RZA x Nas – ‘The Setup’ (Mashup) | New Music

For this week’s edition of Wu Wednesdays, RZA drops a mashup called “The Setup” that combines Nas‘ lyrics from It Was Written‘s song of the same name with the RZArector’s “B.O.B.B.Y.” beat from his Bobby Digital: In Stereo album.

Maybe it’s because I’m a huge fan of both albums (It Was Written is my all-time favorite and Bobby Digital is a criminally slept-on piece of art), but I really don’t like this one. Nas’ laid-back delivery just doesn’t match the frenetic energy of this particular RZA track, so the mash-up just sounds off-balance. That happens a lot with blends, which is probably why I’ve never been too fond of the practice.

But like I said, I may just be biased here. Whenever I hear this beat, the first words I expect are “You know us to be robust / The greatest crew since Cold Crush / This poisonous slang keeps MCs avoidin’ us,” and these darts need to be thrown with Bobby Digital’s super-hyperactive steez. Anything else is unworthy and unnatural.

But shit, what do I know? Listen for yourself and let us know what you think.