''Pro Tools'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper and

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close a ...

member

GZA ''Gary Eldridge Grice'' (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA ( ) and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both ...

. The album was released August 19, 2008 on

Babygrande Records Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood. History Babygrande Records was ...

. It serves as his first release since his collaboration album with

DJ Muggs Lawrence Muggerud (born January 28, 1968), professionally known by his stage name DJ Muggs, is an American DJ, audio engineer and record producer. He is a member of Cypress Hill, a member of the trip hop band Cross My Heart Hope To Die and the ...

, '' Grandmasters'' (2005), and follows six years after his last solo effort, ''

Legend of the Liquid Sword ''Legend of the Liquid Sword'' is a 1993 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' comedy film loosely based on Gu Long's '' Chu Liuxiang'' novel series. The film was written and directed by Wong Jing and stars Aaron Kwok as the titular protagonist. Plot The young ...

'' (2002). Production for the album took place during 2008 and was handled by several record producers, including

RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name the RZA ( ), is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the ''de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums ...

Bronze Nazareth Bronze Nazareth (born Justin Cross; December 8, 1979 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a hip hop music producer and emcee associated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He has a solo career as an emcee and is also a part of the hip-hop group Wisemen along with ...

, Preservation, Mathematics,

Black Milk Curtis Eugene Cross (born August 14, 1983), better known by his stage name Black Milk, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Career In addition to Slum Village, Black Milk has worked with J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dan ...

, Arabian Knight and

True Master Derrick Harris (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name True Master, is an American hip-hop record producer and occasional rapper, known for his affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan. Production credits 1995 *''Guru presents Ill Kid ...

. The album debuted at number 52 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 9,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, ''Pro Tools'' received generally positive reviews from most music critics.

Background

The title was derived from

Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture ( sound design, audio post-prod ...

, a production software program. In an interview with ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down production ...

'', he explained: ''Pro Tools'' features production from

Wu-Elements The Wu-Elements are a production team closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. A loosely knit group, it consists of five producers who typically support main producer RZA in handling production duties for Wu-Tang group, solo and affiliate release ...

producers

, Mathematics and

, as well as Arabian Knight,

Dreddy Kruger The following is a list of Wu-Tang Clan's associated acts and affiliates, known as the Killa Beez, the Midwest Wasps, and the Wu Fam. At times, they are directly funded, supported, or produced by Clan members, are formed as extension groups origin ...

, Preservation. Guest appearances range from RZA,

Masta Killa Jamel Irief (born Elgin Turner; August 18, 1969), better known by his stage name Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though one of the lesser-known members of the group (he was featured on only one track on their 19 ...

, and GZA's son

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...

. GZA later said "I saw an ad out there where it’s promoted as a GZA album. I'll probably be on most of the tracks but its supposed to be a compilation album, there’s various artists on the album". GZA was asked about producers and having fewer guest appearances on the album, responding "I’m not one who works with big producers because I expect that to make the album go double platinum. I remember once we paid $150,000 for a Trackmasters beat once, with

Ron Isley Ronald Isley (; born May 21, 1941) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers. Early life Born in 1941 to Sally ...

singing, the “Back In The Game” track off of

Iron Flag ''Iron Flag'' is the fourth studio album by American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released on December 18, 2001 on Loud Records. It was certified gold in sales by the RIAA. ''Iron Flag'' served as the group's second lowest-selling ...

, and it wasn’t even a single, so I don’t bother searching for names. I’d rather people buy the record because they want a GZA album, and then the extras be a surprise. The album as a whole has only two Clan members on it. The last day we were recording, I was in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

supporting the Wu tour, and a call was put out that I was in the studio and the only two that showed up were

, so that’s what we went with. My next album is going to be no guest appearances. Emcees need to start carrying their own weight". In the same interview, he gave a response about having only a few RZA-produced songs on the album, stating "Well, you have to put in time with your producer, and RZA and I have been working back since I was 11 & he was 8 going to the Bronx to check out this hip hop stuff, so you have to know where they are coming from. Whenever I close my eyes and listen to his stuff, I can’t put a rhyme to it. His beats are more cinematic".

Music

The first single from the album, "Paper Plate," was released on July 18, 2008 and was circulated widely over the internet. The single continues the feud between GZA and

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

(who has not responded to the track). GZA, during a performance in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long Is ...

, had this to say about 50 Cent: "a Nigga don't got fuckin lyrics". In response to a question about "Paper Plate," he said:

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 52 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart with first-week sales of 9,000 copies. It spent two weeks on the chart. Chart History: ''Pro Tools'' - GZA/Genius ''Billboard''
Archived
on April 27, 2010. The album also peaked at number 13 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop music, hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...

, at number two on the

Top Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...

, and at number nine on the

Top Rap Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart.

Critical response

''Pro Tools'' received positive reviews from most

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mu ...

s, based on an aggregate score of 76/100 from

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

.Pro Tools by GZA Reviews and Tracks

. Retrieved on July 31, 2021.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

writer David Jeffries gave it 4 out of 5 stars and viewed it as reappearance of the Wu-Tang Clan's early sound, stating "the uptempo and sometimes oddball rhymes are back in full force here and sit on a set of melancholy soul productions that have that classic Wu atmosphere".Jeffries, David
Review: ''Pro Tools''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. ''

''s Jeff Vrabel called GZA's rhymes "liquid" and wrote "it's worth a listen to hear what sneaky, suspicious, image-heavy tricks still emerge from his notebook".Vrabel, Jeff
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''Billboard''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. Ivan Rott of About.com commended GZA's abstract lyrics and the album's musical structure, noting "a distinguishably liquid-like (ahem) sense of continuity and focus throughout the album's duration".Rott, Ivan
Review: ''Pro Tools''
About.com. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. ''JIVE Magazine'' gave ''Pro Tools'' a 5 out of 5 rating and called it "lyrically stunning".Columnist
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''JIVE Magazine''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. ''

Seattle Weekly The ''Seattle Weekly'' is an alternative biweekly distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as ''The Weekly.'' Its first issue was published on March 31, 1976. The newspape ...

''s Kevin Capp praised GZA's lyricism and wrote that he crafts "earthquake-proof rhyme structures, steel hulks whose ornate décor distracts from their essential solidity. In short: the aesthetics mask the utility, as well they should".Capp, Kevin
Review: ''Pro Tools''
. ''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. RapReviews writer Steve Juon gave it an 8.5/10 rating and wrote that GZA "honed his lyrical tongue to an even sharper and more polished edge" on the album.Juon, Steve
Review: ''Pro Tools''
RapReviews. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...

'' writer Chris Faraone gave ''Pro Tools'' an A− rating and wrote that GZA "comes as close as he ever has to matching freshman miracle" ''

Liquid Swords ''Liquid Swords'' is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in ...

'' (1995).Faraone, Chris
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. In contrast, ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

''s Thomas Golianopoulos gave the album 2 out of 5 stars and wrote that GZA "drifts into irrelevant lyrics and weak beats", stating "These C-grade tracks ape RZA's trademark sound, but lack any sense of melody".Golianopoulos, Thomas.
Review: ''Pro Tools''
. ''

'': 108. October 2008. Addi Stewart of ''

NOW Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...

'' commended its "''

Shogun Assassin ''Shogun Assassin'' is a 1980 ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Robert Houston. ''Shogun Assassin'' was edited and compiled from the first two films in the ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' series, using 12 minutes of the first film, '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Sw ...

'' throat-slashing rap", but viewed its production as a weakness and wrote that the album "suffers from the law of diminishing returns".Stewart, Addi
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. Giving it a 6/10 rating,

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...

writer Anthony Henriques perceived a lack of presence by other Wu-Tang members "to complement and add contrast to GZA’s potent style" as its "largest flaw", but ultimately commended its production and called it "just as impressive" lyrically as ''Liquid Swords''. Henriques described ''Pro Tools'' as a "quality project" and called it "further proof" that "Those who continue to lament some apparent demise of the Wu-Tang Clan... need to wake up".Henriques, Anthony
Review: ''Pro Tools''

. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. Despite calling its production "a glaring weak point of the album", Sputnikmusic writer Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman gave it 3½ out of 5 stars and commended individual producers' contributions, while writing "GZA-science is always refreshing and reflective".Abdul-Rakhman, Sobhi
Review: ''Pro Tools''
Sputnikmusic. Retrieved on April 27, 2010.

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

's Nate Patrin gave ''Pro Tools'' a 6.8/10 rating and noted a lack of "stylistic cohesion" in its production, but ultimately lauded GZA's lyrics and viewed them as the album's key strength, stating: Micah Towery of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...

wrote that it "serves as a satisfying example of a hip-hop artist who has not burnt out or sold out his craft to be an industry kingpin (''cough'', Jay-Z, ''cough''). At worst, the album serves as the base minimum of what we should expect from any of the "greatest rappers alive" after five albums".Towery, Micah
Review: ''Pro Tools''

. Retrieved on April 27, 2010.

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

writer Larry Fitzmaurice gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and wrote "while its power as a long-player doesn’t hold up very well, random dissection brings out tracks destined for analog and digital freaks alike".Fitzmaurice, Larry
Review: ''Pro Tools''

. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. Giving it a B+ rating, ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cr ...

''s Nathan Rabin called the album "so rich in detail that it takes a few listens just to soak everything in", and commended its sonic sound, stating "GZA relies on production to convey emotion".Rabin, Nathan
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. Alex Baldinger of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' gave ''Pro Tools'' a generally positive review and wrote "The album's fine production carries GZA through several tracks, rather than the other way around. But his rhymes are sharp as ever, displaying his knack for imbuing his lyrics with double-entendres and extended metaphors".Baldinger, Alex
Review: ''Pro Tools''
''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010. In his consumer guide for

MSN Music ''MSN Music'' was a part of MSN's web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. The website also served as a digital music store from 2004 to 2008. History I ...

, critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

gave the album a B+ rating,Christgau, Robert.
Consumer Guide: ''Pro Tools''
.

: December 2008. Archived fro
the original
on April 27, 2010. indicating "remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed".Christgau, Robert
CG 90s: Key to Icons

. Retrieved on June 15, 2009. Christgau commended GZA's "factual" lyrics and its minimal style of production, stating "the budget production enhances a master lyricist's specialty by subtraction". ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

''s Christopher R. Weingarten called the album "a no-nonsense mash of classic

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his ...

breakbeats, swipes at

, retro-future noir production, and his inimitable puns".Weingarten, Christopher R
Liquid Swordplay
''

''. Retrieved on April 27, 2010.

Track listing

Personnel

* Arabian Knight – recording engineer * Black Milk – producer * Bronze Nazareth – producer * Ben Dotson – product manager * Willy Friedman – product manager * Jay "Waxx" Garfield – producer * GZA – executive producer * Dreddy Kruger – A&R, producer * Larry Lachmann – mastering * Mathematics – producer * Nubian – artwork * Preservation – producer * Jose "Choco" Reynoso – mixing, producer * Rock Marcy – producer * RZA – producer * Jesse Stone – marketing * True Master – producer * Chuck Wilson – executive producer

Charts

References

External links

*
Pro Tools
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Video Interview: GZA
at HipHop Elements {{Authority control 2008 albums Albums produced by Black Milk Albums produced by RZA Albums produced by True Master Albums produced by Roc Marciano Albums produced by Bronze Nazareth Babygrande Records albums GZA albums