Wu-Tang Clan: the classic lineup, with the late Ol' Dirty Bastard centre.
Yesterday saw hip-hop blogs going into meltdown as, six years after their largely anticlimactic fourth LP Iron Flag - and three years since the death of founding member Ol' Dirty Bastard, the Wu-Tang Clan's new album 8 Diagrams finally leaked online. The news is, it's very, very good. There have been concerns - even from Wu member Raekwon - that they've moved away from their hardcore roots. But as the RZA took the time to make clear, it's all a matter of perspective. They've still got the same chop-socky beats, the same mixture of quick-slow, manic-laconic delivery, the air of brooding menace and ear for the perfect sample that has always made them stand out from the pack. True, there's more of an overtly R&B influence to some of the new material, but when they include songs as thrilling as the epic slow-burner Stick Me 4 My Riches (which sounds like a lost track from Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label taking a wrong turn down crack alley), there's little cause for concern. With mainstream hip hop disappearing up a cul de sac of clichés - all bling and 80s pop samples - it's a relief to see a major release remind us what we've all been missing.
Of course, yesterday's leaks were unofficial and not entirely legal, so we'll take our cue from the rather splendid music blog thecultureofme.com in pointing you towards those tracks that are already in the public domain.
The official release date in the UK is December 10 (a day before the US release), but Mathematics has made an exclusive 29-track mixtape of new and exclusive material, available to download for free via Loud.com - which in itself is better than most albums their contemporaries come up with.
The blog verdicts have been largely favourable, as well they might. 8 Diagrams is a reminder that, when they're not making awful videogames (and quite nifty accessories), having petty spats with each other or launching ropey clothing collections, they can still be peerless as musicians.
