Sliccat

The Wu-Tang Clan is done. Made up of artists who are(mostly) past their primes, still looking back to their glory days, the Clan is nothing more than another relic from the long lost "golden age" of hip hop. The only members who are still relevent had great albums in between the '93-'97 period where they dominated hip hop. And none, except perhaps Ghostface Killah, can move units in the hip hop mainstream.

Where does this leave Masta Killa? The last member of the clan is the last to release an album, well after the Wu-Tang Clan was at its height of popularity. It fits, because of all of them, Masta Killa is the least to want the spotlight, keeping to himself. Equally as fitting is the title of the album, pushed back years for whatever reasons, there never has been a said date.

No Said Date is mostly a success, or would have been, released in '98, and there lies the problem. Masta Killa has always been Clan before self, but in 2004, the Wu hadn't made an album in three years, and none is in sight even now. The sound of the album, likewise, reaches back to an era that is long gone. Which makes Masta Killa, unfortunately, a (career-wise, at least) dead artist, reaching back to a dead era, for a dead community.

In a more postive light, No Said Date, analyzed on quality alone, manages to shine well in its own light. Very few albums can compare to any of the Wu-Tang masterpieces, and this isn't one of them. But that does not, in any way, prevent this from being a success in the area of giving Masta Killa his opportunity to present himself as an artist.

Born Chamber (Intro) (N/A) - A traditional Wu-Tang Kung Fu movie sample, and it's pulled off to good effect. A good introduction, and fits Masta Killa.

Grab the Microphone (6) - Introduces Masta Killa, but not in the most effective way. This album lacks a great way to introduce it, so this is as good as any. It also introduces Masta Killa's greatest weakness, he lacks charisma more than any of his clan members. On a solo, his monotone is less commanding than Guru's or GZA's, and he can drone on. He certainly does here. Still, a good lyrical track with an okay beat.

No Said Date (8) - As close to exciting as he'll ever get. He (for Masta) speed raps through this one, dropping a few quotables over a pretty good atmospheric type beat. The problem with Masta Killa lyrically is that he has a bad tendency to switch topics too quick. If you miss a bar(which is easy to do with him) you can miss a critical turning point in the song, because most of them are.

Last Drink (6) - The beat is the most exciting so far, but Masta drones to much. Again, he's good, but unless you focus on him, your mind will wander. It's a shame too, he's nice.

Love Spell (5) - A decent for-the-ladies cut. It's okay... and that's about it. A good story-telling track, for what its worth.

The Future (6) - bunch of 10 year old rapping. Ironically, this is the hardest track on the album, they're all harder than Masta Killa. It's kind of creepy.

D.T.D.(Featuring Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) (6) - The production hurts this a little, but Masta Killa's first verse raises the anticipation well. Raekwon and Ghost are just okay, though. Neither matches Masta's quiet intensity.

Whatever (Featuring Streetlife and Prodigal Sunn) (7) - Nice beat, the best so far. Prodigal Sunn comes nice, Streetlife not so much, but they both set it up, and Jamel Irief, the High Chief takes the stage(couldn't help it.) Masta Killa easily outshines them, reminding you why he's in the greatest rap group of all time.

Secret Rivals (Featuring Killah Priest and Method Man) (7) - It becomes clear just how much more interesting Masta Killa is when you balance him with different artists. It keeps him fresh. It doesn't hurt when those supporting artists are nice, either. Killah Priest outshines Method Man completely, who's nice himself. Masta Killa is better than either, but they make his monotone style change effectively from boring to disciplined.

Skit (N/A)- It's just kind of cool and dorky at the same time.

Digi Warfare (8) - No Said Date with a better beat and worse lyrics. One of the only two songs where Masta Killa is a strong presence by himself. A complete curve ball. If you fell asleep during the first third of the album, and didn't wake up when Ghostface came in, this will shock you awake.

Old Man (Feat. Ol' Dirty ******* and RZA) (5) - It's Okay. Masta Killa is good in his short stretch here, but ODB is annoying, although RZA was pretty good for about three seconds.

Queen (8) - What Love Spell meant to be. This is a song about females, done in a much more skilled way, containing the complexities that a relationship does. It's really touching.

School (7) - Should've been the best song on the album. It starts out and 10, and then turns into a 3. Masta Killa's first verse is his most introspective and reflective, the beat is great, and then the RZA kills it. As in, sucks. The beat switches and sucks too. His content is pretty good, but after more than a decade, you'd think he could flow a little bit. Besides, it ruins the vibe Masta Killa set. The second part really isn't so bad, but you wish Masta Killa would've kept going, maybe with a little help from GZA or Inspectah Deck. A suprise is at the end.

Silverbacks(Feat. GZA and Inspectah Deck) (9) - The only song where Masta Killa is outshined by anybody, and they both kill him. To be fair this isn't really his song, as his verse is too short. GZA steals the show, although him and Deck are always a great match up. Again, they all stepped up for this, it's pretty incredible.

Masta Killa (9) - Ah! A truly great beat, with some Bruce Lee samples, and Masta Killa's verses are beautiful. This is a composition. His second verse is too obscure, but this is the best song on the album, he stands well on his own here. Really, his first and last verses are just incredible, a perfect note to end the album. It makes you want to go back and listen to the whole thing again.

Beats - Not great, but the get better as the album goes on, mostly in order by track. Each one is better than the last.
7/10

Rhyming/Technical Rapping - As far as this goes, he's not really that great, its not his focus. Nothing to be ashamed of, though.
4/10

Consistency/Mood/Cohesiveness - The album flows incredibly well, and is pretty effective.
8/10

Content - Masta is one of the most well thought out artists in the game. He gets to obscure sometimes, but mostly he's well put and skilled.
8.5/10

Intangibles - The greatest fault of his is that he needs a featured artist. He needs a Ghostface to his Raekwon, or to have Wu-Tang all over it like Liquid Swords, he just can't carry an album. If Inspectah Deck, GZA, or Killah Priest was featured on most of the songs, Masta Killa would be able to create a truly great/classic album. He just doesn't have enough charisma by himself. On the other hand, when accompanied by guests, he's great, and he has a couple songs he does great by himself. The first third can be boring.
5/10

Overall - 6.5/10

A good album from a good artist, which is a great pick up for anybody interested in the Clan, or good lyrics in general.

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