Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is a better album than Wu-Tang Forever

I would like to start by thanking my illustrious friend for challenging me to what promises to be a highly compelling debate. The term 'delinquent associate' is an interesting phrase to use with dual connotations, delinquent meaning 'Failing to do what law or duty requires' and also 'Overdue in payment'. In this case I'm going to go with the latter and deliver to my opponent a payment that is long overdue, the debate he has requested and his subsequent defeat. "Skip the introduction, prostate the lip function" As my opponent knows full well I am a huge fan of 36 Chambers and rate it as one of the best albums ever made but that does not take away from the fact that 'Wu Tang Forever' is the superior album on so many levels but most important LYRICALLY. As a lyricist him self, I am amazed that my opponent has failed to address this issue. The way I see Enter is as a seminal album but mainly because of its uncompromising impact on the scene, loads of attitude and energy but little substance and reflection. The Beatles analogy is an interesting one, I would compare 36 chambers to The Beatles first album to 'Please please me'. Both are important as an introduction to the group's styles and both were revolutionary in that they both introduced the world to a new KIND of group, the four man beat combo and the full-on posse Hip Hop group but neither are true representations of the groups abilities. I would say Forever is more of a 'Revolver' or 'White album', far more accomplished and with a lot more to say. Back to the key issue of lyrics, I would like to take the opportunity to list some examples of the superior lyrical content of Forever "I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypothesis can't define how I be droppin these mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me Battle-scarred shogun, explosion when my pen hits tremendous, ultra-violet shine blind forensics I inspect you, through the future see millennium Killa B's sold fifty gold sixty platinum Shacklin the masses with drastic rap tactics Graphic displays melt the steel like blacksmiths" This Inspectah Deck verse is regarded by many as one of the best in the history of Hip Hop and I challenge my opponent to come up with anything on Enter that even comes near. "Curses from war, innocent blood spills for days Soothe in godly ways, hands, solemn in praise Tree of life, more precious than Wu is golden game The wise self flourish inherit, Halls of Fame Crime visions in my blood got me, locked in prison While we die hard living people whine about religion, vision Blow, spin, and sin and killing what's revealing It's a never ending battle with no ending or beginning, listen Zero process, progress, become the hunted America's most wanted, good life flaunted, want it Some love the speed, some satisfy a need Some want to be down, young gun seed, jungle breed The stronger speed, someone die, someone bleed One flew astray, and then caught my little seed Can it be, the ice have us trife life, made me grab the knife The righteous man would be within these stripes pipes Take in my energy, breath and know the rest Cause the good die young and the hard die best" This U-God verse utilises the ‘stream of consciousness' style of rapping and displays, in my opinion, a far more advanced level of lyrical prowess than anything on Enter. There are many more examples I can think of and to list them would simply clutter this debate. My opponent sights various ‘lists' and ‘top tens' compiled in relation to ‘the greatest hip hop albums'. I would simply ask him to go back a review the results of these and then tell me that they have any validity. Marshall Mathers EP top ten? Please…. In regard to my opponents point about the global shift from East to West due to Enter, I take his point but I don't really see the relevance. What I would say is far more relevant is the impact that Forever had on Hip Hop in the context of the industry in '97. Commercial Hip Hop at the time was in a poor state becoming over saturated with the R&B stylings of Puff Daddy and like. Hip Hop desperately needed an album like Forever at that time and boy did they get it! With many of the Wu artists having successfully pulled off solo careers they were primed and razor-sharp ready to hit back at ‘the game' with full precision. As for the ‘fillers' in Forever, please list them for me and I'll address them individually.