DJ Muggs Grandmasters (Instrumental) CD

2005's GRANDMASTERS collaboration between former Cypress Hill DJ Muggs and the Wu-Tang Clan's GZA precipitated the release of this instrumentals-only version. Working in sonic environments closer to that of Wu producer RZA than to the stoned grooves that made his work famous, GRANDMASTERS (INSTRUMENTALS) is rife with stern and ponderous rhythms marked by clean, clipped drum samples; an ominous drone to set the key; and various stabs of single guitar or piano notes to color the tracks.

For those of us who couldn't get enough of the 2005 DJ Muggs and Genius collaboration project, GRANDMASTERS, the remix album is here. While the tracklist and lyrics are identical to the first (with the exception of one new verse from Ras Kass on "Destruction of a Guard"), the beats are all new, with an assortment of underground producers such as DJ Khalyl, Dialekt, L.D., King Karnov, J-Thrill, and Scoop Deville trying to one-up Muggs's work on the blazing originals. Just like GRANDMASTERS, every joint on the remix album is a banger.

Released around the same time as another collaboration project, WU-TANG CLAN MEETS THE INDIE CULTURE, this album contributed to a renewed buzz about the Wu. GRANDMASTERS pairs premiere Wu-Tang MC Genius/GZA with Cypress Hill beatminder DJ Muggs. The result was one of the freshest discs to come out of the Wu bullpen since the group's early, groundbreaking heyday.

DJ Muggs, in general, builds his production around funk and soul breaks, but occasionally one hears echoes of the RZA's classic Wu-Tang touches in the haunting soundscapes and eerie piano loops, clearly a nod to the master of the Wu fold. The GZA's always crisp, complex, and precise style sounds as sharp as ever, while help from old compatriots Masta Killa, Raekwon, and the RZA himself makes this a nice reminder of just how good the collective was in the glory days of 36 CHAMBERS and LIQUID SWORDS. Reminiscent enough of the Wu to please fans, yet contemporary and unique enough to not sound like a throwback, GRANDMASTERS proved one of the more memorable hip-hop releases of 2005.

Recording information: S.A. Recording, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographer: Robert Ohnson, III.

Personnel: Rob Hill (guitar, strings); Mike Sims (guitar, piano, keyboards); Ern Dog (guitar, organ); Dontae Winslow (trumpet).

Audio Mixers: Joe Nicolo; Rob Hill.

The Wire (p.73) - "[T]here's a nice, hasty feel to the record, as though Muggs just threw a loop into the beat computer and GZA just started going....With Muggs's dirty, dashed-together beats and plenty of great guests...."
Vibe (p.216) - "[With] the Cypress Hill vet's cryptic samples and glassy eyed grooves."