Twelve Reasons To Die Interview Series On Wu-International

This week the ambitious “12 Reasons To Die” dropped on Soul Temple Records. Wu-Int has seized the momentum to shine a light on the label and crew behind this great project . Soul Temple Records is launching a breath of fresh air into the hip-hop world, one which is long overdue. Instead of just throwing out random releases one after the other as anyone else in the game, Soul Temple is aiming higher with its releases. The emphasis is on Quality: be it picking the perfect men for each job, production, artwork, total package presentation, … everything must be perfect. However, although relatively new, the label already has had its plate filled with the storm Sandy literally tearing everything up in the days the label was to release its first project.

We are happy to announce we had the chance to interview co-founder Bob Perry and Soul Temple producer/A&R Andrew Kelley on the so far short but rocky road the label has travelled since it started.
Be on the lookout next week as we will post their lengthy but equally interesting interviews on all things “Soul Temple” and off course their stories behind “12 RTD”. But that’s not all, as we speak, Apollo Brown is preparing his track by track rundown of the “Brown tape” version for us. And furthermore has Adrian Younge confirmed he will also run down the original version for us track by track after the hectic period of his “12 Reasons to Die” tour has come to an end. If lucky we might also get few of our questions answered from Ghostface Killah, The RZA and Lil' Fame who we couldnt get right now due to their hectic work load.
See you next week, and if you can not wait, here is the interview that started this series from Adrian Younge.

http://wu-international.com/index-old1.html

http://wu-international.com/misc_albums/Interviews/AdrianYoung_Interview.htm

The Making of Wu-Tang Records Presents Myalansky, Joe Mafia & Napoleon as The Wu-Sydnicate

Weekend throwback, 

In 1999 Wu-Tang records released this album above which had VA residents and artists Myalansky, Joe Mafia & Napoleon as Wu-Syndicate, an album executively produced by The RZA. Album featured gold selling single 'Where was heaven' which was also featured the Swarm compilation. Production was from Mathematics, Dj Devastator, E The Dread, and Smokin Joeh.
This album to date is still a hidden jewels amongst fans and still praised for its innovative, unique and full rounded approach to what a classic album should sound like.

13 years later, Wu-International got with Napoleon and Myalansky to go through the making of the album, what inspired some of these gritty songs, as well as the outcome and so on, if you have not got this album then you are simply not a Wu fan.

The making of Wu-Sydnicates album...

1. Thug War [Produced by dj Devastator]:
Myalansky: Thug war was crazy because at the time i had just came home from doing a bid. My man Jamakin Peter was doing his thing and he introduced me to Dj Devastator at Daryls retaraunt in Norfolk... Dj hit me with a disc 'Where wuz heaven' track thug war track etc.. I took the disk and was in the lab bustin my pen and at the same time in the streets of portsmouth it was a war going on... My lil homie rip lil steve had got kidnap for randsome and was killed... It was ugly and inspired me to come up with that concept for that track.
Napoleon: Just like Mya said when we first got that track Jamaican Pete was suppose to be our manager at first so we got wit Devastator, heard the track and wrote something crazy but when we originally recorded it we went to a messed up studio so it didn't turn out right then Jamaican Pete got locked up so eventually we ended up linking wit Daddy O ...but Thug War was the beginning and eventually we re-recorded it and it turned out great.

2. Pointin' Fingers [Produced by Allah Mathematics]
Myalansky: We recorded this track at sound castle studio in hollywood.. Math bless us wit the track at Rza crib kenwood apt in Burbank CA.. We sat down twist up that shit and the results is pointin fingers.. I'm saying dog?
Napoleon: This song was recorded during the time I had left Cali because I had court cases to attend so while I was gone they just kept it moving but the song came out crazy typical syndicate murder.

3. Global Politics feat. 12 o'clock [Produced by Dj Devastator]: 
Myalansky: I remember it like yesterday i was sitting at the table burbank ca writing this vesre and 12 o clock walked in like yo I'm hoping on that shit.. I mean thats Ol' Dirty lil bro so we had to show the god love.. Got mad respect for Brooklyn Zoo.. Popa Chief, Shorty shit stain, Rasan the Zookeeper they some real NY street niggas no hollywood shit...dudes get it in.
Napoleon: I remember being in the studio that night Divine was there that night so I went in the booth last because I had that crazy verse last and when I came out I went over to Divine and asked him how my verse was and he said u killed it god, this joint was one of my favourites

4. VA Cats [produced by Dj Devastator]
Myalansky: The night we laid this track ODB was buggin at the studio.. He had a session wit producers ready wainting on him for hours.. He pull up in the lex truck singing then pull off never coming back to record his album..we was in studio b sound castle and just thought on this track we should rep virginia being that no one had ever heard of rap artist from va that was connected with Wu-tang.. VA was the foundation for lot of off the record events ya dig.
Napoleon: Once again I was gone back to VA but I had a chance to get on that track way back but for some reason that track just didn’t grab me so I never wrote to it but it came out crazy... "Cats be eyeing me, somebody snitching, somebody dying,  see 2500 a big 8 heard he was buying 3" ...that’s how it was.

5. Metropolis [Produced by Dj Devastator] 
Myalansky: Lol I was so high off that Cali sticky green that night I passed out in the studio when I woke up it was day time and Joe Mafia had murded the track for dolo.. I heard that shit and was like aint shit i can do to it he had already said enuff.
Napoleon: Yeah thats Joe Mafia at his best of course, he was crazy wit the bars since he was 12.

6. Golden Sands [Produced by Dj Devastator]:
Myalansky: This is when all me and Joe Mafia was chosen to be the only two faces on the cover hodling the brand Wu syndicate.
Napoleon: I was on this song at first, when u hear them saying the hook that was my hook even tho I got omitted from the song I'm glad they used my hook still

7. Crime Syndicate [Produced by Dj Devastator]
Myalansky: This was like '97 we exchanged versis over the phone infact micky mirrors was suppose to be on the track but he had charges in new york....va and new york had the bridge up crazy.
Napoleon: First song we ever had on the radio they did it on 103jamz Rock it or stop it and we was in NY and people were calling saying everybody said Rock it and it was on from there.

8. Were was heaven? [Produced by Dj Devastator]:  
 
Myalansky: You already know this was my life story as a kid. Virginia brought opportunity for a lot of hustlers, i seen a lot of blood shed aswell as the glitz and glamor of the underworld.. My nigga jamakin pete gave me the track and was like this shit is diamond cut son i will nerver forget that shit.... I sat down for weeks wit that track trying to figure out what direction i wanted to take it...one night at my baby moms crib i was puffy on some grandaddy purple and the vision became clear as i listen to the track i could hear and see the pain of the struggle and the reality of not knowing really if there was a better place than the hell the ghetto given us for so many years... Where wuz heaven.
Napoleon: Self explanatory, classic Mya, classic Syndicate.

9: Ice Age [Produced by E The Dred]:
Myalansky: Its crazy because actually Napoleon came up with the concept for this track and me and Joe Mafia just jumped on it like fuck it.
Napoleon: This was my coming out party, I got the track from Dred and wrote my verse and told Joe and Mya bout it. I didn’t do the hook until we got into the studio and I did it on the spot and the look on people faces was priceless because Mya had been doing all the hooks but I came thru wit that '22 century shit, microchip pole chamber' now its the best song on the album most say.

10: Ghetto Syringe feat. 12 O'Clock [Produced by Dj Devastator] :
Myalansky: This track was written in Cali, we was at the Kenwood apt.. Burbank Twelve o clock wasnt even on the track at first but La the Darkman was but some how through politics that changed... La the Aarkman murdered the track.
Napoleon: I said 'I pull heist like the Columbos mob lifestyle speak in codes and hieroglyphics son watch the money pile' .... Yeah everybody smashed that one.

11: Young Brothas [Produced by Dj Devastator]:
Myalansky: This was a time when we did lock outs in sound castle studio hollywood CA from 8pm to 8am. We was up all night wile devastator was cooking up tracks.. We heard this shit and was like yo thats it next thing you know we got verses laid.. Its crazy because that same morning we couldnt get back to burbank lapd had shit on lock because of the north hollywood bank robbery when two dudes was bullet proof down and banged out wit them choppers..yea we was out there at that time!
Napoleon: Thats my favorite Joe and Mya song, DJ Devastator murdered that track.

12: Weary Eyes [Produced by E the Dred] : 
 
Myalansky: Once again I think Napoleon picked this track and I just hoped on it, we shot the video in Manhattan while Nas and Puffy was shooting 'you can hate me now' around the corner...as you notice in the video you heard Napoleon verse but he was locked in virgina at the time.
Napoleon: One of the greatest songs of all times just imagine if I was home and not locked up how crazy everything would’ve been.

13: Muzzle Toe [produced by Allah Mathematics] :
Myalansky: This was us saying we married to the mob or in other words the syndicate... Bobby digital was shooting his movie at this time.. Mathamatics threw us the track we puffed on some sticky and splash the shit.

14: Ask Son [Produced by Dj Devastator]
Myalansky: Damn I was locked up in cali for Rule allah power equality charges at this time and couldnt complete my verse. Chick tried to play a nigga but Old Dirty Bastard, Daddy O and Rza... Took care of that...so when i got out i finished my vers... You better ask son?

15: Wings of Life [produced by Dj Devastator]: 
Myalansky: We was was expressing the flight we have from one level of life to the next.... Stair case to stage type shit figure deal me.

16: Lutunza [Produced by Smokin Joeh]
Myalansky: Yo I was in Virginia when I wrote this shit P town my nigga was off the blicka... Niggas cribs was gettin rushed.. Adt alarms was worthless.. The wolves was lerkin crazy...jooks was a everyday factor hands down that was the way portsmouth laid it down niggas know....should i continue?

17: Bust a Slug feat. Trigga and ill knob [Produced by Smokin Joeh]
Myalansky: We wrote this shit one night at Shaq studio with Trigga from MMO, Him and his click hopped on it and we shot the video in Brooklyn...

18: The Hit [Produced by Smokin Joeh]
Myalansky: Yea the hit was witten as we exchanged versis over the phone then we went up in the studio and laid it.. Aint too many ways to describe the concept of that... It is what it is. 
Napoleon: "Trial of the century, nosey bitches from 50 states, feds walked in wit 10 videotapes" ..from that moment on the song takes u inside the minds of mob bosses explaining their thought processes it was ill.

All in all the album was a classic and I played a major role in putting it all together everybody know that deep down inside their heart. I couldn't be on the cover because I was locked up but I’m on the inside of the cover but if I was home trust me we would’ve been triple platinum. I give shouts to all that was there tho they need to do an A&E documentary on it its that real and if done right 9 figures would’ve been the outcome.

 

Source

Masta Killa - Soul & Substance Interview

"Homicide's illegal and death is the penalty
What justifies the homicide, when he dies?
In his own iniquity it's the
Master of the Mantis Rapture comin at cha
We have an APB on an MC Killer
Looks like the work of a Master
Evidence indicates that's it's stature
Merciless like a terrorist hard to capture
The flow, changes like a chameleon
Plays like a friend, and stabs you like a dagger
This technique attacks the immune system
Disguised like a lie paralyzin the victim
You scream, as it enters your bloodstream
Erupts your brain from the pain these thoughts contain
Movin on a nigga with the speed of a centipede
and injure - ANY M'F*%$£N CONTENDER"

Which Wu Tang Clan fan doesn’t recognize the above lyrics? The year was 1993 and with only one single verse on the debut album, Masta Killa rightfully earned his spot in the Wu camp and the fans’ hearts.
Fast skip to today, almost twenty years later. Masta Killa is still at it as we saw him recently set up his new site, and in the process use it to offer fans a new album out of nowhere. “Selling My Soul”, offered in several packages, even in a deluxe box set for the collectors which can be purchased directly from his site, It is not the long awaited “Loyalty is Royalty” fans been anticipating though they did recognize some leaked tracks. Many wondered immediately if they would even see “Loyalty” ever drop? And what about that recent RZA tweet, announcing a meeting with all Generals to discuss the 20th anniversary this week (and a possible new Wu-Tang album as hinted)?

As most fans know Masta Killa rarely does interviews and prefers to keep a low - profile mediawise. Wu-International had the unique privilege of talking about all this and much more with Masta Killa just this week so we are very proud to present you this interview. Prepare for a great ride because ‘the Master of Mantis Rapture is comin at cha’ ! Enjoy …

read the full interview on Wu-International

Wu-Wednesday: Stone Mecca - Iron Fist Tribute Song + Challenge & Goodies

With so much going on with RZA's debut movie "The Man With The Iron Fist" which drops November 2nd, make sure to support The man, the talent, the movie, the movement.

For fun,  RZA's official band and Wu-Tang fam and live group; Stone Mecca have recorded an Iron Fist tribute song/instrumental which is not featured on the official soundtrack but are making it available to fans to download for free and enjoy. Stone Mecca has decided to take it a step further, and have invited fans to add vocals to the instrumental (rap, sing, or reggae chant to it) and send/post it on Wu-TangCorp forum or post it below on the comments section of this post on this blog. The songs will be forwarded to the band leader ; Tru James who will also be checking the forum links and decide the winner. For those who are not members of the forum, either join, or post it on the comments section of this post or send it here promo@wu-international.com.

 The site will give the winner two free CDs, Stone Mecca's album "First Contact" and the official soundtrack to "The Man With The Iron Fist "album by The RZA.  In addition to the CDS, the song will be featured as the song of the week on the Wu-International for at least 2-4 weeks.

Here is the download link to the instrumental http://soundcloud.com/stonemecca/the-man-with-the-iron-fists . Make sure to title your submission as "Stone Mecca's Tribute to Man With Iron Fist" featuring "Artist Name", all entries end the 30th of November, 2012. so get your mic on and send in your tribute to the man with the Iron Fist by Stone Mecca.

Source: Wu-International.com 

Wu-Tang Clan official Website

 Stay tuned for the official Wu-Tang Clan website
http://www.wutangclan.com/

In the mean time, stay up to date daily with everything Wu-Tang by following and checking the official blog http://wudisciples.blogspot.com/

Or swing over to Wu-International for more .......................

www.wu-international.com

Fresh From The Mogue Experience With The RZA & Bronze Nazareth

Fresh From The Morgue: ft. The RZA

Bronzeman and The Rza....I sent Rza “Farewell”, to get a story type joint going but he said ‘send a few more’, so I sent this “Fresh from the morgue” beat. I had the hook and my verses on it already. Had to wait awhile, but that's my dude and he got it to me on some Bobby Steels shit! I was in NY, and checked my e-mail a day after recording Masta Killa, and there was the Rza vocals.

He even started his verse with the Bobby Steels shit! Upon further listen I noticed he added the “Bob is ill ill ill Bronze is ill”. I was bouncing around the room when I heard it. That's a good look for the legend to call you ill on your album. So that was big. One of my favorites on the album.

By Bronze Nazareth

Read full track by track break down of album by Bronze

Wu-Tang Clan official Website

The Wu-Tang Clan official website has been launched,
http://www.wutangclan.com/

Stay up to date with Wu-Tang Clan by checking this site regulary as well as on the official blog http://wudisciples.blogspot.com/



Other related or relevant site that you might also find helpful:

http://wutang-corp.com/

http://wu-world.com/

http://wu-international.com/

The Making of RZA aka Bobby Digital Presents Northstar

As Naratted by ChristBearer (Northstar) For Wu-International

There is a whole album of songs that we and RZA THE GREAT wanted for this album but the execs over at Koch was like no, no, no so we put it out our selves several times :0) and called it Northstar presents West Coast Killa Beez which was first called Underground Sh*t az a lot of fans know Warcloud was all over that album being that at the time he had left Black Knight over creative differences even though they were still cool and working together and he was mainly riding wit us but when Koch said they wanted us to record it in LA we did just that to make a long story short, a lot changed when we went back to re-record the album.

Kinetic, Pachino and Ninth got involved because they knew we needed the support, same wit everybody else from Trife to Freemurder, Mathematics, Suga Bang Bang, Solomon Childs, Krymelife, The Knigths etc all family, Masta Killa and Dirty (ODB RIP) was supposed to get on but due to miscommunication it never happened, Masta Killah even had a verse that I never got to hear for Red Rum.

All and All it was received great on the underground and it even got great write ups in almost every major hip hop mag you can name Vive, The Source, Double XL, etc yet the label and RZA THE GREAT could not see eye to eye and they wanted the album NOW! RZA THE GREAT wanted what he wanted so I must admit that between me and Alan Grumblat over there at Koch we did some gangster yet junky shit when RZA was out of town to get the masters for press cuzz I wanted that album out as bad as them on the East, North, West and Central Long Beach city!!! :0) yet RZA THE GREAT did some gangster shit too and cut the tour short and kept the video money, and changed the title from The RZA presents to Bobby Digital presents thats why you saw the first covers were almost different :0) so there it is.. may it reign for ever and a day Bobby Digital presents according to CHRIST BEARER THE GREAT;0)

Read track by track experience/review by Christbearer

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