No. 44: Inspectah Deck

I was debating the merits of various Wu-Tang Clan members with my people recently, and they looked at me like I had three heads when I stated that Inspectah Deck was, at least lyrically, the best emcee in the group.

While he's not the highest-ranked Clan member in this countdown, I'm not backing away from that statement.

The group's classic debut, 36 Chambers, would somehow prove to be a solo star vehicle for Method Man first, then Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, GZA and Ghostface Killah — but it was Deck who quietly stole the show with his vicious verses on bangers like "Protect Ya Neck" and "C.R.E.A.M." Line for line, no one else in the Wu matched the Inspectah on that first LP.

He kicks the truth to the young black youth.

In a way, Deck was doomed to a similar fate to that of the man directly below him on this countdown, Kurupt — lyrically superior to everyone in his crew but overshadowed by more charismatic cohorts. It was Meth and Ol' Dirty who shone brightest first, much like Snoop wound up becoming the original megastar on Death Row.

The lack of star power, though, isn't necessarily what holds Deck down on this list — after all, Method Man and ODB didn't make the cut. (Don't bitch about spoilers...these should not be surprising revelations.) The apparent inability to make listenable music is what crippled the Inspectah. Perhaps things would have been different if that flood in RZA's basement hadn't wiped out the original beats for the delayed (and then slept-on) Uncontrolled Substance, Deck's solo debut which dropped in 1999 after at least a two-year wait. But we can only go on what we've heard.

Aside from his much-neglected solo projects (the fifth one is reportedly on the way) and five Wu-Tang albums, Deck has blessed countless other records over the years, dropping solo joints on the Tales From The Hood and High School High soundtracks back in the mid-1990s while also collaborating with the likes of Gang Starr, Big Pun, Mos Def and 7L & Esoteric. He's still going, too — Deck is slated to appear on the upcoming release from current underground battle heavyweight Illmaculate.

There's a reason so many others on this list keep requesting his services, even if the masses ain't trying to hear what he's kicking in their ear.