WU-TANG CLAN Reunited and Announces New Album ‣ CVLTARTES

Legendary hip-hop outfit the Wu-Tang Clan are teaming up with producer and group DJ Mathematics to release their first new record in almost a decade, “Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman: From the Wu-Tang, the Saga Continues Collection,” which is set for release on April 12, on Record Store Day.

The 12-track LP is entirety produced by Mathematics, who was behind the boards on the Wu’s last full-length effort, 2017’s “The Saga Continues,“ which means there are no RZA beats on the album. “This is more than music; it’s innovation, storytelling, and legacy all in one,” said DJ Mathematics.

The forthcoming record, however, has seen Mathematics recruit the entire group for the project, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, GZA and RZA all confirmed to appear, along with guest spots from Kurupt, Kool G. Rap, Benny the Butcher, and more.

Also, Mathematics detailed the thinking behind the unique title: “Well, the album has a certain feel to it. It’s an homage to Blaxploitation movies. You have movies like ‘Black Samson’, ‘Black Caesar’ and ‘Super Fly’. Those are the type of movies that I was raised on in the 1970s. ‘The Bastard Swordsman’ part of (the title) is an ode to the old karate flicks because that’s what I grew up on as well. With me, as well as all of Wu-Tang, that’s something we had in common. We all loved the old karate flicks. Bastard Swordsman is one of my favorites.”

5,000 copies of the album will be made available for Record Store Day. According to its dedicated page on the RSD website, “Every album jacket features unique ‘1 of 1’ cover art, making each design truly distinct and highly collectible – a first in the vinyl record industry.” A digital release is also expected, with final track ‘Charleston Blue, Legend of a Fighter’ described as a vinyl-only bonus track.

“Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman” will mark the first Wu-Tang Clan record to feature the full current line-up of the collective since 2015’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.”