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
Never Feel This Pain
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Born with the struggle, used to hustle for crumbs
Fillin' blunts in the building front thuggin' for ones
Full clips, fly dicks, down somethin' to pump
Whole cliques fly whips, dimes nothin' to son
City boy on the corner, I was so involved
So the drama I embraced it with open arms
Was tryin' to shake the pain, hopin' I could break the chains
Every day the same, who am I to make a change?
Will my niggas risk it all just to play the game?
And the young'uns goin' through it tryin' to play the same
Through the rain, through the fire, handcuffed by desire
Sent to your son, forgive me for the sins that I've done
[Chorus]
My life, my pain lasts forever
Nothin' in these streets makes it better
My life, my pain lasts forever
Nothin' in these streets makes it better
And so I live on
Sittin' here thinkin' drinkin' got a, lot on my mind
Is my, life shrinkin' am I, caught in the times
It's a, quarter to nine and I'm, grabbin' my nine
I had dreams I just, wanted to rhyme
Climb my ways out these whack-ass ghettos
I signed my name on the line with the devil
Still in my prime weight but lost minds are settled
Pots on the stove, move grandma's kettle
Late for my job, he thinks he's a star
She hates her husband, she says I'm a slob
Mixed feelin's she ain't gettin' involved
Battle of the sexes, the planet's off its axis
The IRS God damn I owe these taxes
The truth hurts, but I can take it
It's a long time comin', but I can make it
No mistakin', the cream is back
[Chorus]
I'm standin' on my own two
I got my niggas, true niggas, real niggas!
Stop the wheel really? You only feel me
If you walk the same road, talk the same code
Still dwellin' in the hell and find the time to make a home
The few who escape will try to find a safer zone
I ain't waitin for Obama, never doubted him, I'm proud of him
He real, he'll spend a couple million in the housing then
Seein' is believin', my vision is blurred
Cause I ain't seein' nothin' I heard, really nothin' but words
The bottom line I'm still stuck to the curb
Sky high but it wasn't the sherm, really nothin' but herbs
I risk it all for the cause
Even if it's war with the law won't pause
I can't won't don't stop, I ain't got an off switch
Dyin' tryin' to live it just to get a small part of it
My squad is sick, type that you don't want problems with
Rollin like seventy Mack trucks, what's stoppin' it?
[Chorus]
Oh oh said I live
I live, I live, ooh whoa
Fillin' blunts in the building front thuggin' for ones
Full clips, fly dicks, down somethin' to pump
Whole cliques fly whips, dimes nothin' to son
City boy on the corner, I was so involved
So the drama I embraced it with open arms
Was tryin' to shake the pain, hopin' I could break the chains
Every day the same, who am I to make a change?
Will my niggas risk it all just to play the game?
And the young'uns goin' through it tryin' to play the same
Sent to your son, forgive me for the sins that I've done
[Chorus]
My life, my pain lasts forever
Nothin' in these streets makes it better
My life, my pain lasts forever
Nothin' in these streets makes it better
And so I live on
Sittin' here thinkin' drinkin' got a, lot on my mind
Is my, life shrinkin' am I, caught in the times
It's a, quarter to nine and I'm, grabbin' my nine
I had dreams I just, wanted to rhyme
Climb my ways out these whack-ass ghettos
I signed my name on the line with the devil
Still in my prime weight but lost minds are settled
Pots on the stove, move grandma's kettle
Late for my job, he thinks he's a star
She hates her husband, she says I'm a slob
Mixed feelin's she ain't gettin' involved
Battle of the sexes, the planet's off its axis
The IRS God damn I owe these taxes
The truth hurts, but I can take it
It's a long time comin', but I can make it
No mistakin', the cream is back
[Chorus]
I'm standin' on my own two
I got my niggas, true niggas, real niggas!
Stop the wheel really? You only feel me
If you walk the same road, talk the same code
Still dwellin' in the hell and find the time to make a home
The few who escape will try to find a safer zone
I ain't waitin for Obama, never doubted him, I'm proud of him
He real, he'll spend a couple million in the housing then
Seein' is believin', my vision is blurred
Cause I ain't seein' nothin' I heard, really nothin' but words
The bottom line I'm still stuck to the curb
Sky high but it wasn't the sherm, really nothin' but herbs
I risk it all for the cause
Even if it's war with the law won't pause
I can't won't don't stop, I ain't got an off switch
Dyin' tryin' to live it just to get a small part of it
My squad is sick, type that you don't want problems with
Rollin like seventy Mack trucks, what's stoppin' it?
[Chorus]
Oh oh said I live
I live, I live, ooh whoa
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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