Wu-Tang Clan

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Wu-Tang Clan is a hip hop group, originally from Staten Island, New York, USA (Staten Island is referred to as "Shaolin" in their lyrics).

The crew was initially composed of nine MCs. In 1993 the group released its debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Since then, all nine members have released solo albums, and the group has spawned many affiliate groups. This was the plan from the group's inception: to become an empire by taking over the hip hop community through saturation of like minded artists.

Though the group's style has evolved considerably over the years, and the solo projects of individual members differ in tone and content, the group is generally well-known for thumping, surreal beats and aggressive lyrics loaded with metaphor, references to life in New York City, and allusions to Chinese folklore and martial arts films.

Contents

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Members

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  • The RZA (born Robert Diggs, 1969) - The de facto leader of the group. He produced the entirety of Enter the Wu-Tang and the majority of the subsequent Wu-Tang albums. He has also produced many of the group's solo efforts, especially early on. Considered a producing pioneer, recently his popularity has transcended hip-hop. Thanks to Jim Jarmusch giving him his break with Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, he has gone on to score several Hollywood films such as the first installment of Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed Kill Bill. He is the cousin to GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard.
  • GZA a.k.a. The Genius (born Gary Grice, 1966) - He is the oldest member of the group as well as the most experienced, having started in '76, before rap was ever known outside New York [1]. He released an album in 1990 before the formation of Wu-Tang on Cold Chillin'/Reprise as The Genius titled Words from the Genius, though issues with label politics led him to seek an independant route with Wu-Tang [2]. His first Wu-Tang solo album Liquid Swords is considered by fans among the best albums the group has released.
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard (born Russel Jones, 1968 - 2004) - The most unique member of the group, his often wild behavior drew significant media, and police, attention. Along with Method Man, he was one of the more popular members with high sales and guest spots with industry giants like Mariah Carey. He died November 13, 2004 of a drug overdose while recording in the studio.
  • Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, 1970) - He has one of the more enduring solo careers of the group. His debut album Ironman is considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang albums, while mainstream hip-hop press credits his sophomore album Supreme Clientele with "saving the Wu." It was long considered by mainstream hip-hop press to be the only second generation Wu-Tang solo album to rise above mediocrity, however several other solo albums would later gain mainstream critical acceptance (such as Grandmasters and No Said Date).
  • Raekwon (born Corey Woods, 1970) - Given the nickname "the Chef" for having "lyrical flavor," he incorporates complex slang into his raps. His solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is arguably considered the best of the solo albums by fans along with Liquid Swords and Ironman.
  • Inspectah Deck (born Jason Hunter, 1970) - Also known as Rebel I.N.S., he was one of the star members of the group for years, thanks to his vivid and complex lyricism. He was a popular guest rapper in 1997 and 1998 and is considered by many in the fanbase as the stand-out member on Wu-Tang Forever. However, his poorly recieved solo albums have diminished his current reputation significantly.
  • Method Man (born Clifford Smith, 1971) - The first to release a solo album, his solo career went on to become the most successful in the group, winning a Grammy for All I Need with Mary J. Blige. He has also had a significant acting career with many film and television credits to his name, most notably How High and Method & Red, both co-starring with Redman, who he also made an album with in 1999 titled Blackout!.
  • U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, 1970) - One of the lesser hailed members of Wu-Tang, he has had a rather unspectacular solo career. He later blamed this on RZA and a short beef between them ensued, though they eventually reconciled.
  • Masta Killa (born Elgin Turner, 1969) - He was the only member not already an experienced rapper at the time of the group's formation and was extensively mentored by GZA during his early days with the group. He was the last to release a solo album, though when he finally did release No Said Date, it was generally well recieved.
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Foundation

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The founders of Wu-Tang Clan were cousins GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The RZA who had previously comprised the by-then-defunct trio Force Of The Imperial Master, who became better known as All In Together Now after they had a popular single of that name. The group had attracted the attention of some in the industry, including Biz Markie [3], but had never managed to secure a record deal. Since the crew dissolved, GZA (then known as the Genius) and The RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem) had also embarked on separate unsuccessful solo careers with Cold Chillin' Records and Tommy Boy Records respectively. The three cousins' frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang's revolutionary business plan.

Wu-Tang Clan was gradually assembled in late 1992 from friends and accomplices from around Staten Island, with The RZA as the de facto leader & the group's producer. The two cousins (GZA and The RZA) created their new Wu-Tang aliases by mimicking the sound that the words "genius" and "rakeem" would make when scratched on a turntable. The word Wu-Tang originates from the Wudang (or Wu-Tang) Mountains in the Hubei province of China, which are a traditional center of Chinese martial arts; The RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after seeing the kung-fu film Shaolin and Wu-Tang, which features a school of warriors trained in Wu-Tang style (many dialogue excerpts from the film were used on their debut album). The group have also developed various backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers like KRS One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "We Usually Take All Niggas' Garments," "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game" and "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God". This is reflected by the teaching of the 5% nation of Gods and Earths. The group's now-famous logo was designed by long-time associate and graffiti artist Mathematics, who would go on to become the group's DJ and one of its most sought after in-house producers.

The Clan first became known to hip hop fans, and to major record labels, in 1993 (see 1993 in music) following the release of the independent single Protect Ya Neck, which immediately gave the group a sizeable underground following. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud/RCA finally agreed and the debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers in late 1993 was popular and critically-acclaimed, though it took some time to gain momentum. Though hip hop had long had a gritty texture, the surreal aggression and minimalist production of 36 Chambers nevertheless had a huge impact on the genre, and was to prove massively influential over the next decade. By the beginning of the 21st century, the album had become a regular fixture on "Best Albums Of The 90s" lists as well as a frequent choice for "Best Albums Of All Time" lists. [4]

The success of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers established the group as a creative and influential force in early 1990s hip hop, allowing GZA, The RZA, Raekwon, Method Man, and Ol' Dirty Bastard to negotiate solo contracts.

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Solo Careers

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The RZA was the first to follow up on the success of 36 Chambers with a side project, founding the Gravediggaz with Prince Paul (a producer most famous for De La Soul), Frukwan (of Stetsasonic) and Poetic (of the Brothers Grimm). The Gravediggaz released 6 Feet Deep in August 1994, which became a well known work to emerge from hip hop's small sub-genre of horrorcore.

It had always been planned for Method Man to be the first breakout star from the group's lineup, with the b-side of the first single being his now-classic eponymous solo track. In November 1994 his solo album Tical was released. It was entirely produced by The RZA, who for the most part continued with the grimy, raw textures he explored on 36 Chambers. The RZA's hands-on approach to Tical extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structure. This approach would continue throughout the first round of solo projects from the Clan members. Ol' Dirty Bastard found success in early 1995 with Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which saw the 36 Chambers sound become even rawer and rough-edged.

Late 1995 saw the release of the group's two most significant and well-received solo projects. Raekwon the Chef's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was a diverse, theatrical criminological epic that saw The RZA move away from the raw, stripped-down beats of the early albums and towards a richer, cinematic sound more reliant on strings and classic soul samples. It also featured Queensbridge MC Nas on the song "Verbal Intercourse", the first non-Wu-Tang artist to appear on a Wu-Tang album. GZA's Liquid Swords had a similar focus on inner-city criminology to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, yet it was far darker, both in GZA's grim lyrics and in the ominous, foreboding production that saw The RZA more reliant on keyboards than ever before. The two 1995 solo albums remain widely regarded as two of the finest hip hop albums of the nineties.

Ghostface Killah released his own debut, Ironman, in 1996. It struck a balance between the sinister keyboard-laden textures of Liquid Swords and the sentimental soul samples of Cuban Linx, while Ghostface himself explored new territory as a lyricist. It was critically acclaimed and is still widely considered one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums. Although the 1994-1996 albums were released as solo albums, The RZA's presence behind the boards and the large number of guest appearances from other Clan members (Raekwon and Ghostface's albums only had two or three actual solo tracks each and both included tracks that only included other Clan members and not themselves) means they are usually considered as important to the group's evolution as the group albums proper.

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Reunited

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With solo careers established, Wu-Tang Clan came back together to release the enormous double album Wu-Tang Forever in June 1997. It was eagerly anticipated and entered the charts at number one after selling 600,000 in its first week—no mean feat for an album that made very little attempt to have wide commercial appeal, and which had a five minutes plus nine-MC "posse cut" with no chorus as its lead single ("Triumph"). The sound of the album mostly built upon the sounds of the previous three solo albums, with The RZA increasing his use of keyboards and string samples, as well as for the first time assigning much of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple (known as the Wu-Elements). The group's lyrics were considerably different from those on 36 Chambers, with many verses on the album being dense stream-of-consciousness narratives heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. However, the live tour supporting the album was cancelled halfway through amid rumors of internal disputes.

Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of The RZA's "five year plan"; at the group's inception, he promised the group members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip hop world within five years. After Forever's success, The RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. This move was designed to enable the Wu-Tang empire to expand further into the fabric of the hip hop industry, and in accordance with this an extremely large amount of Wu-Tang product (both musical and otherwise) was to be released over the next two years.

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Wu-Fam

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Immediately after Forever, the focus of Wu-Tang was on promoting emerging affiliate artists (referred to by the fanbase as "Wu-Fam") rather than its own members. The group's close associate Cappadonna, who first appeared on Raekwon's debut and was a large presence on both Ironman and Wu-Tang Forever, followed the group project with March 1998's The Pillage. Soon after, Killah Priest (like Cappadonna, a close associate of the Clan, though not an official member) released Heavy Mental to great critical acclaim. Affiliate groups Sunz Of Man (of which Killah Priest was a member) and Killarmy (which included The RZA's younger brother) also released albums while a compilation album, Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm, was released showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists as well as including new solo tracks from the group members themselves.

There was also a long line of mostly forgettable releases from B-list affiliates such as Popa Wu, Shyheim, GP Wu, and Wu-Syndicate. Second albums from Gravediggaz and Killarmy, as well as a greatest hits album, and a b-sides compilation eventually saw release.

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The Flood

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The second round of solo albums from the Clansmen saw sophomore efforts from the four members who had already released albums as well as debuts from all the remaining members except Masta Killa (who would eventually debut as a solo artist in 2004). In the space of two years, The RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo, Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Blackout! (with Redman), GZA's Beneath the Surface, Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please, U-God's Golden Arms Redemption, Raekwon's Immobilarity, Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele and Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance were all released (seven of them being released in the space of seven months between June 1999 and January 2000). The RZA also composed the score for the film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, directed by Jim Jarmusch, while he and other Wu-Tang members contributed music to a companion "music inspired by the film" album. Wu-Tang branded clothing and video games were marketed as well. The Wu Wear clothing line in particular was massively influential on hip hop culture; initially started as merely a way to make money from the demand for bootleg Wu-Tang shirts, it evolved into an extensive collection of designer garments. Soon, other hip hop artists were making similar ventures and by the mid 2000s a clothing line was almost a prerequisite for hip hop superstardom, with clothing lines launched by Ludacris, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Busta Rhymes, Nelly and more.

The avalanche of Wu-Tang product between 1997 and 2000 is considered by many critics, such as All Music Guide's Stephen Thomas Erlewine [5], to have resulted in an oversaturation that was largely responsible for Wu-Tang's drop in popularity during the same time period. Reviews such as Melody Maker's writeup on Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele in January 2000 which began "Another month, another Wu-Tang side project" indicated the critical attitude to the Clan's overexposure. Whatever the case, the reception for the second round of Clan member solo albums was decidedly mixed if largely positive, and they did not live up to their pre-Forever forebears either critically or commercially. Occasional albums would still receive critical acclaim (Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele for one) while Method Man and ODB remained popular in their own right as solo artists, and Wu-Tang remained generally well-known, but they had seemingly lost the ability to excite the music world in the way they had only three years previously. Many fans and critics also bemoaned the lack of The RZA's input on the post-Forever solo albums, which were mostly produced by the Wu-Element producers, other lower-ranking affiliates or by outside producers such as the Trackmasters or the Neptunes.

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2000-2004

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The group reconvened once again to make The W (though without Ol' Dirty Bastard, who was at the time incarcerated in California for violating the terms of his probation). The W was mostly well-received by critics, particularly for The RZA's production [6], and also gave the group a hit single with the uptempo Gravel Pit, part of a trilogy of videos that also included Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off) and the internet-only Careful (Click, Click), which were then followed by I Can't Go To Sleep featuring Isaac Hayes.

RZA's release of Digital Bullet (as Bobby Digital) in 2001 marked the beginning of the a small wave of solo releases, followed by Ghostface Killah's Bulletproof Wallets and Cappadonna's The Yin and the Yang. Their latest album as a group was 2001's Iron Flag which recieved mostly positive reviews but was not a a commercial success. GZA's release of Legend of the Liquid Sword in late 2002 marked yet another wave that continued into the next two years, including Cappadonna's The Struggle, Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel, Raekwon's The Lex Diamond Story, Ghostface Killah's (who, in his new contract with Def Jam Recordings, shortened his rap name to simply Ghostface) The Pretty Toney Album, Inspectah Deck's The Movement, and Masta Killa's No Said Date. It was perhaps the least successful wave yet, with only No Said Date and The Pretty Toney Album gaining any significant attention. Ghostface's album continued the trend of his releases each selling less than the one before it, though the video for Tush (featuring Missy Elliot) got some airplay and it recieved generally good reviews [7]. Masta Killa's album was well recieved by both the hardcore fanbase and critics for its attempt to return to the classic Wu sound, though as an independant release it did not catch on commercially.

In early 2004 U-God, for a long time one of the least renowned members of the Clan, apparently left the group in disgust. A DVD titled Rise Of A Fallen Soldier was released detailing his problems, which were mostly with his treatment by The RZA, who he claimed had hindered his success as a solo artist. He also formed a new group of young proteges called the Hillside Scramblers, with whom he released the album U-GODZILLA presents the Hillside Scramblers in March 2004. The dispute culminated in a heated phone conversation between The RZA and U-God on live radio, which ultimately saw the two reconcile. U-God later effectively rejoined the group.

2004 also saw the unexpected return of the Clan to the live stage, and minus Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man (who was filming the Fox sitcom Method & Red) they embarked on a short European tour before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline the Rock The Bells festival in California. The concert was released on DVD shortly afterwards, along with another greatest hits compilation. This renewed interest in the group fuelled rumors that another group album is on the way soon, and The RZA confirmed towards the end of the year that the group did plan to release another album in the near future.

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The death of ODB

ODB collapsed at approximately 5:29 p.m. on November 13, 2004 at Wu-Tang's recording studio, 36 Records LLC on West 34th Street in New York City. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later, just two days shy of his 36th birthday. He was buried at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center. The group was shaken by Ol' Dirty Bastard's death, however the impact of his death on the Clan's output is expected to be limited, given that his involvement with the group had been very sporadic for many years.

ODB's career in Wu-Tang was marked by wild and criminal behavior. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, he protested the Clan's loss (in Best Rap Album) by interrupting Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech, albeit in a good-natured manner. ODB was also arrested several times for a variety of offenses, including assault, making terrorist threats, shoplifting, wearing body armor after being convicted of a felony, and possession of cocaine. He was also in trouble for missing multiple court dates. In 2001, Ol' Dirty Bastard unexpectedly escaped near the end of his rehab sentence, spending one month on the run as a fugitive before showing up onstage at the record release party for The W. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club, but was later captured by Philadelphia police and sent to New York to face charges of cocaine possession. In April 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison.

Once released from prison, he signed to Roc-a-Fella Records. A posthumous official mixtape titled Osirus featuring many new songs was released in March 2005 and ODB's unfinished Roc-A-Fella album A Son Unique was released on Aug 9, 2005.

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Recent history

In 2005, U-God released his sophomore album titled Mr. Xcitement, and GZA released an album-length collaboration with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill titled GrandMasters. 2006 should see the release of Raekwon's long-delayed sequel to his 1995 debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (interestingly, the result of several LA studio sessions originally aimed towards creating a new Clan album), a new album from Method Man titled 421 produced by The RZA, Scott Storch & longtime collaborator Erick Sermon among others, and Masta Killa's second album Made in Brooklyn. They reunited for an early 2006 East Coast Tour, dedicated to Ol' Dirty Bastard, in the month of February. On Mar 28, 2006, Ghostface Killah (adding "Killah" back to his moniker) released "Fishscale" to positive reviews. It features the entire Clan as well as production by MF DOOM and the late J Dilla.

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TV & Film Appearances

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Members of the group have appeared in several Comedy Central shows, most notably two appearances on Chappelle's Show. The first was in episode 107, in a sketch titled "Wu-Tang Financial", in which The RZA and GZA run an investment firm, lampooning the over-saturation of hip-hop endorsed brands (which Wu-Tang were guilty of at one point). The second appearance was in episode 201, in the sketch "Racial Draft 2004", in which the group is drafted to become ethnically Asian. Various members have also appeared in episodes of Upright Citizens Brigade and Crank Yankers.

The RZA, Cappadonna and affiliate group Killarmy made an appearance in the "Adolf Hankler" episode of the HBO sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. In the episode, the group are booked to perform on the show-within-the-show by guest host Jon Stewart, who then comes into disagreement with the show's network over whether or not the Clan are "too urban" for the show's audience. In one of their two scenes, the group is seen rehearsing the song "And Justice For All" and in the other scene, they are awkwardly conversing with the show's sidekick character Hank Kingsley (played by Jeffrey Tambor).

Members of Wu-Tang also have many notable film appearances. In 1998, The RZA made a brief appearance in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a film he also scored. In 2003, The RZA and GZA appeared in the Movie Coffee and Cigarettes in the sketch "Delirium" with Bill Murray. Method Man has the most successful acting career of any member in Wu-Tang with many credits to his name, including a stint on HBO's Oz, appearances on The Wire and The Twilight Zone, and starring roles in the feature film How High and the now-cancelled Fox series Method & Red. The RZA scored the first film of Quentin Tarrantino's Kill Bill saga, and also had a role in the 2005 film Derailed and won praise from Roger Ebert for his performance, though the film itself received mixed reviews. Several members also appear in the movie Scary Movie 3 and the movie Black and White.

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Trivia

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Discography

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Albums

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Singles

  • 1993 "Protect Ya Neck"
  • 1993 "Method Man"
  • 1994 "C.R.E.A.M."
  • 1994 "Can It Be All So Simple"
  • 1997 "Triumph"
  • 1997 "It's Yourz"
  • 2000 "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"
  • 2000 "Gravel Pit"
  • 2001 "I Can't Go To Sleep"
  • 2002 "Uzi (Pinky Ring)"
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Appear On

  • 1994 "Anything (Old School Remix)" (from the SWV EP Remixes)
  • 1997 "Diesel" (from the Soul In The Hole soundtrack)
  • 1997 "America" (from the America Is Dying Slowly compilation)
  • 1998 "Put Your Hammer Down" & "Wu-Tang Cream Team Lineup" (from the Funkmaster Flex album The Mix Tape, Vol. 3: 60 Minutes of Funk)
  • 1998 "Windpipe" (from the Belly soundtrack)
  • 1998 "And You Don't Stop" (from the Rush Hour soundtrack)
  • 2000 "Shame" (featuring System Of A Down) (from the Loud Rocks compilation)
  • 2000 Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing To F--- Wit'"(featuring Tom Morello and Chad Smith) Loud Rocks compilation
  • 2000 "For Heaven's Sake 2000" (featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi) Loud Rocks compilation
  • 2000 "Fast Shadow" (from the Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai soundtrack)
  • 2000 "Shaolin Worldwide" (from the Next Friday soundtrack)
  • 2001 "The Abduction" (from the Tony Touch album The Piece Maker)
  • 2001 "What You In Fo" (from the Oz soundtrack)
  • 2004 "Rock Steady" (from the Tony Touch album The Piece Maker 2)
  • 2006 "9 Milli Bros." (from the Ghostface Killah album Fishscale)
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See also

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External links


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