The latest Wu-Tang release, _8 Diagrams_, features many things; complex arrangements from the RZA, an ODB verse from the grave, a collaboration with a funk icon, guitar accompaniments from a current guitar hero and the son of rock demigod, and a more than hefty dose of U-God. But in listening to the album, one can understand the publicized frustration from Wu-Tang members Ghostface Killah and Raekwon over their role in the recent direction the legendary rap group has taken under the leadership of the RZA. Perhaps the two most highly skilled lyricists of the Clan alongside the GZA, their diminished presence on the album is quite noticeable. It is on Ghostface’s newest release, _The Big Doe Rehab_, the two find the raunchy beats and soulful samples their vocals are likely best suited for. _Big Doe_ is the fourth album in four years from Ghost, the Wu’s most prolific solo artist, and his third in a row to feature no tracks produced by the RZA. The album begins with a skit played over Latin horns, giving way to the fuzzed out beat of “Toney Sigel a.k.a. The Barrel Brothers”. One may remember that Ghost kicked the door open with the initial verse of Wu’s first release _36 chambers_, and he comes with the same fury to set off _Big Doe_. From this obtrusive jump off, the album moves to the less in-your-face, storytelling groove of “Yolanda’s House”, featuring the vocal stylings of Raekwon and Method Man. “We Celebrate” is a party track that utilizes the Rare Earth sample to create a sound best fit for the club speakers. “Walk Around” is perhaps the best song on the album, with a rhythmic sample from Little Milton’s “Packed Up and Took My Mind” and vocals from Jayms Madison. It tells the tale of a trip to the grocery store that results in a violent altercation and is the first track on the album to feature only Ghost on vocals. This would appear to be for the best, as no other MC could likely come close to the prodigious flow he delivers over this seamless cut. The album does miss the mark on tracks like “White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)”, that describes the scene at an award show, but is unflatteringly disjointed by intermittent skit breaks, and “Paisley Darts”, which features six different vocalists and drones on for five and a half minutes over a monotonous beat. It is only after a renewed burst from the Latin horns that the album rediscovers its groove with a finely crafted love track, “Killa Lipstick”, highlighted by an ambient beat and relaxed, well delivered verses from Ghost, Method Man, and Masta Killa. The jazzy vocals of Chrisette Michele accentuate the final track, “Slow Down”, which eases the album nicely to a close.While it may not contain the martial arts samples and Asian influenced beats of RZA productions, Wu fans will rejoice in a record featuring five members of the Clan (including Ghost’s lyrical soul-mate, Raekwon, on four tracks), not to mention an appearance from longtime Wu collaborator, Cappadonna. The cultured vocals, classic samples, and simple arrangements create a hip hop album that may not reinvent the game, but proves that Ghostface continues to be on the top of his. *RATING:*
*OUT OF 5*
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