Why It Mattered: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
A nine-man group from Staten Island, New York, transformed the hip-hop scene on November 9 1993, releasing the 62 minute masterpiece 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'. Here's why it means so much.
With the golden age of hip-hop in full swing, 1993 saw the release of three landmark albums in the thriving genre. West-Coast hip-hop was dominating the airwaves and G-Funk was emerging as a popular subgenre, thanks to the releases of Dr Dre’s 'The Chronic' and 'Doggystyle' by the fresh-faced Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Wu-Tang Clan first piqued the interest of radio stations and record labels with their 1992 release 'Protect Ya Neck'. Eventually signing with Loud Records, Wu-Tang Clan’s first single gave the public the first taste of the group’s ethos which, as explained by de facto leader RZA in a 2015 interview with The Boston Phoenix, consists of “Eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies, watered-down Nation of Islam preaching picked up on the New York streets, and comic books.”
RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck crafted their debut album from late 1992 to 1993, perfecting their incredible and unique blend of gritty beats, explicit yet tongue-in-cheek lyricism, manipulated soul samples and martial arts film grabs.
In contrast to the melodic synth-driven G-Funk of the time, the RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan as a whole largely relied on sampling soul and jazz songs from the 1950’s and 60’s. Everything from Thelonious Monk to Otis Reading, The Jackson 5 and even Barbra Streisand were all sampled for the album.
The dark, explicit, yet humorous nature of the lyrics were unlike anything occurring at the time in hip-hop, and Wu-Tang found the perfect combination to set themselves apart from their contemporaries. Combining the aggression and violent imagery of N.W.A with the comedic skits and playful tone of De La Soul – and with a dash of grainy analog charm – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was a landmark release for its time and still ranks among the most innovative and influential hip-hop albums ever created.
Produced by Happy Mag: http://happymag.tv/
Shot by Tania Safi / taniasafi
Edited by Stephen Bridge
Written and presented by Dan Shaw
Special thanks to:
TJ Atoms: / tjatoms
Drapht: / drapht
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