Iron Flag had some joints

[Pazzy]

The W was a better album but my joints were yall been warned, babies, and radioactive

 

[Take It In Blood]

"I dance on a nikka like my name's Zab Judah, Rap barracuda, three XL kahuna"

 

[TripleAgent]

Wu's first two albums are VERY, VERY different classics, which is amazing in itself. They were doomed to never live up to them, but all of their albums range from good to great. Same with Nas and Ice Cube.

 

[Grandz]

Iron Flag > The W

 

[Wild self]

It really did. At that time it kind of seemed like the Wu didn't really have it anymore. It felt like their time had passed, the game was changing, especially after The W (that album was dope but it was a Wu-head album). But Iron Flag has bangers on it. It may not have been the smash commercial hit Forever was but it was great album.

By 2001, a lot of the older heads that came out from 93-95 were now the semi-old heads. Same shyt with Mobb Deep, The Wu Tang Clan were on the verge of being legacy artists by then, at a time when D-Block/The Lox and State Property were hitting their primes. As well as the rising of Dipset, a lot of mid 90s soloists/ groups were considered washed up by many Hip Hop critics. Back when Jay-Z was the undisputed king, DMX was waning on the fame, and beefing was happening left and right. In that context, it makes the Nas comeback with Stillmatic that much more potent and legendary .

Iron Flag made me feel because I knew it was basically the end of a legendary era and the young dudes didn't understand 5%er terminology anymore. It was all senseless violent street shyt and commercialized tracks by then.

 

[KingsOfKings]

 

[TrifeGod]

The W has classic Wu joints

One Blood Under W >
I Can't go to Sleep >
Jah World >
Hollow Bones >
Let My nikkas Live >
Careful >

I can probably play Iron Flag straight through but I always find myself listening to only
Iron Flag >
Y'all Been Warned
and that's really it

 

[Bugzbunny129]

Iron flag is a good album by any hip hop metric

I dug that rza tried hitting all the big styles in the game (chrome wheels = dre, rules = primo, babies & one of these days = kanye/just blaze, etc) with the few wu joints (iron flag, yall been warned, radioactive) in there. That style especially works after the w was the comeback pure wu album. Just off the fact all 4 wu albums at that time sounded diff with their own specific vibe is enough for me yo enjoy it.

I dig original 8 diagrams more but IF is a good album with joints. Bad day 3/3.5. Good day 3.75/4. The w is better tho. Thats a solid 4-4.25 micer.

And it rza had added the odb cut or do u from digi bullet, or killa beez and kb riding which released 2 months later on the sting, maybe spotlite by math added back, rocksteady or saian… it coulda been a GREAT album. Very upbeat and commercial in a good way imo. Better than abts version of the same vibe.

Especially knowing it was made in less than a year in pieces. It was not bad. There are weak cuts but nothing that is truly horrid (tho that deck/gza song is boring af).

And like duke said above. Legends like wu and nas, get shyt on for having albums that arent 5 mics, while 99% of the game coasts on 3 mic albums with a big single. Wus albums >>>.

 

[Zero]

Just Blaze and Kanye were nobodies in 2001 breh

 

[KFBF]

Something about Trackmasters on a Wu album that I find offensive. They're honestly up there with Swizz as far as producers I don't want to hear.

 

[Bugzbunny129]

Just Blaze and Kanye were nobodies in 2001 breh

Im not talking about them specifically per say. Rza 100% catered this album to the sound that were poppin in the era ie jay z, dre, etc and it was significantly “livened” up and bouncier then the w. Some of BPs sound was popping up on dynasty and obv hit big 2001.. when rza made the album.

It always felt like wus take on 2001s sound to me than a pure wu album. Like he was tryna go beat for beat with these big albums.

Whether he meant to or not, or if it was them biting him in reverse, those echo more in tune with them than rza… sonically to me. Rza didnt make the other beat.

 

[BuddahMAC]

 

[nieman]

I have this issue still.

 

[Phantom Dreamer]

Something about Trackmasters on a Wu album that I find offensive. They're honestly up there with Swizz as far as producers I don't want to hear.

i could see the optics but Back in the Game was a top three track from Iron Flag.