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.
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Family
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
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Would lead to separation, loneliness, celibacy, and lesbianism
They didn't tell us that if you give up the man, you're gonna take one of these things
It gets worse and would destroy your nation
They made us think it was some kind of glorified position to brag about the fact that
I got my own job, my own credit card, my own car so I don't need no man
I don't even know how we got that mixed up
Ain't none of that got anything to do with having being with no man
You know, over 60% of our women are single, widowed, separated, or divorced
They don't have a man
They need fathers, they need protection
To raise a child, you need a parental coalition of a man and a woman
We have sons, by not having have a father in the home, they don't know how to respect women
They may bring the welfare system in and tell us in order to feed, and clothe
And house our children, we have to give up our man–we have to put the man out of the house
When the white farmwife goes to the government for subsidy for the farm
They don't tell them to get rid of the farm and they keep that family together
But in the black community they make it a requirement
Because they want to keep endorsing into the black community that the black man is no good
In these lyrics from the song "Family" by Wu-Tang Clan, the singer reflects on the societal pressures and misconceptions regarding independence and relationships, particularly within the context of the black community. The lyrics describe how women were misled into believing that striving for independence and self-sufficiency would lead to empowerment, but instead, it resulted in feelings of isolation, loneliness, and even changes in sexual orientation.
The singer criticizes the idea that detachment from men equates to strength and success, highlighting the detrimental consequences of this mindset. By emphasizing personal accomplishments such as having a job, credit card, and car as substitutes for emotional fulfillment and connection with a partner, the singer exposes the underlying issues within relationships and the community at large. The lyrics suggest that the pursuit of individual success should not come at the cost of meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging.
Furthermore, the lyrics address the systemic challenges faced by black women, pointing out the high rates of singlehood, widowhood, separation, and divorce within the community. The absence of strong male figures in the lives of many black women and children is highlighted as a contributing factor to relationship difficulties and the breakdown of family structures. The singer emphasizes the importance of fathers and the need for a balanced parental coalition of a man and a woman in raising children for healthy development and respect for women.
Lastly, the lyrics touch on the unequal treatment and expectations placed on black families by societal structures. A comparison is drawn between how white farmwives are supported in maintaining their family unit while black families are pressured to separate from their men in order to receive government assistance. This disparity perpetuates harmful stereotypes about black men and undermines the stability of black families. The lyrics shed light on the social injustices and discrimination faced by the black community, urging for unity, understanding, and preservation of familial bonds.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ronald Maurice Bean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind