Who isn’t inspired by Wu-Tang Clan? Even OGs that preceded the WTC, like De La Soul, pay homage to the Staten Island collective. That said, the Long Island trio (Posdnous, Dave & Maseo) drop a new single called “Get Away,” which features the “Spirit of the Wu.”
Pos, aka Plug 1, spoke to Rolling Stone about the song:
“I’ve always loved the ‘Intro’ on Disc Two of Wu-Tang Forever – this erie sample with no beat, that they only talked over,” De La Soul’s Posdnuos tells Rolling Stone. “I stumbled on the original sample while crate digging one day, took it straight to the lab and added drums. The feel is definitely gritty, hard and sounds like a Wu record, so out of inspirational respect, we included featuring ‘The Spirit of the Wu’ in the song title.”
One listen to the tune and it’s clear, Dave and Pos haven’t lost a step. “Fetch pads and pens, even with the pencil/Rap labels studies us, flooded us with stencils,” spits Pos on the head nodding groove. “And some’ll believe that they’re a leader, young fella you’re a two liter,” adds Dave.
Here’s one the rap nerds will know; the song uses samples of RZA’s commentary from 1997’s Wu-Tang Forever, where the Abbot says “A lot of n-ggas try to take Hip-Hop and make that sh-t R&B, rap and bullsh-t, ya know what I’m sayin’.” Back in ’91, De La dropped De La Soul Is Dead, which popularized the term “rap and bullsh-t” (see “Afro Connections At A Hi 5.”)
De La Soul plans to drop a new song every month. This, is a beautiful thing. The long Island trio’s new album, You’re Welcome, is due out in the fall.
Listen to “Get Away” below.
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Photo: Robbie Jeffers
