‘Visionz’ is 3 minutes of lyrical mastery. There are 5 verses, handled by Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, and Ghostface Killah. The beat is classic boom-bap, with gritty key hits, and drums that bounce off the stoops of Staten Island. Each member sources their bars from fantasy, articulating their visions with out-of-world detail and swagger-filled confidence. The claim to the best of the verses is one for debate, but Ghostface closes this track with vigour, firing off memorable lines like “My mood swings, suplexed off the rope, magazine.” It’s good ol’, dusty east coast excellence.

‘A Better Tomorrow’ beat catches the ear immediately. It contains a sample of ‘The Love Theme’ by pianist Peter Nero, which loops in a lo-fi, eerie manner throughout. It tackles the adversity faced within the city projects, painting a vivid picture of the dystopian struggle that persists. Inspectah Deck is especially vivid in the first verse, with lines like “Crooked cops comb my building complex that’s in the rumble, streets are like a jungle, can’t let my cypher crumble.” Masta Killa, U-God, RZA, and Method Man follow, harnessing the KO-power of the John Woo classic that the title of this track references. It’s a prime example of Wu-Tang’s food-for-thought concepts, catapulted by their undeniable style.

RZA deemed Ghostface Killah’s verse on ‘Impossible’ the “Greatest Wu-Tang verse ever written” in his book The Wu-Tang Manual; he may be right. It’s an impactful one, as Killah weaves a tale of a man dying from gun wounds, covering the pain that lingered throughout the situation with the utmost passion. You can hear his voice break, as he goes through the trauma inflicted on the family and the ignorance of the police, enhancing the emotional depth of this already heavy song. Don’t gaze over the top-tier performances of RZA and U-God either, as they both contribute to the song’s concerns over the crime rate increasing in the city. Soundtracked by a sample flip of Beethoven’s ‘Sonata No.8 Pathetique’, ‘Impossible’ is a powerful PSA.

Maria is pure, unabashed flagrance. Commanded by two verses from the late, great Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the track shines in its tongue-in-cheek, boastful proclamations. Cappadonna and RZA match the unfiltered approach of ODB, bringing their witty takes to the chaotic grime of the instrumental. In an album rich with heavy, confronting topics, ‘Maria’ is a glowing moment of ridiculous, flex-heavy enjoyment.

Everything amazing about ‘Triumph’ is perfectly described by the title itself. This massive posse cut features appearances from all 9 members and lives today as one of their most well-known tracks. The beat juxtaposes itself, with soulful vocal chops, fluttering keys, and elegant strings sitting atop crashing drums and a deep abyss of bass. Every member shows out, displaying a masterclass in rapping, but the real standout is Inspectah Deck, whose verse is regarded by many as one of the best verses of all time. If you’re reading this, you know the song, you’ve seen the classic video, and most likely have dropped a few bars yourself over the instrumental. ‘Triumph’ inspired us all to try and achieve.