best verse on protect ya neck

warning, the shorthand is misleading; as you probably know a lot of these get incredibly awesome after sort of generic opening lines.

obviously inspired by best verse on triumph and Best verse on "Enter The Wu Tang"

going with GZA on this one. GZA was a lot funnier on this first album than ever was again.

"a mountain climber? who plays an electric guitar?" is so brilliantly contemptuous. Lots of great little turns of phrase in there - "since I seen Aunt Mabel!"

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Really surprised by the lack of interest in this.

For crying out loud!

Maybe it turns out we finally hit ILM's exact Wu-Tang saturation point.

I think the verses are surprisingly even on this track, and it's a weird case on the record where I don't find any of the verses mind-blowing (other than the mountain climber line) and yet love the track.

Deck's and GZA's are incredible IMO. And ODB's opening and closing couplets basically stake out his entire territory/career. This was everybody's effective debut, right? So it's interesting as each of them presenting a kind of mission statement in a way, presumably bringing the best stuff they had in the can at that point, 'cause who knows if you're going to actually get the album deal? (Note, I'm pretty fuzzy on the chronology here. But it would make sense in some way that this material predates the majority of 36 Chambers.)

crazy flamboyant for the rap enjoyment

Actually, fuck. I should have voted for Ghost, his builds steam continuously, just gets more and more classic as it goes. Rae's too, but, of course, in a more laid-back way.

Also love RZA, who sounds fucking pissed off, just tearing his way into the studio. "MY CLAN INCREASE LIKE BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT!" - balances a clever boast and the god damned injustice of what it is he's using as a springboard for the boast.

But I do, true, can I get a SOOO

several of the MCs on this track got way better within a few years imo

Would agree completely. I mean, "Triumph" is basically the imperial-phase version of this cut. Who would you say specifically?

Never saw this thread actually.

GZA cause "now the money's getting stuck to the gum under the table" gets me every time (a mountain climber who plays the electric guitar is the icing on the cake).

Would agree completely. I mean, "Triumph" is basically the imperial-phase version of this cut. Who would you say specifically?

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, December 22, 2012 1:50 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Raekwon and Ghost especially I think are so much stronger on their solo records and other later work than on 36 Chambers

"Also love RZA, who sounds fucking pissed off"

Lol, he definitely sounds like a car drove through a puddle and splashed him on his way to the studio.

ok, i really like that verse but LOL

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Poor U-God.

he only has like 4 short lines