Is Inspectah Deck The Best MC in Wu-Tang Clan?

Is this not one of the greatest verses of all-time? "I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies / And hypotheses can't define how I be droppin' these / Mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery / Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me / Battle-scarred shogun, explosion when my pen hits / Tremendous, ultra-violet shine blind forensics / I inspect view through the future see millennium / Killa Beez sold fifty gold sixty platinum / Shackling the masses with drastic rap tactics / Graphic displays melt the steel like blacksmiths / Black Wu jackets Queen Beez ease the guns in / Rumblin' patrolmen tear gas laced the function / Heads by the score take flight incite a war / Chicks hit the floor, die hard fans demand more / Behold the bold soldier, control the globe slowly / Proceeds to blow swingin' swords like / Shinobi Stomp grounds I pound footprints in solid rock / Wu got it locked, performin' live on your hottest block..." Inspectah Deck showcases, once again, why he might actually be thee nicest MC in the Wu-Tang Clan. Give that man his flowers while he can smell them! Deck had me at C.R.E.A.M., but without a classic solo album, people won't give it up. My favorite MC in the Wu is Ghostface, but the best MC? Inspectah Deck. Fight me in the comments.

DJ Rob One "Summah" (Mixtape, 1994)

This is Rob One's (R.I.P.) Summah Volume 1 mix tape from 1994. I remember Rob One got a lot of love in the Caught In The Middle rapzine back in the day. I didn't have a lot of his tapes, but what I'd heard was definitely dope. Summah Vol. 1 features tracks from Lord Finesse, Jeru The Damaja, Erule, Gravediggaz, The Wascals, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Tha Alkaholiks, Dred Scott, Poor Righteous Teachers, Patra, Dredknotz, Heavy D, Mic Geronimo, Dane Dane, Main Source, Boogiemonsters, and plenty of his own flavor was added to his tapes. Rest In Peace. Dig in below...

Tony Touch "Hip Hop 35" (Mixtape, 1994)

Classic shit! This is Tony Touch's Hip Hop 35 via Tape Kingz in 1994. So many amazing records from artists like Gang Starr, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, The 45 King, Shyheim, Shadez of Lingo, Heavy D, Das EFX, Snoop Dogg, Domino, Queen Latifah, Black Mafia, Terminator X, Intelligent Hoodlum, A Tribe Called Quest, Tha Alkaholiks, De La Soul, Top Quality, KRS-One, and more! It's one thing to listen to "Best of 1994" mixes that are put together today, but to go back to that time and hear some of the more slept-on joints and these classics as brand new records, it's more authentic! Updated audio below...

DJ Riz "5 Minutes of Funk" (Video)

DJ Riz puts it down on the turntables as a guest on Funkmaster Flex's latest viral web-series, 5 Minutes of Funk. True hip-hop heads know how nasty DJ Riz has been since the early days of College Radio, MC Serch and more. DJ Riz touches the original samples, manages to pay tribute to DJ Premier and Guru of Gang Starr, and puts it down for the culture all at the same time. Shouts to DJ Eclipse; I trust they compared sets before they blessed it, lol. Let us DJs have this moment! Other originals represent tracks from De La Soul, Das EFX, Jay-Z, Frank N Dank, Ed O.G., The LOX, The Beatnuts, Group Home and more ... DJ Riz put it down real mean on this one, watch below...

Natural Elements "1999: 10 Year Anniversary" (2010)

There was a short period in the mid-1990′s, when heads were so fed up with direction that major labels were taking with hip-hop music, that many artists just decided to put their stuff out independently. Many important players were integral to this movement, including indie labels like Stones Throw and Fondle ‘Em, radio shows like Stretch & Bobbito and the Wake Up Show, and retailers such as Fat Beats and HipHopSite. It wasn’t long though before corporations wanted to get a piece of the action, such as Rawkus Records, or Tommy Boy who formed their “Black Label” imprint, specifically to market to this demographic. At the forefront of this movement was NYC based crew, Natural Elements, made up of A-Butta, L-Swift, Mr. Voodoo, along with producer Charlemagne. This group helped pioneer the indie movement, creating a local buzz for themselves, which would soon spread worldwide. However, unlike artists like Mos Def, Dilated Peoples, or Eminem, all of whom seemed to strike at just the right time, the N.E. crew came too early, and then thanks to a short-lived deal with Tommy Boy Black, remained shelved for the duration of their career. The group would go on “indefinite hiatus”, leaving their lost album in legendary status. 1999: 10 Year Anniversary skips much of the group’s earlier solo works, where arguably their strongest material lies, and instead collects many of the Tommy Boy sessions. Herein lies a handful of the group’s greatest recordings, which now shine with classic status over a decade after their original 12″ release. Among these is “2 Tons”, which worked as the perfect introduction to the crew, as they effortlessly flowed over Charlemagne’s BDP-inspired drum-kicks and interstellar keys. It’s B-Side cut, “Livin’ It Up” also featured the crew in perfect harmony, as they captured that almost “jiggy-backpack” sound of the time... “Bust Mine” was executed perfectly, as Charlemagne’s meaty track showed their potential with a little studio shine... Sadly, 1999 seems to have been left unmixed and unfinished, as many of the tracks sound like they were done in one take, never looking back. - HipHopSite. This is still a classic, to me, even if a lot of that is based off pure nostalgia. Updated...

Benny The Butcher "Butcher On Steroids" (Mixtape)

Benny The Butcher has teamed up with DJ Green Lantern to release Butcher On Steroids, his debut project for Griselda. Benny’s latest mixtape features 12 tracks with guest appearances by Conway and Elcamino. Production is handled by Daringer, Camoflauge Monk, Icerocks, Noc, Trypps Beatz and Green Lantern. Benny also raps over a few vintage beats, including Capone-N-Noreaga’s “Blood Money." Check out the stream for Benny's Butcher On Steroids below, physical copies at Daupe! 

Pace Won & Mr. Green "The Only Color..." (2008)

Pace Won first got notice with a guest spot on The Fugees’ The Score back in 1996. Dude’s been around for a minute. He served as one of the front men for the group The Outsidaz and if you’re wondering where he’s been or surprised he’s still around, it’s been four years since his last solo release, Telepathy. New Jersey MC and DJ duo Pace Won and Mr. Green’s The Only Color That Matters Is Green gets off to a better start than most hip hop albums for the simple fact that it actually starts with a song. A full-fledged, meaty, five-minute-plus track with Mr. Green laying down some rousing strings as Pace comes in to get it “bangin’ like Billy Bob Thornton.” It sets the tone for the fairly tight package this album delivers. The Only Color… is somewhat of a rare thing these days—a hip hop record you can just enjoy. Put it in the deck, press play, and bob your head. It’s not innovative or socially conscious or even that gangsta, but at only a little over 50 minutes, it’s not bloated with the requisite club tracks, southern-flavored tracks, intros, outros and skits that have you constantly hitting the skip button. Pace seems to have become a sort of journeyman of the underground. The real star of this record may be Mr. Green’s startlingly consistent production. The unheralded producer’s DJ Premier-like sound proves that you can make quality hip hop by taking a sweet sample, looping it, scratching it and letting it bump. With so much filler and garbage out there, these beats and a solid performance from a rather seasoned MC make you wonder, is this game really so hard? As Pace says on “Four Quarters,” the album’s opener, “It’s like fightin’ some dude that got a glass jaw/you hit him in the chin and you win/your old life ends and your new one begins.” - HipHopSite. An underground gem! I'll share my interview with them (again) one day.

Mekolicious "Unsigned Hype" (The Source, 12/97)

Mekolicious was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype back in December, 1997. His white label 12" was released under the name Meccalicious and included the dope tracks "Hope The World Don't Stop" and "How You Feel" with production from fellow Mount Vernon resident, the Soul Brother No.1, Pete Rock. Prior to that, he was on a remix to INI's "Fakin Jax," as well as records with Rob-O and various loosies that were unreleased, alternate mixes or later released officially by Pete Rock without him on it. Between the years 1994 and the early 2000s, Pete Rock had his own label titled Soul Brother Records. The label returned more recently to co-release some of his more recent records, but it was during those early years that Pete Rock was producing for Mekolicious. I'd say close to 10-12 records in total, all produced by Pete Rock. There were light rumors that EPs and other 12" pressings were done, but I've yet to lay eyes on them, except for a 7" that BBE and HipHopSite put out in the early 2000s with a self-titled record, also produced by Pete Rock. This is definitely another case of what coulda been? I hope you'll be interested enough to dig up more!