Wu Tang & Mathematics - Black Samson

The first Wu-Tang release to feature all nine living members in over a decade, this new full-length is a reminder that when aligned, the Staten Island collective still operate on a level of their own. The production is raw and cinematic i heavy with martial arts samples, bassline grime and dusty soul flips i while the verses come sharp, tight and unshowy. No gimmicks, just business. 'Sucker Free City' and 'Mandingo' come in swinging, full of tight drum programming and rugged, overlapping verses. 'Roar Of The Lion' and 'Shaoilin Vs Lama' lean into the classic kung-fu mythology, with a sense of pace that recalls their earliest work. 'Cleopatra Jones' and 'Dolemite' are funk-fuelled standouts, where the crew's storytelling and timing land in full form. 'Let's Do It Again' and 'Trouble-Man' close with a tone of reflection that cuts through the grime. It's a new release, but also a reunion that doesn't feel like a legacy act i more like a sharpened return. No attempt to modernise, no need to. Just nine distinct voices, still bouncing off each other with control and character. A serious addition to the catalogue i and one for the heads.