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Aug 4, 2011Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, his fifth solo album, is dope.
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The WireJun 13, 2011Shaolin is a pleasingly unpredictable record. [May 2011, p.64]
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May 6, 2011Shaolin is simply tiresome, a heap of cliches with no animating force beneath its husk-like frame, not so much a follow-up to anything but our long-held anticipation for something better.
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Apr 11, 2011From the onset, it's apparent Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is meant to be a nostalgic look back on the Wu's glory days.
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Entertainment WeeklyApr 8, 2011On standouts like Rick Ross-assisted "Molasses" and alongside Nas on "rich and Black," slicing the competition to pieces--line by line. [18 Mar 2011, p.75]
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Apr 1, 2011A great fifth album from the Wu-Tang rapper, but not quite another catalogue classic.
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Mar 29, 2011Common problems and half-assed moneymaker tracks aside, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang serves as another monument to the effortless style and cool of Rae, and establishes the Chef as the marquee member of the Clan.
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Mar 22, 2011Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang might not be an album that sinks its teeth in, but it's definitely breezy, entertaining and another worthy addition to Wu-Tang's ever-strengthening third or fourth wind.
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Mar 21, 2011Every time you turn the page to another chapter of "Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang" you get a pleasant surprise.
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Mar 21, 2011It's a classic Raekwon record; it sounds like no one else because it sounds so stubbornly like 1995 - still behind the times, and still ahead of the competition.
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Mar 16, 2011Like 36 Chambers adheres to a concept formula, as does Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang, relating the tale of ninjas and swords to gangstas and guns, and even without RZA, sustaining the notion that is the Wu.
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Mar 15, 2011Ghostface may be the most spectacular survivor of the Wu, but Rae is its real heart; the voice of speed, he moves through these tracks like a field of threats, chronicling progress towards a goal that's never lost.
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Mar 15, 2011Few rappers could bring such an engaging sense of energy to a project so focused on preaching to the converted.
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Mar 14, 2011It keeps Raekwon relevant, not to mention is better than most of the hip hop out there. But it's always worrying when an artist, even one as celebrated as Raekwon, gets complacent.
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Mar 14, 2011It's been nearly two decades at the top for this seminal hip hop group, and on this evidence they show no signs of losing their edge.
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Mar 10, 2011Patchy with flashes of killer bee sting.
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Mar 8, 2011Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang is his successful quest to return to the days when it was simple, blessed with the wisdom to know which philosophies work.
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Mar 7, 2011While Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang at face value might not be the most agreeable title for Raekwon's album, a closer look would prove it's actually perfect.
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Mar 7, 2011Raekwon knows what he does best, and while this may not be as grand as his last, he does just that here, to the fullest.
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Mar 7, 2011By attempting to break free from his group's guru, Raekwon inevitably only proves how vital RZA has been to nearly everything its members have produced, and how Raekwon has been unable to break free from his influence.
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Mar 7, 2011So, you're a founding member of the legendary hip-hip combo Wu Tang Clan. And your fans are extremely pissed because you went and done a track with that Justin Bieber.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 22 out of 25
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Mixed: 2 out of 25
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Negative: 1 out of 25
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Mar 9, 2011
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Nov 8, 2022This album feels like an audio-only movie, with each song feeling connected to the last.
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Apr 24, 2015