 | | |
| | The Last Shall Be First | | | Music Artist : | | Sunz of Man | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Red Ant / Bmg | | Release Date : | | 1998-07-21 | | Store Price : | | $16.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $16.98 | |
|
|
|
|
|
CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Intro
2. Cold
3. Natural High
4. Flaming Swords
5. Illusions
6. Shining Star
7. Israeli News
8. Tribulations
9. Interview
10. Plan
11. Collaboration '98
12. Inmates to the Fire
13. Not Promised Tomorrow
14. For the Lust of Money/The Grandz
15. Can I See You?
16. Battle
17. Next Up
18. Intellectuals
19. Five Arch Angels
| |
Other Artist Albums
|
|
|
|
Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
|
 Satisfied
Submitted on: 2009-10-15 |
|
| Gr8 quality as advertised, gr8 condition, i was more than overly impressed with the product, Thanks So Much - Andre Murdock.. |
|
|
|
 Enter the Sunz of Mansion
Submitted on: 2008-02-18 |
|
By the late 90s, the market was flooded with Wu-Tang related products, and countless dozens of rappers claimed Wu affiliation. With so many, it was hard to distinguish the great artists from the faceless cousins and homeboys trying to make their own Liquid Swords. Sunz of Man, however, belong with the former, maybe the best group to ever enlist in the extended Wu family. Consisting of Brooklyn MCs Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, and Killah Priest, who just months before dropped his debut Heavy Mental, Sunz of Man took the Wu product to the next level. Their music is a rarity in hip hop. They treat scripture, religion, and ancient history the same way Wu-Tang Clan treats Asian culture and kung-fu movies. Constantly referencing sacred text, they combine teachings of Christianity, the Black Hebrews, and the 5% Nation with a pertinent street mentality. School's in session when Sunz of Man rap, but even without the element of humor, it's unmistakably a Wu product. The metaphors, delivery, excellent guests, and updated 36 Chambers sound are distinctly Wu-Tang. Producers are The RZA, 4th Disciple, and True Master (with contributions from Supreme and Wyclef Jean), and they use the tried-and-true formula of eerie sampling, frenetic percussion, and obscure instrumentals, altering it to create an epic feel that perfectly caters to Sunz' lyrical content. Priest and Razah are the obvious stars, providing the iconic moments with their aggressive deliveries. Lyrically it's awesome, my only complaint is that sometimes the metaphors become so deep that their verses sound like choppy shopping lists that don't go anywhere. Otherwise, the product is inspiring to a level that little hip hop is, and it is original and appealing from beginning to end. Although it's very long, there's not a notably weak point in the tracklist. An album of epic length and proportion, "The Last Shall Be First" is a triumph of conceptual vision, quality production, energy, and positive messages.
The album opens with a good intro and the wonderful "Cold," which is eerily great musically and strong lyrically. The fast and furious "Natural High" uses an exciting horn fanfare and a good hook for a track of righteous philosophy. With a show-stopping beat and verse from Killah Priest, "Flaming Swords" is chilling, and "Illusions" tackles the pitfalls of the rap industry. The beat change at the end of the song enhances the effect. "Shining Star" is a standout of the tracklist, the most commercially relevant. Wyclef Jean produces and performs, updating the classic Earth Wind & Fire song with a catchy arrangement. ODB drops in to trade off positive verses with Sunz, and overall it's a phenomenal track. The excellent "Israeli News" is among the deepest songs, assessing "the ways of the world today" and how to escape mental and physical trouble, and "Tribulations" also objectively looks at life and society. I love 4th Disciple's production on "The Plan," which is top notch on the musical and lyrical tips. Method Man steals the show with his guest performance on the landmark "Collaboration '98," with a classic beat from True Master. "Inmates to the Fire" and "Not Promised Tomorrow" are both solid and thoughtful efforts, and "For the Lust of Money/The Grandz" is enjoyably familiar Wu fare. The decent "Can I See You?" precedes one of the best songs, the Method Man-aided "Next Up," a twangy fist-pumper produced by True Master, and the memorable "Intellectuals" with Raekwon and U-God. The disc closes with the outro "Five Arch Angels."
While Sunz of Man might be too obscure for some, I find their product to be made for people just like me: the educated, religious listener. However, one need not appreciate all their references and metaphors to enjoy their music, and hardcore heads and Wu fans will enjoy them likewise. The Sunz began to splinter after this 1998 release, and went on to acclaimed solo careers and other projects. Although it is now out of print, I recommend buying this album used or taking the extra step to search for it--many will find it's a diamond in the rough. |
|
|
|
Sunz Of Man - The Last Shall Be First
Submitted on: 2006-07-23 |
|
One of the dopest Wu-Affiliated albums. Came out in 1998, and is now out of print in most areas. But this album is very dope and has the same exact type of Wu vibe to it. The members in the group are.. Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Killah Priest.
First up, the lyrics. Sunz Of Man spits that real street rap while keepin up the knowledge in the lyrics. Deep lyrics, nothing commercial at all, this album is far from it. A true underground Wu banger at its finest. If your looking for a a great album with great lyrics. Look no further than this album here. You got great lyricists that spit the real, just like Killah Priest if you have heard his first debut.
Production, this album gots GREAT production. No poppy beats, all dope dark beats. You got production by 4th Disciple, Supreme, True Master, Wyclef, RZA etc. So if you know them you know they are good producers. If you are familiar with the Wu-Affiliated sound, then you know what sort of vibe this album already contains. No weak beats.
So overall, for them True Wu-Fans that want this album, look nice and hard cause its not THAT easy to find.
My Top 5 Songs
1.Cold
2.Flaming Swords
3.The Plan
4.Inmates To The Fire
5.Can I See You? |
|
|
|
 I had this
Submitted on: 2005-11-27 |
|
| Cd for about 6 years and only listen it about 3 times I just cant get into it its ok for true down to earth Wu Fans but I just like the main group. |
|
|
|
SUNZ OF MAN PROVE THEIR WORTH
Submitted on: 2005-10-10 |
|
The sunz of man are a group consisting of members Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, 60 sec assassin and Killah Priest. They are part of the Wu-Tang Clans extended family and prove on this debut that they can cut it with the rest of the clan, while not as diverse as the Wu in terms of rhyme styles they definitly put their own spin on what is an already established Wu sound.
The production is on point with producers such as Rza, Tru Master, 4th Deciple and Supreme giving out some very decent beats that go well with the mc's rhymes.
Guests on the album include U-God, ODB, Method Man and Raekwon which help provide that Wu-Tang authenticity.
Overall if you enjoy Wu-Tang you will enjoy this as well, Sunz of Man prove that they have talent in their own right and are not just riding of the back of the Wu name. The beats are moody and atmospheric creating some serious headnodding, highly recomended. |
|
|
|
