hip hop isn't dead.: Killarmy

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December 26, 2019

The 12 Days of Wu-Mas #2: 9th Prince - Prince of New York (March 14, 2008)

This Boxing Day, I invite you to join me in a discussion about the Killarmy member who was voted “Least Likely to Release a Solid Debut Album”, Terrance “9th Prince” Hamlin, whose sophomore project, Prince of New York, was released on two wildly different dates in 2008 by two different record labels: 9th’s own Armyourself Entertainment, and the actual known company Babygrande Recordings, which reissued it with additional tracks after it managed to pick up some traction underground.

No, seriously, look past 9th's strange attempt at recreating the album cover for Bobby Digital's Digi Snacks (also released in 2008, weirdly) and keep reading. It'll be worth it, I promise.

9th Prince - Granddaddy Flow (May 28, 2003)

Terrance Hamlin, perhaps best known as 9th Prince from the Wu-Tang Clan offshoot Killarmy, wasn't the most obvious choice for a solo artist. He certainly wasn't the first, anyway: his coworker Dom Pachino had released underground solo efforts ever since Killarmy effectively disbanded following the release of their third album, Fear, Love & War, on September 11, 2001. (The group's never-official "breakup" was the result of both poor sales and the fact that a military-themed rap crew wasn't the best outfit to market after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the resulting war afterward that we're still fucking in.)

Killarmy - Fear, Love & War (September 11, 2001)

Wu-Tang Clan affiliates Killarmy (the six man team consisting of rappers 9th Prince, Beretta 9, Dom Pachino, Killa Sin, ShoGun Assasson, and Islord, with most of their production helmed by 4th Disciple) released their third album, Fear, Love & War, on 36/Loud Records, a Wu-Tang vanity label that took shape after Wu-Tang Records and their relationship with priority fell the fuck apart due to low sales. Three years had passed since Dirty Weaponry, their ill-received but actually pretty good sophomore effort, and the six artists were ready to bring their war-tinged points of view, honed since Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars, to the listening audience. Singles had been released, videos were shot, and Wu stans were chomping at the bit.

Fear, Love & War was released on September 11, 2001.

I remember leaving work during lunchtime and being welcomed by empty freeways on my way to Best Buy. Back then, I used to hit up the record stores every Tuesday to check out the new releases (I miss having disposable income), and I was there to specifically pick up two things: Jay-Z's The Blueprint and the new Killarmy album. The radio stations along the way were of little comfort: Clear Channel Communications had switched to a national feed that kept everybody informed of the minute-by-minute real-life horror movie that was taking place in New York. As per usual, Best Buy didn't have Killarmy, not because it was sold out or anything, but because they have no business reason to stock any Wu-Tang efforts if nobody but me will ever buy them, so I made my way to Circuit City and picked it up. In the checkout line, the cashier complained to a coworker that the new DMX, which was originally scheduled to drop that day, didn't come in after all. All this, while footage of the World Trade Center crashing down to the ground surrounded me on all of the display big screen televisions. That image made all of the petty complaints of the world seem a hell of a lot less compelling. When I returned to work, I opened up both discs and played them both in their entirety. Jay's album clearly caught on more, not just with myself but with everyone, and Killarmy soon fell by the wayside, both for me and in real life: shortly after Fear, Love & War failed (through no real fault of their own: nobody wanted to hear rap songs about war, especially when one of the artists involved had a persona called PR Terrorist, after 9/11), the group called it quits, and while they all still record, hopes for a fourth group effort are less than promising.

1. INTRO
A rap album intro. I don't know what I was expecting to be any different.

2. THE PUSH (FEAT LORD SUPERB)
4th Disciple's beat takes a while to kick in, but once it does, it's dope. However, I wholly think that The Vultures would sound better on here than Killarmy does. Lord Superb's second verse is most curious, as he starts dropping the names of random Wu-Tang Clan members in an effort to remind listeners that Killarmy (and himself) are still Wu-affiliated. Hey, you know what? It didn't work.

3. MILITANT (FEAT U-GOD)
I actually really like this beat, even if it does remind me of the bumper music E! used to use for its E! True Hollywood Stories. Every rapper (even 9th Prince, strangely) sounds refreshed, probably because the song isn't long enough for everyone to rhyme themselves into obsolescence. U-God only speaks two words on the hook, which makes this even more of a highlight of Fear, Love & War for me.

4. ORIGINATORS
9th Prince goes out of his way to thank everyone who purchased the first and second Killarmy albums. Aw shucks, it was nothing: is my face turning red? He also handles this solo track admirably. I know, I was as shocked as you will be when you hear this and ultimately like it.

5. SKIT
...

6. SWEATSHOP (FEAT MADAM SCHEEZ & FRUKWAN)
4th Disciple tries to experiment a bit with the drums on this instrumental, but this song is only notable because of the guest appearance of Frukwan (from the Gravediggaz), who manages to outrap his hosts off of sheer energy alone. Sigh.

7. STREET MONOPOLY
Starts off okay, but grows increasingly absurd within the first verse, where 9th Prince, seemingly giving up on his rhymes, shouts "You ain't my brother/Fuck it, let's grab the nines and try to murder each other/Motherfucker!". And here I was expecting rhymes about passing 'Go' and collecting Community Chest cards. Killa Sin's third verse isn't bad at all: I'm thinking that he and Inspectah Deck should have been the sole performers over this Falling Down beat (and yes, I realize that Deck is not on the song; this just would have been a better instrumental than what the Rebel INS is accustomed to).

8. AFTER HOURS PART 1
Short enough to be a skit, but this is really a Beretta 9 solo shot. As this lasts for less than a minute, I don't feel that the inclusion of a chorus was entirely necessary, but oh well.

9. TRILOGY
I appreciate that Beretta 9 feels compelled to explain to the audience exactly what a "trilogy" is during the hook. As this isn't technically part of a trilogy, nor does the track feature three verses over three wildly different beats, this song was doomed from the start. You could have called it "Rap Song #4080" and it would have a similar effect.

10. FEEL IT
Killarmy attempts to recreate the feel of "Wu-Renegades", one of the more theatrical tracks off of their debut, with sampled vocals and a piano that runs rampant throughout the song. "Wu-Renegades" was the better song, but this one is good in its own right. 9th Prince sure seems to appear on more tracks than would make sense for a crew that's supposed to contain six members, though; when did The Rza's little brother become Killarmy's figurehead?

11. SKIT
...

12. WHATEVER WE WANT
This track was boring as shit.

13. SKIT
...

14. MONSTER
This song has the high energy level that most Wu stans love, appreciate, and have come to expect in their posse cuts. Producer Falling Down's constant fucking with the beat also elevates this track to another plateau. This was pretty enjoyable, and as an added bonus, it's the only track on Fear, Love & War that features at least five members of Killarmy (only Islord sits this one out).

15. THE HIT (FEAT 4TH DISCIPLE)
Only notable because producer 4th Disciple actually steps out from behind the boards and takes to the mic. Huh.

16. ONE TO GROW ON (FEAT 4TH DISCIPLE)
Goes through seemingly nine hundred different hooks before 4th DIsciple starts to spit a verse. He sounds bored as shit, too, but at least his lines make sense: Beretta 9 steps in and kicks a line that I couldn't fully decipher, but you can fill in the blank any number of ways: "A (?)'s got a big asshole/I got a gun in it". The fuck? At least 4th's beat sounds alright after being raped and pillaged in such a manner.

17. SKIT
Makes you believe that you're in for "After Hours Part 2", since the hook makes a reappearance, but then it suddenly ends, and "Day One" begins. Was this really necessary?

18. DAY ONE
Maybe someone can explain in the comments why this song is censored on the album. Could it be due to the sample ("Theme From Exodus", originally performed by Ernest Gold, if my sources are accurate)? Did the label just simply lose the original uncensored cut like a set of keys? Or is the song relatively weak and undeserving of this much attention? I'm going with the last one. 9th Prince and Dom Pachino switch back and forth, but neither man ever changes into an awesome butterfly, so the effort is fruitless. Also, there are four other guys in the group. Where the fuck are they?

19. SPOKEN WORD
You gotta be kidding me. A spoken word interlude on a Killarmy album? Thankfully, some music quickly appears underneath all of the bullshit, but still.

20. NONCHALANTLY
"Spoken Word" leads seamlessly into this song, which was nice. 9th Prince's reference to hijacking planes is poorly timed, given the release date of the album, but that's just an unfortunate coincidence. Rza's younger brother keeps the pace admirably (he has definitely stepped the fuck up), but Beretta 9's second verse drags down the party considerably, and Islord contributes some truly boring bars. This was a pure waste of a beat by The Infinite Arkatechz (yeah, I never heard of them either).

21. THE RULE (FEAT POLITE)
I just played this song, and nothing stood out to me, aside from the dull, thumping beat and the boring lyrics from the bored participants (including Polite, late of American Cream Team, Raekwon's former band of weed carriers).

22. LADY SINGS THE BLUES
The Infinite Arkatechz is melodic and dark, but overall, the song is only alright. Not a bad way to end the album, though.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Fear, Love & War is entertaining in spots, but for the most part, its sound is dated and unappealing. Killarmy seems to be fully embracing the Wu affiliation and rejecting it all at once, which is a questionable move for a crew who would not exist if it wasn't for the Clan's success. Killarmy moves away from the darker sounds of Dirty Weaponry and tries to revisit their scattershot debut, with mixed results. On the plus side, the skills of 9th Prince have grown considerably. But that isn't enough to give this project a passing grade: the album doesn't even feature a single song that has all six members, so it seems obvious (to me, anyway) that the crew was pretty close to calling it a day anyway, so their breakup after Fear, Love & War's release wasn't that surprising.

BUY OR BURN? Wu stans bought this one on opening day, but only those of you who are intrigued by the continuing adventures of the Wu-Tang Clan's B-team need concern themselves with burning this one.

BEST TRACKS: "Monster"; "Militant"; "Originators"; "Feel It"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Other Killarmy posts can be found by clicking here.

February 19, 2008

Killarmy - Dirty Weaponry (August 11, 1998)

Wu B-teamers Killarmy, a rap group that glorifies military warfare in their songs even though not a one of the six members have ever joined any kind of military service, sold enough copies of their debut album, Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars, to warrant the release of a follow up. Dirty Weaponry was placed on store shelves almost exactly one year after their debut, and was one of (if not the) final albums under the distribution arm of Wu-Tang Records/Priority; the label deal would soon fold up faster than an Ikea card table. (Priority records apparently didn't realize that the only members of the Wu-Tang Clan that move substantial units are the ones that are actually part of the original group.)

Killarmy were New York-based rappers by way of Steubenville, OH, where The Rza and his family would summer every year. Allegedly, this town in Ohio was the epicenter of the whole 'Wu-Tang as gun-runner' debacle, which was the reason the FBI had an informant infiltrate the ranks of the Clan. (Thanks, Cappadonna!) Personally, I highly doubt that any of the eight generals and U-God would be stupid enough to endorse something as ridiculous as gun-running, when there is a lot more money in drugs. But that's just me.

Dirty Weaponry was recorded after the group's manager, General Wise, was murdered in the streets of Steubenville. But that may have been just a sad coincidence. Dirty Weaponry was also recorded upon the release of group member Islord, who was in the clink for the majority of the first disc. he makes up for lost time on the second disc, standing alongside Killa Sin, 9th prince (Rza's brother), Shogun Assasson, Dom Pachino, and Beretta 9 (Rza's production partner nowadays), all of whom showcase an incrementally heightened flow and presence, thanks to some guest appearances that a few of them (specifically Killa Sin) clocked in the off season.

Dirty Weaponry didn't sell as well as its predecessor, but with its darker, yet somber tone throughout, I don't think anyone except for an overeager A&R expected this disc to move units. Since Killarmy aren't known for their club bangers, listening to Dirty Weaponry turned out to be the equivalent of being forced to watch The Thin Red Line in history class. I even had to take notes.

Which I will share with you...now.

1. GALACTICS
After a bizarre film sample (I assume), four of the group members (including Islord) catch wreck over an Allah Mathematics instrumental, which is surprising considering the group's allegiance to 4th Disciple. (Don't worry, 4th carries the majority of this disc.) This re-introduction to Killarmy actually works pretty well.

2. ALLAH SEES EVERYTHING
Not bad, but not on the same level when compared to "Galactics", and I'm talking about both the beat and the rhymes.

3. 5 STAGES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
The first (and, up until this point, only) Killarmy song to feature all six members of the group on the same song. Even the actual Wu-Tang Clan doesn't have that much trouble; they just record all of their parts in separate studios spanning the globe, and Rza pastes them all together over some random orchestrated beat he thought of while dipping his honey-dipped blunts into some chile con queso.

4. UNITE TO FIGHT
Not great, but incredibly short, so it leaves your short-term memory just before it gets annoying.

5. MURDER VENUE
Meh.

6. DOOMSDAY (FEAT HOLOCAUST)
Holocaust comes off as the lost seventh member of the group, which is more than anyone can say about the Wu-related group he was supposedly still a part of at the time (that would be the Black Knights, for those keeping score). This song is pretty good, if only because the presence of Holocaust causes Beretta 9 and Dom Pachino to step their game up (relatively speaking, of course).

7. RED DAWN
I didn't like the movie. I only recently saw it for the first time (which is unlike me, since I'm a fucking 80's movie junkie), and while it started off promising, it deteriorated into a two-hour nap for me, and I was distracted by the main Russian bad guy, who looks like my friend's father to such an extent that I'm afraid to talk to him to this day. This song is only barely better than the movie.

8. THE SHOOT OUT
The first (and to my knowledge, only) single. I still like this one ten years later (commence feeling old.....now), but this song can easily be described as the only track with a beat catchy enough to serve as an advertisement for Dirty Weaponry. I remember the video (which was retitled "Obstacle" on BET for some reason...censorship, perhaps?), in which The Rza sits on a throne while the members of Killarmy run through an obstacle course in order to prove themselves to The Abbott. One of many heights in pretentiousness for Prince Robert Diggs.

9. BASTARD SWORDSMAN (FEAT HOLOCAUST)
Holocaust out-raps all three of the Killarmy members that bothered to clock in that day.

10. LAST POET
Decent, and yet uncomfortable to listen to. It ends with a George Bush (the elder) sound bite, in which he refers to Saddam Hussein; he must be really happy that his son actually finished the job he began (which is amazing in and of itself, since George Bush can't even finish his dinner without assistance). The worst part of this song, though, is the fact that Dom Pachino saw fit to change his rap name to PR Terrorist for the entirety of Dirty Weaponry (a name he only uses today when he wants to shock someone, due to the events of September 11, 2001), and 9th Prince makes the mistake of calling himself Saddam. Yeah, that's a great idea, 9th. Here, I also have a metal fork that you can use to stab this electrical outlet. You know, before it stabs you.

11. SERVING JUSTICE
The only song on Dirty Weaponry in which they actively promote their Wu-Tang membership. Pretty decent, for what it is.

12. WHERE I REST AT
Not that great, but still better than U-God's album.

13. PAIN
I never once thought that Killarmy would be the Wu-Tang affiliate group that would spawn the most solo albums; I thought that Sunz of Man would easily take that title. So I was wrong. (It happens...rarely.) Anyway, this song features more violent lyrics over an strikingly calm beat, just like every other song on Dirty Weaponry; it may as well be the final song presented.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Killarmy are still Wu-affiliates, but you wouldn't know it by listening to Dirty Weaponry, where they don't even try to grab a chunk of the sword-swinging audience. They're still not the greatest of lyricists (Killa Sin acquits himself well, but 9th Prince and Dom Pachino still sound a little forced to me), but with nobody to compare themselves with, everyone does a good job. This is clearly not a high-energy listen, and nothing here will ever receive anything that remotely resembles radio airplay, but taken as a total package, it's not bad.

BUY OR BURN? Surprise! I would actually recommend a purchase, but with one caveat: it only applies if you're a Wu-Tang fan that appreciates their attempts to branch out. 'Regular' hip hop fans will probably be nonplussed by these six guys, but that's your loss. I still say, though, that the idea of a group made up of six rappers pretending they're going into war is a tough sell in America, so they have that going for them, which is nice.

BEST TRACKS: "Galactics"; "Doomsday"; "The Shoot Out"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Killarmy - Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars

September 28, 2007

Killarmy - Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars (August 5, 1997)

If you don't consider yourself even remotely close to being a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, you should stop reading this post right now. It's okay, I give you permission. Check back in a bit, and hopefully there will be something else that you will enjoy. For everyone else, please continue.

Killarmy is one of the bigger Wu-affiliated groups out there, but if you're not a fan of the Clan, there is no point in listening to their debut, Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars, because it's not going to be the album that changes your mind. Made up of six rappers you've never heard of (Killa Sin, 9th Prince, Shogun Assasson, Dom Pachino, Beretta 9, and Islord), Killarmy dares to take the kung-fu stylings of the Wu into a new dimension: namely, one comprised of soldiers at war. (I suppose this review complements the Capone-N-Noreaga review in that respect.) You would expect that to be a tough sell in any time period, especially in today's political climate, and you would be right, since Killarmy hasn't sold nearly as well as they would have liked. (Side note: Killarmy's third album was released on September 11, 2001, and ever since then, they have not produced anything as a group. Coincidence? Probably.)

Their debut album features references to combat, samples from war flicks, and Five-Percent philosophy, which helps identify it as a Wu-Tang project. Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars is almost exclusively produced by 4th Disciple, with only a couple of assists by The Rza, and was released in 1997 on Wu-Tang Records, with distribution handled by Priority Records, a relationship that would dissolve quickly, since the only people who purchase these types of Wu-Tang albums are hardcore fans like myself, and there aren't a lot of us out there. The only guest appearances are made by Wu members or affiliates that were inconsequential, a far cry from the Sunz Of Man debut, which featured Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

By its very nature, Killarmy is a group that you would only pay attention to given its affiliation; they cannot function as a stand-alone group. At first, it's even hard to distinguish between the six artists on the same songs. It should be noted that there are no songs on the album that feature all six members side by side. That may just be due to time constraints (and the fact that Islord was locked up for the majority of the recording sessions), but I think it says a lot about the group's identity. Hell, even the original nine members of the Wu knew when to act as a team.

Anyway...

1. DRESS TO KILL
It starts off sounding like a bad rap album intro (with a sample snatched from an unidentifiable newsmagazine), but turns into a really good way to start the album. Killa Sin, the first rapper here, is the one who would go on to sporadic guest spots on Wu solo albums; 9th Prince, the second artist, has a speedy yet incredibly awkward flow, and probably secured his place in Killarmy by birthright; he is The Rza's younger brother. Shogun Assasson sounds okay, I suppose. 4th Disciple's beat drowns out all of the rappers, though.

2. CLASH OF THE TITANS (FEAT STREET LIFE)
Dom Pachino, probably the most prolific Killarmy member out right now, has never really impressed me, but then again, that can be said for every member of the group. Method Man's official seat warmer pops up for unknown reasons (walked into the wrong studio, maybe?).

3. BURNING SEASON
This "the beat is better than the lyrics deserve" thing? Consistent throughout the entire album. I know, right?

4. BLOOD FOR BLOOD
Beretta 9 is now better known for assisting The Rza on production duties (listen to Method Man's 4:21: The Day After...no, seriously, listen to it; it barely sold any copies ). Too bad he didn't do anything but rhyme on this track; it's really freakin' boring.

5. SEEMS IT NEVER FAILS
Islord makes his first of two appearances alongside 9th Prince. He doesn't sound bad, but he sounds out of place; this can probably be attributed to his time in the clink, since he wouldn't have been able to adapt his flow to match the rest of the group. This song is okay, but nothing special.

6. UNIVERSAL SOLDIERS
Meh.

7. LOVE, HELL OR RIGHT
This is just a skit. Feel free to breeze right past it.

8. WAKE UP (FEAT HELL RAZAH & PRODIGAL SUNN)
The first single, featuring Hell Razah and Prodigal Sunn from Sunz Of Man, as well as the final appearance from Islord on the album. This song, which originally dropped in 1996, was produced by The Rza, and I clearly remember this song as being the one that turned the tides in my mind of the wide-spanning ocean that is my theory that Rza could do no wrong. Interesting side note: in doing my research, it seems that the original plan for Killarmy and Sunz of Man was for them to be one giant supergroup, not unlike the former Black Knights Of The North Star; evidence of this idea can be found on the Sunz Of Man track "Soldiers Of Darkness" (one fo my favorite favorite Wu-affiliate tracks), released in 1995, which features both 9th Prince and Killa Sin. It's too bad that idea never panned out; it could have made for some interesting musical choices.

9. FAIR, LOVE & WAR
Goddamn, some of these songs are boring as hell. This will inevitably result in more hate mail from Wu fans, especially those at Ultimate Wu, but I have to speak the truth, and don't lie to yourselves, nobody listens to this album with the same frequency as Enter The Wu-Tang.

10. WU-RENEGADES
This is probably the first single you've heard, since they actually played the video on BET. Dom Pachino (also known as PR Terrorist - bet that name doesn't fly in 2007, huh?) still doesn't do anything for me, but overall, everyone comes off pretty well over 4th Disciple's dark piano keys.

11. FULL MOON
9th Prince and Killa Sin, who appear on a lot of tracks together and should have just gone off and been a duo like Wu-Syndicate, surprised the hell out of me on this track back in 1997. This song is fantastic; now this is more like it!

12. UNDER SIEGE
Does anyone remember Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, where Katherine Heigl (of Knocked Up fame) played Steven Seagal's daughter? Yeah, you guessed, it: that bit of trivia is more interesting that this abortion of a song, which would have been better left on the cutting room floor. Speaking of Knocked Up, it's been proven that star Seth Rogen is a huge Wu fan; did you like how I tied that all together?

13. SHELTER
I'm about 4% certain that the U-God album has songs that are more interesting than the majority of Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars. Coming from me, that's a pretty harsh criticism. Then again, I'm only 4% certain: God forbid I actually listen to that album to fact-check.

14. CAMOUFLAGE NINJAS
Getting back on the right track, 4th Disciple provides his most Rza-esque beat ever, while Shogun Assasson, Dom Pachino, Beretta 9, 9th Prince, The Professor, and Mary Ann rip it up. The Raekwon sample in the chorus is much appreciated; however, it only leads you to daydream about what could have been if the other Wu members even knew Killarmy existed.

15. SWINGING SWORDS
Not great, but not horrible. Just...is.

16. WAR FACE
Rza supposedly co-produced this song, but I don't hear any of his handiwork here; in fact, this song sounds like shit.

17. 5 STARS (FEAT MASTA KILLA)
Since Masta Killa subconsciously knew his solo album wouldn't come out until 2004 anyway, my guess is that he decided he could either work and get paid, or not work and starve. Masta swoops in for the final verse and blows everyone else out of the building, over a beat that sounds like it sampled Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman's composition "Suicide Is Painless" (also known as the theme song from M*A*S*H), almost blatantly so, but since they are given no credit in the liner notes. I'm hoping that they received some sort of compensation. Royalty check, bag of weed, anything!

FINAL THOUGHTS: Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars is a debut album by a six-man group who aspire to one day be in the shoes of the Wu. The problem is, lightning only struck once. The Wu are comprised of eight good solo artists (and U-God) who sound confident when alone or as part of a group. Killarmy, conversely, features six artists who have not established any individual identity, but still insist on pretending they are solo artists grouped together; hence, all of the Dom Pachino solo albums. Wu fans probably already own this one, and it's not the worst album I've ever heard; hell, it's not even the worst Wu-affiliate album I've heard today. But to recommend this is a stretch.

BUY OR BURN? If you don't like the Wu-Tang Clan, don't even bother with this one; rudimentary knowledge of the philosophical side of the Clan is required to even begin to appreciate the concept of this CD. If you like the Wu, you may still not want to bother, since the majority the album's musical compositions are ruined by the rhymes of six artists who, with time, became more confident in their abilities. Maybe 1997 was too soon to release anything from Killarmy. Anyway, burn this one; save your money for The 8 Diagrams, which the Wu swears is coming out in November. (Be good, and you'll see a Gut Reaction for that album, too!)

BEST TRACKS: "Full Moon"; "Dress To Kill"; "Camouflage Ninjas"; "Wu-Renegades"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Sunz Of Man - The Last Shall Be First

hip hop isn't dead.