Product Description

UNCONTROLLED SUBSTANCE is the debut album from Inspectah Deck (a.k.a. the Rebel INS), a featured member of hip-hop's ruling class, the Wu-Tang Clan. The CD is packed with guest spots from fellow Wu affiliates La the Dark Man, U-God, Streetlife, Masta Killa, and others.
This is the kind of hip-hop album that's immediately satisfying. Inspectah Deck produced a number of the tracks here, including "Elevation", "Wordon the Street", and "Femme Fatale". There is a killer possecut called "9th Chamber", which features La the Dark Man, Baretta 9, Killa Sin, and Streetlife. Other producers who lend a hand on UNCONTROLLED SUBSTANCE are Pete Rock, the RZA, True Master, V.I.C., and 4th Disciple.

Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Movas & Shakers
3. 9th Chamer
4. Uncontrolled Substance
5. Femme Fatale
6. Grand Prix
7. Forget Me Not
8. Longevity
9. Word On The Street
10. Elevation
11. Lovin You
12. Trouble Man
13. R.E.C. Room
14. Friction
15. Hyperdermix
16. Show N Prove
17. Cause

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72170 in Music
• Released on: 1999-10-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Customer Reviews

A sturdy debut from the Rebel INS
While Inspectah Deck has never been the most visible bee to buzz forth from the Wu Tang hive, he has always been a stable, jack-of-all-trades member. His mic skills, while not exemplary are matched by a certain proficiency behind the production desk. Thus his debut was not awaited with the same excitement that met his fellow Clansmen's debuts. Nevertheless, 'Uncontrolled Substance' has a lot to like about it.

The Rza produced ‘Movas & Shakers’ is undoubtedly the standout track. In fact, it’s one of the best Rza productions from the 1999-era. Until this point in their careers it was probably the most commercial party track the Wu had released. It’s Inspectah Deck’s commentary on the club scene, “We trip the light, ride to the rhythm of the night / skin tight honeys show me love at first sight / work light crazy legs non-stop body drop / my hip hop drop you to your knees in shock.” It isn’t insightful and nor is it particularly deep, but the beat is such that the lyrics don’t really matter.

One of the other highlights is ‘The Grand Prix’. The track is introduced by U-God as a “lyrical grand prix” and has U-God, Street Life and Inspectah Deck battle it out for a supposed three million dollar purse. Predictably it all ends in a draw. It would’ve been more interesting to have someone judge a winner and then hear the competitors argue the case. Elsewhere, the Pete Rock produced, Isaac Hayes sampling and Marvin Gaye inspired ‘Trouble Man’ is a funky nod to the 1970s. Again, it’s all a bit out of character for the normally moody Wu Tang, and all the better for it.

Unfortunately Inspectah Deck cannot maintain the innovation for the entire album and there are several below-par moments. ‘Lovin You’ with La The Darkman is particularly bland. The preposterously named, ‘Hyperdermix’ is an attempt at Gravediggaz-style eeriness, but succeed only in sounding like a poor videogame score. The worst of the lot though is the totally uninspired ‘9th Chamber’. The production by 4th Disciple is capable without being extraordinary but the rhymes are quite poor. The guests, La The Darkman, Barretta 9, Killa Sin and Street Life aren’t up to the job at all merely coming up with turgid, uninspired verses. It sounds like a poor track from the awful Wu Tang Killa Beez offshoot.

Inspectah Deck is not the most charismatic MC the world has ever heard, nor is he the cleverest, he seems to know his limitations and that seems to make his work all the more charming. All in all, while it never reaches the heights of the Wu Tang’s A-List’s debuts (Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Method Man etc), it is a debut to be proud of. It’s a long way from the Wu Tang’s best, but thankfully it’s an equally long way from being their worst.

silent assasin
This is by far one of, if not THE best Wu solo album. I have most of the solo albums but Inspectah's great baselines and vocals make this a joy to listen to, it's crisp, new-skool vocals on old-skool beats. This is a must-have for any Wu-enthusiast.

You better inspectah this cd.....
Like his name suggests, the Rebel INS has rebelled against the typical style of the other Wu-Tang Clans solo albums , and has concentrated more on the beats than on the rhymes, and his solo album is the all the better for it. Having bought the majority of the Clans' solo albums, I fell that this is one of the best you can buy, even if you are not a fan of W-Tang. On of the all-time great rap albums and it should be on the top of all the serious rap fans shopping list.