At the dawn of the '90s - which oddly enough was almost twenty years ago - Wu Tang defiantly stated that they were putting in work so that they're kids could have something. This wasn't to be a flash in the pan. The crew albums served as a sort of springboard for each member of the Wu to go off and work independently. And while some of those solo efforts range in listenability, there's not question as to whether or not they all made a dollar.

Anyway, that's the east coast. And obviously, different parts of the world automatically yield different folks with different perspectives. On the west coast, Living Legends roughly approximate the thinking of the Wu Tang Clan. Of course, the New Yorkers have some major label support spurring on their success, whereas the LLC has eschewed any corporate support in order to control their own destiny.

Splitting time between Los Angeles and Oakland, the ever expanding crew continues to pack ballrooms and put out discs - probably approaching fifty or so at this point. I do have to say, though, that I saw these folks all smashed onto a tiny stage in Columbus a few years back and wasn't all too impressed.

Part of the problem with the Living Legends - as opposed to the Wu - is that there isn't a defined ring leader. So where the RZA ostensibly acts as a unifying production force, there isn't that sort of solidarity in the music of the left coast crew. Of course, part of that is simply opinion. But in listening to any LLC offering, there seem to be a great many more disparate sounds working to mesh than on any Wu disc.

That being said, most of the brand spankin' new Say G&E! from The Grouch & Eligh is rather uniform. It obviously doesn't have that uniquely dusty spin that Wu productions do - but nothing else really sounds like that. The most disconcerting moment here, though, comes on "Boom," which happens to feature the all too lauded Slug. If his inclusion on the disc wasn't bad enough, the production on this track sounds pretty far removed from the other tracks here in addition to being plainly horrible.

What's important, though, is the performance of the principal emcees here. And there are countless high points to mention. But oddly enough, the most memorable verse - partially due to the production that accompanies it on "Old Soul" - comes from newly signed Blu. Being an LA native, it isn't surprising that the young emcee is included here and probably he's been in attendance at more than a few LLC shows during his formative years. Blu's ability to take over the track and relegate G&E to after thoughts here only points to his immense talent.

But for a good representation of the general bent of the LLCrew and the political perspective of many a Californian, "Rivers Run Dry" offers listeners a succinct examination of ecology in this troubled time. It's really difficult to not appreciate this disc overall, but whenever Blu gets that major label debut out, it'll easily surpass this joint.