ RIFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFS AND ALSO IT MAKES ME LONG FOR COFFEEEEEEE I MEAN WHAT OTHER ALBUM CAN YOU SAY THAT ABOUUUUUUUT EXCEPT MAYBE SOME FUCKIN’ GAY CAT STEVENS RECORRRRRRD FUCKIN’ DEVIN TOWNSENNNNNND BETTER PUT WEIGHTS IN YOUR ASS-KICKIN’ BOOTS WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THIS RECORD BECAUSE IT WILL SEND MOST OF THE UNPREPARED PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN 100 FT OF YOU INTO THE FUCKIN’ STRATOSPHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE YOU WILL FEEL THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN SHINE ON YOU AND YOU WILL BE NAKED AND GOD WILL LAUGH AT YOUR WEIRD GENITALS AND THAT IS WHAT LISTENING TO A DEVIN TOWNSEND RECORD IS LIKE FUCK!

11. M.I.A. – Kala

So a lot of people think 2001: A Space Odyssey is totally dark, yo but when they point out what is dark about it I am taken aback because they’re always reppin’ hittin’ bones with other bones or space babies (never watch that scene at 4 in the morning, because no matter how many times you’ve seen 2001 those eyes the size of Olympic pools will put the fear of God in you and you will stumble toward the window and everything you see will be sick and/or unholy) but I am always pointing toward the first few minutes of pure black, where it is like you are staring the iconic obelisk in the goddamn face, almost-motherly in its ability to fill your entire body with unending horror, and all that Ligeti music is in the foreground forcing imaginary restraints onto your every limb because to move now is to disrupt a sort of seemingly eternal oppression – there is no hope and we are all escalating toward a point identical to where we started. Oh God.

10. Burial – Untrue

I say this because I face this same differing recognition of bleakness in a lot of music. Some people will say those last two Talk Talk albums were the pinnacle of post-rock and Mark Hollis need not apologize for his synth-pop past because he made those records and is eternally an artiste of the highest sort for it. To these people I say fuck you. First, dear creators of genre names, though I am not one to criticize the existence of genres and subgenres, in fact I think people who do and even add the insufferable caveat “there’s only good music” would scream and cry in the middle of the record store if their precious rock section were merged with country, or hell, even jazz, please stop adding “post,” “proto,” and “neo” to everything you deem “new” because we are all getting older by the second and by the time we hit retirement we will shake our canes in your general direction because shit gets confusing.

9. Pig Destroyer – Phantom Limb

Also, “post-rock” is as troublesome as “emo” and “indie” in terms of ascertaining any specific sound belonging to its namesake. I mean, you got both Tortoise and Mogwai under that huge goddamn umbrella. Just because they’re both instrumental doesn’t mean they sound anything alike, man!

Second, the synth-pop era of Talk Talk fucking RULED and No Doubt schooled y’all in that respect a few years ago when “It’s My Life” lit up everything with an electric current. Also you are excluding The Colour of Spring which combined said synth-pop with the otherworldly shit Hollis got down with fully on those last two albums. (If at this point you’re wondering who is even making these crazy accusations, no one is, no one at all, it is just what I see people saying occasionally and these things accumulate in my head and soon I think everyone is thinking these horrible things and I end up talking to myself in elaborate blogs that are supposed to be about kick-ass records from last year.)

8. Okkervil River – The Stage Names

Thirdly, finally, the point I’m trying to make will reveal itself to you fully and you will continue to read my blogs because it is such a revelation that it will have made these past few masturbatory paragraphs so fucking worth it man, just you wait, is okay, the world didn’t fucking stop after Laughing Stock. I mean, it may have seemed so because that record was so goddamn immense that I’m surprised everytime someone listens to it time doesn’t freeze but hey, you know, life goes on and people don’t make records for almost a decade, but then in the quiet year of 1998 Mark Hollis raises his voice once more and makes this tiny little untitled record that lays waste to the entire Talk Talk catalogue. Yeah I am fuckin’ serious.

7. Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist

But it gets no play whatsoever from the music publications. On Pitchfork’s ’90s list, Laughing Stock is in the top 10, whereas Mark Hollis is nowhere to be found (I can’t be bothered to see if it’s actually there, and also if you aren’t laughing at my taking Pitchfork’s lists seriously, you should be, it’s way funny). Hell, on rateyourmusic, the general public has rated Laughing Stock 1400 times while Mark Hollis has received approximately a fifth of that. Let’s not even get into the 100s of reviews of Laughing Stock that describe the record as the ultimate expression of a tiny man getting pulled apart in all directions. But wait, wait a minute guys.

6. ZAZEN BOYS – I Don’t Wanna Be With You

On Mark Hollis not only is a tiny man getting tore the fuck up but his life is being slowly ruined retroactively by an evil mustachioed man with a time machine.

There is also a whole lot of silence on Mark Hollis. That is because this tiny man is no longer wailing, no longer raging, raging against knifing of his wife (this is something the mustachioed man did, you see). He has resigned himself to his fate, though not so much that he refuses the occasional whimper or the brief-but-eye-stabbingly-bright moments of real live holy shit hope.

5. Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams

WU-TANG CLAN AIN’T NUTHING TA FUCK WIT

4. Pink Reason – Cleaning the Mirror

If this comes off as some sort of “mothafuckas ain’t recognizin’ true genius” spoiled child rant I am very sorry because I meant for it to be more of a call to arms, as in: “Hey, you! I know you thought this record was boring just like you thought the first three minutes of 2001 were pointless but please dive into it once more, open your eyes while submerged, and realize that someone has poisoned the water.” Or maybe more, “I know you thought this was where all the plants stopped growing but man, there’s this shit you weren’t even aware of where the plants turn into pure thorns that will prick us incessantly until we die of excessive bleeding.”

3. Jay-Z – American Gangster

Now, I think it is very important that we listen to these sorts of records regularly because they remind us constantly that pain is a slipperly slope into nowhere and nothing, and it can be extended into infinity if we allow it to. They remind us that we shouldn’t.

2. Ulver – Shadows of the Sun

And I suppose that’s why I coupled this piece, including its now-very-old first part, with my list of favorite albums from 2007 – I tend to gravitate toward anything that explores darkness in a particularly adept fashion, which a good majority of these records do (in fact, I think Devin Townsend is the only odd one out, but dude has fully rocked me into isolation enough times in the past for it to not fucking matter). They remind me that we young twilight punks may look at the great stretch of life, love, and madness and see sad eternity,

but in reality,

we are temporary,

and thank fucking GOD.

Within the first hour of hearing of Dawny’s death, I had both grieved and moved on.

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows

And there is nothing wrong with that.

   
  U-God sold his Golden Arms.  And now U-God, the 9th member of the world famous Wu-Tang Clan is sueing for 170,000 dollars.  Mr. Xcitement wants his doe from the Wu but the Wu-Tang Clan’s The 8 Diagrams will not go gold until another gazillion people are scammed into buying it.   Save the Wu!  What is going on in the Wu camp?  Ghostface and Raekwon are pissed at the RZA for how the new album sounds.  GZA is getting drunk and dissing on 50 Cent and 16 year olds.  If Ol Dirty Bastard was here there would not be any problems because he would spank these guys for acting up. 

   When the Wu were not putting out albums or doing live shows there was little drama.  Now, with touring, the clan album, solo projects, movies,  and tv shows, the Wu camp is in distress.  But here is a list of what is in the works for the Wu Tang this year.

Inspectah Deck – Resident Patient 2

GZA – Protools Compilation and Solo Album

RZA – DigiSnacks

ODB – Ason Unique

Method Man – Crystal Method

Raekwon – OB4CL II

Wu-Tang Clan DVD

Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang CD (?)

Ghostface and MF Doom Album.

Only the Wu head-honcho could cover such diverse topics as porn, record sales, Public Enemy and Kanye West all in one interview.

      Wu-Tang still makes great music.  Though maybe not all on the same album.  Here are the best Wu-Tang songs from the past several Wu releases and put together to make a straight classic Wu-Tang album!  The 8 Diagrams was a disappointment to many Wu-Tang fans.  This compilation features the entire clan, George Clinton, Prodigall Sunn, and La the Darkman. ToeJammer presents…

Wu-Tang Clan – What It Means To Wu (2008)

1. It’s What It Is  (Masta Killa, Raekwon, Ghostface)

2. Killa Lipstick (Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Masta Killa)

3. 9 Milli Bros (Wu-Tang Clan)

4. Advance Pawns (Raekwon, RZA, GZA)

5. Iron God Chamber (U-God, RZA, Masta Killa, Method Man)

6. The Heart Gently Weeps (Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man)

7. Dirty Mef (Method Man, Ol Dirty Bastard)

8. Wolves (U-God, Method Man, George Clinton, Masta Killa)

9. Unstoppable Threats (GZA, Prodigall Sunn, Masta Killa)

10. Street Corner (Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, GZA)

11. The Glife (Method Man, La the Darman, Raekwon, U-God)

12. Presidential MC (Method Man, RZA, Raekwon)

13. 16th Chamber (Method Man, Ol Dirty Bastard)

14. Watch Your Mouth (Wu-Tang Clan)

15. Life Changes (Wu-Tang Clan)

The various tracks appear on Masta Killa’s Made in Brooklyn, GZA’s Grandmasters, Ghostface Killah’s Fishscale, Method Man’s 421 The Day After, Ghostface Killah’s The Big Doe Rehab, and Wu-Tang Clan’s The 8 Diagrams.