Top 10 Wu-Tang Albums Killa Beez all over your planet

Top 10 Wu-Tang Albums Killa Beez all over your planet



by Bradford Allison

Wu Tang Clan - Uzi (Pinky Ring) Video

Wu Tang Clan - Uzi (Pinky Ring)

Wu Tang management

***Wu Tang management***

Oli "Power" Grant and RZA's brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs are the controversial executives who haveMitchell "Divine" Diggs has been mentioned in several songs by Wu-Tang members, such as by RZA in his song "Brooklyn Babies" with "My big brother Divine he push the [[Mercedes-Benz|Benz]] well", and Raekwon in the song "The Turn" with "Divine got me, nigga, the boss, he pop me".

Method Man however has voiced his displeasure with Mitchell "Divine" Diggs of the Wu-Tang management, "Number 1 on my shit list right now is Divine from Wu-Tang management. He took something major from me that he had no intention of giving back.been handling the business side of the Wu Tang empire since 1997, and are responsible for large amounts of products such as [[Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style]] and Wu Wear which were released in the late 90's and early 2000s. The two stay behind the scenes for the most part but do occasionally step into the public eye. Oli "Power" Grant is a childhood friend of several clan members.

Oliver "Power" Grant has also acted in numerous films including ''[[Belly (film)|Belly]]'', ''[[Black and White (1999 film)|Black and White]]'', ''[[When Will I Be Loved]]'' and others. He also won the 24th Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, beating out seventeen other celebrity and professional drivers. "Power" was mentioned in [[Raekwon]]'s lyrics in the street anthem "Incarcerated Scarfaces", saying "Peace to Power and the whole unit."

Image

Image
Before the Wu-Tang Clan's debut in 1993, few popular rap music acts operated in groups, and at nine main members with several affiliates, the Wu was the largest around at that point; the only popular groups coming close to that size at the time were [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]] and the [[Death Row Records]] roster. Since that time, several collective-sized groups have gained popular status, including [[The Diplomats|Dipset]], the [[Dungeon Family]], [[D12]], and [[No Limit Records]]; though the Wu-Tang Clan may not have been directly responsible for the formation of these groups, they helped encourage popular acceptance of the idea. They were also among the first to start the trend in hip-hop of diversification; specifically, the hip-hop clothing line with [[Wu-Wear]], which was later picked up by [[Busta Rhymes]], [[Jay-Z]] and [[Puff Daddy]], among others.

Lyrics

Lyrics
[[Raekwon]]'s ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...]]'' helped (with the likes of [[Kool G Rap]]) popularize the [[mafioso rap|Mafia theme in rap music]] that remained widespread for more than half a decade. The landmark album touted a lifestyle patterned on drug dealing, regrets of living in harsh conditions, and partying (including popularizing the [[Cristal (champagne)| Cristal]] brand of champagne) which [[Nas]], [[Mobb Deep]], [[Notorious B.I.G.]], [[Jay-Z]], [[No Limit Records]], and other popular artists all borrowed and/or expanded upon these themes at points in their respective careers.

The Wu-Tang Clan's slang has long been a staple of their music, wherein members would blend [[The Nation of Gods and Earths|Five Percenter]] terms, [[Kung Fu]]/oriental words, and comic book and street terms to create their own nicknames for actions, people, places and things (such as the christening of Staten Island as "Shaolin" and money as "C.R.E.A.M."). Though all the members indulge in this, Raekwon and Ghostface have been the most notorious for it.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}

Production

Production
According to himself, RZA tries to have no more than 20-25% sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He uses "the sampler more like a painter's palette than a [[Xerox]]. Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet." He played much of the piano himself, with [[Bill Evans]] and [[Thelonious Monk]] as major influences; for instance, he created the piano part to "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" after watching the Thelonious Monk documentary, ''Straight, No Chaser''.The RZA; Chris Norris (January 2005). The Wu-Tang Manual. New York: Riverhead Freestyle, 243 pages. ISBN 1-59448-018-4

RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples to fit his beats, has been picked up by currently popular producers, most notably [[Kanye West]] and [[Just Blaze]], the two main producers behind [[Roc-A-Fella Records]]. West's own take on RZA's style. Why You Can't Ignore Kanye - TIME] briefly flooded the rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul," the speeding of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by the RZA's production, RZA has acknowledged his influence in an issue of [[Scratch (magazine)|''Scratch'' magazine]], saying he wished he had produced "Jesus Walks" and "Breathe", two 2004 hits produced by Kanye West and Just Blaze, respectively.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Said by Kanye West:

{{quote|Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.
Justin On Our Top 10 Hip-Hop Groups - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News]}}

VH1 Hip Hop Honors

===VH1 Hip Hop Honors===
Moments before the Clan was set to perform at the 2006 [[Hip Hop Honors]], things turned violent with an altercation involving Oli "Power" Grant and a former associate who was suing the group.

While initial reports stated that Nick Brown was along for the ride and got arrested for possession of cocaine, the group had issues with VH1's security staff, an actual confrontation took place between [[True Master]] and Power in a VIP area of the venue, said Power. "I ain't even gonna glorify that to no type of degree, but the bottom line was, yeah, you know there was a minor little altercation over there," Power said. "I see him and he's in the VIP on the strength of Wu-Tang so I kind of reacted, be it right or wrong...fuck!" The brief altercation between the two men resulted in a tense situation and ended with Power leaving the Hammerstein Ballroom. "I ain't even have to leave. I just stood there and talked for, like five or ten minutes. I made sure the rest of my people was able to stay because I told them, 'look if it was anything then let it be my problem. . Let them go ahead and finish doing what they do.' I walked out the front, girls started taking some snapshots.No charges have been pressed against Oli "Power" Grant or anyone else affiliated with the Clan in relation to this incident.

Death of ODB

Death of ODB



Ol' Dirty Bastardcollapsed 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. Rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard Dies - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News] He was pronounced dead less than an hour later, just two days shy of his 36th birthday. His funeral service was held at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center.

ODB was scheduled to perform in a Wu-Tang reunion concert at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey on the night of his death. The members were unaware, as was the audience at the concert, that he was dead; it was assumed that ODB was a no show once more. Wu-Tang has paid homage to their member on more than one occasion. In August 2006, one of his sons came out at a Wu-Tang concert at Webster Hall and rapped "Brooklyn Zoo", along with his mother. Also during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom the Clan brought his mother out on stage while the entire occupancy sang along to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya".

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 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album|Best Rap Album) by interrupting Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech for her Song of the Year award. 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. Ol Dirty Bastard Russell Jones Mugshot and Criminal History (Part 2)] 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 on stage at the record release party for ''The W'' in New York City. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club 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., 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 originally to be released in 2005, but had numerous delays. It was to be released on November 7, 2006 to commemorate the second anniversary of ODB's death, which occurred on November 13, 2004, but was delayed again.

Third round of solo albums

Third round of solo albums
RZA's release of ''[[Digital Bullet]]'' (as Bobby Digital) in 2001 marked the beginning of 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]]''. GZA's release of ''[[Legend of the Liquid Sword (album)|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 (album)|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{{Fact|date=October 2007}} despite mostly good reviews.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.

Method Man's album sold very well despite both negative reception from both critics and fans.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} 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.{{Clarifyme|date=March 2008}}{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

The W'' and ''Iron Flag

The W'' and ''Iron Flag
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]]{{Fact|date=January 2007}}. Though incarcerated, ODB managed to make it onto the track "Conditioner" which also featured [[Snoop Dogg]]. ODB's vocals were recorded via the telephones used for inmates to talk with visitors.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ''The W'' was mostly well-received by critics,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 travel]]ing 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]]. The album would go on to reach [[RIAA certification|double platinum]] status.

Shortly before the release of ''The W,'' [[ODB]] escaped custody while being transported from a rehab center to a [[Los Angeles]] court and was considered a [[fugitive]]. At a record release party for ''The W,'' ODB, his face hidden by an orange parka, was not recognized until introduced to the crowd. With police officers present outside, ODB performed briefly and then fled, fearing capture. Six days later ODB caused a commotion signing autographs in a [[McDonald's]] in South Philadelphia. Unaware of who was causing the ruckus, the manager called the police. When the cops arrived, ODB mistook them for fans until they drew their guns. ODB fled the restaurant but was stopped while trying to start his vehicle. After presenting a fake ID, he admitted who he really was and was arrested.

In 2001, Wu-Tang Clan released their fourth album, ''[[Iron Flag]]'', to luke-warm reception. It contained hit single ''Uzi (Pinky Ring)'' and guest appearances by artists such as [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]]'s [[Flavor Flav]]. Its production was not completely handled by The RZA and had a less gritty sound than previous Wu-Tang albums.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}

Second round of solo albums

Second round of solo albums
While this round was very commercially successful, it was not as critically acclaimed as the first. The second round of solo albums from the Clansmen saw second efforts from the four members who had already released albums as well as debuts from all the remaining members except Masta Killa. In the space of two years, The RZA's ''[[Bobby Digital In Stereo]]'', Method Man's ''[[Tical 2000: Judgement Day]]'' and ''[[Blackout!]]'' (with [[Redman (rapper)|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 [[film score|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 [[Counterfeit|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.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. The overall 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 mid 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]].

Wu-Tang Forever

''Wu-Tang Forever''
With their solo careers firmly established, the Wu-Tang Clan reassembled to release the highly-anticipated Grammy-nominated multiplatinum [[double album]] ''[[Wu-Tang Forever]]'' in June 1997, debuting at number one on the Billboard Charts. This event was featured in a [[CNN]] roundup for the extraordinary sales the group achieved without a mainstream sound or [[pop music|commercial]] appeal. The album's first single, "[[Triumph (Wu-Tang Clan song)|Triumph]]," was over five minutes long, featured nine verses (one from each member plus Cappadonna and excluding O.D.B.), and no hook or a repeated phrase. The sound of the album built significantly on 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 writing|stream-of-consciousness]] form heavily influenced by the teachings of the [[Five Percent Nation]]. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide.

''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 the industry and take advantage of financial opportunities for the group. In keeping with this move, an array of Wu-Tang products (both musical and otherwise) were to be released over the next two years.

Following ''Wu-Tang Forever'', the focus of the Wu-Tang empire largely shifted to the promoting of emerging affiliated artists (referred to by the fanbase as "Wu-Family"). The group's close associate Cappadonna followed the group project with March 1998's ''[[The Pillage]]''. Soon after, [[Killah Priest]] (as with Cappadonna, a close associate of the Clan, though not an official member) released ''[[Heavy Mental]]'' to great critical acclaim. Affiliated groups [[Sunz of Man]] (of which Killah Priest was a member) and [[Killarmy]] (which included The RZA's younger brother) also released well-received albums, followed by ''[[Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm]]'' - a compilation album showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists, and including new solo tracks from the group members themselves. ''The Swarm'' sold well and was certified [[RIAA Certification|gold]]

First round of solo albums

First round of solo albums

The period between the release of ''Enter the Wu-Tang'' and Wu-Tang Clan's second album is considered to be "the greatest winning streak in rap history.
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 (hip hop)|Poetic]]. The Gravediggaz released ''[[6 Feet Deep]]'' in August 1994, which became one of the best known works 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 (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 structures. The track "All I Need" from ''Tical'' was the winner of the "Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group" at the 1995 [[Grammy Awards]]
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 rougher-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 [[String instrument|strings]] and classic [[soul music|soul]] [[Sampling (music)|samples]]. Lavish living and the crime underworld are referenced throughout, with the mystique of the Wu-Tang Clan deepened by the adoption of crime boss aliases and the crew name Wu-Gambinos. The album introduced a flurry of slang words to the rap lexicon, and many artists have gone on to imitate its materialism. It featured [[Nas]], who was the first non-Clan MC to appear on a Wu-related album. GZA's ''[[Liquid Swords]]'' had a similar focus on inner-city criminology akin to ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx'', but it was far darker, both in GZA's grim lyrics and in the ominous, foreboding production that saw The RZA experimenting more with [[Synthesizer|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 (album)|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 Ghost-face 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 to be all-round group efforts.

Enter the Wu-Tang

Enter the Wu-Tang

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 sizable 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, releasing their debut album, ''[[Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)]]'', in late 1993. This album was popular and critically-acclaimed, though it took some time to gain momentum. The success of ''Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers'' established the group as a creative and influential force in early 1990s hip hop, allowing Ol' Dirty Bastard, GZA, RZA, Raekwon, Method Man and Ghostface Killah to negotiate solo contracts.

The Wu Tang Clan has 10 members

By: Montario Haley

The Wu Tang Clan has 10 members and these are their names and pictures.

PRINCE RAKEEM A/K/A BOBBY STEELS A/K/A THE RZA A/K/A RZARECTOR

Real Name: ROBERT DIGGS

METHOD MAN A/K/A JOHNNY BLAZE A/K/A METHICAL SHAKWON A/K/A TICALLION STALLION

Real Name: CLIFFORD SMITH

U-GOD A/K/A BABY-U A/K/A GOLDEN ARMS A/K/A LUCKY HANDS A/K/A 4-BAR

Real Name: LAMON HAWKINS

INSPECTA DECK A/K/A REBEL INS A/K/A ROLLIE FINGERS

Real Name: JASON HUNTER

SHALLAH "the chef" RAEKWON A/K/A LOU DIAMOND A/K/A RAEKWON

Real Name: COREY WOODS

GHOST FACE KILLA A/K/A TONY STARKS A/K/A SUN GOD

Real Name: DENNIS COLES

THE GENIUS A/K/A THE GZA A/K/A JUSTCE A/K/A MAXAMILLION

Real Name: GREG GRICE

OL' DIRTY BASTARD A/K/A DIRT McGRIT A/K/A OSIRIS A/K/A JOE BANANAS A/K/A UNIQUE ASON

Real Name: RUSSEL JONES

NOODLES A/K/A MASTA KILLER A/K/A JAMAL TURNER

Real Name: EUGENE TURNER

CAPPACHINO A/K/A CAPPADONNA A/K/A JAY BIRD

Real Name: DARYL HILL

History of Wu tang clan

By: Montario Haley

This site deals with my favorite rap group the Wu Tang Clan. Since I love rap music so much I thought that I would do a group that I liked and a group that continues to have me searching the web continuously for more new info and more new music. The information that is contained within this page is information about how the Wu (my favorite rap group) got started.

It was only a few years ago when 9 talented MC's from New York were putting together their first LP. Their album would show everyone that their group had skills, and talent. The group had only 3 members when they first formed, but then other members came a long. The first 3 were Ol Dirty Bastard, RZA, and the Genius. Then they started to sign on their family and friends. When the Wu-Tang was working on their album, there was only 8 members, then Master Killer was added to the clan. Then they had 9 members. The Wu-Tang clan is from Staten Island New York, they released their debut album 'Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' in November of 1993, bringing out their first gold single 'Protect Ya Neck', then blowing up the spot in 1994 when they released their top 10 single 'Method Man'. The Wu was already getting noticed at the time, Method Man was working on his solo debut 'Tical', the Wu did work with Shyheim, and Raekwon, and the Genius were doing tracks for the Fresh Soundtrack

People thought the group was going to split up when Ol Dirty Bastard and Method Man released albums, but when the RZA's main goal was to get all 9 members a record deal. The RZA knew that each member had their own talent, and he wanted to bring out solo projects so each member can show they can so their talent and style.

The Wu-Tang Clan is known for their raw, uncut rhymes, their sampling from old Kung-Fu movies such as Shogun Assassin, Master Killer, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, Return Of The Bastard Swordsman and others. Which makes the Wu-Tang Clan Unique is that each MC from the Wu-Tang has their own style. A lot of West Coast MC's might sample a Zapp & Roger track, or a George Clinton track, but the Wu-Tang don't. They want their music to be something no one ever has heard before. They dig up older tracks from Gladys Knight, and The Charmels. Every time you look on the radio there is a new song from The Wu-Tang, or from their solo artists. The Wu-Tang is one of the biggest rap groups right now, and proudly one of the most known Rap Group of the 90's. These peeps will be around for a long time, and their sound will never be wack. Their album 'Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' is already considered a hip-hop classic by most people and D.J.'s.

1995 was one of the greatest year for the Wu-Tang. Ol Dirty Bastard was topping the charts with his singles, Method Man just released a remix of 'All You Need', and renamed it 'I'll Be There For You' which Mary J Blige did background vocals on. The song was doing good on the Billboard charts, and holding that #1 position on Rap City. After all that, Raekwon released his long a waiting album "Only Built For Cuban Linx". The album featured a few Wu Tang members like Cappadona, Blue Raspberry, and Nas. They make up the Wu Gambino's. In the fall, the Genius released his second album "Liquid Swords". 1995 will never be forgotten. It was a true Wu year.

The Wu-Tang was in the movie The Show. The movie was directed by Russell Simmons. The movie was in the day of the life of rap artists. The Wu-Tang had a 30 minute part in the movie. They were in Japan when they filmed the movie. There was some concert scenes' from the group. They hanged with some Japanese rappers A lot and heard them rap. It show's a good idea what the Wu do with their time. There was a good scene when Method Man starts to talk shit to Ghost Face Killer and U-God cause they never do any of the talking when they do appearances. Method man and Ghost Face do most of the talking. There wasn't no interview's with the RZA and the other artists which makes the movie disappointing. There was some good scenes from Slick Rick and some other old school artists. Arika Bambaataa and the rest of the originators sat down together and talked about hip-hop and where the rap terms first started like Yes Yes Ya'all. Snoop Dogg played a big part of the movie. And so did the Notorious B.I.G. Method Man and Redman did a song of the soundtrack. The song was called How High. The soundtrack was real weak. They could of put better material on the album. The soundtrack contains he hits How High by Method Man and Redman, Summer Time In The L.B.C. by The Dove Shack, What's Up Star? by Suga and Live by Onyx. There are songs on the album from Tribe Called Quest, Mary J Blige, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Domino and Notorious B.I.G.

Loud Records signed the Wu-Tang Clan in 1993, and the Wu-Tang Clan release their album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chamber). Their first single was Protect Ya Neck. Wu-Tang followed it up with Method Man which was on the Billboard's Rap chart for 25 weeks. C.R.E.A.M. reached #3 on the Billboard Rap Single Charts. It was #1 in Maxi-Single Sales Chart, Top 30 on the R&B Singles Chart and Top 60 on the Pop Singles Chart. The album Enter The Wu-Tang 36 (Chambers) received a RIAA Gold Certification, Wu-Tang Clan won two awards at The First Annual Source Awards Lyricist Of The year and Single Of The Year for their song Method Man.

This year of music from the Wu-Tang has been more like a solo year. The only track the Wu did together this year was "America", and the rest of the music they produced was from other artists like Raekwon, and Ghost Face. This been a disappointing year for some of you, but lets review what happened in the past 12 months and see what the Wu-Tang has accomplished so far in 1996.

It's 1995, people waiting for the Wu-Tangs 2nd LP, to come out, but it was pushed back to 1996. 1996 comes along, there hadn't been a album out from them yet. The movie "Don't Be A Menace.." was released and guess who was on the soundtrack? No other than the Wu-Tang! People were amazed by the track "Winter Warz", and people were listening to Blue Raspberry first solo track which is on the album. After the track was released, people thought that was going to be their next song, but it end up being Ghost Face's track.

People were disappointed from the quality of the music, and people started to say "The Wu has started to recycle beats, and they're selling out.", then the Wu-Tang fans started to get upset with tracks like "Wu Wear" saying it's wack, or is one of the Wu-Tang's weaker joints. Wu-Tang fans started to lose faith in the Wu-Tang, and started to lose interest in their music. But that didn't matter, it just separated the real fans from the fake ones.
The Wu-Tang started to do songs for motion picture soundtracks, being placed on remixes, and wasn't putting albums together. For a long time people were waiting for "New World Order" to be released. New Wu family members started to come along, production was getting weak, then this summer the RZA was working on getting his own label called "Razor Sharp". About that time, Ol Dirty Bastard was arrested and was in jail for a while. RZA reported there was a flood inside the Wu-Tang's recording studio, and that's why everything was backed up.

Around April, some of the biggest news was released about Ghost Face releasing his LP on June 30th, but time passed by, and it wasn't released. "Daytona 500" started to get some air play on Hot 97 in New York, and no one didn't hear much from "Iron Man" except "Winter Warz" and "Motherless Child". After the RZA got his label, Epic/Sony gave out the track listings for "Iron Man", and said the album will be out October 29th. Then people started to see "Iron Man" commercials on Rap City, everyone was really getting hyped up. Then October 29th arrives, everyone rushes to the music stores, everyone rushes to the counter and grabs a copy of "Iron Man". People were like "Daaam! It's finally here." But people still wait for the Wu-Tang's second LP.

The RZA said in a Vibe Magazine issue back in 1994 that he was going to release solo albums from all the core members in the next 2 years, but its been over 2 years and 5 solo albums have came out. There now 10 members (Cappadona the 10th new member) and the Wu has accomplished a lot in the last 3 years. They done 6 albums, and been on several soundtracks.

We did get to buy a full length album this year from Ghost Face, but people are still waiting for Method man and Ol' Dirty Bastard's albums that were suppose to come out this year. U-God was suppose to release his LP too, Blue Raspberry, and Cappadona were suppose to release their debuts, but never did. The year is almost over, and the other albums have been pushed back in till 1997.
Ghost Face Killah, Raekwon, and Method Man kept busy this year. They did a lot of tracks on other peoples albums and done a few b-sides. I cant name them all off, but they had their share in hip-hop in the last few months. The Wu-Tang are busy people, do good music, and release a lot of music. They work together to bring you Shaolin's finest. We had 6 albums from them so far, that's a lot of material. If you count all the songs they done in the past, including RZA's work with the Gravdiggaz, included every remix and b-side they done, and every unreleased track they recorded, you proudly counted over 160 songs!

Wu-Tang Bio And Top 10

Wu-Tang Bio And Top 10
By Andy Jackson

I first started listening to Wu-Tang when a friend of mine was talking about one of their songs and I hadn't heard it, so I made it my goal to listen to the song. Once I had listened to it I became an instant fan and addict and that doesn't happen often to me because I like most kinds of music.

Wu-Tang formed originally in New York in 1992 with 9 members (Rza, Gza, Ol' Dirty, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Masta Killa). Over the following years there have been many additions to the "Clan" such as Cappadonna, Shyheim, Killarmy, Killa Beez, Sunz Of Man, Buddah Monk, Gravediggaz, and Mathematics to name but a few. Unfortunately there has been one major subtraction from the Wu-Tang Clan which happened on November 13th 2004 when Russell Jones (ODB) collapsed at the studio he was recording at and was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. The autopsy reports stated that the cause of death was accidental overdose. I will go into ODB more in a future post as I have a lot to say about him and his influence on me.

Wu-Tang released their first album (Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers) in 1993 and have released many albums since (Wu-Tang Forever, The W, Iron Flag, Wu-Tang Collective, Wu Chronicles I and Wu Chronicles II) and have just released a new album in December 2007 (8 Diagrams). Clan members have appeared on numerous other rappers and artists albums worldwide over the years including Mariah Carey (ODB), Amy Winehouse (Ghostface Killah), Notorious B.I.G. (Method Man), Kanye West (ODB), Outkast (Raekwon), Mary J Blige (Method Man).

There have also been times when Wu-Tang have ventured outside the music industry, the most notable being the Wu-Wear range of clothing and footwear and the making of several computer games. Wu-Wear was started by Oli Grant (who was the executive producer) in 1995 and when Wu Tang Forever was released in 1997 containing a song dedicated to the fashion label sales were reported as $10 million in 1998. The Wu-Tang playstation game Wu-Tang Shaolin Style was released in 1999 and there was even a special edition Wu-Tang controller. There have been several games made by Def Jam in which Ghostface and Method Man both play themselves as characters.

I am going to create separate articles over time of all the original members of Wu-Tang which will contain more info about the member and also my top 5 songs. I have over some time while being at work drawn several pictures of the Wu-Tang W logo which had gotten me in trouble, but I no longer work at the same place and haven't drawn any lately (but I intend to again soon).

Now to my Top 10 Wu-Tang songs:

01. Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nuttin To **** With

02. C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)

03. Shame On A *****

04. Triumph

05. Gravel Pit

06. Reunited

07. As High As Wu-Tang Get

08. Soul Power

09. Back In The Game

10. One Blood Under W

View the full blog (http://my-top-music-reviews.blogspot.com) for my top music reviews of bands songs and artists and share with me your comments and your top songs.

Andy Jackson

Wisdom_Mcr

Web: http://wisdommcr.pcriot.com

Blog: http://my-top-music-reviews.blogspot.com

Email: wisdom.mcr@gmail.com

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