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Legendary Weapons - Wu-Tang Clan
Legendary Weapons Image
Metascore
61 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: The follow-up to 2009's Chamber Music, the album is a compilation of Wu-Tang and affiliates, minus GZA.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. RapReviews.com
    Jul 26, 2011
    85
    If this is the Wu-Tang of the 2010's, we need more albums like it.
  2. Mojo
    Sep 8, 2011
    60
    While Wu's trademark kung-fu film samples can't help but sound dated some 18 years after their breathtaking debut similar charges crumble to dust against the renewed evangelism of Ghostface Killah. [Oct 2011, p.104]
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  3. Uncut
    Sep 14, 2011
    60
    Lyrically, it's business as usual. [Oct 2011, p.105]
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See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. STRONGBONES
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Following 2009′s Chamber Music, Legendary Weapons is a compilation of Wu-Tang and affiliates, minus GZA. This album is just what Hip Hop needed in the summer of 2011. Legendary Weapons is a really not a Wu-Tang Clan record, but more like complication album with the Clan members solo songs. The entire album has a classic Wu Tang Clan vibe without their lead producer RZA, but that doesn’t mean the producing is GZA it is just that the second string producers producing do their best to imitate the GZA style. In the absence of the Genius, the other Clan members step up their game with the intricate lyricism that made them famous. Method Man, Ghostface, Raekwon, U-God and Inspecta Deck bring all their game with lyrical skill and catchy sounds: Laidback beats are combined with tricky rhymes The album’s downfall comes not only from the lack of the GZA, but also the RZA’s sagging performance. It’s common knowledge that the RZA works on many projects at once (Movies, soundtracks, etc.), but he has seemed to have lost the voracious hip hop hunger we’ve seen many times before. His performance was just sub-par throughout; His usual overflow of energy and tenacity is just not present.. Legendary Weapons only runs 37 minutes with 15 tracks; including 4 skits. The Wu Tang Clan is about the only group that can get away with this, seeing as they seem to put out a much greater number of projects than their peers. Sometimes it seems like a song might be watered down by lesser Wu affiliates (or non members), you’ll find that the MCs actually add a great deal to the record. For example, on 225 Rounds, Bronze Nazareth ups intensity of the vibe by more than a few notches. Die hard Wu-Tang Clan fans may not consider this a real Wu-Tang Clan album because it does not have GZA, but after listening through you will find it does contain the essence the Wu. Standout Tracks: The Black Diamonds My finest hour, you sacrifice to a higher Power. Fly from the tower, I fly sour And raw powder, .40 cal give your pal a shower Laced Cheeba Broken ankle, **** with the Wallabee Clarks Got them **** still screamin my name! (Whattup Starks?) I’m a bone crusher, ox’ll split your face like a Dutch Master No more mixes polar bears from Alaska Legendary Weapons Revolutionary gangster, the will to kill Everything up, my roots is steel Do a big time march through the desert and shine Let the seeds live free while we open the minds Score: 3.5 out of 5 Link to this review and others similar: http://realstrongbones.com/… Expand
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  2. ZeCatalist
    5
    With the renewed interest in Raekwon following his mediocre Cuban Linx II release, the continued success of Ghostface and the movie star-like celebrity of Method Man, it's no surprise that the money-making minds behind the Wu-Tang brand push projects like Legendary Weapons into production. Less a proper Wu-Tang record than it is a reminder of the legendary crew's mere presence and aesthetic, the album belongs in the compilation category, similar to 1998's The Swarm album, as well as all the Swarm albums released since. So, no, this is not a new Wu-Tang group album, despite what the great-looking packaging implies. For the compilation, seven of the Wu's key members show up, dropping a verse or two apiece, all seemingly half-hearted and disconnected, save for maybe Ghostface. The low points on the record, ironically, come from crew leader RZA, who seems to have lost his artistic hunger long ago. For starters, RZA offers no hand in the production duties, leaving that task to a band called The Revelations, whom specialize in organically constructed beats inspired by RZA's early production style. What really stands out, though, are the five or six verses RZA has recorded for the release, all of which sound uninspired and amateurish. Now, RZA was never a great emcee, per se; but he was, at one time, a big personality with overflowing amounts of love and energy for hip-hop music and his artistic projects. He was, as we remember, "tossin' and flossin'," and his style was awesome. The real stars here are GZA and The Revelations. GZA because he had the sense to not be involved (same goes for Masta Killa, a far lesser emcee) and The Revelations for putting together some inspired music. Just two years ago the Revs released another record, titled Chamber Music, with a similar format and sound to Legendary Weapons. Basically, the band played RZA-inspired music while Wu emcees (and seemingly just about any other worthwhile NYC emcee looking for work) dropped half-assed verses. What's interesting about these records is that they look and sound better than any proper Wu group album since 1997's Forever. That this group of outsiders are at one paying homage to and working with the Wu-Tang Clan seems almost pathetic, as we can only assume that the paychecks involved - not the love of music of creating - is the reason these discs exist. My question is this: why don't The Revelations get some of their own emcees and release records for The Roots crowd? I think they'd be highly successful, Wu name be damned. With five studio albums and now 19 compilations credited to the Wu-Tang group name, we can no longer take the crew - when working as a unit at least - seriously. What was once an artistic force that defined the sound of early-to-mid 90s New York City is now nothing more than a brand, up for sale with no quality control in sight. All that said, the music The Revelations come up with is often great, and, of course, Ghostface is always interesting. RZA, once a hero, has become one of the great disappointments of his genre and generation. It seems that, in 2011, the man can't produce a worthwhile beat, let alone write/record a single solid bar. That he has the gull to plaster his name - and always in lager font size than anyone else - all over such an album only further paints him as an egotistical, clueless and greedy has-been. The Wu Era, officially, is over ... and seriously tainted with greed and ego. Read more of my music- and film-focused writing at ZeCatalist.com.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes

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