''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' is the fifth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American rapper and

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

-member

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...

, released March 8, 2011, on Ice H2O and

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

. Guests for the album include Black Thought,

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...

GZA ''Gary Eldridge Grice'' (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA ( ) and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both ...

Inspectah Deck Jason Richard Hunter (born July 6, 1970), better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface. He has acquired critical praise for his intricate lyri ...

, Lloyd Banks,

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

, and

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, among others. The album debuted at number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 29,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles, "Butter Knives", the title track and "Rock n Roll". Upon its release, ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' received positive reviews from most

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

s, who complimented Raekwon's performance and commended him for his musical direction.

Background

Due to the ''8 Diagrams'' controversy, which took place in late 2007, ''Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang'' was initially planned to be a Wu-Tang Clan group album, minus production from

RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name the RZA ( ), is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the ''de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums ...

. Raekwon later revealed that it would instead be his fifth studio album, and as originally intended, would not feature contributions from RZA.Murphy, Keith
Raekwon On New Album: Ghost, Meth, Black Thought In; No RZA
'' Vibe''. Retrieved 2010-09-06. In regards to this decision, Raekwon clarified in an interview with '' Vibe'' "RZA doesn't have to be on every album. I wanted to give some other producers a chance. It's not about beef." When Raekwon was asked about the album in an interview with ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', he explained "It's not nothing derogatory towards Wu. It's just that Shaolin (i.e.

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

) is the place, Wu-Tang is the crew that came from that place. It's like me just going back to my history of being an emcee first, before I actually became part of Wu-Tang. I always give RZA that support as far as saying he brought Wu-Tang to the table. It was his philosophy. He picked certain dudes to be part of this group, and he said, 'This is what it's going to be called'. Before that, I was on the block. I was living in Shaolin. So this album just shows the street side of me, challenging the great side of Wu-Tang. Which is almost like how T.I. did ''

T.I. vs. T.I.P. ''T.I. vs. T.I.P.'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper T.I., released on July 3, 2007 through Grand Hustle Records, Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took a year and a half to record towards early 2 ...

'' You're going to get sounds that relate to Wu-Tang. You're going to get sounds that relate to great Rae at his best shit, too. You're going to get a lot of animation as far as the skits are concerned. It's going to be a hot one. Everyone's going to love it."Vozick-Levinson, Simon
Raekwon on 'Wu-Massacre,' the future of the Wu-Tang Clan, his label dreams, and more: The Music Mix Q&A
''

''. Retrieved 2010-09-09.

Recording

Writing and recording for ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' began in early 2010, and finished later that year, with the album's completion being announced on December 7, 2010, on the Shade 45 Morning Show. Unlike Raekwon's previous album '' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II'', ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' contains more collaborations from non Wu-Tang members, such as

, Havoc, Black Thought, Lloyd Banks,

, Raheem DeVaughn, and Estelle. In regards to their collaboration, Lloyd Banks explained in an interview with ''Vibe'' magazine how he had Raekwon as a guest on his song "Sooner Or Later" (from the '' H.F.M. 2'' album), stating "I had the beat for a minute, just rocking, vibing with it. I wrote about three verses to it and the sample, the beat—everything just reminded me of the Wu-Tang sound… So I was like, it's gotta be somebody from the Wu. And I really respect what Rae's been doing recently. He killed it."Lloyd Banks Talks Raekwon With ''Vibe'' Magazine
EastExclusives.com. Retrieved 2011-01-15. Soon after this collaboration, Raekwon offered Banks a spot on the Scram Jones produced track "Last Trip to Scotland". Banks explained "Soon as I heard Raekwon's verse it was on some storytelling shit, so I already knew what I had to do with it. Rae is one of the best at that, so his verse opened up my mind. It wasn't like I had a blank beat to go off of." Although a number of artists such as Scoop DeVille,Roa, Ray
Chef Raekwon brings Nas, Eminem into his kitchen for new album
Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2010-09-06.

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...

, and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

were reported to have worked on the album at one time or another, their contributions did not surface on the final version. In spite of Erick Sermon being inaccurately credited for production on the track "Every Soldier in the Hood",

Oh No Oh No may refer to: * An exclamation used to indicate shock or dismay, primarily used in the English language Music * Oh No (musician) (born 1979), American rapper Albums * ''Oh No!'', 2004 album by Crackout * ''Oh No'' (OK Go album), 2005 * ...

was later reported to be the song's producer.

Release and promotion

In November 2010, Raekwon confirmed the album's March 8, 2011 release date.. Retrieved 2010-11-29. On December 7, 2010, Raekwon announced on the Shade 45 Morning Show that ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' is completed.Columnist
New Music: Raekwon “Butter Knives”
rapradar.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08. ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' was released by Raekwon's Ice H2O

imprint label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

and distributed through

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

,Jacobs, Allen (March 16, 2011)
Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/13/2011
HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2011-03-16. on March 8 in the United States and on March 7, 2011 in the United Kingdom. The album's first single, "Butter Knives", was produced by Bronze Nazareth and released on December 8, 2010. The album's title track was released as the second single on January 11, 2011. The song "Rock n Roll", featuring Jim Jones,

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

and Ghostface Killah, was released as the album's third single in February. In March 2011, Raekwon promoted the album with a five-date concert tour in the United Kingdom.

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 29,000 copies in the United States. It also charted at number three on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

and at number two on its

Rap Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...

chart. In its second week, it sold 9,400 copies and dropped to number 45 on the ''Billboard'' 200. As of April 2015 the album has sold 79,000 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it entered at number 21 on the Top RnB Albums chart.Top 40 R&B Albums Archive – 19th March 2011
The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved on 2011-03-16.

Critical response

''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' received positive reviews from most

s.Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang by Raekwon Reviews and Tracks

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

. Retrieved on 2021-07-31. At

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...

score of 73, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' writer Jeff Weiss commended its producers for "faithfully re-creat ngthe RZA's sword-swinging and bell-ringing aesthetic" and dubbed it Raekwon's "successful quest to return to the days when it was simple, blessed with the wisdom to know which philosophies work".Weiss, Jeff (March 8, 2011)
Album review: Chef Raekwon's 'Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang' , Pop & Hiss
''

''. Retrieved on 2011-03-09. John Kennedy of '' Vibe'' wrote that his "dense storytelling veers from ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2''s powder-white tales", concluding that "RZA's dark instrumentals are missed, but copious kung fu paraphernalia provide enough hard kicks and sample chops".Kennedy, John (March 8, 2011)
The BIG Review: Breaking Down Raekwon's 'Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang' , VIBE
'' Vibe''. Retrieved on 2011-03-09. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' writer Jody Rosen commented that he "sounds at ease — as loquacious as ever, unfurling martial-arts-movie allusions and street-crime narratives in a weave of internal rhymes".Rosen, Jody (March 22, 2011)
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang by Raekwon , Rolling Stone Music , Music Reviews
''

''. Retrieved on 2011-03-22.

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

's Mike Diver praised his "typically dense and detailed wordplay", adding that "the sinister string samples and mystical talk of fantastical warriors is as good here as it's been on any previous Raekwon album".Diver, Mike (April 1, 2011)
BBC - Music - Review of Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang

. Retrieved on 2011-04-04. However, Miguel Cullen of '' Clash'' expressed a mixed response towards its production and called it "patchy with flashes of killer bee sting".Cullen, Miguel (March 10, 2011)
Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang , Clash Music Latest Album Review
'' Clash''. Retrieved on 2011-03-10. Ailbhe Malone of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' panned it as a "cringe worthy attempt at old school revival".Malone, Ailbhe (March 2, 2011)
Wu Tang Clan - Album Review: Raekwon - Shaolin VS Wu-Tang (ICEH2O/EMI) - Album Reviews - NME.COM
''

''. Retrieved on 2011-03-09.

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

's Jesse Cataldo commented that Raekwon "sets out to co-opt and ape the signature Wu-Tang sound, a chop-socky blend of martial arts sound clips, gang-feud lyricism, and materialist nihilism", but viewed that "the scattershot collection of new names and old hands inevitably has mixed results" and concluded, "by attempting to break free from his group's guru, Raekwon inevitably only proves how vital RZA has been to nearly everything its members have produced, and how Raekwon has been unable to break free from his influence".Cataldo, Jesse (March 6, 2011)
Raekwon: Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang , Music Review

. Retrieved on 2011-03-09. Despite noting "some really awful bits, particularly 'Rock n' Roll'", David Morris of

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, a ...

gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and complimented its "paranoid and high-tension" beats, as well as Raekwon's performance.Morris, David (March 15, 2011)
Raekwon - Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang , Music Review

. Retrieved on 2011-03-15.

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

's Kyle Ellison gave it a seven out of 10 rating and also viewed that it "is by no means perfect ..'Rock 'n' Roll' leaves me a little cold despite strong production, but the hits easily outweigh the misses".Ellison, Kyle (March 14, 2011)
Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang / Releases / Releases
.

. Retrieved on 2011-03-15. Despite noting that "nothing quite comes close after 'Every Soldier'",

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

's Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman gave the album four out of five stars and wrote that its guest rappers "all lend some of their best bars in recent history ..these featured artists and nearly all of Raekwon's performances emphasize the lyrical focus of the record".Abdul-Rakham, Sobhi (March 23, 2011)
Raekwon - Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (staff review) , Sputnikmusic

. Retrieved on 2011-03-25. Steve Juon of RapReviews praised the album's collaborations and commended Raekwon for "assembl ngtalent for a Wu related album".Juon, Steve (March 15, 2011)
Raekwon :: Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang :: Ice H2O/EMI Records
RapReviews. Retrieved on 2011-03-15.

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

's David Drake called it "a reverent record created for Wu fans, with all the requisite cinema samples and minor-key melodies", writing that "there is enough variation in the production and craft-conscious rhyme construction to make it a worthwhile project, one that unexpectedly stands out in Raekwon's catalog".Drake, David (March 15, 2011)
Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Raekwon: Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang

. Retrieved on 2011-03-15. David Amidon of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

criticized its "

DOOM Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * L ...

-like arrangement", but praised Raekwon's "blunted, effortless delivery" and stated "''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' might not be an album that sinks its teeth in, but it's definitely breezy, entertaining and another worthy addition to Wu-Tang's ever-strengthening third or fourth wind".Amidon, David (March 22, 2011)
Raekwon: Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang < PopMatters

. Retrieved on 2011-03-22.

Track listing

;Sample credits *"Ferry Boat Killaz" contains a sample of "I Comme Icare" by

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

*"Dart School" contains a sample of "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue" by Curtis Mayfield *"Molasses" contains a sample of "Troubles, Heartaches & Sadness" by

Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are " I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband ...

*"The Scroll" contains a sample of "Apache" by The Incredible Bongo Band *"Crane Style" contains a sample of "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate *"Snake Pond" contains a sample of "Breakthrough" by

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

*"Masters Of Our Fate" contains a sample of "Man With A Harmonica" by

Personnel

Credits for ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang'' adapted from

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

.Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang - Raekwon: Credits

. Retrieved on 2011-03-09. * The Alchemist – producer * Blue Rocks – producer * Bronze Nazareth – producer * Mel Carter – executive producer * Cilvaringz – producer * Dave Darlington – mixing * Raheem DeVaughn – mixing * DJ Khalil – producer * DJ Mathematics – producer * Havoc - producer * Kenny Dope – producer * Sean Frigot – layout * Ed "Wolverine" Goldson – bass * Brian Herman – engineer * Yas Inoue – engineer * Scram Jones – executive producer, producer * Chris Nipz – graphic design, layout * Raekwon – executive producer, quotation author * Selasi – producer * Oh No – producer * Doug Wilson – mixing * Donperrion Woods – A&R * Kareem "Kay" Woods – executive producer * Xtreme Beats – producer

Charts

References

External links

*
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

*
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
' at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang 2011 albums Albums produced by the Alchemist (musician) Albums produced by DJ Khalil Albums produced by Havoc (musician) Albums produced by Mathematics Albums produced by Scram Jones Albums produced by Bronze Nazareth Raekwon albums Albums produced by Cilvaringz