Review: Wu-Tang Vs. The Beatles (Mixtape)

Shhhh… this is not an official release. Let’s be quiet about this, okay?

Anyway, since this review is our little secret, I can say without hyperbole that this mixtape justifies the very existence of the internet. I know, I know: some foot fetishist is out there going, ”No, Jere, thanks to the internet, my foot thing is now on the bottom of everyone’s ‘what’s up with that?’ list! That justifies the internet to me!” And to him, I say: “NO. This is the shit!” And then I punch that guy in the face because he crept up on my review uninvited. I’ll admit that this isn’t the best music ever, but I will look at a million goatses and lolcats if I can be blessed with an idea this simple executed so well at the end of the parade of gaping assholes and bolded text. There are plenty of inspired moments here, and the right amount of Wu darkness remains on tracks like “Back in the Game” (sampling “Things We Said Today”). Arguably one of the most brilliant masterstrokes is the juxtaposition of old audio of Beatlemaniacs with the familiar Wu-Tang skits; no Wu-Tang release would be complete without that kind of re-purposing of old tape.

Another great idea: most of the tape is assembled from Beatles covers, orchestral versions, etc. That makes every song familiar, but not too familiar. Sometimes, the beats don’t sound all that different from hip-hop beats you could’ve gotten from other samples. That’s a weakness, for obvious reasons, but it’s a kind of strength because you don’t get “BEATLES WU TANG BEATLES WU TANG” shoved down your throat unnecessarily for the whole 80 minutes. Subtlety is always welcome. On first glance, you could only hope it never bastardizes the Beatles’ originals. That it uses them to such a spare effect is a miracle. When the originals pop up, it’s in brilliant moments, as when a line goes “You know my naaaaaame/M-E-T-H-O-D MAN!” Or when “Uzi (Pinky Ring)” turns out to be a kaleidescope of Beatles tracks. I’d like to point out something that’s not a use of an original, but of still of note: “Criminology” uses the first verse of (a cover of) “Yesterday” as a bridge to build some serious tension. That is genius, my friend.

This deserves all kinds of praise, but I wouldn’t say it transcends novelty. It’s just – what a novelty item, you know? Only in the age of the internet could something like this escape somebody’s cassette tape and get into my hands. Still, it could have been better: the Wu are consistently great with their verbal attack; their lesser albums usually suffer from subpar production. The Raekwon mixtape Cuban Revolution, for example, beefs up some underrated rhymes with better production and almost feels like The Great Lost Raekwon Album. Magical Mystery Chambers could have been essential if it had polished more unsung Wu-Tang tracks, rather than spending a lot of time on classics. All those second-tier GZA and Method Man contain diamonds coated in generic beats. Inspectah Deck’s Uncontrolled Substance is full of songs that are a slight right from classic status. Still, there’s a huge thrill to hearing “Got Your Money” backed with the familiar “You Never Give Me Your Money” melody.

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About the Author

Jere is not from Chicago. Nor is he from Parts Unknown. But he sure loves to hear things. Follow him on Twitter!

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