The Wisemen Help Light Up Detroit with Golden Arm Touch

Wu-Tang Nexus and Beatmaker Centered Ethos Makes this Wonder Group Shine; Detroit/New York City-Connection Illuminated

Certainly no disrespect to The Left, Black Milk, or even Royce Da 5’9 (all of which I hold in high regard). But The Wisemen (comprised of Bronze Nazareth, Kevlaar 7—real brothers and both beatmaker-rappers—, Phillie, Salute the Kid, Illah Dayz, and June Megaladon) are so deft at representing their obvious Wu-Tang influence—from production sound to lyrical flow—that I’m compelled to dub them the new leaders of the quickly emerging Detroit/New York City-connection rap architecture. And while The Left may be the more accessible leaders of this new architecture right now (as evidenced by their recent unanimous good reception among the most credible music blogs), The Wisemen—who are much more grittier, edgier, and sinister—seem to have more street staying power.

Because of their legitimate Wu-Tang affiliation (nurtured by The RZA’s direct connection to The Wisemen’s co-founder, beatmaker/rapper Bronze Nazareth), The Wisemen offer a more “meat and bones” representation of New York soulful hardcore rap. This is particularly refreshing because they are not imitating the New York (mostly Wu-Tang) sound as much as they are essentially demonstrating Detroit’s overall unique palate for hip hop/rap music as well their own uncanny ability to convincingly interpret it at will. For it could be said that the casual observer of Detroit hip hop/rap is only able to recognizes its Midwest location and perhaps its natural musical affiliations and influences. However, the deeper purveyor of Detroit hip hop/rap recognizes that this Wu-Tang nexus—a link that transcends regional “rules” or considerations—is not new, but an old one that has finally found its era for national (if not global) exposure, and subsequently, massive celebration.

Speaking of The Left, I’ve been meaning to write a review for their stellar album, Gas Mask. I had it all planned. The review would not be just about the quality of their project. Instead, I planned to highlight one fascinating characteristic of modern day Detroit hip hop/rap: the undeniable musical connection (lineage) to New York soulful hardcore rap. I had planned to make The Left the centerpiece example of this remarkable connection. But I held back on that review, and subsequent theory, because I wanted to hear The Wisemen’s new joint, “Thirsty Fish,” before I completed my thesis. Well, after listening to The Wisemen’s “Thirsty Fish,” the first single off of their recently released sophomore effort, Children of a Lesser God, my conclusion has shifted.

I’m going to hold off on publishing my final thoughts until after I’ve heard (thoroughly listened to) The Wiseman’s full album. But for now, I’m going to zone out to their song “Thirsty Fish.” I invite you to do the same. Particularly, I encourage you to study how The Wiseman, a group from Detroit, so flawlessly capture the quintessential Wu-Tang sound. This is proof that anyone, from anywhere, can capture the essence of a style and sound, as long as they commit to it.

The music and video below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship

The Wisemen ft. Raekwon – “Thirsty Fish”

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa’id.
“The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education.”