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| Pitchfork |
 At this point, Wu-Tang is about nostalgia. The classic template, from the kung fu samples and RZA production blueprint to the rapper's trademark styles, was well-established more than a decade ago. Staying in that lane hasn't always paid creative dividends for the Clan-- there are a few post-millennial Wu records that are hardly essential-- but Raekwon has managed to avoid the obvious pitfalls. Making sequels to 1990s classics was a risky effort, considering how much the rap world had shifted in the interim. But with Cuban Linx II, it was apparent that Rae's rapping, as flashily dense and intensely percussive as ever, was one of the Clan's renewable resources.Shaolin vs. Wu Tang is neither as ambitious nor as dark as Cuban Linx II. It's leaner than both Linx records-- many of the tracks clock in under three minutes-- which also frees it from the weighty expectations game that dogged Rae since Immobilarity critically bombed. The production from a slate of lesser-known names caused some fans to balk, but it's a strong choice; the beats seem selected for their function rather than the producer's reputation. It's definitely a reverent record created for Wu fans, with all the requisite cinema samples and minor-key melodies. The freewheeling novelty of last year's Cocainism Vol. 2 mixtape, which even included Rae spitting over the Blackbyrd's classic ode to public sex, is scaled back. But there is enough variation in the production and craft-conscious rhyme construction to make it a worthwhile project, one that unexpectedly stands out in Raekwon's catalog. The production largely sticks to the RZA's overall approach. Bronze Nazareth's turn on "Butter Knives" hews especially closely to the RZA's more cinematic Cuban Linx moments. But there are twists throughout to keep things interesting. The best beats build on the typical Wu track by adding some new ideas. Evidence's "The Scroll" and Scram Jones' "Crane Style", for example, play with some unusual drum loops, which provides a good counterpoint to Rae's choppy, rhythmic approach to rap. "Crane Style" and Selasi's "Snake Pond" also use some great melodic samples that expand on the Wu's co-opting of "Oriental" cinematic tropes....full text |
| Slantmagazine |
| The fallout from Wu-Tang Clan's last album, which has found several of the group's members battling over ownership of its signature mythology, has also helped to point out which of them haven't fully left the nest. The two main objectors to the production on 8 Diagrams were Raekwon and Ghostface, both disavowing any connection to the album after its release, reporting their intention to make their own Wu-Tang project without group mastermind RZA. For Ghostface, who's hopped from one weird permutation to another in his successful career, the group's kung fu symbols are just another set of toys, but they appear to be a more serious issue for Raekwon, who spends the entirety of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang trying to wrest control of the group's classic signifiers into his own hands. RZA appropriately makes no appearance here, meaning Rakewon abandons the chunky funk-soul concoctions of his two Cuban Linx albums. Instead he sets out to co-opt and ape the signature Wu-Tang sound, a chop-socky blend of martial arts sound clips, gang-feud lyricism, and materialist nihilism. The opening title track pulls another audio quote from Shaolin and Wu-Tang, the movie that gave the group their name and has fueled much of their subsequent imagery. "Kung-fu doesn't belong to anyone, it evolves," a man shouts, and it's hard not to read this as a direct jab at the man most responsible for managing the group's sound. Even without RZA, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is still something of a family affair, though the guest spots seem limited to those sympathetic with Raekwon's complaints (Ghostface shows up three times) and inveterate peacekeepers like Method Man. ODB gets inserted from beyond the grave, appearing in a brief sample. But other voices are notably absent, creating intimations of a brewing civil war....full text |
| Hiphopdx |
| "The LP competes against itself - taking the old school lessons learned from an encounter with Shaolin and teaming them with the new school version of Wu." Around the time following Wu-Tang Clan’s 8 Diagrams, a disgruntled faction of the Wu was rumored to be releasing an album titled Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. That project never came to fruition. However, Raekwon – who originally came up with the title Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang – opted to use the name for himself for his fifth studio album…and here we are. The origin of the name comes from the martial arts film of the same title. This very film inspired the Wu to come up with their group name, and soundbytes from the film are dispersed all throughout Wu-Tang’s debut album, 1993’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). A title of that magnitude would suggest that Raekwon would be bringing his formula back to Day One. That statement is partially true. Raekwon could arguably be considered one of the most consistent members of Wu-Tang, next to Ghostface Killah. Throughout the tenure of his career, Rae has dabbled with various means of making his art more commercially viable, yet still remaining true to his craft. While mainstream acceptance was something Raekwon never really experienced until now (with the Justin Bieber/Kanye West “Runaway Love” remix situation), his method worked. It worked so well that his previous effort OB4CL2 , the follow-up to the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, topped the charts its first week of release, competing with Jay-Z’s legacy Blueprint III. While Cuban Linx 2 was flooded with extra concerned effort to be equally as good as its predecessor, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang throws caution to the wind. The collaborations aren’t calculated (though some might appear to be), and the project is about one RZA short of achieving almost a whole Wu-Tang appearance....full text |
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