Wu-Tang Clan

"Wu-Tang" redirects here. For other uses, see Wu-Tang (disambiguation).

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is an American rap supergroup from New York City. Of the nine members, six artists are from Staten Island, while the rest are from Brooklyn.

The group started with just three members, RZA, GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard, known as All In Together Now.[1] The group then added six members and was composed of nine MCs until the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard in 2004. 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 artists. This was leader RZA's plan from the beginning: to become an empire in the rap industry by saturation of affiliated artists.

Though their style has evolved considerably over the years, the group is fundamentally known for The RZA's pioneering, gritty sample-based production and unique emceeing distinguished by heavy use of local slang and Five Percenter terminology, themes of inner-city life, and references to Hong Kong action cinema and Samurai films.

Members

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Wu-Tang Clan. Left to right: Raekwon (front), Masta Killa (back), Method Man, Ghostface Killah (back) and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard (front), Inspectah Deck (standing), GZA (kneeling), U-God and RZA

• RZA (born Robert Diggs, 1981) - The de facto leader of the group. He produced the entirety of Enter the Wu-Tang and the majority of the tracks on 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: The 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 begun rapping in '76, when hip-hop was still a local New York phenomenon [2]. 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 independent route with Wu-Tang [3]. His first Wu-Tang solo album Liquid Swords is considered by fans among the best albums the group has released.
• Ol' Dirty Bastard a.k.a ODB (born Russell Jones, 1968 - 2004) - aka "Osirus" The most unique member of the group, his wild behavior drew significant media — and often police — attention. Along with Method Man, he was among the most popular members of Wu-Tang 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 for his Roc-A-Fella album.
• Raekwon (born Corey Woods, 1970) - Nicknamed "the Chef" for having "lyrical flavor," as well as his skills at 'cooking' cocaine into crack rock, his use of slang is the most extensive. His influential solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is generally credited with initiating the Mafia rap phenomenon of the mid-to-late-1990s. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is generally considered one of the best of the solo albums by fans, along with Liquid Swords and Supreme Clientele.
• Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, 1970) - aka "Tony Starks" Originally never appeared in public without a mask (not due to outstanding warrants, contrary to popular belief [4]), he later took off the mask and secured himself a place in rap history by co-starring with Raekwon on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, making the album almost as much his as it was Raekwon's, as he even had a solo track on the album. However; the same holds true for his debut album Ironman, where as Ghostface only had about three solo tracks and Raekwon and others were featured on almost every song; and Raekwon has a solo of his own on it, as well. Mainstream hip-hop press credits his sophomore album Supreme Clientele with "saving the Wu;" upon its release in 2000, it was considered by some reviewers as one of the very few post-Forever Wu-Tang solos to rise above mediocrity. In 2004, Ghostface dropped the "Killah" part of his moniker and released The Pretty Toney Album. He followed this with the very well-received Fishscale, released in 2006. With Fishscale he brought back the "Killah."
• Inspectah Deck (born Jason Hunter, 1970) - aka "Rebel INS" He was one of the star members of the group, gaining attention by providing stand-out performances on other members' songs. 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. Lately he has taken a back-seat to other members.
• Method Man (born Clifford Smith, 1971) - aka "Johnny Blaze" The first to release a solo album, his solo career went on to become the most successful in the group with platinum sales and a Grammy for I'll Be There For You/You're 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 the comedy film How High and the sitcom Method & Red, both co-starring with Redman, who he also made an album with in 1999 titled Blackout!.
• 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. However he was largely absent on the groups first album(enter the wu-tang) due to him being incarcerated. He was the last to release a solo album, though when he finally did release No Said Date, it was generally well received. [5]
• U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, 1970) - aka "Golden Arms" 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.

Foundation

Cover of Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang

The founders of Wu-Tang Clan were cousins GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The RZA, who had previously comprised the trio Force Of The Imperial Master, who became better known as "All In Together Now" after they had released a popular single by that name. The group had attracted the attention of some in the industry, including Biz Markie.[6], 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. Their frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang's revolutionary business plan. At the group's inception, RZA promised the members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip-hop world within five years, after which he would relinquish his total control.

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 [7] & the group's producer [8]. 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 comes from the name of an area in China established by the Wu, a clan from the 3 Kingdoms period.; 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) [9][10]. 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 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. [11]

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.

Solo careers

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Cover of Raekwon's debut solo, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

The RZA was the first to follow up on the success of Enter the Wu-Tang with a side project, founding the Gravediggaz with Prince Paul and Frukwan (both of Stetsasonic) and Poetic. 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. This is when Cappadonna made his debut as a Wu Tang member. It also featured Queensbridge MC Nas on the song "Verbal Intercourse", the first non-Wu-Tang artist to appear on a Wu-Tang album, and marking the birth of the rapper's "Nas Escobar" persona. 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 many tracks that included other Clan members) means they are usually considered as important to the group's evolution as the group albums proper.

Reunited

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Wu-Tang Forever

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 small feat for an album that made very little attempt to reach a broader audience. Its first single, Triumph was over five minutes long and had nine full-length verses and no chorus. The sound of the album built significantly on the sounds of the previous three solo albums, with The RZA using more keyboards and string samples, as well as, for the first time, assigning some of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple. The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers, with many verses written in a dense stream-of-consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. Around the same time, the group's part in a joint live tour with Rage Against the Machine was cut short amid rumors of internal disputes.

Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of The RZA's "five year plan". After Forever's success, The RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had done 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 expand Wu-Tang's reach in hip-hop and take advantage of financial opportunities for the group. In keeping with this move, a large amount of Wu-Tang product (both musical and otherwise; example Wu-Wear) was to be released over the next two years.

Wu-Fam

Immediately after Wu-Tang 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 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 lesser-known 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.

Flood

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The RZA & Ghostface Killah on the cover of The Source promoting Supreme Clientele

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 some critics to have resulted in an oversaturation that was responsible for Wu-Tang's drop in popularity, or at least in critical regard, during that time [12]. 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" revealed critics' exhaustion at the Clan's prodigious output. While this may be more a reflection on the limited attention spans of critics, 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 critically, however the Wu was selling more albums than ever. Occasional albums would still receive critical acclaim (Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele for one, which is regarded as one of the best solo efforts from the Clan) while Method Man and ODB remained popular in their own right as solo artists, and Wu-Tang remained as a well known force, but they had seemingly lost the ability to excite the music world in the way they had throughout the 90s. 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.

2000-2004

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. Though incarcerated, ODB happened to make it in the track "Conditioner" which also featured Snoop Dogg. They sampled ODB via the telephones used for inmates to talk with visitors. The W was mostly well-received by critics [13], particularly for The RZA's production, and also gave the group a hit single with the uptempo Gravel Pit, part of a trilogy of videos where the group would visit different eras with a time traveling elevator, which also included Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off) and the internet exclusive (due to excessive gun violence) 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 in between The W and Iron Flag which also included Ghostface Killah's Bulletproof Wallets and Cappadonna's The Yin and the Yang. Their latest album as a group is 2001's Iron Flag. It received mixed reviews [14] but still managed to go Gold very quickly. GZA's release of Legend of the Liquid Sword in late 2002 marked yet another wave that continued for the next two years. The wave included Cappadonna's The Struggle, Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel, Raekwon's The Lex Diamond Story, Ghostface Killah's 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 (however, this trend changed with the release of his popular 2006 album, Fishscale), despite mostly good reviews [15]. Masta Killa's album was well received by both the hardcore fanbase and critics for its attempt to return to the classic Wu sound, though as an independent release, it expectedly did not catch on commercially.

As the case usually is, Method Man's album sold very well despite both critics and fans bashing it. Even Method Man himself went on to bash the album, stating that the situation (management transition) going on at the time with Def Jam caused the poor outcome.

In early 2004 U-God, for long 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 rejoined the group.

2004 also saw the unexpected return of the Clan to the live stage, though without Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man (who was filming 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 was 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.

The death of ODB

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Funeral of ODB

ODB collapsed at approximately 5:29 p.m. on November 13, 2004 at Wu-Tang's recording studio, 36 Chambers 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 very heavily shaken by Ol' Dirty Bastard's death.

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. ODB was also arrested several times for a variety of offenses, including assault, shoplifting, wearing body armor after being convicted of a felony, and possession of cocaine [16]. He was also in trouble for missing multiple court dates. In late 2000, 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 in New York City. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club (which had several policemen outside on the sidewalk in front of it, however they were seemingly unaware of the presence of a nationally-known fugitive inside) but was later captured by police in a McDonald's parking lot in South Philadelphia and sent to New York to face charges of cocaine possession[17]. 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, while ODB's Roc-A-Fella album A Son Unique was released in 2006.

Resurgence

2005 saw the release of the RZA-authored guide The Wu-Tang Manual plus the release of U-God's sophomore album Mr. Xcitement and GZA's collaboration with DJ Muggs titled GrandMasters, as well as Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture: an album featuring RZA, GZA, U-God, compiled by Dreddy Krueger, produced by Bronze Nazareth and put out by Think Differently Music. The group reunited for an early 2006 East Coast Tour, dedicated to Ol' Dirty Bastard, in the month of February.

On March 28, 2006, Ghostface Killah released Fishscale to critical acclaim and commercial success[18]. Method Man and Masta Killa both dropped solo albums as well: 4:21...The Day After and Made in Brooklyn respectively; Ol' Dirty Bastard's posthumous album, A Son Unique, is scheduled to be released on the Damon Dash Music Group in 2006 as well.

The remainder of 2006 should see the release of Raekwon's long-delayed sequel to his 1995 debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx named Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. The album will be released on Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records. On June 25, 2006 Inspectah Deck released an official mixtape titled The Resident Patient, a prelude to his soon to be released album, tentatively titled Unsung Hero [19].

Influence

Wu-Tang Clan has influenced hip-hop profoundly in many aspects. They are arguably one of the most successful "crews" in rap history — though certainly the largest — with several other collectives (such as Dipset, Hot Boys and No Limit Records) emulating the framework established by The RZA. They were also among the first to start the trend in hip-hop of diversification; specifically, the hip-hop clothing line with Wu-Wear and the hip-hop video game with Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.

Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx helped (with the likes of Kool G. Rap) popularize the Mafia theme in rap music that remained widespread for more than half a decade. Nas, Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, No Limit Records,Death Row Records, and countless others, each at least in one period of their career, emulated and expanded upon the themes Only Built 4 Cuban Linx helped establish.

The RZA's producing innovations pushed the boundaries of what samples in hip-hop production could sound like. Most notably he is an early pioneer of speeding up vocal samples from Soul records, which would be the technique Chicago producer Kanye West became best-known for in the early 2000s. West has stated that his style was distinctly influenced by the RZA's production, [20] and Ghostface is one of his favorite rappers.

Contemporary Notorious B.I.G. makes references to listening to Wu-Tang on his album Ready To Die, considered to be one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. The album also contains a guest appearance by Method Man (the only guest appearance on the album) as well as the usage of Wu-Tang slang terms such as "cream" (referring to money or later crack cocaine).

TV & film appearances

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The RZA and GZA appearing on the Chappelle's Show sketch Wu-Tang Financial

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. Several members appeared in Scary Movie 3 (with many other rappers) in a scene where, originally coming to save the day, they end up arguing with other rappers until guns are drawn and everyone shoots each other to death.

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, roles in the films Garden State, Belly, One Eight Seven, and, Cop Land, 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 Tarantino's Kill Bill saga, and also had a role in the 2005 film Derailed, which won praise from Roger Ebert, [21] though the film itself received mixed reviews. Several members also appear in the movie Black and White.

Trivia

• Wu Tang (chin. 武当山/武當山, Wǔdāngshān) is a chinese region a.k.a Taihe. This region is claimed to be the place of origin for many Taoist martial art styles.
• "The Wu-Tang Clan" is the title of a song by The French about a person obsessed with the group.
• Many members of the group derive their names from classic 1970s Hong Kong Kung-Fu films
  • Masta Killa takes his name from the 1978 film by Lau Kar-leung called Master Killer also known as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
  • Method Man takes his name from the 1979 Film by Jimmy Shaw called The Fearless Young Boxer a.k.a. Method Man. His alias Johnny Blaze refers to the Marvel Comics character Johnny Blaze (stunt motorcyclist) better known as Ghost Rider (1973-1983).
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard took his name from the 1980 Film by Meng-Hwa Ho called An Old Kung Fu Master a.k.a. Mad Mad Kung Fu a.k.a. Ol' Dirty & The Bastard.
  • Ghostface Killah takes his name from Ghost Face Killer, villain in The Mystery of the Chessboxing. His alias Tony Stark refers to the Marvel Comics character Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark better known as Ironman (the title of Ghostface Killah`s first solo-album), created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby in 1963 (Tales of Suspense #39).
  • U-God a.k.a "Golden Arms" takes his latter alias from the Shaw Brothers/Venom Mob film "The Kid With The Golden Arms"
• All nine members of the group featured in a game for the original PlayStation released on October 31, 1999, titled Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style. Various members of the group have also appeared in other games as well. Method Man and Ghostface have appearances in Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam Fight For NY .
• The Wu-Tang Clan was the first hip hop act to set up its own clothing line, thus making it a pioneer in more than only the music department.
• The Wu-Tang Clan and all affiliates were once blacklisted from several major media outlets after the Clan publicly bashed them at concerts or in magazines.
• The RZA quit on short notice when doing the score for the 2006 film Miami Vice. It's rumored he was personally unhappy with the film, and did not want to be associated with it.
• In 2004 Wu-Tang Clan was named Best Rap Group ever by The Source magazine.
• Wu-Tang is used as an acronym in many of their songs, such as Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game (Liquid Swords, from the album Liquid Swords), and We Usually Take All Niggas Garments (Wu Tang: 7th Chamber from the album Enter The Wu-Tang).

Discography

For a detailed discography, including solo releases, see Wu-Tang discography.

Albums

Album Name	Release Date	Status
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)	November 9, 1993	Platinum U.S.
Wu-Tang Forever	June 3, 1997	4x Platinum U.S. 9x worldwide
The W	November 21, 2000	Platinum U.S.
Iron Flag	December 18, 2001	Gold U.S.
Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (live)	September 28, 2004
Legend of the Wu-Tang Clan (compilation)	October 26, 2004

Singles

• 1993 "Protect Ya Neck"
• 1993 "Method Man"
• 1993 "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'"
• 1993 "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit"
• 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)"

Singles chart history

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap	U.S. Dance	Album
1993	"Method Man"	#69	#40	#17	#42	Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
1994	"C.R.E.A.M."	#60	#32	#8	#1	Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
1994	"Can it Be All So Simple"		#82	#24	#9	Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
1994	"Bring the Pain" (Method Man)	#45	#30	#4	#1	Tical
1994	"Heaven & Hell" (Raekwon)		#21	#34		Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
1994	"I Gotcha Back" (GZA)			#29	#39	Liquid Swords
1995	"Release Yo Delf" (Method Man)	#98		#28	#6	Tical
1995	"I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need to Get By" (Method Man)	#3	#1	#1	#1	"I'll Be There For You" single
1995	"How High" (Method Man & Redman)	#13	#10	#2	#1	The Show OST
1995	"The Riddler" (Method Man)	#56	#41	#4	#8	Batman Forever OST
1995	"Brooklyn Zoo" (Ol' Dirty Bastard)	#54	#40	#5	#5	Return to the 36 Chambers
1995	"Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Ol' Dirty Bastard)	#62	#47	#9	#4	Return to the 36 Chambers
1995	"Ice Cream" (Raekwon)	#37	#37	#5		Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
1995	"Glaciers of Ice" (Raekwon)	#43	#32	#5	#2	Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
1995	"Liquid Swords" (GZA)	#48	#33	#3	#2	Liquid Swords
1995	"Cold World" (GZA)	#97	#57	#8	#8	Liquid Swords
1996	"Shadowboxin'" (GZA)	#67	#41	#10	#9	Liquid Swords
1996	"Wu Wear: The Garment Renaissance" (RZA)	#60	#40	#6	#11	High School High OST
1997	"It'z Yourz"		#75	#21	#7	Wu-Tang Forever
1998	"B.O.B.B.Y." (RZA as Bobby Digital)		#92	#38		In Stereo
1998	"Judgement Day" (Method Man)		#42	#21		Tical 2000: Judgement Day
1999	"Break Ups 2 Make Ups" (Method Man)	#98	#29	#10		Tical 2000: Judgement Day
1999	"Breaker, Breaker" (GZA)		#80	#16		Beneath the Surface
1999	"Got Your Money" (Ol' Dirty Bastard)	#26	#19	#6		Nigga Please
1999	"R.E.C. Room" (Inspectah Deck)			#28		Uncontrolled Substance
1999	"Show N Prove" (Inspectah Deck)			#34		Uncontrolled Substance
1999	"Bizarre" (U-God)		#84	#7		Golden Arms Redemption
1999	"Tear it Off" (Method Man & Redman)		#52	#16		Blackout!
1999	"Da Rockwilder" (Method Man & Redman)		#51	#14		Blackout!
1999	"Live From New York" (Raekwon)			#30		Immobilarity
1999	"Apollo Kids" (Ghostface Killah)			#32		Supreme Clientele
2000	"Y.O.U." (Method Man & Redman)		#69	#18		Blackout!
2000	"Cherchez La Ghost" (Ghostface Killah)	#98	#42	#3		Supreme Clientele
2000	"Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"		#52	#9		The W
2000	"Gravel Pit"		#70	#20		The W
2001	"Even If" (Method Man)			#39		Nutty Professor II: The Klumps OST
2001	"La Rhumba" (RZA as Bobby Digital)		#98			Digital Bullet
2001	"Never Be the Same Again" (Ghostface Killah)		#65	#21		Bulletproof Wallets
2001	"Ghost Showers" (Ghostface Killah)		#77	#11		Bulletproof Wallets
2002	"Fame" (GZA)		#99	#19		Legend of the Liquid Sword
2002	"Uzi (Pinky Ring)"		#93	#16		Iron Flag
2004	"Tush" (Ghostface Killah)		#53		#12	The Pretty Toney Album
2004	"What's Happenin'" (Method Man)		#65			Tical 0: The Prequel
2006	"Be Easy" (Ghostface Killah)		#91			Fishscale
2006	"Back Like That" (Ghostface Killah)	#61	#14	#11		Fishscale
2006	"Say" (Method Man)		#66			4:21...The Day After

Appear on

• 1994 "Anything (Old School Remix)" (from the SWV EP Remixes)
• 1995 "Dirty Dancing" (from the Jerky Boys: The Movie soundtrack)
• 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 Fuck 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 "Black Mamba" (hidden track from the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack)
• 2004 "Rock Steady" (from the Tony Touch album The Piece Maker 2)
• 2006 "9 Milli Bros." (from the Ghostface Killah album Fishscale

References

• The RZA, Chris Norris, The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Volume One, Riverhead Trade, 2005, paperback, ISBN 1-59448-018-4

See also

• Wu-Tang Clan affiliates
• Rock the Bells IV

External links

• Official Wu-Tang Site
• Guide to the Wu-Tang's Slang
• Official Sony Music site
• Wu Wear Europe
• WuForever, fansite with image gallery and forum
• CHAMBERMUSIK, site with news, radio station, store, forum
• Wu-International, fansite with news and discography
• Article on the Wu-Tang Clan's roots in Staten Island
• OhWord.com Interview with the Genius (GZA) on growing up with other Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and Ol Dirty Bastard
• Wu-Tang-Clan Lyrics
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