Album Review:
The RZA Hits
- Release Date: 1999
- Genre: Rap
- Label: Sony Audiobooks
- Total Time: 61:22
- Artist: RZA
- Flags: Collection (various artists), Contains explicit content
- Rating:
- Styles: Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Alternative Rap
- Track Picks: "Liquid Swords," "Method Man," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
- Similar Albums: Supreme Clientele, ...And Then There Was X, The Master [Clean], Golden Arms Redemption, Blackout!, Nigga Please, Uncontrolled Substance, Out of Business, Out of Business [Limited Edition], In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1, Murda Muzik, I Am...The Autobiography, Heavy Mental
Review
Perhaps the best overall introduction to the dauntingly large Wu-Tang universe, RZA Hits is an excellent singles compilation covering the first round of Wu projects -- their debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and the five solo albums recorded in its wake. The material here traces the Wu's rise from underground heroes to full-fledged stardom in hip-hop's mainstream, and arguably no other album captures their offbeat menace and outsized personalities with such stunning consistency. All 13 singles collected here were produced by the RZA, giving a primer on his eerie, cinematic style; moreover, these songs were all highlights of their respective albums, from the era when the Wu's quality control was at its highest. Every album represented here is at least an entertaining listen, and three -- the group debut, the Genius' Liquid Swords, and Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx -- are undisputed classics. Which means that this is only a starting point, but the material is so consistently terrific that it makes RZA Hits one of the richest listens in '90s hip-hop. Sure, you can do without the RZA's between-track narrations, or the "bonus track" "Wu Wear, the Garment Renaissance," a lengthy plug for the group's clothing line. But this is the absolute cream of the crop, gathering tremendous singles by Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, the Genius, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah. Anyone wondering why the Wu-Tang Clan is acknowledged as one of the greatest rap groups of all time need look no further than this collection. ~ Steve Huey, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | iTunes | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Narration by the RZA | RZA | (1:03) | ||
| Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit | Jason Hunter, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, C. Woods, Gary Grice, Clifford Smith | Wu-Tang Clan | (3:36) | |
| Protect Ya Neck | Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, C. Woods, J.K. Hunter, Clifford Smith | Wu-Tang Clan | (4:52) | |
| Shimmy Shimmy Ya | Robert Diggs, R. Jones | Ol' Dirty Bastard | (2:41) | |
| Liquid Swords | Robert Diggs | The Genius | (3:01) | |
| Narration by the RZA | RZA | (1:20) | ||
| Method Man | Russell Jones, Jason Hunter, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, C. Woods, Gary Grice | Method Man | (4:55) | |
| Incarcerated Scarfaces | Raekwon, Robert Diggs | Raekwon | (4:30) | |
| Ice Cream | Robert Diggs, C. Woods | Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna | (4:16) | |
| Narration by the RZA | RZA | (1:31) | ||
| Bring the Pain | Robert Diggs, Clifford Smith | Method Man | (3:15) | |
| Winter Warz | Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, C. Woods, E. Turner, D. Hill | Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, U-God, Cappadonna | (4:41) | |
| Brooklyn Zoo | Russell Jones | Ol' Dirty Bastard | (3:40) | |
| All I Need | Robert Diggs, Clifford Smith | Method Man | (3:16) | |
| C.R.E.A.M. | Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Russell Jones, Jason Hunter, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, Clifford Smith | Wu-Tang Clan | (4:12) | |
| All That I Got Is You | Mary J. Blige, Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs | Mary J. Blige, Ghostface Killah | (5:00) | |
| Narration by the RZA | RZA | (1:40) | ||
| Wu-Wear: The Garment Renaissance [*] | Robert Diggs | RZA, Method Man, Cappadonna | (3:53) |
