Thursday September 9, 2004 arts.rmichigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily.com aJmr3dieat h~ ARTS 12A < UMM'6'ARTS i 3wK }III W _ _ __1 P ' ourt es y UI Natural ouUus Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbit. Wu-Tang clan's Masta Killa releases solo debut By Evan Mcarvey Daily Arts Writer Being from the Wu-Tang clan is like being a Kennedy: You can't hide from the spotlight. Nine years of hype and myth have masked Masta Killa, the only member of Wu-Tang clan not Masta Killa to release a solo LP. His one verse No Said Date on the group's Natural Sounds seminal release, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was famously recorded while he was incarcerated and the mysteries sur- rounding this long-delayed album have spawned a life of their own. Surprising for a disc of its hype, No Said Date comes with spartan pack- aging and liner notes that hint at the elegance and lack of indulgence on the album. In a brilliant move, there are no photos of Masta Killa in any of the material included. His form stays hid- den as his voice wraps around the dry atmospheres within. Vocally, Masta Killa has a gelati- nous monotone able to angle its way through the occasionally knotty melo- dies composed by almost every differ- ent member of the Wu-Tang clan. Little production touches - like the chirping birds on "Love Spell" or the crawling horns on "Whatever" - add a translu- cent level of polish over the expectably _ crackling sounds. In yet another show of subtle force, the guest appearances from fellow Wu-Tang members are often concise, choosing to defer to Killa's long-delayed moment in the spotlight. Everyone knows this is his show and even 01' Dirty Bastard doesn't hog the microphone for too long. Kung-fu mythology and the slow, often brutal life of the ghetto have always been the underlying themes of Wu-Tang's lyrics. Instead of evoking a lifestyle of cars and guns no one really leads, they find solace in the endless dream world of their youth. Masta Killa, Method Man, Ghostface, Raekwon and the rest are really just young men still wishing they were superheroes. Like a true poet, Masta Killa never relies on one device or image to carry him through the album. The gunplay comes across as fittingly dark and effective, while the scenes of urban life sound, look and smell of truth. Listeners imagine not just the look of the destina- tion, but the velocity of his journey. The calm in his voice allows the listener to pick out their own inflections. In a pack of amazing lyricists, Masta Killa man- ages to distance himself. The man him- self recalls, "bangin' on the lunchroom table, I used to spectate / And watch some of the M.C. greats." With No Said Date, Masta Killa needn't worry about his or Wu-Tang's place in history. Great- ness may not wait, but it does return. The lazy days of Michigan's summer proved to be a bit milder this year than those in the past, mimicking the somewhat banal spread of videogames released during these past few months. While many notable titles were slated for the middle to late summer months, most were pushed back to a more profitable time later this year or even into early next year. These facts aside, how- ever, summer did provide a small selection of mar- quee titles spanning a variety of different genres. The following is a look at some of the highlights (and lowlights) of this summer's crop. Rallisport Challenge 2 Released: May 4 Microsoft While realism always seems to be a design high- light when it comes to the racing-game genre, game- play and control are also two huge factors: The way a car controls and feels in the gaming environment are directly proportional to how successful the game will be. "Rallisport" is not only beautiful (both envi- ronments and car models are exquisitely rendered), but its gameplay puts gamers into the seat of the rally cars. Damage to the vehicles will hinder its perfor- mance. Vibrations in the road can be subtly felt in the road surface. Details like these separate simply good games from excellent ones, and Microsoft has manifested this eye for detail into a truly enjoyable racing experience. Thief: Deadly Shadows Released: May 25 Eldos Interactive "Thief 'returned this summer in a new installment, refining the genre which it helped pioneer: the stealth- action game. Players took on the role of Garrett, a master thief set in a medieval time. Similar in some respects to games like "Hitman: Contracts," "Thief' highlights the importance of sticking to the shadows to keep well-hidden and complete goal driven mis- sions. Garrett's ability to go mano a mano with his enemies is severely limited, underscoring the stealth and exploration aspect of the game. Though it's in its third installment, "Thief' is a series that reuses old material but hasn't yet run out of steam. Driv3r Released: June 21 Atari "Driv3r" was slated to be one of the top competi- tors with the new installation of "Grand Theft Auto" and had an incredible amount of buzz surrounding it during the months prior to its release. This buzz, how- ever, fizzled shortly after its release. Sloppy controls, Oh look. Cirrhosis the wonder dog. Courtesy or Activision a muddled plot and uneven missions overshadowed the cinematic storyline and sheer scope of the project. Though three actual cities were digitally replicated for the game (Miami, Fla., Nice, France and Istanbul, Turkey) the gameplay - the most important aspect of a videogame - felt tacked on. While the game was trying to create an "action movie" atmosphere, only a few of the missions actually reached that thrill- ing plateau. Disappointing as it was, it served to make the anticipation for "GTA" even greater. Doom 3 Released: Aug. 3 Activision Finally. Though it was believed by some that id Software would push to get this title out last year (at the 10-year anniversary of the original's release), they chose to move the release date back a bit and come out storming in the beginning of August. The developers have crafted a game that immerses players in a world of stunning graphic quality and terrifying 5.1 surround sound unlike anything seen or heard before. Even though the gameplay was criticized by some as being a bit trite, the immer- sion and overall environment the game crafted kept players gripped until the very end. "Doom 3" stuck to the storyline of the original, keeping gamers on their toes with demons and "things that go bump in the night" looming around every corner. id Soft- ware has truly upped the ante with this release; it will be interesting to see what develops will do with their finely tuned engine. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow Released: Aug. 4 UbiSoft Following closely on the heels of the spring hit "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow," "Black Arrow" is the latest title boasting the Tom Clancy moniker. "Rainbow Six" has been a tactical shooter from the beginning and "Black Arrow" does not stray far from this tried-and-true path. It does, however, do what it's designed to do well. The single player missions have the gamer taking on villains and terrorists across 10 different maps. Things get interesting, though, when the game goes multiplayer. With Xbox Live support, "Black Arrow" has added to the already quality online action of previous "Rainbow Six" installments. Madden NFL 2005 Released: Aug. 9 EA Sports Every August, eager sports gamers anticipate the return of one thing: "John Madden Football." This year's edition turned out to be just as entertaining as previous iterations. The newly ramped up defenses had even the most ardent pigskin enthusiasts strug- gling to break open their offenses. Combine that with the addition of Xbox Live support and the king of football retains its crown. Gainers don't even need the man himself and his telestrator to see that. - Compiled by Jason Roberts and Adam Rottenberg a 0 UNDERAGE DRINKING? fl Make an informed decision - know the consequences Effective September 1, 2004, the Michigan laws and consequences have been changed C l S Sltater is Cb h eh riceel s Co o thCharies 40 REC SPORTS I NT A MU RAL S The University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports Intramural Sports Program www.recsports.umich.edu 734-763-3562 REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS Entries taken: Mon, 09/13 ONLY 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM IM Building Entry Fee: $88.00 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Wed, 09/15 6:00 PM IM Building Play begins: Thurs, 09/16 Mitchell Fields Soccer .4 aO - r Entries taken: Mon, 09/13 ONLY 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM IM Building Entry Fee: $88.00 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Wed, 09/15 8:00 PM IM Building Play begins: Thurs, 09/16 Yost Ice Arena Broomball (Frat, GFS, ResHall, Ind Men, Ind Women & Sorority) Entries taken: Mon, 09/13 ONLY 11:00AM -5:30PM IM Building Entry Fee: $50.00 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Wed, 09/15 7:15 PM IM Building Play begins: Thurs, 09/16 IM Building Entries due: Wed, 09/15 4:30 PM IM Building F.'. EntryPFee: $88.00 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Thurs, 09/16 6:00 PM IM Building 6 I K Entries also taken online Play begins: Sun 09/19 Mitchell Field Secretarv of Mate for traclune I I