Despite some obvious similarities to the Wu-tang Clan, D12 really didn’t warrant comparison to the 9 man strong team as individuals.
If Detroit emcees were to band together and do a Wu tribute album (purely hypothetical) or form a parallel version of the group, this is how they would form together (like Voltron!).
RZA - The ring leader - Has to be none other than J Dilla. Aside from fulfilling both emcee/producer capabilities, it’s the actual similarity in the quality of production and the sometimes lacklustre emceeing (see RZA on Ras Kass’ “The End”) that makes this an obvious choice.
GZA - The wise leader - Another easy one - Less scientific but Phat Kat has been putting in work since the days of 1st Down with his old running mate droppin’ knowledge and schooling cats.
Method Man - The star - Stole the spotlight on the initial album without necessarily knowing he would (”M-E-T-H-O-D MAN”). That would be Obie Trice. Through all the hype surrounding Eminem and D12, Obie Trice ended up being the most successful of Detroit’s Shady Records recruits. The entire package you would want to see in an emcee.
Ghostface - If Method Man is “Star A”, Ghostface would be “Star 1A”. In Detroit’s case it would be Royce Da 5′9″. Perhaps the most prolific lyricist with respects due to Eminem, Royce like Ghostface is the underground’s king.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard - The unpredictable one - Baatin no question. Baatin doesn’t quite have the unintentional comedy of Dirt McGirt down, but maybe that’s something he can exploit.
The Wu-tang Clan: One of the, if not the best, hip hop groups of all time.
Raekwon - The storyteller - Big Herk. Easily. Both can whip up grimy tales of crime and street life and paint a picture through their words every time.
Inspectah Deck - Quiet but deadly. This would be Elzhi. Not the type to jump on award show stages uninvited (“Wu-tang is for the children!”) or constantly seek media attention, but no less deadly on the mic. One of the group’s best emcees and considered very underrated. Hopefully Zhi comes correct on his first solo outing. Deck didn’t quite live up to expectations.
Masta Killa - The unknown - Not many people could tell you a whole lot about Masta Killa. That fact along with the rhyme style/voice makes me think Billy Nix. The former D-Elite member is a stronger rhymer both lyrically and in flow but the subject matter and overall style are similar.
U-God - The relatively weaker link out of a strong crew - Not that he couldn’t deliver some fire (”Winter Warz”). He had the voice, but next to some of his group members, he had no choice but to be overlooked. This one’s a hard one. Success wise I would have to say Strike. Again, good lyrical ability but didn’t get the attention his peers did. Still goin strong after his role in 8 Mile, Strike should be alright as long as he doesn’t make bad career moves like U-God did - biting the hand that feeds him (RZA) and making a travesty of hip hop (”Bump” - I won’t even link to the video) a single on your cd.
Other thoughts:
- T3 could arguably play the role of Cappadonna, the “10th” member of Wu. They both can drop either an underrated or underwhelming verse depending on the song.
- Proof could have also made a good Method Man. Both have a similar type of voice and could flow for days. But he also had a bit of Ol’ Dirty in him too, so he wasn’t an automatic fit.
- Eminem just doesn’t fit into any of the Wu. He might have had he gone a different route and joined with Dru Ha and the Boot Camp Clique (another group of emcees that drew comparisons to the Wu).
Your thoughts?
