John's Track of the Week: Meth, Ghost & Rae's "Our Dreams"

Song: Our Dreams

Artist: Meth, Ghost & Rae

Album: Wu-Massacre

Rating: 7.0

Creating an album for the fans isn't exactly a novel concept of late. Lil' Wayne would claim every mixtape to be such a gift, and let's face it, he's made quite a few of those. Yet, for artists like Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, not only is it abnormal, but nearly unheard of to leave the confines of their normally sprawling collections of gangsta hip-hop. So when the three artists announced they'd be releasing fan album Wu-Massacre under the Meth, Ghost & Rae monicker, one wouldn't be blamed for being somewhat surprised, and at least mildly excited.

For what Wu-Massacre lacks in production value (the group has said it was recorded on virtually no budget), it excels in how comfortably the three rappers gel together. Over two years removed from Wu-Tang's last effort (2007's 8 Diagrams), it's as if they never left the studio, with their rhymes as crisp and locked-in as ever, and each artist naturally conceding to the next whenever necessary. Though exemplified on many tracks, one of the most interesting representations is on "Our Dreams," which features Inspectah Deck and Sun God, as well as a looping sample from Michael Jackson's "We're Almost There." Playing off the psychedelic vibe and MJ's vocals, the rappers mingle flawlessly within its confines to create a smooth, cool hit. Check it out below.