It’s been a long time coming. One of hip-hop’s greatest lyricists, The Genius of Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill’s resident scratch master DJ Muggs coming together for hip-hop’s biggest display of coastal cooperation since the Soul Assassins project. For two artists considered washed up this album has generated a lot of buzz, even if only on the internet, and this can be seen as the resurrection of both artist’s careers, even if just for a moment.

GZA’s lyrically sound storytelling is present and accounted for, as is DJ Muggs’ soulful production, and the two merge together to produce something special. The chemistry of GZA and RZA is there, as Muggs and GZA seem as at ease with each others styles as Kool G Rap and DJ Polo or Alchemist and Mobb Deep. The album begins with ‘Those That’s Bout It’ on which GZA drops jewels like ‘Most never pedal, above the street level, and cut their last deal with the devil just to settle’. Muggs crafts a haunting soundscape not unlike RZA on ’Liquid Swords’. Muggs is obviously aware of the beats GZA needs to hear to truly shine, which he produces with ease on ’Destruction of a Guard (Pop, Pop, Pop)’ with features GZA’s boys RZA and Rae. ‘Exploitation of Mistakes’ is classic GZA storytelling once again with Muggs constructing a dark piano loop for The Genius to flow around. ‘General Principles’ is once again vintage GZA with lines like ‘a small fried nigga, in a baked potato world’ and ‘Name a crew that could stop the force that I strike with, let alone try to hold the pen that I write with, you can even chop the fingers off that I type with, those I hold the mic with thinking I might quit’ .

The album continues with the excellent ‘Advance Pawns (Royal)’ which features a re-energized RZA and Raekwon, however GZA shines once more. GZA continues to amaze while both he and Muggs keep their mind in the gutter with dark beats and grimy lyrics. Once again on ‘Queen’s Gambit’ GZA’s storytelling lyrics shine, whereas ‘Illusory Protection (War Drumz)’ could be a lost track from ‘Liquid Swords’, and any Wu-Tang fan knows that’s a compliment.

In conclusion, this album is many things to many people. Firstly it’s the first true competition to Kanye for best album of the year, it’s also a convincing east and west compilation, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, this is the return of the Wu-Tang Clan in the true sense of the word. There isn’t a moment of this album worth skipping, and boy that’s a good thing.

i-Pod Worthy - ‘Illusionary Protection (War Drumz)’, ‘Advance Pawns (Royal)’, ‘Exploitation of Mistakes’, ‘Destruction of a Guard (Pop, Pop, Pop)’, ‘All in Together’

Skippable - Not a damn thing.

Overall - 5.5 Out of 6 Shots; I’m really reserved in handing out 6’s, at least until the album has made a month of spins, but this album seems to be one which will grow on the listener.