Exactly one year ago today (June 22), news broke that any new Wu-Tang Clan project would be in the hands of Ghostface Killah. After more than 2 decades of shepherding the group, RZA was willing to step aside and let another member of the family shape their sound. At the time, Ghost said of the immense responsibility “I’m going to do my part first and let them know what I did and then have them listen to that and follow my lead,” and “I could be wrong, but my ears are my judgment. My heart tells me what’s right. But then again it might be somebody unexpected that blows everybody away. That’s how the Clan be. You never know who’s going to blow the track.”

Wu-Tang Clan’s Next Album Is In Ghostface Killah’s Hands

Months later, RZA explained the move, saying “I told Ghost’, if y’all wanna do it again, let’s put it in his hands; he’s been the most prolific—the one that’s really got feet on the ground in music. [It is the] same thing [as our discussion earlier] let’s go ahead let the best qualified man do the job.” RZA’s choice might have been partly in response to criticism both Raekwon and Method Man levied at him about the sonic direction of Wu’s albums over the last several years, including 2014’s A Better Tomorrow.

RZA Explains Why Wu-Tang Clan’s Next Album Is Ghostface Killah’s Responsibility (Video)

Since then, others, including the acclaimed collective J.U.S.T.I.C.E League (Rick Ross, Jay Rock) have said they also will have a hand in Wu’s next album. Despite RZA’s openness to others steering the ship from time to time, he was the original captain and will always be the group’s abbot, and now, at least for one song, he has resumed his position.

On “Don’t Stop,” a record from the Mass Appeal-distributed Silicon Valley soundtrack, Method Man and Raekwon show their enduring support of RZA, as they join Inspectah Deck in lacing one of Bobby Digital’s beats. As was the case with much of RZA’s earlier work, the song is sparse with not much more than dirty drums and an eerie recurring chord propelling it forward.

Other releases from the Silicon Valley soundtrack include DJ Shadow’s “Systematic,” featuring Nas and “Nobody Speak,” also by Shadow, and featuring Run The Jewels.