Word on the Street - Inspectah Deck, Hunter, Jim [1]
Elevation - Inspectah Deck, Axelrod, David [Pro
Lovin You - Inspectah Deck, Harris, Darrin
Trouble Man - Inspectah Deck, Adu, H.
R.E.C. Room - Inspectah Deck, Harris, D.
Friction - Inspectah Deck, Diggs, Renee
Hyperdermix - Inspectah Deck, Hunter, J.
Show N Prove - Inspectah Deck, Brand, J.
The Cause - Inspectah Deck, Charles, P.
Inspectah Deck's debut LP has been one of the most eagerly awaited in Wu-Tang's long history. As the Clan's vaunted lead hitter on pivotal posse cuts like "Triumph" and "Protect Ya Neck," Deck displays a gift for metaphori... more »c mastery and complex rhyme schemes. In fact, few other MCs are more effective than Deck at creating evocative street-level images with single line strokes from his lyrical stylus. Line for line, Deck could easily outshine even fellow Wu members like Method Man or Raekwon, but in a new Wu era where RZA has opted out of handling the bulk of the group members' production, Deck loses out considerably. Uncontrolled Substance is nowhere as banal as GZA's Beneath the Surface, and there are some great tracks ("Femme Fatale," "9th Chamber"), but writ large, RZA's absence is the disc's more glaring shortcoming. How you gonna have the Wu's most venomous rhymer trying to come with an album without the clique's most accomplished beat chemist behind him? This is a great album, but it could have been far greater. --Oliver Wang« less
Inspectah Deck's debut LP has been one of the most eagerly awaited in Wu-Tang's long history. As the Clan's vaunted lead hitter on pivotal posse cuts like "Triumph" and "Protect Ya Neck," Deck displays a gift for metaphoric mastery and complex rhyme schemes. In fact, few other MCs are more effective than Deck at creating evocative street-level images with single line strokes from his lyrical stylus. Line for line, Deck could easily outshine even fellow Wu members like Method Man or Raekwon, but in a new Wu era where RZA has opted out of handling the bulk of the group members' production, Deck loses out considerably. Uncontrolled Substance is nowhere as banal as GZA's Beneath the Surface, and there are some great tracks ("Femme Fatale," "9th Chamber"), but writ large, RZA's absence is the disc's more glaring shortcoming. How you gonna have the Wu's most venomous rhymer trying to come with an album without the clique's most accomplished beat chemist behind him? This is a great album, but it could have been far greater. --Oliver Wang
CD Reviews
Uncontrolled Substance... Classic Material
ZigZag | France | 09/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Damn I can't stand these fake@ss CD reviewers. One day you grab a magazine or go internet, thinking that what you're about to read about some new joint must be true since it's been written by a proven cat who certainly has a true hip hop knowledge. The man writes for the people, he CAN'T be wrong. Yeah right. That's what I thought back in the days when Uncontrolled Substance finally came out. A true Wu fan I was, and when I read EVERYWHERE that INS's first solo album wasn't so good, average at best, not really "Wu level", there was so much other albums I had to cop that I decided to sleep on this one. Damn what a fool I was. Now it's been 6 years of snoring and yesterday my bro offered me Uncontrolled Sub for my birthday. Now think about everything you read about it that said this joint was average... BULLSH*T! that sh*t is DOPE, trust me on this one. The beats are banging, and I know what I'm talking about, I've been listening to hip hop for 14 years and I pride myself on collecting only true classics, from the 36 Chambers to the first O.C. joint (Word...Life, another slept-on classic, hip hop heads know what I'm talking about), and I can tell you that this INS solo is up with the best of it. Now here's something that I really want to clarify because it's starting to pisss me off: the fact that RZA just produces a couple of cuts on the album doesn't mean that the other cuts aren't AS GREAT AS THESE TWO. Matter of fact, you don't have a lot of RZA, but you have 4th Disciple, True Master, Allah Mathematics, Deck himself and EVEN PETE ROCK PRODUCED A SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's a DREAM line up, no question. So please stop with all this BS, I mean, don't get me wrong, I would've loved to hear more tracks from Prince Rakeem and his God-given talent, but come on, the beats on this album simply CAN'T be put as a weakness since the producing team is one that you won't find often anywhere else, and they live up to the hype on this one. What else? The lyrics and flow are great, but do I really need to mention it since we're talking about the Rebel INS, one of the sharpest and most venomous lyricists of all time... So I guess you got the idea, if you was fooled like me a few years ago, then you have to fix the problem and go NOW to the nearest store cop Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance, if not your collection will never be complete. Peace."
Wu classic
kando | los angeles | 03/25/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"any wu classic is a hip-hop classic, and this IS the album YOU WANNA get right now. Whats up with everyone complaining about rza not producing? RZA is RZA and can't be replaced, but he can't do everything, and this album's production is amazingly fresh and raw, and different from everything you've seen from the wu or rap in general. This is original, doesn't sound like any other album. EVERY SINGLE track (thats right all tracks) are excellent, they all show a lot of work and dedication. Theres no commercialism in here, deck and guests style of rhyming complete the tight beats in the perfect way, shame on no limit and cash money that are unorganized and don't have orientation in their albums, they mix it up and every track sounds the same (this is true wether youre a cashmoney fan or not). but this one is excellent, listen to it from start to finish, and you'll find deck rhyming lyrics with the enthusiasm and precise accuracy like in protect ya neck, guillotine, triumph and for heavens sake. yeap i said every song is excellent , its true, AND OUT OF THIS ORIGINAL AND RAW ALBUM THERE A FEW OF THE BEST WU TANG SONGS EVER, AND THUS SOME OF THE BEST RAP SONGS. Listen to friction, maybe the best song, WITH RZA PRODUCTION FOR THOSE OUT THER WHO CANT LIVE WITHOUT IT. RZA composes the beat like it was the cuban linx album, while deck and masta killa rhyme on it with their characteristic wu precision. elevation, 9th chamber, uncontrolled susbstance and femme fatale are so damn good and unequal to anything else, you'll want to listen again and again. just naming a few of the songs, and I'm not here to determine the best songs, YOU DO determine the songs you like best, and i can tell ya you re gonna love the album, no matter if youre a wu head or not. Not a lot of rza, but the totally blazing production and decks talent well make up for that. if ya dont like it, email me and ill give ya your money back, shipping and handling included. its too bad it doesn't atract people like other circumaniac stuff on the shelves"
"Word On The Street" is this album "Shows & Proves"
Rene Valencia | Los Angeles, CA | 12/07/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well, as a devoted wu-tang fan, I wasn't as excited to hear that RZA wasn't going to handle most of the production here. But after listening to it, I must say this one great album despite his absence. Rebel INS shows why his voice and his amazing lyrics go together to make him possibly the most skilled wu member. On one of my favorite tracks "Movas 'N Shakers" he rhymes to a a beat that has a jazzy feeling to it, with saxophones in them. "This style has no origin or birth date/And scientists research can not calculate" he chants on this outstanding track. And you'll find another equally outstanding joint with the title track. On "Femme Fatale", he shows that he can also tell stories as he chants about how he can't resist this one girl. On "Longevity", he explains that not many last in the hip-hop game, but wu has been in it for what is about to be a decade, and he does it to a catchy piano in the background. He even does an unofficial sequel to Method Man's "Sweet Love" on "Lovin' You", and unlike most sequels, this one definitely stands up to its predecessor. Finally, you see some of RZA's production on R.E.C. Room, which is also a great track. By far, the best tracks on the album are the first two singles "Show 'N Prove", and "Word On The Street" which have bangin' beats that are even more highlighted when he drops his lines. Overall, every track on this album is great, and I got just what I expected on the album, tight lyrics and even better production than I thought I would get. This is one album that I will forget not..."
Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance
Wu-Tang_Assassin | California | 05/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"GREAT album. Thats all I can say. One of my favorite members from Wu-Tang. This album provides so much variety that it will KEEP you listening all the time without getting bored of it! Let me get specific on the album now.
Lyric wise, INS brings the heat in EVERY track. Even the guest appearances in the album, THEY even bring lyrical heat. But I didnt find ONE track that I thought that INS was weak in. Some tracks hes more lyrical than others, but ever track has a story/point or good rhyme sceme to it. INS doesnt fail ONCE lyrically in this album, so when you get this, make sure to take note he doesnt fail lyrically.
Now, production wise, RZA produces a couple tracks but thats it. INS even produces a couple tracks for himself! Talent. And the beats that he makes for himself are hott! I think every single song on this album has at least a decent or better than decent beat, and some are classics. Some of my favorite beats are "Forget Me Not", "Uncontrolled Substance". I like the "9th Chamber" beat just for the fact thats its really grimey. I dont have to name all my favorites just notice all the beats are cracken. Real Wu-Tang music.
INS's first album, its cracken lyrically and production wise. I dont see NO reason why you would hate or even barely dislike this album. INS brings so much variety in this album its crazy. If your a Wu-Tang fan or a HIPHOP fan this album is a MUST buy!!!
My Top 5 Songs
1.Forget Me Not
2.Longevity
3.Word On The Street
4.Trouble Man
5.Friction"
Better Late Than Never!!!! (A Proper Review)
Spencer Cooke | Virginia Beach, VA | 08/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Before you read this review understand that Wu-Tang is the first music that I EVER listened to. So I might tend to be partial, but I doubt that. I started listenin' to them when 36 Chambers dropped (I was in elementary school, no joke). I was a very young cat whose mind was still absorbing mass amounts of info from the world. I got a SUPREME appreciation for Wu and Hip-Hop from startin' at such an early age. Havin' said that Inspectah Deck has ALWAYS been my favorite rapper EVER. This album is EXTREMELY DOPE!!!!! Lyrics and flow are mos def above the clouds. All his production is SICK as well. When you get this album just sit back, close your eyes and absorb his lyrics, flow and beats then don't stop noddin' your head til it ends. All his guest spots are proper and DO NOT ruin any of the songs. Words can't explain my feelings for this album. It is definitely my favorite album of all time. He is ridiculously sick when it come to the lyrics and flow. He WILL NOT disappoint you at any point of this album. Cop this album A.S.A.P. if you don't already got it. You will quiclky have Deck on your top 5 list of emcees EVER. trust me. Peace"
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1