
If you were like me in the 1990s, you idolized the members of Wu-Tang Clan, bicycling to the record store every time they dropped a cassette (ask any Wu fan about the vaunted “purple tape.”)
DMVers Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones must feel the same way, if Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber is an indication. The duo mixed recognizable and obscure Wu-Tang verses over abstract jazz breaks. On “Baby I Got Yo’ Love,” for instance, the unmistakable belligerence of Ol’ Dirty Bastard‘s “Got Yo’ Money” is mixed atop a mid-tempo salsa instrumental, resulting in a schizophrenic concoction that’s upbeat yet melancholy.
Wu fans, prepare for nostalgia. Jazz fans, don’t mind the cuss words. The project came out this week, and you can download it here.