For real I seen this one interview....

where U-God said, "I'm not going to be the one that's going to sit here and try to save the fucking day." Good to know. That attitude's reflected in Dopium, which is a great record but never gets preachy. Glad Baby U's found his niche. Stay there and make great records all fuckin' day. Let the preachers preach and the teachers teach and the TV columnists write retrospectives about Screech. Stay drunk everyone. Fuck.

Memba when U-God said....

"Skip the introduction/proceed to lip function." MCs should do that way, way more often. Props to U-God.

Case in point

Someone tell me if any of the Wu Tang lawsuits over royalties -- which were filed a few years ago -- have been resolved. Shit like that usually ends with a settlement, so I wonder if U-God got anything even close to his original asking price of $170,000. Just when you think that guy's asleep, he pops up to show you he knows what the fuck's happening.

Meth and Baby U in Britain

Heard Meth and U-God freestyle inside a British radio station recently, and afterward John John said something like, "Tryin' to show the younger cats we still got it."

In fact I'd say they've put out better work in the last two or three years than they had in the intervening period after "Forever."

They sound angrier and more focused. Wittier too, with very little tired imagery coming out of the new stuff.

My God...

Somehow U-God learned to MC. Listen to "Dopium" if you don't believe me. Guy still lacks the emotive force of RZA or Ghost, the wit of Method Man, and the menace of Raekwon.

But he now takes his place alongside GZA and Masta Killa as a quiet chronicler of The Life. Granted, those two focus on spiritual questions, and Baby U still hasn't left the club.

But after hearing "Dopium" I think he'll get there.