They say good things come to those who wait. But it is also said that hard work breeds success. No matter which cliché you believe, veteran rapper U-God can prove both ideologies to be true. As an original member of Wu-Tang Clan, the nine person crew that literally thugged out the rap game in the mid-'90s, U-God knows what it's like to experience both power and success. And even though he has already achieved legendary status he has no intention of calling it quits. Like a true artist, the MC born Lamont Hawkins is devoted to perfecting his craft and exploring every creative outlet he can muster.

Nearly a decade after first coming into the game with the intentions of shifting the entire power structure within the music industry, U-God continues to reinvent both himself and the climate around his art. His latest LP, Mr. Xcitement, is a testament to his artistic development and proof that time rears wisdom.

"I'm not the same dude I was 10 years ago," explains the MC formally known as Golden Arms. "That's why I called my album Mr. Xcitement. I'm not in the Wu chamber that they expect me to be in."

Instead of basking in all of life's ills, U-God has decided to put a whole new spin on the words he spits while staying true to the rapid-fire rhyme flow his fans continue to praise him for. "My new album's hard as hell but I got a little more sunshine on it," explains the Staten Island-bred rapper. "You could see the pictures in my words. I'm not trying to lose you what so ever. I made it real easy for your ears so you could be like, 'Damn! Did you hear what that nigga said? I didn't know he could get down like that.'"

Enriched with a bevy of styles, the follow-up to U-God's critically acclaimed debut, Golden Arms Redemption, is a well rounded album that incorporates as many characters as it does musical influences.

Songs like "Pretty Like Me" and "You Don't Want To Dance" will reunite old fans with the baritone rhyme animal and bring them up to date with his ever changing slanguistics. "I kinda talk different than dudes," explains U-God. "'You Don't Want To Dance' is an uptempo joint. In other words, you don't want to fuck with a nigga that's 'bout it 'bout it. You don't want to disco with me baby."

When he's not tearing the club up with the tracks like the lead single, the Wu banger "Bump", U's got his sites set on turning out a whole new audience. The rock-tinged "Kick Azz" is a certified head banger that was inspired by his recently deceased crew member, Ol' Dirty Bastard. "I took a page from my brother Dirty and I formulated it to my style on that one," he says. "It's something he would've did with my 2005 twist on it."

In an effort to keep the ladies listening, Mr. Xcitement   features a dramatic love affair on wax for the song, "Jenny." U-God flexes his knack for rapping intricate story lines, this one riddled with deception and greed. And after taking listeners through matters of the wounded heart, U offers up some words of encouragement and the importance of not taking one's life for granted on the uplifting track, "Stop (Carry On)".

"I'm always gonna come different on every song," says U-God. "That's one thing about this album, I don't sound the same on one track. That's a skill I got from being Wu-Tang 'cause I always had to get in and fit in."

Variety has a lot to do with U-God's appeal. The fact that he is able to touch on so many different topics and morph his character into someone who is still relevant today says a lot about his ever-changing mic skills. "Niggas don't realize the U in U-God stands for universal," he explains. "It means no boundaries, infinity, it goes on forever. There's no shape or form that you could say, 'That's U.G. right there.' You're always gonna be like damn that's him?"

Even if you don't recognize the man on the mic you will learn to love what he's done for rap now as much as ever.