Wu-Tang Clan
Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
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NATN Recommended
Wu-Tang Clan
Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
RCA, 1993
RiYL: Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Genius, Sunz Of Man |
The nine-member outfit from Staten Island, NY, maintains what few rap groups are fortunate enough to possess: Nine of the most innovative, inimitable, and lyrically commanding MCs in the game. In addition, they boast The RZA (a.k.a. Robert Diggs), the musical and spiritual mastermind behind the group, a producer whose ability and creativity are incomparable. Collectively, the Wu-Tang Clan represents an immovable force in hip-hop, a mainstay in an ever-changing genre of music.
The RZA's production consists of raw, hard-hitting boom-bap beats of old. All nine MCs -- The RZA, GZA/Genius, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa -- bring nearly inhuman microphone skills to the table. The rhymes are all the more impressive on tracks like "Shame On A Nigga" and "Protect Ya Neck," where the nine-way-verbal assault attacks from all sides.
"Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing To Fuck Wit" could possibly be hip-hop in its grittiest form. The chorus/boast is a battle cry of sorts, demanding that all MCs who wish to challenge the Clan step forward and face certain annihilation. An eerie wail resonates behind the slamming beat, while the RZA's undisputed braggadocio manifests itself verbally, "I be tossin' and flossin', my style's awesome / I'm causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson."
Equally impressive are the introspective reflections on the band's inner-city upbringing. "Can It All Be So Simple" utilizes a sample from Gladys Knight & The Pips "The Way We Were" as the backbone of a lyrically graphic yet optimistic account of growing up in the Park Hill Projects of Staten Island. Ghostface ponders life before and after stardom, stating, "Yo, I can't cope with the pressure / Settlin' for lesser / The God left lessons on my dresser / So I can bloom and blossom, find a new way."
"C.R.E.A.M," the most successful single off the album, follows the same blueprint in terms of subject matter, but transcends the rest of the album. It is the work's centerpiece, thanks in part to RZA's use of a mellifluous piano loop and low-key, mid-tempo beat. The morose, desperate lyrics flow: "Leave it to me while I be living proof / To kick the truth to the young black youth / But shorty's running wild, smoking cess, drinking beer / And ain't trying to hear what I'm kicking in his ear."
Few and far between are albums that make the entire music industry sit up and take notice, but Wu-Tang Clan had wack MCs running for cover with Enter The Wu-Tang. And rightfully so: The album was only the beginning of the Wu-Tang saga, a tale of nine elite MCs -- each with his own distinct style -- seemingly unstoppable when united.
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