Made in Brooklyn

Each new Masta Killa album brings with it hope for the eventual resurgence of the slumbering Wu empire. While other Wu members have seen their careers wilt amidst woeful production work or have retreated into stodgy old-school obsessed dotage, Masta Killa continues to bear witness, preaching the Wu gospel in his dazzlingly precise, Rakim invoking monotone. On the audaciously spare opener, “Brooklyn King”, Masta Killa, accompanied only by a skeletal but infectious drum-beat, fashions himself as a revolutionary party rocker in the tradition of Brooklyn born greats like Big Daddy Kane and Masta Ace. On posse cuts like the darkly nostalgic “Street Corner” fellow Wu-members Rza, and Gza deliver elegant, concise verses that seem to draw their strength from Masta Killa’s invigorating lyrical presence. Thanks to grimy production from MF Doom, Pete Rock, and others <i>Made In Brooklyn</i> recaptures the stealthy, late night sound of earlier Wu efforts. Yet Masta Killa is not indulging in classicism for its own sake. <i>Made In Brooklyn</i> is possessed of enough character and vivacity to stand as a worthy addition to the venerable Wu canon.