In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time. No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion). These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective. Think Vince Carter. And with all that considered, here is...INSPECTAH DECK.
When Wu-mania invaded America with a fury in the mid-90's, some Wu members definitely reaped the ensuing benefits better than others. Meth had the mainstream fame, Rza instantly became a legendary producer, ODB had the notoriety, Rae and GZA had the backpackers (before the phrase devolved into an insult) going wild.
And then there was Deck. The Rebel INS. He was the straight spitter of the group. The MC's MC. No overt kung fu references. No overblown coked-out alter ego. And especially after his opening verse on "Triumph", hip hop head thoughts they had another true lyricist to be reckoned with on their hands. Which they did. But something happened along the way. What was it?
His solo joint (rumored to be called "Assassination Day") was long delayed. Urban legend has it that it was to be entirely produced by the RZA (in his hey day, no less) but all the beats originally slated for the album got lost in a basement flood (when will these producers learn that when the flood comes, gravity will lead it to the lowest floor first? Q-Tip anyone?). And when the album finally dropped, it dropped with a thud. Not that the album was terrible, mind you. Deck was still as lyrically sharp as ever. And unlike your average super-freestyler, he even seemed to be able to diversify his content rather than drop track after track of 100-bar marathons. He just seemed to have caught the Canibus-itis... The beats (no longer exclusively RZA's) just didn't seem to pack the same punch as Deck's lyrical prowess and ability.
With Wu-Tang's popularity starting to wane by then, Deck seemed to fade further into obscurity. If Meth, Rae, and GZA's follow ups had trouble finding the same audience as before, what chance did Deck have? Regardless, to this day, I still enjoy putting on those 90's Wu albums as much as any hip hop head. And Deck's verses will always remain highlights... not to mention reminders of what could have been.
The Evidence.
"C.R.E.A.M." "But as the world turned I learned life is hell/Living in the world no different from a cell..."
"Guillotine (Swordz)" "Poisonous paragraphs/smash ya phonograph in half/It be the Inspectah Deck on the warpath..."
"Triumph" "I bomb atomically/Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses/Can't define how I be droppin' these..."
"Cold World" "Extortions for portions of streets/Causes beef/Having followers of Indians tryin' to play chief..."
"It's Yourz" "It's only natural/Actual facts are throwin' at you/The impact'll blow tress back and crack statues..."
"Above the Clouds" "The maker/owner/plus soul controller/The Ayatollah rest in the sky/The clouds' my sofa..."
"Tru Master" "I bang with the big boys/Those who hold game/Amateurs get hung with their own gold chains..."
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