''Wu Block'' is a

collaborative Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...

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 ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rappers

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 ...

(of Wu-Tang Clan) and

Sheek Louch Sean Divine Jacobs (born September 30, 1976), better known as Sheek Louch, is an American rapper best known as a member of The Lox, The LOX and founder of D-Block Records, along with Styles P and Jadakiss. Personal life and career At around ...

(of The Lox). Louch announced the album in 2011, in an interview. The album was released on November 27, 2012, by E1 Music. The album features guest appearances from Raekwon, Jadakiss, Cappadonna, Method Man, Styles P, Masta Killa, GZA, Erykah Badu and Inspectah Deck.

Background

In February 2011,

stated that he and

were about 8 songs deep into the album. In July 2011, during an interview with DJ Semtex, Ghostface Killah said that the album would be released in February 2012. The album's first single "Union Square" was released on June 29, 2012. On August 20, 2012, it was announced that the album would be released on October 9, 2012. On August 20, 2012, in a press release, Ghostface Killah spoke about the album, saying: "It’s real street shit for the fans. They’ve been thirstin’ for this." Sheek Louch also spoke about the album, saying: "''Wu-Block'' mixes the rap style, lyrics, beats, imagery and ideology of the 9 member Wu-Tang clan with the flow, underground star power, hard hitting bars, street story telling and bass rattling sounds of D-Block." On October 5, 2012, the album cover was released, and it was announced that the album would be released on November 13, 2012. On October 29, 2012, the track listing was released, and it was announced that album would be released on November 27, 2012.

Critical response

''Wu Block'' was met with generally positive reviews from

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. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 69, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The Company Man of HipHopDX gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "From mic to plug, ''Wu Block'' is a vintage Rap release only lacking in invention. Ghost and Sheek have made these songs repeatedly their entire career, only this time they created them together. And that’s all right. It’s hard to hate on pioneers for doing what they pioneered." Nick De Molina of '' XXL'' gave the album an L, saying "''Wu-Block'' stays true to its roots and makes no compromises in pursuit of airplay." Matt Jost of RapReviews gave the album a 6.5 out of 10, saying "The co-headlining brings a certain focus to the project while the added features make it fully evident why these two posses, who as entities are arguably past their heyday, have remained on the scene." Dan Caffrey of Consequence of Sound gave the album three stars out of five, saying "The seasoned tone and familiar production lend ''Wu Block'' ease and listenability, but also result in empty posturing on tracks such as “Take Notice” and “Do It Like Us." Jayson Greene of Pitchfork gave the album a 6.5 out of 10, saying "You don't tune into a D-Block and Ghostface Killah collaborative project expecting surprises, so here's the good news: There are absolutely none on Wu-Block." Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars, saying "Minus a few modern reference points, it's an album that's firmly rooted in the grimy, thuggish '90s, packed full of mafia don lyrics and endless references to jackin' marks, sportin' bling, and pushin' yeyo. Still, Shaolin and Yonkers camps wouldn't have it any other way." Al Horner of '' NME'' gave the album a six out of ten, saying "Whatever happened to the good old days, wonder Wu-Tang Clansman Ghostface Killah and D-Block’s Sheek Louch on their imaginatively titled collaboration. Like a rap Grindhouse, dripped in grimy nostalgia for a 1990s New York lived on ashen corners, the release turns the clock back in sound and spirit with the languorous productions of regular Ghostface collaborator The RZA replaced by hard beats and menacing samples."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 73 on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 8,600 copies in the United States. It fell to number 152 in its second week selling 4,200 more copies.

Track listing

;Notes * Ghostface Killah does not appear on "Drivin' Round".

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Sheek Louch albums Ghostface Killah albums Collaborative albums Albums produced by Frank Dukes Wu-Tang Clan