Masta Killa Presents: Wu Tang - The Next Chamber

Of all the members of Wu-Tang Clan, Masta Killa has become the unlikely gatekeeper of the collective’s original blueprint. As the other group members struggle to stay relevant by testing out new and different avenues, Masta Killa remains steadfastly devoted to the cloaked, subterranean soul beats upon which the group’s reputation was founded. For Masta Killa Presents… he functions not only as performer, but curator, taking the listener through a program of hand-selected outtakes and rarities from the collective’s archives. “Just a Thought,” “Chains,” “Armoured Truck” and “The PJs”: These are the sounds of a long-lost Gotham, where the climate is always dark and chilly, and transactions occur in secret, confined spaces. Amazingly, this strain of Wu-music still sounds fresh, and it still has the power to unnerve. In a year where the gargantuan beats of Lex Luger and Kanye West have dominated, these pieces provide a welcome counterpart. In 2010, rap moves at the pace of an oversized yacht, while Masta Killa’s songs slip past like stealth ninjas in the dead of night.