Caffeine

A lot of Wu members have said for years that they don't drink it. I'd believe Masta Killa hasn't touched it in at least a decade. Guy has a very low-key delivery on the tracks. Always enjoyed his stuff, but he's clearly pretty drowsy.

That said, what dude in his early thirties can't recite his verse on "Assassination Day" by heart, forwards and backwards?

What never came...

I remember reading in all the magazines back in high school that RZA and ODB had a team-up record in the works called "The Abbot and the Drunk Monk."

It was never released, and I think it should be. All the Wu members and their affilates constantly pay tribute to Osiris at concerts, during interviews, and in their album liner notes.

But releasing "Abbot" would be the most fitting tribute of all. With RZA behind it, the record can't possibly have failed in any substantial way. And I'm sure there are flashes of brilliance.

There always were with Dirty.

Remembering Black Shampoo

Everyone makes fun of this track, but it has a certain nostalgic appeal. For many adolescents in the late 90s, it was the first time we encountered any kind of heartfelt, escapist sentiment from an artist.

And that string loop -- is it bass? -- transports all of us. Truly.

Wu tweets

Noticed that a lot of Wu members are following scantily clad women on Twitter. Makes you realize that even iconic rappers aren't immune to a mid-life crisis.

Free to mail it in

Wu members often recite written verses when asked to freestyle during radio station interviews. They'll dust off material from 36 Chambers or Forever, stuff we all grew up on, so I have a hard time believing they think no notices.

Maybe they figure freestyling is beneath them, which I'll go along with. Up-and-comers have to perform well in that setting to get noticed. But royalty? They don't need our attention.

They've had it for 17 years.

A Backward Glance

The W has aged well. When it came out in 2000 (or was it '01) I thought it had a sloppy production value compared to Forever. And I also thought the MCs had less energy.

But as I approach decrepitude (my early 30s), I've come to realize that sometimes what sounds like a lethargic verse is really just a quiet lament. And as for rougher instrumentals, beats that frankly sound unfinished, old men don't dance anyway.

So I'm good with those too.

Providential

Saw the Wu show at Lupo's the other night in Providence and came away satisfied. Six out of eight showed up, minus GZA and Raekwon. The Chef had tweeted that he was skipping the tour to work on his new album, so I expected that. And the Genius has distanced himself from the group for some time, so his absence didn't surprise me either.

Deck, RZA, and I think Ghost wore sunglasses; anyone who does that indoors without looking ridiculous clearly has a devoted following.

Fun night, heard all the standards, took in the eclectic crowd -- which demonstrates their broad appeal to disillusioned thugs and suburbanites of all ages.