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

Cars on the Interstate
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What? I got bullets that'll touch your brain.
It take nothin for me to fuck your dame.
Remember me from hatin on Paton, nothings changed.
Pushin heavy weight, still weighin a buck and change.
Soakin wet, rock whole diamonds, no cuts in the chain.
Lets get the jumped off jumped off, where the chicks at.
You see a nigga with a nice watch, nigga get that.
Young rich cat, pitch crack, you against me is a mismatch.

I spit murder and sip yack, team bang like six gats.
So what homie, you outta luck homie, still don't give a fuck homie.
Ride with the heat on me, in a big truck homie.
Cadillac Escalade, you still gettin stuck homie.
Got clientel like a weed spot,
hennyed up, creep blocked, with the heat cocked
Semis bust, after that, all beefs stop.

Wantin Respect

(Chorus)
Catch cars on the interstate, move heroin on the interstate.
Peep tote cars on the interstate, side cars gonna win this case.
Cars all in his face, need pour dawn on these bitches face.
(What is it) This is Brooklyn, Middle Nigga
(What is it) Brooklyn, 67 middle nigga.
(What is it) This is Brooklyn, Middle Nigga
(What is it) Brookyln, 67 middle nigga.

Don't give a fuck who you are, my crew get down and murder ya.
Change positions, move around like furniture.
Invitin all hoes, you can slide with me.
Party with Tory, or ride for free.
People see me, you know who my team be.
Like reefa, know how the duece when the green be, with wife beatas.
Fuck MBs, don't write cheatas.
If i can't get in with my sweats and timbs.
I'm a hood nigga, i live in the projects with a benz.
Ain't like you average rap niggas, still keepin gats niggas.
Post up like Shaq, on the block with crack niggas.
Spin ones, all that and then some.
Turn shoot, shot in your face, n one

This is Brooklyn Middle Nigga.
Brooklyn 67 Middle Nigga.
This Brooklyn Middle Nigga
Brooklyn 67 Middle Nigga.

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture's song Cars On The Interstate are primarily focused on the rapper's image and reputation. The first verse highlights his toughness and willingness to use violence to protect his reputation. He boasts about his criminal activities like pushing heavy weight, flashing diamonds, and being a young rich drug dealer. He mentions his Cadillac Escalade and how he is always armed, and even though he faces threats, his enemies can't seem to match his power. The chorus introduces the theme of drug trafficking, with the characters in the song moving heroin on the interstate. It's evident that their illegal activities are funding their lifestyle and they're not shying away from the danger that comes with it.

The second verse speaks of the rapper's carefree attitude and flair for the party lifestyle. He's inviting all the women to join him, whether they are in it for the ride or want the perks of riding for free. He takes pride in his hood reputation and how he doesn't conform to the conventional standards of society. The song concludes with the repeating of Brooklyn 67 Middle Nigga, which might be a reference to some street crew or the year they were founded in Brooklyn.

Line by Line Meaning

What? I got bullets that'll touch your brain.
I have bullets that can penetrate your head.

It take nothin for me to fuck your dame.
I don't need any effort to have sex with your woman.

Remember me from hatin on Paton, nothings changed.
You might recall me from disliking Paton, but that hasn't changed.

Pushin heavy weight, still weighin a buck and change.
I'm still able to handle the pressure, even though I weigh below two hundred pounds.

Soakin wet, rock whole diamonds, no cuts in the chain.
I'm soaking wet but my diamond chain has no scratches or blemishes.

Lets get the jumped off jumped off, where the chicks at.
Let's start the party, where are the women?

You see a nigga with a nice watch, nigga get that.
If you see a man with a fancy watch, steal it from him.

Young rich cat, pitch crack, you against me is a mismatch.
I'm a young and wealthy drug dealer; you don't stand a chance against me.

I spit murder and sip yack, team bang like six gats.
I rap about killing people and drink copious amounts of cognac, and my team is heavily armed.

So what homie, you outta luck homie, still don't give a fuck homie.
It doesn't matter if you're unlucky, I still don't care.

Ride with the heat on me, in a big truck homie.
I carry a gun with me and drive a large vehicle.

Cadillac Escalade, you still gettin stuck homie.
Even with a Cadillac Escalade, you will still encounter obstacles.

Got clientel like a weed spot, hennyed up, creep blocked, with the heat cocked.
I have a lot of customers like a marijuana dispensary, I'm drunk on Hennessy, I'm hiding in the shadows with a gun ready.

Semis bust, after that, all beefs stop.
Once the semi-automatic weapon is fired, all conflicts will end.

Catch cars on the interstate, move heroin on the interstate.
We confiscate cars on the highway and use them to transport heroin.

Peep tote cars on the interstate, side cars gonna win this case.
We observe cars carrying drugs on the highway, and we will prevail in our legal battle.

Cars all in his face, need pour dawn on these bitches face.
Cars are blocking his path, and we need to use dish soap on these inanimate objects.

(What is it) This is Brooklyn, Middle Nigga
I'm from Brooklyn, specifically from the middle section.

(What is it) Brooklyn, 67 middle nigga.
I'm from Brooklyn, and my particular region is known as 67 Middle.

Don't give a fuck who you are, my crew get down and murder ya.
We don't care about your identity; my team is capable of killing anyone.

Change positions, move around like furniture.
We switch up our tactics and move like furniture to stay unpredictable.

Invitin all hoes, you can slide with me.
We're inviting all women to join us and ride with us.

Party with Tory, or ride for free.
You can either party with us or get a free ride.

People see me, you know who my team be.
When people see me, they know who my team is.

Like reefa, know how the duece when the green be, with wife beatas.
Like a marijuana joint, we know how to share when there's money involved, and we beat our wives.

Fuck MBs, don't write cheatas.
I don't care about Mercedes Benzes, and I don't write cheques.

If i can't get in with my sweats and timbs.
If I can't enter somewhere wearing my sweatpants and Timberlands.

I'm a hood nigga, i live in the projects with a benz.
I'm a gangster who lives in the projects but still drives a Benz.

Ain't like you average rap niggas, still keepin gats niggas.
I'm not like regular rappers; I still carry guns.

Post up like Shaq, on the block with crack niggas.
I'm like Shaq in his prime, dominating the street corner with drug dealers.

Spin ones, all that and then some.
I spend a lot of money, and then some more.

Turn shoot, shot in your face, n one.
I turn around and immediately shoot you in the face without hesitation.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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