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When you stick your head so deep into the world of Wu-Tang, its easy to get lost. When you touch on the the affiliates, you find hundreds of members you would’ve never known existed. The most passionate of music fans will find the incredibly deep world of mostly NY rappers. In my personal journey, this led to the album by Blahzay Blahzay named Blah Blah Blah. Searching for Ol’ Dirty Bastard tracks, you might the track “Danger 2004,” which features ODB on the 1995 track by the producer & rapper duo.
While it features ODB in prime, erratic form, the majority of verses are handled by rapper Outloud. Pulling off crazy multisyllabic rhymes against a beat that incorporates so many samples it’ll make your head spin, using everything from Big Daddy Kane, to Q-Tip, to Jeru The Damaja, its NY rap at its finest. While you could stop here & continue your dive into Wu, jumping off the path to make a detour into Blahzay Blahzay is well worth your time. Featuring the likes of LA The Darkman, there’s a couple of Wu-Affiliate gems to be found here as well.
Blahzay Blahzay – Danger 2004 (ft. Ol’ Dirty Bastard)
One of the best tracks here comes in the form of the title track “Blah Blah Blah,” as the sample work on this track is some of the craziest you can find. Sampling the beginning of a Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson track named “No Deposit, No Return,” the track is flipped into a grittier NY track with some booming drums to drive it all. Production is all handled by P.F. Cuttin, who also takes upon himself to handling the scratching. It adds an edge to the track, keeping the stiff beat moving as these horns also subtly ring throughout it.
The wax ripper ripping the record with the bear cuts
Looking at you finally like cops with cool hair cuts
But what’s facetious is when you body gets broke to pieces
Hard hits you better grab your crucifix of Jesus
And hold it tight cause I’m the mether in your flight
Just like a pilot solid bright like ultraviolet
Blahzay Blahzay – Blah, Blah, Blah
While similarities to other contemporaries are undeniable, production sounds similar to what DJ Premier would do & Outloud’s rapping style lead to a beef with Jeru The Damaja, what they pull off together is incredible. It feels like a product of its time, but in a way that means it couldn’t have been born out of any other time period. This is an album that would never be made today, and its an album that for the longest was their only release. An album that meant everything was on the line to get it made, so every song had to hit. And every song here hits.
One of the more defining story telling moments comes in the form of “Good Cop/Bad Cop,” which captures the corrupt nature of the police force. Sampling KRS-One’s “Sound of da Police” only adds to the punch of the track, as Outloud raps with such intricate detail approaching both personas in the exchanging verses. Capturing a violent shootout, the cop enacts his ruthless nature as he finds away to get with the murder.
Throughout the album, you get so many prime moments from the duo. Classic sampling & scratching techiqnues, along with Outloud’s raspy flow make for a lost gem in the scene. It does feel like other works, but their dedication to the craft of story telling & wordplay make them truly worth your time.