Welcome to my thread on one of the most influential groups to EVER grace the mic in hip-hop!

In this thread I'll be covering Wu-Tang's work as a collective, the impact they had on the culture, and some cool facts!

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Enjoy!

Wu-Tang formed in 1992 in the great NYC, starting with 9 original members: RZA, GZA, ODB, Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa & U-God.

RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard came up with the name Wu-Tang based off the 1983 film Shaolin and Wu Tang. We would then hear samples from similar films in their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Fun fact: RZA & ODB actually made beats together at the age of 11!

1993, we get their debut album that would go down to be one of the most legendary projects in all of hip-hop. RZA was the sole producer for it & continued to produce for other members' solo projects after.

This album was home to many classic anthems we've all grown to love like, C.R.E.A.M, Protect Ya Neck, Bring Da Ruckus, & many more. When Bring Da Ruckus starts off, you're immediately thrown into a heavy hitting hip-hop album. Enjoy this intro as much as I do

Fun fact about C.R.E.A.M, it didn't do well commercially at all, only charting at 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. It still became a legendary track over time & one of the best tracks when talking classics. Here's a video of it for you to enjoy!

Now to follow up that video, I want to drop another one of RZA breaking down the story behind the track & how it became to be one of the most iconic tracks OAT.

Wu-Tang follows up 36 Chambers with Wu-Tang: Forever, 4 years after. This album builds off 36 with very similar sounds & production. It is also home to another iconic track, Triumph. This track features 9 verses, one from each member plus Capadonna.

Triumph might just be one of the best posse cuts ever, if you want to classify it as one. The heavy hitting bass makes it a great track to throw on in the whip & just appreciate fire verse after verse.

Wu-Tang Forever was a long album nearing almost 2 hours long with 16 tracks; including some great ones like Impossible, It's Yourz, and A Better Tomorrow. Overall it was an amazing answer to their debut album & will go down as another classic.

2000 hits and we get their third studio album, The W. This album was interesting because it was the beginning of a new decade, and it was also without ODB since he was incarcerated at the time; although he managed to send in his vocals through a phone in the prison.

Aside from Capadonna on the previous album, they never really had features until The W. They got Redman, Snoop, Junior Reid, Busta Rhymes, AND Nas on here. RZA was also on fire with the production on this record, you could hear how much he progressed over the years.

It's crazy how they only took 1 year to get the group together and record Wu-Tang Iron Flag. This album actually had some outside production, but it wasn't held as high as the previous 3 albums with the fans, and I would have to agree. The album was alright overall.

2004 was a dark year.. We lost Ol' Dirty Bastard. ODB was in the recording studio in NYC where he suddenly collapsed on November 13, 2004 & was pronounced dead the following day. Here's a video of his famous Shimmy Shimmy Ya, RIP ODB

Not to back track but I did want to point out that some members of the clan had amazing solo albums as well. Here is a few classics that show just how great they were even going solo.

2007 we got their 5th studio album, 8 Diagrams. Maybe it's a bias but I personally loved this project. Their rapping was quality start to finish and I really loved RZA's production on it. I was worried that it wouldn't hit without ODB but I was surprised with the outcome.

We didn't get another official studio album form them again until 2014. The members weren't on the best of terms until they came together in 2013 to work on it. This album was special because it was meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 36 Chambers.

I remember being so HYPED for this album. It wasn't a let down but it wasn't anything overly special other than getting more tracks from the legends themselves. I will point out the title track, the production was amazing & it's still in my rotation today.

FUN FACT! In 2015, Wu-Tang sold their 7th studio album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin to a single person, Martin Shkreli, until he was convicted for securities fraud; the federal court seized all of his assets which included this album. The album by the way? It sold for 2 million.

2017 hits and we got the The Saga Continues. I was blown away that it hit #15 on the US Billboard 200, it showed us that Wu-Tang still had some left in the tank. Many of the members are still killing features today. This project was also enjoyable & look at that art.

Currently, there is rumors that the clan is expected to have another album in the making, which would be cool but they have already accomplished so much. I'm personally very happy with their guest verses they have been delivering over the years.

To conclude the thread, the Wu-Tang Clan is by far one of the most iconic groups of all time. May the name live on forever, after all, Wu-Tang is for the children!