Pitchfork: U-God Solo Album Promised for September

From their code-like diction to their impenetrable mythology, not to mention sheer force of numbers, the Wu-Tang Clan ain't nuthin' to fuck with. And though he may not be a movie/TV personality (Meth), soundtrack composer (RZA), or bell-rockin' pal of El-P and Prefuse 73 (Ghostface), U-God is a steady reminder that the entire Wu rolls deep. A year after putting out an album under the Ugodz-Illa moniker, and six years after his solo debut Golden Arms Redemption, U-God has another one in the can, this time called Mr. Xcitement. No firm release date has been set for the album, but U-God's representatives believe his label, Free Agency Recordings, will release the LP in late September.

When asked about the Mr. Xcitement recording sessions, U-God told Pitchfork through e-mail that, "It was crazy, half in NY, half in Titusville, Fla., and the rest in L.A. If I could have had more samples cleared, it would have been an even more exciting album. Though I am happy with it the way it is." It's easy to see why he's feeling like the record had a lot going on, surrounded as U-God was by a slew of producers like Sugar Ray turntablist DJ Homicide, second-wave Wu member 4th Disciple, Letha Face, the Produkt, Cue, and Mike Baiardi of Soundfile, while guest MCs such as Letha Face (again), West Coast vet MC Eiht, Boo Kapone, labelmate Squeak Ru, and Ebony Burke provided vocal support.

Speaking on what he likes in a producer, U-God desribed his preferred methodology as, "any producer that lets me get the beat and do what I want with it and then he comes in and does his magic. No producers that are cocky and want me to do it the way they want it." Yeah, those cocky producers are something, right? Maybe he was just irritated that Letha Face kept asking him why he had to name the LP after a particularly shitty They Might Be Giants song. We don't get it either. Tracklist:

01 Blow Yo Mind Intro
02 It's a Wrap
03 Hit 'em Up, Roll Out
04 Get Down
05 Don King Speaks to U-God
06 I'm Talkin' to You
07 Kick Ass
08 You Don't Want to Dance
09 Go Get Pretty Like Me
10 A Long Time Ago
11 Stop (Carry On)
12 Bump
13 Dedication Skit
14 Drugs
15 Heart of Stone
16 Jenny