It seems The Wu are all making moves at once -- but apparently not in the same direction. ODB's sprung to Rocafella, Inspectah Deck's putting out a lonely indie album on Koch and Method Man is on a national tour with Def Jam Vendetta where he recently expressed frustration with the group -- telling a Cleveland newspaper that a Wu-Tang album is on "indefinite hold."

A splintering is apparent in the Clan, despite ODB's contention to otherwise on yesterday's Rap City: Da Bassment where he told Big Tigger that Wu-Tang is not breaking up and an album is on the way. Not so says Method Man, who frankly expressed his frustration with the group's musical constipation. "Come on, man, you gotta step your game up," Meth told The Plain Dealer from his Cleveland Vendetta Tour stop. "Our first album sounded like basement hip-hop so it was easy for us to make a bigger production on every album after that. We have the resources now. What was the problem?"

Meth explained the issue was stagnate studio sessions with group members arriving unprepared. "Brothers were sitting there with nothing written. They were just coming in and singing 16 bars, no hook. You can't just sit around in between albums and not write. You can't just sit around between albums and not produce. Cause when you go back inside the studio, you're stale. And that's basically what was going on."

Meanwhile, Inspectah Deck has found a new home at Koch Records where he's putting out a lonely album, The Movement, with virtually no guest appearances from his core Wutang brethren. "With my album, I'm behind the wheel of my own car. It's much easier for me to see where I'm going when I'm in control rather than having somebody else steering your life or your career for you," comments Deck. The Movement, hitting stores nationwide on May 20th, features 18 new tracks produced by former UMC member, Hassan aka Phantom of the Beats and longtime QB producer Ayatollah.
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Popular morning show co-hosts Ed Lover & Dr. Dre aren't letting their recent national radio syndication success go to their heads. The two seem bent on continuing their irreverant antics, taking shots at BET and MTV and saying Nas 'b i t c h e d up' in an exclusive interview with SOHH.com.

Ed and Dre talked frankly to SoHH.com about being dropped from the groundbreaking Yo!MTV Raps show where they trailblazed the genre on television. "MTV always feels like sh!t runs its course and they need to bring new blood in there and I don't understand why," questions Ed Lover. "If something's working just let the sh!t work. They always bring in these lame ass vee-jay in and that sh!t don't work."

Ed & Dre aren't haters though as are their self-confessed competitors down the dial. The two give props to Rap City:The Bassment, hosted by their Power 105.1 comrade, Big Tigger. However, they don't think to highly of the shows home network, B.E.T. Says Lover, "I would do the show differently if I was a producer on it. But f#@$ it they always been a half steppin' ass channel anyway."

Finally, the two talk frank about Nas, who turned to Power 105.1 for support after last year's Hot97 Summer Jam debacle. "I think it was a very bold thing that he did to be a confused muhf#@$a like he is. It was bold. It was high time that somebody did it. He didn't let them put him in a chokehold. Then he b i t c h e d up and went back there and apologized but it was a bold move in the beginning. It needed to be done."
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According to Big Proof of D-12, on Saturday, May 3rd, 2003, he was assaulted by 12-14 people affiliated with Murder Inc. Records.

"Straight from the horses mouth, Murder Inc. caught me at the Rolexx in Florida," Proof told AllHipHop.com. "They got me out numbered, 12 or 14 [people] to 3. I got no cuts, a lil' bruised, but let it be known it is on and poppin’ and Irv was there."

According to Proof, he was involved in the altercation with Murder Inc. while in the Miami area working on the debut album of Motown recording artist, Dina Rae. The female singer croons on "Superman" from The Eminem Show as well as songs from each of the rapper's previous albums.

According to reports, Proof was relaxing after recording, when someone in Irv Gotti's entourage approached him and attacked.

"They snuck me," Proof continued. "They were a bunch of kittens and DJ's, because all I got was scratches."

The beef between Murder Inc. and Shady Records/G-Unit has been escalating for months since the signing of 50 Cent to Shady/Aftermath. However, prior to the signing, 50 Cent had been spewing at Murder Inc, seemingly exacerbating the long running and seemingly volatile situation.

On the latest Green Lantern mixtape, "The Conspiracy," the Shady Records roster [Eminem, D12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent, and the incarcerated G-Unit member Tony Yayo] takes turn spitting retaliatory words at Ja Rule and Murder Inc.

On one song, recorded prior to the fight, Proof spits straight at Gotti: " Slim didn't send Proof to get at the wanksters/He told me to let loose and spit at the gangsters/What up Gotti?…get pushed on, put your ear to the ground for Stuckey and Butch Jones. (Detroit gangsters)/What's wrong didn't think we strong with real niggas, roll like a boss in the streets, they still feel us. It's real business, y'all ain't caught the concept/You're talking nonsense/Contacts was blown by Benzetta (Benzino) and The Source/Threaten at the boss you gon’ see me on your porch? Now Irv got the nerve to try to serve on us/but Detroit niggas scurv and ain't scared to bust."

A long-time hip-hop veteran, Proof founded the group D12 with Eminem before Eminem was signed to a record label.

Proof is currently preparing to release his own solo album, Searching 4 Jerry Garcia, which will drop in his own Iron Fist Records, so named for the large statue of Joe Louis' fist that is a Detroit landmark.

Proof is also contributing extensively to the still untitled Detroit Book Project, a project that will document the history of hiphop music and culture in the city.

Murder Inc declined to comment on this story