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
What You Know
Wu-Tang Clan Lyrics
Shaolin shadowboxing, in the Wu-tang sword style
If what you say is true, if what you say is true
The clouds was gray, the sky was black
Two undercover pigs jumped out the Pontiac
Trying to extort us, they wanna know where the money at
We countin' the cream, my team get money stacks
Let the gods build wherever we at
We attackin' the mind state
We civilized niggas we don't think of the crime rate
The mind's infinite now, we can't waste time
Take the ones that know the last, leave the rest behind
Salute, fall back in line
Here come the first nine out of the booth
Sparks of energy, create more life and more synergy
Forever is Wu, you can never set for the glue
Homie is Mathematical, beats is bangin'
All my lords get radical
Don't blast the past homie, that's equilateral
JJY, Killa Beez is splattering you
And everybody love us in here
It don't matter who
Shoulder rolling off the beat
Catch a jab kiss it and throw it back
Science is sweet and questional
This is Irief Jamal, unique professional
Blessin' you a hundred mill flow
Steel tip arrow and bow, I pull and let it go
Look how the crowd go wild for this mic style
Wu World Clan united this how the reptile
Keepin' us apart between some darts from the heart
Forever stayin' mentally sharp, spark the brain
Physically equipped to tear you out the frame
I don't play with this mic thing
But brings all of the above, I reign
If what you say is true
This is target practice, watch me get my darts off
Leave 'em bleedin' out with they shoes and they socks off
Fit it on the sidewalk, this is real talk
Anybody could get it, I pop a couple shots off
Home of this smash and grab, I'm taking minds off the top
Doin' stick up, no mask, I got the drop
Run up on you, in front of your buildin'
Now you speak a bazillion
Gun you down right in front of your children
We bang out on a regular basis, erase half your face
Leave no shell, these open cases
My description, big black bodacious
All black, Wu, hoodie on with the go fat laces
If what you say is true
A rhyme is a struggle from conception
Series of complex maps in all directions
Totally dependent on an act of breathing
Learning, depending on an act of reading
The MC draws in a long, deep breath
Holding it until makin' it right before it left
Extracted it from it is life-giving properties
We acting from it, and controlled it properly
If what you say is true
The Shaolin and the Wu-Tang
Now, do you understand?
The only way we can stay strong is we stick together
'Cause they gon' try, they gon' try
Let me tell you what they gon' try to do
And y'all remember the shit, y'all gon' tell them fuck the world
Teach all the babies and shit
They gon' try to make black and white go against each other
Which they can't because we already having a good time
WU!
That was great! Wonderful!
Terrific deal! The best that I've ever seen
If what you say is true, if what you say is true
The clouds was gray, the sky was black
Two undercover pigs jumped out the Pontiac
Trying to extort us, they wanna know where the money at
We countin' the cream, my team get money stacks
Let the gods build wherever we at
We attackin' the mind state
We civilized niggas we don't think of the crime rate
Take the ones that know the last, leave the rest behind
Salute, fall back in line
Here come the first nine out of the booth
Sparks of energy, create more life and more synergy
Forever is Wu, you can never set for the glue
Homie is Mathematical, beats is bangin'
All my lords get radical
Don't blast the past homie, that's equilateral
JJY, Killa Beez is splattering you
And everybody love us in here
It don't matter who
Shoulder rolling off the beat
Catch a jab kiss it and throw it back
Science is sweet and questional
This is Irief Jamal, unique professional
Blessin' you a hundred mill flow
Steel tip arrow and bow, I pull and let it go
Look how the crowd go wild for this mic style
Wu World Clan united this how the reptile
Keepin' us apart between some darts from the heart
Forever stayin' mentally sharp, spark the brain
Physically equipped to tear you out the frame
I don't play with this mic thing
But brings all of the above, I reign
If what you say is true
This is target practice, watch me get my darts off
Leave 'em bleedin' out with they shoes and they socks off
Fit it on the sidewalk, this is real talk
Anybody could get it, I pop a couple shots off
Home of this smash and grab, I'm taking minds off the top
Doin' stick up, no mask, I got the drop
Run up on you, in front of your buildin'
Now you speak a bazillion
Gun you down right in front of your children
We bang out on a regular basis, erase half your face
Leave no shell, these open cases
My description, big black bodacious
All black, Wu, hoodie on with the go fat laces
If what you say is true
A rhyme is a struggle from conception
Series of complex maps in all directions
Totally dependent on an act of breathing
Learning, depending on an act of reading
The MC draws in a long, deep breath
Holding it until makin' it right before it left
Extracted it from it is life-giving properties
We acting from it, and controlled it properly
If what you say is true
The Shaolin and the Wu-Tang
Now, do you understand?
The only way we can stay strong is we stick together
'Cause they gon' try, they gon' try
Let me tell you what they gon' try to do
And y'all remember the shit, y'all gon' tell them fuck the world
Teach all the babies and shit
They gon' try to make black and white go against each other
Which they can't because we already having a good time
WU!
That was great! Wonderful!
Terrific deal! The best that I've ever seen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Darryl R Hill, Elgin Evander Turner, Gary E Grice, Patrick Charles, Ronald Maurice Bean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Ian DC
Bow to the Wu. Miss you dudes! You dudes need to drop a old school sounding gem. Love this one for sure!
Self Storage
They all still here, except for ODB....but like 2pac and Biggie, Big Pun, and Aaliyah etc,...legends live on!!!!.....
haze research
Method on this is fucking genius too. The whole track, I mean the standards were so high back then, good times, lyricswise, rhyme patterns and everything.
Self Storage
Method Man Should be in jail, because he kills every track he's on......
d R
Had no idea Wu did music for "Oz". Another hidden gem 💎
Boab Fawcett
yooo I had this song on my phone when I was at high school and I lost it man it has been like 6 years and finally I found this song! thanks haha
Self Storage
Boab, what you in for???!
BIG UNCLE G SKUNK XXL
Love the obscure Wu tracks, I got this on record, but my mate ain't got a record player, so YouTube will do.👐
Self Storage
New technology, Biggie....
Ricardo Ronin
rza killed this