Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group that consists of: RZA, GZA/Genius, Ghostfac… Read Full Bio ↴Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group that consists of: RZA, GZA/Genius, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group. They were formed in (and are associated with) the New York City borough of Staten Island (referred to by members as "Shaolin"), though Masta Killa and GZA are from Brooklyn and Inspectah Deck is from the Bronx. They have gone on to become multi-platinum record producers, Grammy winners, TV and film stars, screenwriters, product spokespersons, business owners and, most recently, major motion picture composers. The Clan featured nine MCs until the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard in 2004. One of the most critically and commercially successful hip hop groups of all time, Wu-Tang Clan shot to fame through their uncompromising brand of hardcore rap music. Since their debut, they have introduced or launched the careers of numerous other artists and groups, and already in 1994 there were credited to be over 300 Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees, consisting of rappers, producers, and record label CEOs.
The founders of the Wu-Tang Clan were RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, who had previously formed the group Force of the Imperial Master (later known as All In Together Now after the release of a popular single by that name). The group attracted the attention of some notable figures in the industry, including Biz Markie, but did not manage to secure a record deal. After the crew dissolved, GZA and RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem) embarked on their solo careers with Cold Chillin' Records and Tommy Boy Records respectively, but to little success. Their frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang Clan's revolutionary business plan. According to The Wu-Tang Manual, 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 a dynastic cycle, 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, New York, with RZA as the de-facto leader and the group's main producer. Two of the cousins, GZA (pronounced Jizza) and RZA (pronounced Rizza), created their new Wu-Tang aliases by mimicking the sound that the words "genius" and "razor" would make when scratched on a turntable.
"Wu-Tang" comes from the name of the Taoist holy mountain Wu Dang in northwest Hubei Province in central China; it was also the site of the Ming Dynasty Purple Imperial City built during the reign of the Yongle Emperor in the early 15th century. 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. The group's debut album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections and using dialogue excerpts as skits.
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 the Niggas' Garments," "Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game" and "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God".
Method Man has also mentioned that the "Wu" is the sound a sword makes when cutting through the air, and "Tang" is the sound it makes against a shield.
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, 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. 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. 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, RZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa to negotiate solo contracts.
www.wutang-corp.com
The founders of the Wu-Tang Clan were RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, who had previously formed the group Force of the Imperial Master (later known as All In Together Now after the release of a popular single by that name). The group attracted the attention of some notable figures in the industry, including Biz Markie, but did not manage to secure a record deal. After the crew dissolved, GZA and RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem) embarked on their solo careers with Cold Chillin' Records and Tommy Boy Records respectively, but to little success. Their frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang Clan's revolutionary business plan. According to The Wu-Tang Manual, 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 a dynastic cycle, 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, New York, with RZA as the de-facto leader and the group's main producer. Two of the cousins, GZA (pronounced Jizza) and RZA (pronounced Rizza), created their new Wu-Tang aliases by mimicking the sound that the words "genius" and "razor" would make when scratched on a turntable.
"Wu-Tang" comes from the name of the Taoist holy mountain Wu Dang in northwest Hubei Province in central China; it was also the site of the Ming Dynasty Purple Imperial City built during the reign of the Yongle Emperor in the early 15th century. 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. The group's debut album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections and using dialogue excerpts as skits.
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 the Niggas' Garments," "Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game" and "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God".
Method Man has also mentioned that the "Wu" is the sound a sword makes when cutting through the air, and "Tang" is the sound it makes against a shield.
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, 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. 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. 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, RZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa to negotiate solo contracts.
www.wutang-corp.com
Bronx War Stories
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
[Verse 1:]
I'm fucked up
Most brothers don't have it like me
Like my brothers in the peep, doing half a century
See God I know it's hard
Black stay in ya zone
Big Dust we lost touch see you when you get home
And my man Stan just got back from doing ten
On some bullshit now his ass is back up again
Wait, Ned did 9 straight
Came home knocking cats out
Playing what's that all about
Aiyyo, you gotta maintain killer
I wanna put you on
So you could be a tee big armed guerilla
And to my peoples in the struggle,
When everyday is a hustle so nobody move a muscle
'Cause Kelly got popped from her man
Both found dead, Money still had the pistol in his hand
Power moves all up in my building selling crack
And kids around my way they just don't know how to act
Like my little man stole drugs got some kids fed
And Ted found him dead with a bullet to his head
Baby brother to my man van
But life gotta go on
You still got me in the God born
And what's his name dies from AIDS
Mom dukes outta commission from breaking bothe her legs
[Chorus]
Yo the inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
Sometimes I have to search for information to find out
Why was we put in these certain situations
The inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
(Repeat last line 4x)
[Verse 2:]
Peace see God you held me down like a weapon
The Fam I ran with born the ghetto legend
Big shot is set on and dead on KingPin
You and Big just kept mad bells ringin'
Cross town niggaz still fryin' I hold it down
Lord niggaz ain't wid all the shit we was down for
I'm still struggling bubbling for paper
The herds like back in the day to pull a caper
The takers, now I got a plan to expand
Put it short import export to foreign lands
Stand forever like birds of a feather
Together whatever if niggaz flip that's clever
The weather change but the style still remains the same
Who's to blame with the neighbourhood fame
I knew the game since the days that I played as a shorty
[Chorus]
Another Bronx War Story
Sometimes I have to search for information to find out
Why we was put in these certain situations
The inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
[Repeat last line 4x]
I'm fucked up
Most brothers don't have it like me
Like my brothers in the peep, doing half a century
See God I know it's hard
Black stay in ya zone
Big Dust we lost touch see you when you get home
And my man Stan just got back from doing ten
On some bullshit now his ass is back up again
Came home knocking cats out
Playing what's that all about
Aiyyo, you gotta maintain killer
I wanna put you on
So you could be a tee big armed guerilla
And to my peoples in the struggle,
When everyday is a hustle so nobody move a muscle
'Cause Kelly got popped from her man
Both found dead, Money still had the pistol in his hand
Power moves all up in my building selling crack
And kids around my way they just don't know how to act
Like my little man stole drugs got some kids fed
And Ted found him dead with a bullet to his head
Baby brother to my man van
But life gotta go on
You still got me in the God born
And what's his name dies from AIDS
Mom dukes outta commission from breaking bothe her legs
[Chorus]
Yo the inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
Sometimes I have to search for information to find out
Why was we put in these certain situations
The inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
(Repeat last line 4x)
[Verse 2:]
Peace see God you held me down like a weapon
The Fam I ran with born the ghetto legend
Big shot is set on and dead on KingPin
You and Big just kept mad bells ringin'
Cross town niggaz still fryin' I hold it down
Lord niggaz ain't wid all the shit we was down for
I'm still struggling bubbling for paper
The herds like back in the day to pull a caper
The takers, now I got a plan to expand
Put it short import export to foreign lands
Stand forever like birds of a feather
Together whatever if niggaz flip that's clever
The weather change but the style still remains the same
Who's to blame with the neighbourhood fame
I knew the game since the days that I played as a shorty
[Chorus]
Another Bronx War Story
Sometimes I have to search for information to find out
Why we was put in these certain situations
The inner city life controlled by the outer world G
Another Bronx War Story
[Repeat last line 4x]
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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G Frank
I had this album since 98 and this song grew on me. Song is deep af and it's heartbreaking 💔 cause this stuff really happens to people 💯
Michael Casado
This is real hip hop, inspiration....we all go through a struggle, but we can make it out as long as we stay strong yo.
Stephen M
"I'm fucked up/most brothers don't have it like me..." love the beginning
HailAlexander93
Cruising around the projects stoned, sippin, and bumpin this in a '93 Caprice back in '98. Fucking good times...
Joseph Whitaker
Word
melanin botswana
THIS ARE THE GUYS WHO MADE ME START RAPPING BACK IN THE NINETIES ,I FEEL LIKE AM IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW WITH THE BEAT
GWIII
2023 and still hit like it did when it dropped!! 💪🏾
Samod Amir
Almost 2023 still listening too The Swarm, Wu chronicles, Killa Army all that! Wu Tang clan forever!
ASAP! Movement.
Timeless 🔥🔥🔥
Payton Calvin
One of my favorite songs of all time. Best on the album