British DJ Tim Westwood recently released a 52 minute Wu Tang Clan freestyle from 1997, and it shows the entire group in remarkable form. The freestyle seeming occurs shortly after the Clan arrived in London – RZA makes a reference to flying into Heathrow Airport – and it features Ol' Dirty Bastard, The RZA, Method Man, Masta Killa and U-God rapping over various instrumentals being played by DJ Mathematics.
It occurred right around the time the Wu Tang Clan released Wu Tang Forever, the double album follow-up to their landmark first album, Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers). Wu Tang Forevershowcased the entire group while also featuring guest appearances from common affiliates such as Cappadonna, Streetlife, 4th Disciple, True Master and Tekitha.
With their distinguishing deliveries in full swing, the freestyle functions as a time capsule of sorts, as it reminds listeners of the commanding presence exerted by the Wu Tang Clan when their members were firing on all cylinders. It even showcases ODB dropping verses while also performing hype man duties for the rest of the group.
Without a doubt, the freestyle demonstrates the captivating energy that radiated from the Wu Tang Clan when they were on top of their game, and functions as another testament to their status as hip hop legends.
By Ryan Donberg for RAPstation.com
