Afro Samurai

Given RZA's work on both the Ghost Dog and Kill Bill soundtracks, it's no surprise to see the venerable Wu-Tang producer tackling Afro Samurai. However, unlike the previous albums, where RZA more or less created scores, the Afro Samurai soundtrack is a mix of instrumental and conventional rap songs, featuring an eclectic mix of MCs, including Talib Kweli, GZA, True Master, and RZA himself.

There are some strange tracks here, none more so than the maple syrupy R&B songs featuring Stone Mecca or Baby. The instrumentals, removed from the context of the movie, are themes rather than fully fleshed out songs but a few, like "Afro's Father Fight" are tantalizingly fast, furious, and funky. The rap songs hold some surprises, such as Q-Tip popping up on "Just a Lil Dude," or veteran Big Daddy Kane sparking off the dramatic "Cameo Afro." Fans of RZA's past albums, especially his Bobby Digital projects, will find Afro Samurai to their liking, but for those expecting a classic Wu-Tang album, they might be left lost in the oft-jarring mix of sounds. --Oliver Wang