Wu-Tang 8 Diagram Breakdown by The Rza

Personally, I can't fucking wait for this album to drop. I'm very excited.

REUNITED
With the whole Clan ready to swarm, RZA proves why Wu-Tang still ain't nothin' to **** wit'!

FOR RZA, ENTERING the Wu-Tang Clan's fifth chamber has been tougher than Chinese arithmetic. Ever since the iconic supergroup dropped their fourth disc, Iron Flag, in 2001, varying degrees of drama-ranging from Ol' Dirty's death in '04 to Ghostface's hesitancy to lay vocals-delayed Wu's long-awaited comeback. Despite their differences, the Clan once again formed like Voltron to work on 8 Diagrams, a disc chock full of Ghostface verses, kung fu samples and even a new "torture" skit. Not since "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" has the Clan held such a carefully guarded secret. The Abbot sheds light.

"LIFE CHANGES" PRODUCED BY RZA
That's a song that we dedicated to ODB. I put together an old Freda Payne sample and classic Wu-sounding drums. We originally started it for Dirty's album that never came out. Each Clan member says eight bars a piece to Dirty. It starts off with Method Man, and he has this one line that I love: "Ol' Dirty, in your honor/I've grown a fetish for loose women and baby mamas."

"YOU CAN'T STOP ME NOW" PRODUCED BY RZA
It sounds like a black western. I had John Frusciante [of Red Hot Chili Peppers] play lead guitar. The sample we played over comes from an old song, "Message to the Black Man." There's been many versions, but we referenced a reggae one. I rap on this, and I'm talking about how I started off as a smalltime hustler, but kept going, amidst death threats. To fight depression, I would make beats that became songs, which became hits. Then, Rebel INS and Ghostface come on.

"THUG WORLD" PRODUCED BY RZA
That's just hardcore, ghetto. [System of a Down member] Shavo Odadjian's bass-playing is crazy on this. The beat is just ****in' wild cowboy-style. Deck sets it off, Raekwon and myself have ill verses on it, and U-God comes in. I'd compare the beat's energy to "Method Man."

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH" PRODUCED BY DJ SCRATCH, CO-PRODUCED BY RZA
This is potentially the first single. Scratch came in with some beats he had made with Wu-Tang in mind. But for this album, I've been using instrumentation, so I added those elements to Scratch's beat. Every Clan member threw a verse on it. It's a throwback to "Protect Ya Neck," with that same impulse. The original title was "You Better Watch Your Mutha****in' Mouth," but that wouldn't work for radio.

"TITLE TBD" PRODUCED BY RZA
I love The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." I've always been warned not to sample Beatles songs because you can't clear them, but I wanted to take a chance. I had a mutual friend link me with Dhani Harrison, George's son, who just happens to be a huge Wu fan. I thought, imagine if George Harrison's son played on a new version of his father's song. Meth, Rae, and Ghost are on it, each [offering] a different perspective [on] the dope game. The Beatles meets Wu-Tang, on a song about drugs? That's incredible.

"WOLVES" PRODUCED BY RZA
There's Method Man, Masta Killa and U-God. The way U-God sets this ****in' record off...he's underated, but he won't be after this album. He's as powerful on this song as "Raw I'ma give it to ya, with no trivia" [from "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'"]. The beat has a vocal sample for pulse, and I used a multi-layered clap snare. I played guitar myself on it, and DJ Mathematics scratched some ODB vocals. DJ Scratch's brother is a trumpet player, and he plays a line I wrote.

"TAKE IT BACK" PRODUCED BY EASY MO BEE, CO-PRODUCED BY RZA
I had to make a confession to Mo-he's the first person I ever saw with an SP-1200. He produced the B-side to my first single, "Ohh, We Love You Rakeem," as well as GZA's [Words from the Genius]. He's the one who inspired me to get an SP-1200; he helped me become a producer. At first, he just played drums on "Campfire" [another 8 Diagrams track], but then he played me a beat, and I had the Clan rip it up, talking about what's missing in the game today-the heart

-Taken from Scratch Magazine