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
Can It Be All So Simple Inte
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Niggas wilin', gun shots thrown, the phone dialin'
Back in the days of 8 now, making a tape now
Rae gotta get a plate now
Ignorant and mad young, wanted to be the one
Till I got (Blaow! Blaow! Blaow!) felt one
Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16
Shooting that "that's that shit!" in his blood stream
And niggas know that habit's behind me
Day one, yo, growing all up in the ghetto
Now I'm a weed fiend, jetting the Palmetto
In Medina, yo, no doubt the God got crazy clout
Pushing the big joint from down South
So if you're filthy stacked up
Better watch your back and duck
Cause these fiends, they got it cracked up
Now my man from up north, now he got the law
It's solid as a rock and crazy salt
No jokes, I'm not playing, get his folks
Desert Eagle his dick and put em in a yoke
And to know for sure, I got reck and rip shop
I pointed a gat at his mother's knot
Yo, Rae, don't do that shit, man! Don't do that shit!
Fuck that!
Dedicated to the winners and the losers
Dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Dedicated to the Y's, 850-I's
Dedicated to niggas who do drive-bys
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Dedicated to the Lexus and the Ac's
Dedicated to MPV's: phat!
Kicking the fly cliches
Doing duets with Rae and A, happens to make my day
Though I'm tired of busting off shots, having to rock knots
Running up in spots and making shit hot
I'd rather flip shows instead of those
Hanging on my living room wall
My first joint, and it went gold!
I want to lamp, I want to be in the shade
Plus the spotlight, getting my dick rode all night
I want to have me a phat yacht
And enough land to go and plant my own sess crops
But for now it's just a big dream
Cause I find myself in the place where I'm last seen
My thoughts must be relaxed, be able to maintain
Cause times is changed and life is strange
The glorious days is gone, and everybody's doing bad
Yo, mad lives is up for grabs
Brothers passing away, I gotta make wakes
Receiving all types of calls from upstate
Yo, I can't cope with the pressure
Settling for lesser
The God left lessons on my dresser
So I can bloom and blossom, find a new way to
Continue to make more hits with Rae and A
Sunshine plays a major part in the daytime
Peace to mankind, Ghostface carry a black 9
The song "Can It Be All So Simple" by Wu-Tang Clan is a retrospective rap song about the childhoods and aspirations of the Wu-Tang Clan members. The first verse of the song is a narrative of Raekwon's childhood experiences growing up on Staten Island, where gunshots and gang violence were a part of everyday life. The verse talks about Rae's desire to be the best and his subsequent reality check when he was shot, which made him realize the dangers of the street life. The chorus is a nostalgic reflection on the good times that have passed, and how life used to be simpler, before the members became famous. The second verse is about Ghostface Killah's dreams of success, which includes buying a yacht, owning land for planting crops, and living comfortably. He talks about the pressure he feels while trying to achieve these dreams and the lessons he has learned from the God, including the importance of maintaining a relaxed mindset.
The song was released in 1993 on the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)." The song was produced by RZA and features verses from Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Inspectah Deck. It is one of the group's most famous songs, known for its reflective and emotional lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Started off on the island, AKA Shaolin
It all began on the Shaolin Island.
Niggas wilin', gun shots thrown, the phone dialin'
People were acting out of control, gunshots were fired and someone was calling the police.
Back in the days of 8 now, making a tape now
It was during the time when everyone was making mixtapes.
Rae gotta get a plate now
Rae needs to make a living.
Ignorant and mad young, wanted to be the one
Rae was young and ambitious.
Till I got (Blaow! Blaow! Blaow!) felt one
Until Rae got shot.
Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16
Rae's father had been addicted to drugs since he was 16.
Shooting that "that's that shit!" in his blood stream
His father was injecting drugs directly into his bloodstream.
That's the life of a grimey, real-life crimey
That's the life of a gritty, real criminal.
And niggas know that habit's behind me
People know that Rae is not into drug addiction.
Day one, yo, growing all up in the ghetto
Since day one, Rae grew up in the ghetto.
Now I'm a weed fiend, jetting the Palmetto
Rae now smokes weed and drives on the Palmetto Highway.
In Medina, yo, no doubt the God got crazy clout
In Medina, people acknowledge Rae's influence and power.
Pushing the big joint from down South
Rae is driving a big car from the South.
So if you're filthy stacked up
So, if you have a lot of money,
Better watch your back and duck
You need to be careful and avoid getting into trouble.
'Cause these fiends, they got it cracked up
Because drug addicts can be very unpredictable.
Now my man from up north, now he got the law
My friend from the North is now a lawyer.
It's solid as a rock and crazy salt
He is very reliable and skilled.
No jokes, I'm not playing, get his folks
I'm not kidding, get his parents.
Desert Eagle his dick and put em in a yoke
Shoot him with a Desert Eagle and arrest him.
And to know for sure, I got reck and rip shop
To be sure, I will destroy everything.
I pointed a gat at his mother's knot
I pointed a gun at his mother's head.
Yo, Rae, don't do that shit, man! Don't do that shit!
Rae's partner is advising him not to do it.
Dedicated to the winners and the losers
This is dedicated to everyone, the successful and the unsuccessful.
Dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers
This is dedicated to Jeep and Land Cruiser vehicles.
(Can it be that it was all so simple then?)
Is it possible that everything was much simpler back then?
Dedicated to the Y's, 850-I's
This is dedicated to the BMW Y and 850-I models.
Dedicated to niggas who do drive-bys
This is dedicated to those who carry out drive-by shootings.
Dedicated to the Lexus and the Ac's
This is dedicated to Lexus and Acura cars.
Dedicated to MPV's: phat!
This is dedicated to MPVs of all kinds, they're cool!
Kicking the fly cliches
I'm being cool and speaking smooth.
Doing duets with Rae and A, happens to make my day
Performing duets with Rae and A makes me happy.
Though I'm tired of busting off shots, having to rock knots
Even though I'm tired of violence and carrying guns,
Running up in spots and making shit hot
Breaking into places and causing chaos.
I'd rather flip shows instead of those
I'd rather perform shows than be involved in crime.
Hanging on my living room wall
It will be hanging on my living room wall,
My first joint, and it went gold!
My first song was a massive hit.
I want to lamp, I want to be in the shade
I want to relax and hang out in a cool place.
Plus the spotlight, getting my dick rode all night
Being in the spotlight, having sex all night.
I want to have me a phat yacht
I want to own a cool yacht.
And enough land to go and plant my own sess crops
And own enough land to grow my own marijuana crops.
But for now it's just a big dream
But, for now, it's just a big dream.
Cause I find myself in the place where I'm last seen
I find myself in a familiar but unimportant place.
My thoughts must be relaxed, be able to maintain
I need to be calm and composed.
Cause times is changed and life is strange
Because times have changed and life is unpredictable.
The glorious days is gone, and everybody's doing bad
The great days are over, and people are not doing well.
Yo, mad lives is up for grabs
Lives are being lost.
Brothers passing away, I gotta make wakes
Friends are dying, and I need to attend wakes.
Receiving all types of calls from upstate
Getting calls from people in prison.
Yo, I can't cope with the pressure
I can't handle the pressure.
Settling for lesser
I'm willing to accept less than what I want.
The God left lessons on my dresser
My mentor gave me some lessons to live by.
So I can bloom and blossom, find a new way to
So, I can rise above and flourish, discover a new path.
Continue to make more hits with Rae and A
And keep producing more successful music with Rae and A.
Sunshine plays a major part in the daytime
Sunshine is an important part of the daytime.
Peace to mankind, Ghostface carry a black 9
Peace to everyone, and Ghostface carries a gun.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT F. DIGGS, RUSSELL T. JONES, DENNIS DAVID COLES, GARY E. GRICE, LAMONT HAWKINS, JASON HUNTER, CLIFFORD SMITH, COREY WOODS, MARILYN BERGMAN, ALAN BERGMAN, MARVIN HAMLISCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The FrontRoom
➡ Our 2 hour long UNCUT Reaction to 36 Chambers is available here! https://www.patreon.com/posts/uncut-dad-to-36-67215717
Allegedly
Please do Harry Mack!
Dexron3
The most important thing that you have to let your Pop’s know is that;
Wu-Tang is for the children!
Bebojo
And 4ever #Wu4ever
Daniel Patrie
Wu-tang 👐👐
Mac&Sleaze
Puffy is good but wutang is the best.
SPACEWOLF RIFF
Fun fact, also, nothing to fuck with.
wutang6020
Wu Tang Clan for ever!
Gadgetdee1
No child could go wrong by having a great father like this man.
Adam Chile
36 chambers changed my life. I was 11 yrs old, my parents were going through a divorce, I stayed with my moms. When we moved to FL and I went through her collection of cd’s, J-Lo, Marc Anthony, Josh Groban and Luis Miguel. But then came across 36 chambers realizing that this was my dads. Once I popped that sucker in my hairs rose up and brought me to Authentic sounds of GOLD. I’m 30 now and would like to thank them for their music. Rip ODB. Wu-tang is for the children. Literally..