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
O.D.B. Tribute
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let the airplanes circle mourning overhead, scribbling on the sky the message.
He is dead, the stars are not wanted now. Put out everyone.
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun.
Put away the ocean and sweep up the wood,
for nothing now can ever come to any good.
Allow, Allow, Allow to introduce myself
Children, do do yo thing, O-D-B. Like ODB say we for the children.
Its Time for me to move on, Its not, its time for Old Dirty Bastard
to not exist no more, its time for a new Old Dirty Bastard,
n you know a baby Old Dirty Bastard, not called old dirt bastard as that baby,
but you will call him Old Dirty Bastard.
Whats yo name, Old Dirty Bastard
And I'm the dirtiest thing in sight.
Filthy style understands. Say say say my name again.
Scream at the top top top of your lungs.
Old Dirty Bastard Live and Uncut.
Why? Its always the good ones that have to die.
You never expect it, that night I cried, I was like damn.
(Noooo) There no need to cry, dry your eyes.
Cause we all die.
Thats the way the duray supposed to be around cryin and shit.
Mothefucker go on, thats it, say shit we had big fun while he was here.
Ain't no need to start cryin now cause he gone.
Thats the way life is isn't it.
The first two stanzas of the lyrics are actually taken from W.H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues.” This poem perfectly embodies the mood of the song, which is a eulogy for the late Wu-Tang Clan member, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who passed away in November 2004. The rest of the lyrics are spoken by various members of the Wu-Tang Clan, paying their respects and mourning the loss of their friend and colleague. The tone of the lyrics is one of sadness and loss, but also of celebration for the life and legacy of Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
The line “Children, do do yo thing, ODB” refers to one of ODB’s most famous and beloved songs, “Gettin’ High.” The members of the Wu-Tang Clan also talk about their plans to keep Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s legacy alive through his music and by naming his son after him. The final lines of the song reflect on the inevitability of death and the importance of cherishing life while we have it.
Line by Line Meaning
Silence the Pianos and with nothing drum, bring out the coffin.
Make no sound, bring the coffin, for now, we must say our final goodbye to ODB in peace.
Let the airplanes circle mourning overhead, scribbling on the sky the message.
Let the planes fly above mourning the deceased through the messages written in the sky.
He is dead, the stars are not wanted now. Put out everyone.
ODB has died, and it is as the stars are no longer needed. The world has to move on without him.
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun. Put away the ocean and sweep up the wood, for nothing now can ever come to any good.
Pack up everything, dismantle everything as now that ODB is gone, everything seems futile.
Allow, Allow, Allow to introduce myself Chemande its the ODB
Introducing myself, it's the one and only ODB.
Children, do do yo thing, O-D-B. Like ODB say we for the children.
ODB encourages the children to do their own thing, just like he always said.
Its Time for me to move on, Its not, its time for Old Dirty Bastard to not exist no more, its time for a new Old Dirty Bastard, n you know a baby Old Dirty Bastard, not called old dirt bastard as that baby, but you will call him Old Dirty Bastard.
It's time for me to leave, but it's not time for the legacy of Old Dirty Bastard to die. A new Old Dirty Bastard, a baby, will come into the world, and though he won't be old, we shall call him Old Dirty Bastard.
Whats yo name, Old Dirty Bastard. And I'm the dirtiest thing in sight.
What is your name? Old Dirty Bastard. And I am the filthiest thing in sight.
Filthy style understands. Say say say my name again. Scream at the top top top of your lungs. Old Dirty Bastard Live and Uncut.
My style is dirty and raw, and those who understand it know what to do. Say my name again and scream it at the top of your lungs. A tribute to Old Dirty Bastard, live and uncut.
Why? Its always the good ones that have to die. You never expect it, that night I cried, I was like damn. (Noooo) There no need to cry, dry your eyes. Cause we all die.
Why do the good ones always have to die? You never see it coming, and it makes us cry. But there's no need to cry forever, we must dry our eyes, 'cause everyone has to die.
Thats the way the duray supposed to be around cryin and shit. Mothefucker go on, thats it, say shit we had big fun while he was here. Ain't no need to start cryin now cause he gone. Thats the way life is isn't it.
That's the way things are supposed to be, with people mourning and crying. But let's not forget all the good times we had with him. There's no need to cry now that he's gone, as that's just the way life is.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
moonrakerschalker
R.I.P ODB, we will never forget you! Beautifull song ! They all sound like their crying, through emotions ..
Hacim24
This song is so moving...Makes you think of lines like "it's always the good ones that have to die" makes me "wanna get up and be somebody" RIP Russell Jones aka ODB
menjaevlaYT
RIP ODB, your soul and music walks on;'(
760BANGIN
I've gone through life, pretending...That time will change thee ending...
Blastmaster KRS-One
It's alway the good ones who have to die.. This song makes me always shed tears.. We all miss u ODB, u are forever, so is Wu
cbfwebs
That would have been the sickest cover, I think it was RZA's idea when it was titled The Eighth Diagram
jOARhannes
Thats Real Emotions right there!!! R.I.P. ODB!!!
lewchootrain
Best track on the album in terms of production. As un-wu like as the album may sound, I think that this keeps the W essence.
Patru Trei
damn this song is awsome it's just awsome R.I.P ODB!peace
RealslimshadyMc
"You was the chess piece on the board, that made us look true" For sure