It’s funny how things go in cycles. Fifteen years ago, RZA was sampling classic kung fu flicks (The Five Deadly Venoms) and Asian cult cinema (The Killer), and churning out classic records for everyone in the Wu-Tang Clan. Today, RZA is creating the music for an anime series called Afro Samurai, and in turn, releasing soundtracks from the series, which incorporate audio samples from the show. The second season of Spike TV’s Afro Samurai is again accompanied by a RZA produced soundtrack, delivered via his own Wu Music Group imprint.

Unfortunately, while RZA has reached a new level in his career, jumping from “producer” to “composer”, the latest entry in the Afro Samurai soundtrack series unfortunately does not do him or his reputation any justice. After last year’s cult hit, The 8 Diagrams, from the Wu-Tang Clan as a whole, one might expect this level of quality to manifest itself in the form of everything else RZA touches with his pointy-ass rings. Not so. Instead, we get a series of tracks with throwaway beats and lackluster emcees.

RZA’s never been one to create party rocking instrumentals – and we knew that going in – however, with his style of murky drums, moody synths, and atmospheric samples, he really needs strong emcees to bring out the best in his beats. Much of this album is dominated by second and third gen Wu-members, like Sunz of Man (“Dead Birds”) and Black Knights (“Bloody Samurai”), as well as several unknowns like Ace (“Arch Nemesis”), Boy Jones (“Nappy Afro”), each of whom fumble the coveted Iron Flag. Strangely, even some of the more weathered emcees have a hard time finding their groove, such as Rah Digga (a questionable inclusion in itself) who turns in two lackluster songs (“Girl Samurai Lullaby”, “Bitch Gonna Get Ya”).

The difference in quality is noticeable when the original Wu-members take the stage however. “You Already Know” finds Inspectah Deck trading rhymes with QB vet Kool G. Rap, with better-than-average results. The sleepy “Take The Sword Pt. III” will find most listeners nodding off in their headphones, that is until RZA comes in on the last verse, showing the previous seven emcees how to do this, son. Despite being filled to the brim with delete-worthy tracks, there is one track on this album that at least justifies a 99-cent download. “Whar” features each Ghostface Killah, Kool G. Rap, and RZA, rhyming over a classic break from Enter The 36 Chambers, previously used on an album sketch. Despite being a bit of rehash, it works tremendously, and proves with great emcees, RZA can still make banging tracks.

All in all, RZA has proven elsewhere that he can still make classic songs (maybe not full albums) when he wants to, but time and again he has given us no reason to check for albums outside of the core members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Afro Samurai Resurrection is further evidence of that fact, and sadly the legacy of the nine-diagram phoenix is once again tarnished. – Pizzo