Much like other Wu affiliates, you know what you’re getting with Killah Priest – lyrics dealing with hieroglyphics, scripture, space and the like. And why not? Wu fans absolutely love that shit. Now, it would be unfair to simply write off Priest as another Wu-Tang weed carrier, as he is light years ahead of, say, Cappadonna. On the other hand, Killah Priest possesses neither the lyrical deftness of GZA, nor the personality of Ghostface. This isn’t to say that Priest isn’t a formidable lyricist – just that his lyrical ability doesn’t usually make up for his general refusal to switch his flow and content matter up. The Offering more or less addresses these problems, though not entirely.

With The Offering, Killah Priest starts the album off with a monotonous intro. The lyrics are on point as per usual, his voice is monotone and the flow is just horrid. Salvation isn’t much of an improvement, but things do get better on the Nas-featured Gun for Gun. Somewhat surprising is Priest’s ability to sound just as nice as Nas – not a feat that many emcees can hope to accomplish: “When my fame is at stake/I think of how much slander I take/Then I sit back and watch tapes on Alexander the great/Start studying how he bloodied men/I think of rappers I’ma massacre, metal armor’ll cover my skin/Take me to war – ‘Fuck y’all!’ preaches Ivan the Terrible/Stare in my eyes they’re unbearable/You collide with the General/”

How Many has Priest making bold comparisons between himself and legends such as Rakim, Kool G Rap and Kane. While that may be a stretch, he certainly comes correct on the track with a rapid flow that fits the beat perfectly. Hell Razah drops by for the laid back (and very strange) Melodic Pt. 2, resulting in a smooth, moody song. The biggest disappointment on the album comes in the form of Inner G, which features the 4 Horsemen (Ras Kass, Canibus, Kurupt and Killah Priest himself). While Priest and ‘Bis come correct, Ras Kass and Kurupt seem determined to make the track fail, as they deliver some truly garbage verses. Bloodsport and Immortal Technique lace the dope Standstill. Tech delivers exactly the incendiary, virulent lyricism we’ve all come to expect from him, creating a truly hard-hitting record.

Production on The Offering is a mixed bag. Osirus Eyes and Ghetto Jezus create extremely moody experiences with their haunting piano keys, and Truth B Told is truly some sinister shit. Unfortunately, tracks like The Offering and Inner G, as well as Til Thee Angels Come are uninspired and predictable. Sometimes it’s easy to ignore these missteps, as the beats tend to cater to Killah Priest’s persona. The majority of the time though, the worse beats on the album really detract from the songs, regardless of how dope the lyrics are.

Overall, The Offering is a solid album. Making a collection of 17 tracks which are listenable as a whole isn’t easy, and Killah Priest more or less manages to pull it off. Although a few songs suffer from uninspired production and repetitive content matter, The Offering is generally an enjoyable listening experience, highlighted by a few moments of brilliance.