Inspectah Deck

Jason Hunter (born July 6, 1970) better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan.^[1] He has acquired critical praise for his intricate lyricism, and for his verses on many of the group's most revered songs.^[2] He has grown to become a producer in his own right, taking up tracks for fellow clansmen and his own projects.

Background

Early career

Hunter was born July 6, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Staten Island.^[3] Hunter routinely mentions the Park Hill Projects in Clifton, Staten Island, where he grew up and went to school with the future Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah.^[4] Coming from a musical family, his father died when he was six years old, and seeing his mother support the family contributed to his laid-back, quiet mentality; this led to his stage name, as he decided to play a low-key counterbalance to the antics of Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and RZA.^[5] This is also referenced by Method Man at the end of the track "Can it Be All So Simple?" on Wu-Tang's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) :

Despite this inconspicuous persona, Inspectah Deck maintained a relatively high profile, as he was the second most featured member on the album, and provided highly acclaimed verses for the singles "C.R.E.A.M.," "Protect Ya Neck," "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit," and "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'." In the years following, Hunter would appear on several Wu members' solo projects, including Method Man's Tical (1994), Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995), GZA's Liquid Swords (1995), and Ghostface Killah's Ironman (1996). On Wu-Tang's second group album, Wu-Tang Forever (1997), Deck produced the track "Visionz" and contributed a solo track, "The City", as well as writing one of the most critically acclaimed verses in hip-hop on the group's hit single "Triumph". He would also provide production for some of his Wu cohorts, including "Elements" and "Spazzola" for Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day (1998), "Kiss of a Black Widow" for RZA's RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo (1998), and the title track for GZA's Beneath the Surface (1999).

Solo career

Inspectah Deck's debut album Uncontrolled Substance was initially set for a late 1997 release, however, this experienced several delays due to a flood in producer RZA's basement studio, which destroyed over one hundred beats, including those made for the album. Wu-Tang affiliate Cilvaringz stated in a 2010 interview "Recently Deck pulled out some disks from the flood and they worked again and he used one for his upcoming album on Koch."^[6] In September 1999, Uncontrolled Substance was released, and featured more of Deck's own production, and appearances from several lesser known affiliates. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, but failed to garner the reception attained by earlier Wu-Tang solo projects. Shortly after this release, Deck returned to the Wu-Tang fold for the group albums The W (2000), and Iron Flag (2001).

In 2003, Inspectah Deck released his second studio album, The Movement (which he would later state did not live up to his expectations),^[1] and in 2006, he released The Resident Patient, intended as a precursor to The Movement. In 2007, the rapper reconvened with the Wu-Tang Clan to record the group album 8 Diagrams. Along with Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck partook in the controversy, sparked when several group members disparaged RZA's tight artistic control of the album, championing Ghost's album The Big Doe Rehab. In regards to these disagreements, Deck stated in an interview:^[7]

Around this time the rapper announced two projects: a collaborative album called Czarface with Boston's 7L & Esoteric featuring the legendary DJ Premier^[8] and his up-coming solo album The Rebellion, confirming production from RZA and the Wu-Elements; it is now set to come after The Resident Patient II, and will reportedly be his final album as a solo artist.^[7]

On March 23, 2010, Inspectah Deck released his third solo album Manifesto, which features guest-appearances from Raekwon, Cormega, Termanology, Planet Asia, Cappadonna, Kurupt, and M.O.P.'s Billy Danze. In 2008, a mixtape entitled The Resident Patient II was leaked on to the internet; this features some original material, as well as freestyles over other artists' songs. Inspectah Deck stated in an interview that The Manifesto was meant to be the originally announced full-length sequel, Resident Patient II.

Since early 2010, Inspectah Deck has begun work on Czarface and The Rebellion, and has expressed his interest in working with several Wu-Tang members, as well as Snoop Dogg, E-40, Nas & Jadakiss on the album. He had mentioned in an interview with Conspiracy Radio that he will only retire from solo albums if the fans don't show support for The Manifesto and The Rebellion.^[9] He has also mentioned his plans to release an instrumental album of his own production, entitled The Bodyrock Volume 1, which is inspired by the instrumental albums released by Alchemist, Ayatollah, and Pete Rock.^[10] On February 11, 2013, in an interview with HipHopDX, Inspectah Deck stated that he also has an upcoming album with producer Agallah in the works.^[11] He recently confirmed via Twitter that he has changed the name of his final album to "Uncontrolled Substance II," a sequel to his debut album; that will be produced primarily by RZA.^[12][13]

After working with The Wu-Tang Clan on their sixth studio album A Better Tomorrow, he reunited with 7L & Esoteric for another Czarface album titled Every Hero Needs a Villain, which was released in June 2015.^[14]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Mixtapes

Singles

Guest appearances

Production credits

1995

Wu-Tang Clan - Tales from the Hood The Soundtrack

• "Let Me at Them"

1997

Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever

• "Visionz"

1998

Inspectah Deck (ft. Streetlife) - Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm

• "S.O.S."

Method Man - Tical 2000: Judgement Day

• "Spazzola"
• "Elements"

RZA - Bobby Digital in Stereo

• "Kiss of a Black Widow"

1999

GZA - Beneath The Surface

• "Beneath The Surface"

Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance

• "Femme Fatale"
• "Word on the Street"
• "Elevation"
• "Hyperdermix"
• "The Cause"

U-God - Golden Arms Redemption

• "Glide"

2000

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele

• "Stay True"

2001

Cappadonna - The Yin and the Yang

• "Revenge"

2005

Streetlife - Street Education

• "A Star Is Born"

2006

Inspectah Deck - The Resident Patient

• "Get Ya Weight Up"
• "My Style"

2009

Fes Taylor - Flight 10304 (T-2 Fly)

• "Show Something"
• "CMG Salutes La Banga"

2010

Inspectah Deck - Manifesto

• "Luv Letter"
• "T.R.U.E."
• "We Get Down"
• "9th Chamber Part II"
• "Really Real"

2013

Masta Killa - Selling My Soul

• "R U Listening?"

References