Best National Rap/Hip-Hop

Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Men Puff Daddy the Family versus the Wu-Tang Clan became the unofficial cool argument to have for people who don't listen to hip-hop full-time, and as one of those people I found myself on both sides on a number of occasions. Listening to the Wu's double-album opus Wu-Tang Forever (BMG/RCA) reminded me of why I started listening to hip-hop in the first place -- beats, slanguage, timeless moods. Seems some people heard a good bit of filler on Forever. I disagree, but maybe it's just that I'm listening to so much bad indie rock these days, I can't tell the difference between filler and experimentation. I can at least say this: Wu-Tang's experimental filler beats the new Fugazi album hands down. The most avant-garde music to sell a few million copies last year? Easily.

And it was even easier to identify with the Puff Daddy backlash -- the ol' knee-jerk reaction was to make Puffy up as Third Eye Blind to the Wu's Sonic Youth. Then the Family hit the road and put on the best hip-hop package tour I've ever seen, and Mr. Combs, he don't seem like such a bad man after all. Next thing you know, it's cool to talk about how Puffy's as much in the spirit of "The Message" as anyone. Okay, so they're both good. I'm with you guys -- I give it to Wu-Tang by split decision, 'cause that album is a masterpiece, because Method Man might be the most charismatic performer hip-hop's ever seen, and because Ol' Dirty Bastard (a one-man Grammy highlight reel) is such an old, dirty, dog-shit bastard.

-- Carly Carioli