8 Diagrams
Encyclopedia
8 Diagrams is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan
, released December 11, 2007 on SRC
/Universal Motown Records
. The album was released three years after the passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard
, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag
, for which many group members further embarked on solo recording, and acting careers between the two albums.
Upon its release, 8 Diagrams debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200
, and number 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart with 68,000 copies sold in the first week The album received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, and earned greater acclaim than the group's previous album Iron Flag, based on an aggregate score of 73/100 from Metacritic
.
film Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter
. The Clan, which had not released an album since 2001's Iron Flag
, signed a one-album deal with Steve Rifkind
's SRC Records
in December 2006. The group's four previous albums were all released on Rifkind's now-defunct Loud Records
.
On Sunday, August 5, 2007, at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore, RZA announced that the new release date for the album would be November 13, 2007, noting that this is the third anniversary of the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard. However, the date was pushed back to December 11, 2007.
In a released statement, group leader RZA commented on the need for the Clan's return:
At the public premiere of Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang in New York, Cappadonna
revealed that the Clan had recorded between 40 and 50 songs for the record, of which around fourteen would make up the album. Prior to the album's release, Loud.com issued a free 8 Diagrams mixtape containing exclusive and unreleased tracks, including "Thug World," "Life Changes," "Stick Me for My Riches," and "Weak Spot".
, as well as a tribute track titled "Life Changes." Auxiliary members Cappadonna
and Streetlife
also appear.
In an article from NME
, it was stated that the album would feature production from Easy Mo Bee
, Marley Marl
, Q-Tip
, DJ Scratch
and Nile Rodgers
, though Easy Mo Bee would end up being the only producer on the list to appear on the final draft of the album. George Clinton
of P-Funk
, Dhani Harrison
, John Frusciante
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
, and Shavo Odadjian
, bassist
of System of a Down
also make appearances on the album.
Ghostface Killah
and Raekwon
have stated in interviews that they weren't comfortable with the album's release as it didn't contain the signature "Wu-Tang sound". Raekwon stated in an interview with Miss Info
that he and the rest of the group would follow up with another album entitled "Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang" without input from RZA. It was later revealed in an interview with Vibe, however, that Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang
would be Raekwon's fifth solo album, and that it would feature guest appearances from several other group members, with no contributions from RZA. In regards to the album's direction, Raekwon stated "RZA doesn’t have to be on every album. I wanted to give some other producers a chance. It’s not about beef. We can stand on our own."
stated that the first single would be called "Watch Your Mouth" and that it is produced by DJ Scratch
. However, sample clearance issues were rumored and "Watch Your Mouth" was not included in the final release of the album.
Instead, the first official single was "The Heart Gently Weeps
", an adaptation of The Beatles
song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
". George Harrison
's son Dhani Harrison
and John Frusciante
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
were involved in making the song. Originally thought to be a sampled track, it was later revealed as an interpolated
version, sampling Jimmy Ponder
's cover of the song. The song features Raekwon, Ghostface, and Method Man rapping and guest singing provided by Erykah Badu
. The RZA also confirmed that Stone Mecca, one of the newer Wu-Tang-affiliated groups, contributed backing music to the track.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 73, based on 33 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". USA Today
s Steve Jones gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and commended the group members' performances despite the absence of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, stating "the lyrical swords wielded by the nine surviving members are as razor-sharp as ever". Rolling Stone
writer Christian Hoard gave it 3½ out of 5 stars and called it "a terrific mix of classic Clan grime and enough new tricks to justify Inspectah Deck's claim that 'Wu-Tang keep it fresh like Tupperware.'". Marisa Brown of Allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and praised RZA's production, writing that "It's beautifully, impeccably produced, from the soundtrack strings and horns, to the philosophical samples and guitars that are interspersed throughout ... it deepens and grows with every listen." Brown elaborated on its production and perceived 8 Diagrams as a departure from previous RZA-produced Wu-Tang Clan work, stating:
However, Entertainment Weekly
s Neil Drumming commented that the album is "... a drab dilution of the Wu's signature sample-heavy, raucous sound." Thomas Golianopolous of Spin
viewed that "The beats are mostly to blame [...] skeletal, low-key tracks that rarely match the rappers' palpable energy". Giving the album 2 out of 4 stars, Los Angeles Times
called its arrangements "largely tepid" and wrote that several songs lack the rappers' "distinctive personalities". Slant Magazine
's Dave Hughes wrote that the album "fails to cohere into anything greater than the sum of its parts" and expressed a mixed response towards RZA's production, stating "when RZA isn't attempting to tone-deafly integrate other people's old sounds into his old sounds, he just sticks with his old sounds". Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
criticized the album's production as well, but complimented the performances of Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, stating that they "provide many of the album’s highlights."
Dave Heaton of PopMatters
rated the album 8/10, stating "Critics often use the word “cinematic” to describe the Wu-Tang sound. That word has never been more appropriate than with 8 Diagrams. RZA taps into his Ghost Dog and Kill Bill experiences to create imaginary film music, moody would-be scores to Westerns, martial arts, sci-fi and gangster films." Blender
s Jonah Weiner from commended RZA's production, stating "RZA has always been hip-hop’s reigning minimalist, but his work scoring Kill Bill, most recently, seems to have strengthened his ear for ambiance and texture." Weiner also complimented Method Man's delivery and rhymes on the album, stating that he sounds "rejuvenated." Pitchfork Media
's Nate Patrin complimented the group members' lyricism. Sam Richards of Uncut
gave 8 Diagrams 4 out of 5 stars, and stated "RZA’s lurching beats and raw, spectral productions, peppered with kung-fu film samples, are back to their thrillingly weird best. RZA’s dictatorial rule has ostracised Ghost and Raekwon, but you can’t argue with the results. On record at least, Wu-Tang have made the comeback of the decade."
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, released December 11, 2007 on SRC
SRC Records
SRC Records is an American record label created by former Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is distributed through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
/Universal Motown Records
Universal Motown Records
Universal Motown Records was a record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMRG, although there was some rock artists on the label as well.Changes were made at...
. The album was released three years after the passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag
Iron Flag
Iron Flag is the fourth studio album by American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released December 18, 2001 on Loud Records. The album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. Iron Flag served as the group's second lowest-selling album , as their...
, for which many group members further embarked on solo recording, and acting careers between the two albums.
Upon its release, 8 Diagrams debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and number 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart with 68,000 copies sold in the first week The album received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, and earned greater acclaim than the group's previous album Iron Flag, based on an aggregate score of 73/100 from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Background
8 Diagrams marks the group's first full collaboration since the passing of original member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004. The album's title is derived from the kung fuChinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
film Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter
Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter
Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter is a 1983 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-leung, and starring Gordon Liu and Alexander Fu Sheng...
. The Clan, which had not released an album since 2001's Iron Flag
Iron Flag
Iron Flag is the fourth studio album by American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released December 18, 2001 on Loud Records. The album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. Iron Flag served as the group's second lowest-selling album , as their...
, signed a one-album deal with Steve Rifkind
Steve Rifkind
Steve Rifkind is a music entrepreneur who is, according to XXL magazine, "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". Rifkind was the founder and chairman of Loud Records as well as the founder and current chairman and CEO of SRC Records...
's SRC Records
SRC Records
SRC Records is an American record label created by former Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is distributed through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
in December 2006. The group's four previous albums were all released on Rifkind's now-defunct Loud Records
Loud Records
Loud Records is a subsidiary of SRC Records founded by Steve Rifkind in 1992.Loud was a hip hop label which has released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit,...
.
On Sunday, August 5, 2007, at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore, RZA announced that the new release date for the album would be November 13, 2007, noting that this is the third anniversary of the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard. However, the date was pushed back to December 11, 2007.
In a released statement, group leader RZA commented on the need for the Clan's return:
At the public premiere of Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang in New York, Cappadonna
Cappadonna
Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
revealed that the Clan had recorded between 40 and 50 songs for the record, of which around fourteen would make up the album. Prior to the album's release, Loud.com issued a free 8 Diagrams mixtape containing exclusive and unreleased tracks, including "Thug World," "Life Changes," "Stick Me for My Riches," and "Weak Spot".
Collaborations
8 Diagrams features all eight current members, with previously recorded material from Ol' Dirty BastardOl' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
, as well as a tribute track titled "Life Changes." Auxiliary members Cappadonna
Cappadonna
Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
and Streetlife
Streetlife (rapper)
Patrick Charles, better known by the stage name Streetlife, is a hip hop artist who is a close associate of the Wu-Tang Clan, particularly of Method Man. He was born in the Bronx, moved to Houston, Texas, and later moved to Staten Island where he grew up....
also appear.
In an article from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, it was stated that the album would feature production from Easy Mo Bee
Easy Mo Bee
Osten Harvey, Jr., better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is a hip hop/R&B record producer, known for production work for late 80's artists such as Big Daddy Kane, but most notable for his affiliation with Bad Boy Records in its early years and his heavy production involvement in The Notorious...
, Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
, DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....
and Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, though Easy Mo Bee would end up being the only producer on the list to appear on the final draft of the album. George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
of P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
, Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
, John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, and Shavo Odadjian
Shavo Odadjian
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/editor, music producer, and artist/painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down...
, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
of System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
also make appearances on the album.
Artistic disagreements
Unlike Wu-Tang's previous albums, which used the "darker, sinister, and street-oriented, signature Wu sound", RZA utilized a more experimental, orchestral, and more universal choice of music production for the album.Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
and Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
have stated in interviews that they weren't comfortable with the album's release as it didn't contain the signature "Wu-Tang sound". Raekwon stated in an interview with Miss Info
Miss Info
Minya Oh, known by the stage name Miss Info, is a radio presenter.Formerly a writer and reporter for BET, Miss Info is currently an on-air radio personality at the New York hip hop and R&B station Hot 97. She is also a journalist who has worked for the notable hip hop industry publication The Source...
that he and the rest of the group would follow up with another album entitled "Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang" without input from RZA. It was later revealed in an interview with Vibe, however, that Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is the fifth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan-member Raekwon, released March 7, 2011, on Ice H20 and EMI Records...
would be Raekwon's fifth solo album, and that it would feature guest appearances from several other group members, with no contributions from RZA. In regards to the album's direction, Raekwon stated "RZA doesn’t have to be on every album. I wanted to give some other producers a chance. It’s not about beef. We can stand on our own."
Singles
In a BBC 1Xtra interview, Method ManMethod Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
stated that the first single would be called "Watch Your Mouth" and that it is produced by DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....
. However, sample clearance issues were rumored and "Watch Your Mouth" was not included in the final release of the album.
Instead, the first official single was "The Heart Gently Weeps
The Heart Gently Weeps
"The Heart Gently Weeps" is the first single from the 2007 album 8 Diagrams by the Wu-Tang Clan. The song features an interpolation of The Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" The vocals are sung by R&B singer Erykah Badu...
", an adaptation of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album...
". George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's son Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
and John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
were involved in making the song. Originally thought to be a sampled track, it was later revealed as an interpolated
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
version, sampling Jimmy Ponder
Jimmy Ponder
Jimmy Ponder is an American jazz guitarist.Ponder started playing guitar at age 14, and was heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell. He began playing with Charles Earland at 17, and in the following years played with Lou Donaldson, Houston Person, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine,...
's cover of the song. The song features Raekwon, Ghostface, and Method Man rapping and guest singing provided by Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
. The RZA also confirmed that Stone Mecca, one of the newer Wu-Tang-affiliated groups, contributed backing music to the track.
Reception
Upon its release, 8 Diagrams received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 73, based on 33 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Steve Jones gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and commended the group members' performances despite the absence of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, stating "the lyrical swords wielded by the nine surviving members are as razor-sharp as ever". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Christian Hoard gave it 3½ out of 5 stars and called it "a terrific mix of classic Clan grime and enough new tricks to justify Inspectah Deck's claim that 'Wu-Tang keep it fresh like Tupperware.'". Marisa Brown of Allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and praised RZA's production, writing that "It's beautifully, impeccably produced, from the soundtrack strings and horns, to the philosophical samples and guitars that are interspersed throughout ... it deepens and grows with every listen." Brown elaborated on its production and perceived 8 Diagrams as a departure from previous RZA-produced Wu-Tang Clan work, stating:
However, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Neil Drumming commented that the album is "... a drab dilution of the Wu's signature sample-heavy, raucous sound." Thomas Golianopolous of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
viewed that "The beats are mostly to blame [...] skeletal, low-key tracks that rarely match the rappers' palpable energy". Giving the album 2 out of 4 stars, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called its arrangements "largely tepid" and wrote that several songs lack the rappers' "distinctive personalities". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Dave Hughes wrote that the album "fails to cohere into anything greater than the sum of its parts" and expressed a mixed response towards RZA's production, stating "when RZA isn't attempting to tone-deafly integrate other people's old sounds into his old sounds, he just sticks with his old sounds". Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
criticized the album's production as well, but complimented the performances of Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, stating that they "provide many of the album’s highlights."
Dave Heaton of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
rated the album 8/10, stating "Critics often use the word “cinematic” to describe the Wu-Tang sound. That word has never been more appropriate than with 8 Diagrams. RZA taps into his Ghost Dog and Kill Bill experiences to create imaginary film music, moody would-be scores to Westerns, martial arts, sci-fi and gangster films." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
s Jonah Weiner from commended RZA's production, stating "RZA has always been hip-hop’s reigning minimalist, but his work scoring Kill Bill, most recently, seems to have strengthened his ear for ambiance and texture." Weiner also complimented Method Man's delivery and rhymes on the album, stating that he sounds "rejuvenated." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Nate Patrin complimented the group members' lyricism. Sam Richards of Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
gave 8 Diagrams 4 out of 5 stars, and stated "RZA’s lurching beats and raw, spectral productions, peppered with kung-fu film samples, are back to their thrillingly weird best. RZA’s dictatorial rule has ostracised Ghost and Raekwon, but you can’t argue with the results. On record at least, Wu-Tang have made the comeback of the decade."
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer | Performer(s) | Samples / Notes | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Campfire" | RZA RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost... |
|
|
3:59 |
| 2 | "Take It Back" | Easy Mo Bee Easy Mo Bee Osten Harvey, Jr., better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is a hip hop/R&B record producer, known for production work for late 80's artists such as Big Daddy Kane, but most notable for his affiliation with Bad Boy Records in its early years and his heavy production involvement in The Notorious... , RZA |
Raekwon Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with... Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan... U-God Lamont Hawkins , better known as U-God , is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan. He has been with the group since its inception, and is known for having a deep, rhythmic flow that can alternate between being gruff or smooth... |
Bob James (musician) Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date... Ilacoin Christian J. A. Faloye , known by his stage names Ilacoin and Joe Coker, is an American rapper and producer. Other misspelled pseudonyms include Illacoin, Illaquoin, Illaqoin.... |
4:12 |
| 3 | "Get Them Out Ya Way Pa" | RZA |
Masta Killa Jamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan... |
4:18 | |
| 4 | "Rushing Elephants" | RZA |
GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career... |
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3:00 |
| 5 | "Unpredictable" | RZA |
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Nicolas Flagello Nicolas Flagello , was an American composer of classical music.Flagello was born in New York City, into a very musical family. His brother Ezio Flagello was a bass who sang at the Metropolitan Opera. One of his first music teachers was the composer Vittorio Giannini, and he then studied at the... Shavo Odadjian Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/editor, music producer, and artist/painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down... |
4:11 |
| 6 | "The Heart Gently Weeps The Heart Gently Weeps "The Heart Gently Weeps" is the first single from the 2007 album 8 Diagrams by the Wu-Tang Clan. The song features an interpolation of The Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" The vocals are sung by R&B singer Erykah Badu... " |
RZA, George Drakoulias George Drakoulias George Drakoulias is a Greek-American music producer and A&R executive at the American Recordings label. He is often considered a protege of Rick Rubin.... |
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical... |
While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album... " by George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other... John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums... Dhani Harrison Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001... |
5:37 |
| 7 | "Wolves" | RZA |
George Clinton (funk musician) George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost... |
4:14 | |
| 8 | "Gun Will Go" | RZA |
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4:16 | |
| 9 | "Sunlight" | RZA |
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3:22 | |
| 10 | "Stick Me for My Riches" | Mathematics Mathematics (producer) Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was... , RZA |
Gerald Alston Gerald Alston is an R&B singer, and the lead singer with The Manhattans. Between 1988 and 1995, he left the group to record five albums and ten solo singles, including "Take Me Where You Want To." "Slow Motion" a remake of Atlantic Starr's "Send For Me" and "Activated", most of which was for... |
David Porter (musician) David Porter is an American soul musician. Porter is best known as the songwriting and production partner of Isaac Hayes at Stax Records during the 1960s... |
6:08 |
| 11 | "Starter" | RZA |
Streetlife (rapper) Patrick Charles, better known by the stage name Streetlife, is a hip hop artist who is a close associate of the Wu-Tang Clan, particularly of Method Man. He was born in the Bronx, moved to Houston, Texas, and later moved to Staten Island where he grew up.... |
4:13 | |
| 12 | "Windmill" | RZA |
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Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) "Bang Bang " is the second single by singer-actress Cher from her second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér. The song was written by Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100... " by Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".... Lyn Collins Lyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins.... |
4:32 |
| 13 | "Weak Spot" | RZA, George Drakoulias |
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3:58 | |
| 14 | "Life Changes" | RZA |
Shi Yan Ming Shi Yan Ming is a 34th generation Shaolin warrior monk, teacher and actor, best known as the founder of USA Shaolin Temple... (Heart Sutra Heart Sutra The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of... recitation) |
Freda Payne Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in... |
7:21 |
| *15 | "Tar Pit" (Bonus track) |
RZA |
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4:56 | |
| *16 | "16th Chamber" (International bonus track) |
RZA |
Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB... |
2:45 |
Personnel
- RZA – performer, strings, arranger, programming, producer, engineer, mixing
- GZA – performer
- Method Man – performer
- Raekwon – performer
- Ghostface Killah – performer
- Inspectah Deck – performer
- U-God – performer
- Masta Killa – performer
- Cappadonna – performer
- Erykah Badu – vocals
- George Clinton – vocals
- Dexter Wiggle – vocals
- Sunny Valentine – vocals
- Gerald Alston – vocals
- Tash Mahogany – vocals
- John Frusciante – guitar
- Dhani Harrison – guitar
- Shavo Odadjian – bass
- Gary Foote – bass
- Trevor James – bass
- Marco Vitali – strings
- Lamont Dozier – composer
- George Drakoulias – producer, engineer
- Mathematics – producer
- Easy Mo Bee – producer, programing
- Mitchell Diggs – executive producer
- Oliver GrantOliver "Power" GrantOliver “Power” Grant is an American entrepreneur, producer, and actor. He is credited as creating the hip hop group, Wu-Tang Clan. As Executive Producer of all Wu-Tang Clan albums solo and collective, Power helped brand “Wu-Tang” and the Wu-Tang brand Wu-Tang clothing company...
– executive producer - Jose Reynoso - engineer, mixing
- Bob Lanzner – mastering
- Steve Chahley – mixing, assistant
- Sandy Brummels – creative director
- Alexx Henry – photography
- Jason Kpana – A&R
- Tamika Layton – A&R
- Jamaal Meeks - A&R
- Vickie Charles – publicity
- Daniel Pappas – marketing
- Tatia Fox – marketing
- Eva Ries – marketing
Charts
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
25 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
9 |
External links
- 8 Diagrams at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Album review at About.comAbout.comAbout.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
- Album review at Rapreviews.com