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95-767: Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan , released June 3, 1997, by Loud and RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up to their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) . Forever features several guest appearances from Wu-Tang affiliates Cappadonna , Streetlife , 4th Disciple , True Master , and Tekitha . The original run of compact discs featured an enhanced CD which allowed users to walk around

190-637: A Xerox . Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet". He played much of the piano himself, with Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk as major influences; for instance, he created the piano part to "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" after watching the Thelonious Monk documentary, Straight, No Chaser . RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples, has been picked up by producers including Kanye West and Just Blaze . West's own take on RZA's style briefly flooded

285-462: A felony , and possession of cocaine , and he missed multiple court dates. In April 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison. Once released from prison, he signed a million-dollar contract with Roc-A-Fella Records . On November 13, 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard collapsed at Wu-Tang's recording studio in New York City, and was pronounced dead later that night. Wu-Tang Clan paid him homage

380-456: A cloud of scandal due to allegations that he expensed $ 5,000 at a strip club. In January 2024, Frere-Jones stated "I'm coming up on five years sober." He was born Alexander Roger Wallace Jones on January 31, 1967, in Manhattan , the elder child of Elizabeth Frere and Robin C. Jones. His younger brother, Tobias Frere-Jones , is founder of the typeface design company Frere-Jones Typography, and

475-426: A collaboration between GZA and producer DJ Muggs , entitled Grandmasters were also released. On March 28, 2006, Ghostface Killah released Fishscale , to much critical acclaim and some commercial success. The entire group, including Cappadonna and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, appeared on the track "9 Milli Bros". The same year, Ghostface Killah released More Fish . On June 25, 2006, Inspectah Deck released

570-421: A double album consisting of 31 tracks, was not given a conventional commercial release and only one copy has been produced; the copy toured in museums, art galleries and music festivals before being sold at a high price to a single individual. In August 2014, a reporter from Forbes traveled to Marrakech to meet Cilvaringz and hear a 51-second snippet of a song from the album, which featured Cher . The snippet

665-543: A favorable review of the album and stated " Wu-Tang Forever is a smooth, clean set of 25 songs and two speeches, with only a few throwaways on the second CD. The Wu-Tang Clan offers something for every kind of rap fan. More important, after a four-year wait, on Wu-Tang Forever the Clan retains its mantle as rap's standard bearers." Melody Maker gave Wu-Tang Forever a favorable review as well, stating "It had to be this big. It didn't have to be this good ... Every single track

760-484: A few outside producers behind the board this time, but it's his gritty samples and numbing beats that get the party moving." Sasha Frere-Jones from Spin called it an album "for hip-hop junkies, rhyme followers who want to hear their favorite sword-swallowers drop unusually good styles over unusually good beats." Comparing some of the album's production to that of Wu-Tang member GZA's Liquid Swords (also produced by RZA), Neil Strauss from The New York Times wrote

855-602: A major label, but caught the attention of the New York City rap scene and was recognized by rapper Biz Markie . By 1991, The Genius and Prince Rakeem were signed to separate record labels. The Genius released Words from the Genius (1991) on Cold Chillin' Records and Prince Rakeem released Ooh I Love You Rakeem (1991) on Tommy Boy Records . Both were soon dropped by their labels. They then adopted new monikers; The Genius became GZA (pronounced "jizza"), and Prince Rakeem became RZA (pronounced "rizza"). The Specialist also took on

950-618: A new name and became known as Ol' Dirty Bastard. RZA began collaborating with Dennis Coles, later known as Ghostface Killah, another rapper from the Stapleton Houses in Staten Island . The duo decided to create a hip hop group whose ethos would be a blend of " Eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies , Five-Percent Nation teachings picked up on the New York streets, and comic books". Wu-Tang Clan assembled in late 1992, with RZA as

1045-515: A number of times: in August 2006, one of his sons came out at a Wu-Tang concert at Webster Hall and rapped " Brooklyn Zoo ", along with his mother, and during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom the Clan brought his mother out on stage for a sing-along to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya". In 2005, RZA released a book titled The Wu-Tang Manual . In the same year, U-God's second album, Mr. Xcitement and

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1140-431: A revelation that also brought on the manager's subsequent firing. Cappadonna continued collaborating and touring with the group in the following years. In early 2004, U-God allegedly left the group. A DVD titled Rise of a Fallen Soldier was released detailing his problems, which were mostly with his treatment by RZA, who he claimed had hindered his success as a solo artist. U-God formed a group of young protegés called

1235-454: A solid partner that understands our audience and is committed to doing all they can to help us reach the fans. I'm definitely looking forward to working with them to see what else we all come up with. There's much more to come". In 2009, U-God released his third solo album, Dopium , which features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang Clan members, and affiliates, among others, and was met with mostly lukewarm reviews. Wu-Tang Chamber Music

1330-688: A street album entitled The Resident Patient , a prelude to his upcoming album, titled The Rebellion , which is said to be his final solo album. Also released in 2006 were Masta Killa 's second studio album, Made in Brooklyn , to lukewarm reviews, and Method Man 's 4:21... the Day After . Ghostface Killah released his seventh full-length album, The Big Doe Rehab , in December 2007. In 2007, Wu-Tang Clan released their fifth album, 8 Diagrams , on Steve Rifkind's new label SRC Records . This album marked

1425-440: Is a detonation of every single pop rule you thought sacrosanct ... Forever is one of the greatest hip hop LPs of all time." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic stated: Where contemporaries like 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. issued double-discs cluttered with filler, Wu-Tang Forever is purposeful and surprisingly lean, illustrating the immense depth of producer RZA and the entire nine-piece crew ... The result

1520-403: Is a separate album, while the rapper stated that he himself had petitioned to have Wu-Massacre ' s release date postponed in order to yield more studio time. On February 25, 2011, Wu Tang Live At The Palladium NYC was released through the group's official Facebook page as a collectors digital download. This included exclusive, unreleased freestyles. It was limited to 100 downloads before

1615-533: Is also credited with reviving the mafioso rap subgenre. GZA's debut album, Liquid Swords , was released in November 1995. Liquid Swords features guest appearances from every Wu-Tang Clan member, and is linked together by excerpts from the 1980 movie Shogun Assassin . Ghostface Killah released his first solo album, Ironman , in October 1996. Ironman was critically acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of

1710-424: Is an intoxicating display of musical and lyrical virtuosity, one that reveals how bereft of imagination the Wu-Tang's contemporaries are. Describing the album's lyrics as "hauntingly descriptive tales of ghetto hustlers and victims," Rolling Stone ' s Nathan Brackett stated "The whole of Wu-Tang Forever crackles with a shootout-at-midnight electricity that more than justifies the double-disc indulgence, while

1805-637: Is considered one of the greatest in hip-hop. Despite not having yet released a solo album, and not releasing one until October 1999, Deck's contributions throughout Wu-Tang Forever led to him being a sought-after collaborator for other artists in the wake of the album's release; during the 1998-1999 period he would make highly-regarded contributions to tracks on well-received albums from Gang Starr ("Above The Clouds" from Moment of Truth ), Pete Rock ("Tru Master" from Soul Survivor ) and Big Pun ("Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)" from Capital Punishment ) among others. Ghostface Killah 's verse in "Impossible"

1900-504: Is on the faculty of the Yale School of Art . Tobias and Alexander both legally changed their surnames from Jones to Frere-Jones in 1981. He is a grandson of Alexander Stuart Frere , the former chairman of the board of William Heinemann Ltd, the British publishing house, and a great-grandson of the novelist Edgar Wallace , who wrote many popular pulp novels, though he is best known for writing

1995-529: Is regarded as being RZA's most experimental work to date. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah were unhappy with the album, and proposed recording a group album titled Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tan without RZA production. That album would eventually become Raekwon's fifth solo album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang . In 2008, RZA released Digi Snacks , under the name Bobby Digital. The album included lesser-known Wu-Tang Clan affiliates such as Freemurder, Killa Sin, Black Knights, and others. In

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2090-528: The Billboard 200 with 612,000 copies sold in its first week. The album was certified 4× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 15, 1997 (each disc in the double album counted as separate unit for certification purpose), selling over 4 million copies in the United States. It is the group's highest selling album to date. Track listing information is taken from

2185-502: The 1995 Grammy Awards . Ol' Dirty Bastard 's debut album, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version , was released in March 1995, and is considered a hip hop classic. Raekwon's debut studio album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... , was released in August 1995. It featured all but one member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and featured the debut of Cappadonna , who later joined the group. The album

2280-580: The Chamber Music title is very fitting. This music is totally in the chamber, or in the mind-frame of Wu-Tang like in the [ Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) ] days. But it's not a Wu-Tang album. The whole Clan's not on this album. But it couldn't be in any other category but Wu-Tang". Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II was released in September 2009, which features guest appearances from several big-name artists, and Clan members, with Ghostface being

2375-503: The Cristal brand of champagne) which Nas , Mobb Deep , Notorious B.I.G. , Jay-Z , and other popular artists all borrowed and/or expanded upon these themes at points in their respective careers. The Wu-Tang Clan's slang has long been a staple of their music, wherein members would blend Five Percenter terms, Kung Fu /oriental words, and comic book and street terms to create their own nicknames for actions, people, places and things (such as

2470-772: The Public Theater starred Adam Klugman, Jack Klugman 's son. His follow-up play, Jump Down Turn Around , was performed at St. Ann's and starred Frere-Jones and actor Josh Hamilton . In 1994, he married lawyer Deborah Holmes, with whom he has two sons. They divorced in 2006. Frere-Jones attended the Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn from 1972 to 1984. He won an award from the Young Playwrights Festival in 1983 for his play “We Three Kings.” After graduating from St. Ann's in 1984, Frere-Jones attended Brown University for three years but did not graduate. He subsequently attended

2565-682: The Rock the Bells festival in California. The concert was released on CD under the name Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 . On October 26, 2004, the group released a greatest hits album, Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang Clan's Greatest Hits . Ol' Dirty Bastard's career was tumultuous. His run-ins with the law were well publicized—he was arrested several times for offenses including assault, shoplifting , wearing body armor after being convicted of

2660-660: The Tisch School of the Arts at NYU , concentrating on Dramatic Writing, then transferred to Columbia University in 1991. He graduated from the Columbia School of General Studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 1993. Frere-Jones plays bass, guitar, and various electronics. He founded the band Dolores during his time at Brown. The band made two full-length tapes: one in 1987 and one in 1990. After moving to New York in 1988,

2755-456: The de facto leader and the group's producer. RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after the film Shaolin and Wu Tang . The group developed backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers such as KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "We Usually Take All Niggas' Garments", "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", and "Wisdom of the Universe, and

2850-426: The "Wu Mansion" and access additional content. While the group's previous album is known for its minimalistic production style, producer RZA had been expanding the musical backdrop of each solo Wu-Tang album since then. Raekwon 's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... , in particular, was praised for its cinematic feel. RZA earned accolades for his new dense style of production, incorporating strings, heavy synthesizers, and

2945-569: The 2006 game Saints Row . Afro Samurai , based on the TV series, was released in January 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . Its soundtrack, like the show, was produced by RZA. Oliver "Power" Grant was one of the first to move from music to clothes. The Clan's executive producer, Grant began making clothes in the early 1990s, with little success. But in 1995, after the platinum success of Enter

Wu-Tang Forever - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-534: The Clan except Raekwon and GZA had put in work on the A Better Tomorrow album and that recording was being done at the Wu-Mansion, and the Wu-Mansion West. Unreleased verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard will also be featured on the album. He also stated he was hoping to release the album in November 2013. In July 2013 Cappadonna indicated the album was half way finished. Once November 2013 arrived, RZA gave an update on

3135-550: The Def Jam series Def Jam Vendetta , Def Jam Fight For NY , and Def Jam: Icon . Method Man is an avid fan of video games himself and has publicly stated that he loves playing SOCOM online with other PlayStation 2 users, and is part of an online clan ("KMA/Kiss My Ass"). His SOCOM II name is "ICU". He has a fellow SOCOM player featured on a skit on his album 4:21... The Day After . In Army of Two , main character Salem talks about Wu-Tang asking his teammate Rios who

3230-496: The Hillside Scramblers with whom he released the album U-Godzilla Presents the Hillside Scramblers in March 2004. The dispute culminated in a heated phone conversation between RZA and U-God on live radio, which ultimately saw the two reconcile. He has since returned to the group. In 2004, the group embarked on a short European tour before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline

3325-591: The Truth of Allah for the Nation of the Gods ". Wu-Tang Clan became known in 1993 following the release of the independent single " Protect Ya Neck ", which helped gain the group a sizable underground following. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign the Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud / RCA finally agreed, releasing their debut album, Enter

3420-656: The Wu mansion in New Jersey. RZA has also said he had talked to Adrian Younge about working on a song for the album. On April 11, 2013, it was announced via a press release that their upcoming sixth studio album would be titled, A Better Tomorrow and was set to be released in July 2013. During late April 2013, the Clan performed at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival . On May 17, an unreleased Wu-Tang song titled "Execution in Autumn"

3515-451: The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , in November 1993. The album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections. The album received critical acclaim, and to date is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The success of their debut album established the group as a creative and influential force in the 1990s, allowing individual members to negotiate solo contracts. RZA spoke on

3610-457: The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , manufacturers who earlier wouldn't extend Power credit saw the potential. He opened four Wu Wear stores, in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Norfolk, Virginia. The line was carried in Macy's, Rich's, and d.e.m.o, among others. Power says he earned $ 10 million in 1998. Method Man was unhappy with the decision to bring Wu-Tang into the fashion world with Wu Wear, despite

3705-456: The Wu-Tang Clan's unorthodox business model: We reinvented the way hip hop was structured, and what I mean is, you have a group signed to a label, yet the infrastructure of our deal was like anyone else's [...] We still could negotiate with any label we wanted, like Meth went with Def Jam , Rae stayed with Loud , Ghost went with Sony , GZA went with Geffen Records , feel me? [...] And all these labels still put " Razor Sharp Records " on

3800-448: The album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang re-surfaced in July 2009; originally planned as a Wu-Tang album without RZA's input. The project evolved to include RZA only vocally, with no contribution to production. Raekwon stated "[It'll] be alter egos challenging each other, really allowing RZA to fall back on the production and allowing us to give him a flashback memory to the things we know we need from the abbot [RZA]. We want him to be involved [with

3895-444: The album as an MC], but the concept was for him not to be involved production-wise". Speaking to MTV.com, Method Man revealed his, Ghostface Killah's and Raekwon's plans to record a separate album as a trio: "I don't want to say it's written in stone, but it's in discussion. I want some feedback from the fans to see how they would take that. RZA produced tracks, some other outside producers, of course, and we gonna have Wu-Tang members on

Wu-Tang Forever - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-442: The album number 57 on their 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005 list. Also in 2005, Blow Up magazine from Italy included Wu-Tang Forever in their 600 Essential Albums list. It also earned the group a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards . Despite limited radio/TV airplay, and the nearly-six minute lead single "Triumph" which features no chorus, Wu-Tang Forever debuted at number one on

4085-402: The album was approximately six weeks from completion. In January 2014, the group posted a message on their Facebook page, saying: "The new Wu album 'A Better Tomorrow' coming soon." After several disputes between Raekwon and RZA about the direction of the group and album, they reconciled, with the latter agreeing to record verses for A Better Tomorrow . On October 3, 2014, it was announced that

4180-405: The album will arrive December 2, 2014, courtesy of a new deal with Warner Bros. Records . The album was released late 2014. In March 2014 it was reported that in addition to work on A Better Tomorrow , a Wu-Tang Clan compilation album entitled The Wu – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin had been recorded, with Wu-Tang-affiliated producer Cilvaringz as the primary producer instead of RZA. The album,

4275-425: The album, but it'll be a Rae, Ghost and Meth album". Soon after, Ghostface Killah cemented the details: the record, featuring other Wu-Tang Clan members, was to consist primarily of him, Method Man, and Raekwon. The title, as announced in three separate trailers (directed by Rik Cordero ) promoting the upcoming release, is Wu-Massacre . Speaking on their willingness to complete the album, Ghostface Killah estimated

4370-431: The album, saying that not every member had been significantly working on the album. He gave credit to Method Man, Cappadonna, U-God and Masta Killa for working hard on the album, while saying he needed more effort from Ghostface, Raekwon and GZA. Shortly after Method Man stated that Raekwon had not worked on the album at all, and Ghostface had only recorded two songs for the album so far. In late November, RZA suggested that

4465-469: The back-and-forth wordfire of Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, etc. confirms the Clan's singular zing at the mic, and their ghetto-wise might as storytellers." Cheo Hodari Coker from the Los Angeles Times commented, "The Clan's beats push the limit between cutting-edge hip-hop and industrial feedback, with jugular-clutching rhymes following their own melodic dictates and insular messages running

4560-507: The band played for two years before breaking up. (Their only recordings during this period were two contributions to a compilation on Fang Records called Live At The Knitting Factory .) In 1990, Frere-Jones co-founded the instrumental, two-bass rhythm band Ui with Clem Waldmann. They played their first live show in 1991, and spent the following eight years touring across the United States and Europe, opening for bands like Stereolab and Tortoise . In 2023, Frere-Jones appeared as “The Body” in

4655-448: The beats to propel the lyrics, and keeps the music free of clichéd R&B loops." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a two-star honorable mention rating and called the Wu-Tang Clan "the five per cent nation of Oscar aspirations". In 2018, the BBC included it in their list of "the acclaimed albums that nobody listens to any more." Wu-Tang Forever was ranked as one of

4750-446: The best albums of the year by several notable publications, such as Spin , The Village Voice , NME and Melody Maker . Popular Belgium magazine HUMO , and popular German magazine Spex both ranked it number six on their albums of the year lists. In 1999, Ego Trip ranked Wu-Tang Forever number three on their Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98 list. In their March 2005 issue, Hip Hop Connection ranked

4845-514: The best member is. Salem says it's RZA but he says Ghostface Killah is pretty good himself. In the ending cut scene, a reference is made when Salem says "Survey says?" and Rios replies "You're dead". The exchange referenced the lyric, "And the survey says? / You're dead!" from "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' Ta F' Wit", from the album Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) . Several tracks by Clan members and affiliates such as Method Man, Ghostface, Cappadonna, Trife, DJ Mathematics and others were featured in

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4940-473: The best of Wu-Tang solo albums. Wu-Tang Clan re-assembled and released their second studio album, Wu-Tang Forever , in June 1997; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . The album's lead single, " Triumph ", is over five minutes long, features nine verses (one from each member plus Cappadonna and excluding Ol' Dirty Bastard who appeared on the intro and bridge), and no hook or a repeated phrase. The album

5035-429: The brand being a major money-maker for the group. "When Wu-Wear started making shoes and sneakers and pants, it was shoddy material. I never rocked that shit." "I'm going to bring out Dirty Wear," declared ODB. "A set of ready-worn clothes: 'Dirty Wear, for the girl who likes to wear her panties three days in a row.'" Sasha Frere-Jones After less than a year he was forced to leave The Los Angeles Times under

5130-655: The careers of a number of affiliated artists and groups , collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees. In the late 1980s, cousins Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, and Russell Jones formed a group named Force of the Imperial Master, also known as the All in Together Now Crew. Each member recorded under an alias: Diggs as Prince Rakeem or The Scientist, Grice as The Genius, and Jones as The Specialist. The group never signed to

5225-702: The christening of Staten Island as "Shaolin Land" and money as "C.R.E.A.M."). RZA noted in The Wu-Tang Manual , that Raekwon was the resident "slang-master" of a great deal of the slang used by the group. All nine original members of the group were featured in the game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style , released for the PlayStation on October 31, 1999, as well as a special collector's edition controller. Ghostface Killah and Yung Dirty Doucette, as well as collaborators, Redman and Keith Murray , also play themselves in all three games in

5320-411: The credits [...] Wu Tang was a financial movement. So what do you wanna diversify...? [...] Your assets? In 1994, RZA founded the group Gravediggaz with Prince Paul , Frukwan (both of Stetsasonic ) and Poetic . In August of the same year, the group released 6 Feet Deep , which became one of the best known works to emerge from the horrorcore subgenre. RZA held the role of primary producer for

5415-703: The criticism, including defending his description of Hall & Oates as "equally talented" as Michael Jackson (though he admitted his wording had been "slightly mischievous"). In 2008, Frere-Jones was named one of the top 30 critics in the world by Intelligent Life , the lifestyle publication from The Economist . Frere-Jones appears in the 2009 documentary Strange Powers by Kerthy Fix and Gail O'Hara, about Stephin Merritt and his band, The Magnetic Fields , in which he further discusses his ideas of race in pop music. On March 9, 2009, The New Yorker published his first profile, of British pop singer Lily Allen . At

5510-514: The end of 2009, he helped bring mainstream attention to then-unsigned indie rock band Sleigh Bells when he wrote that, "After shows at Le Poisson Rouge and Public Assembly, I knew they were my favorite band in New York." In a 2009 “Ask the Author” feature on The New Yorker' s Web site, Frere-Jones revealed he was working on a collection of pieces that would include an extended version of “Paler” that would expound upon his thesis and address responses to

5605-458: The first wave of the group members' solo albums, producing out of his basement studio in Staten Island. In November 1994, Method Man's debut album, Tical , was released. RZA's hands-on approach to Tical extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structures. The track " All I Need " from Tical was the winner of the "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" at

5700-597: The five members who had already released albums, as well as debuts from all the remaining members, with the exception of Masta Killa. In the space of two years, RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo , Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Blackout! (with Redman ), GZA's Beneath the Surface , Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please , U-God's Golden Arms Redemption , Raekwon's Immobilarity , Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele and Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance were all released (seven of them being released in

5795-479: The gamut from ancient maxims of the art of war to spiritual knowledge, wisdom and understanding from the Islamic Five Percent Nation." Steve Jones from USA Today wrote, "Hip-hop's most anticipated album crackles with the nine-member clan's unique hard-core rhymes and beats. On this two-disc, 112-minute set, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. The RZA avoids overproduction, using

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5890-438: The greatest hip hop groups of all time. After signing to Steve Rifkind's label Loud Records in 1992, Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993; initially receiving positive reviews, it has since garnered widespread critical acclaim and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Members of the group released solo albums between 1994 and 1996. In 1997,

5985-487: The group as a whole, U-God, Wu-Syndicate, Killarmy, Shyheim, West Coast Killa Beez , Black Knights and others, and would be available online beginning September 23. RZA said: "The time is right to bring some older Wu material to the masses digitally. Our fans have been dedicated and patient and they're hungry to hear the music that has set us apart from so many others. Hip-hop is alive in Wu Music, and with The Orchard, we've got

6080-415: The group members themselves. The Swarm sold well and was certified gold . There was also a long line of releases from secondary affiliates such as Popa Wu , Shyheim , GP Wu , and Wu-Syndicate . Second albums from Gravediggaz and Killarmy, as well as a greatest hits album and a b-sides compilation, were also released. The second round of solo albums from Wu-Tang Clan members included second albums from

6175-618: The group released their second album, Wu-Tang Forever . It debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards . The group later released the albums The W (2000), Iron Flag (2001), 8 Diagrams (2007), and A Better Tomorrow (2014), to less popularity. The only copy of their seventh album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (2015), was purchased for $ 2 million by former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli . Wu-Tang Clan has introduced and launched

6270-462: The group's 20th anniversary, though Raekwon doubted it. On January 9, 2013, work on the sixth Wu-Tang Clan album was announced via the group's official Facebook page. In early March 2013 Method Man announced that the Clan was working on a sixth studio album and it would be released during 2013 in celebration of their 20-year anniversary since 36 Chambers . Cappadonna has said the album is in recording process taking place in New York, Los Angeles and

6365-475: The inclusion of Cappadonna as an official member of the group. In an interview with MTV.com , Ghostface Killah stated that he was upset with RZA for starting the 8 Diagrams project while he was in the middle of writing and recording The Big Doe Rehab , as well as giving 8 Diagrams the same release date as The Big Doe Rehab , for which RZA rescheduled a release date one week later. The outcome of 8 Diagrams received mixed views from both fans and critics, and

6460-626: The kung-fu samples of old. The production of the record also pioneered RZA's technique of chopping up and speeding up soul samples so that it becomes unusually high-pitched; this style of production would later become influential on producers such as Just Blaze and Kanye West . Wu-Tang Forever marked the first group album in which RZA assigned some of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple , as well as Clan member Inspectah Deck . The lyrics differed in many ways from those of 36 Chambers , with more verses written in stream-of-consciousness style, while being influenced by

6555-545: The loss by interrupting Shawn Colvin 's acceptance speech for Song of the Year . Killah Priest , a close associate of the group, released Heavy Mental in March 1998. That same month, Cappadonna released his debut album The Pillage . Affiliated groups Sunz of Man and Killarmy also released well-received albums, followed by Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm —a compilation album released in 1998, showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists, and including new solo tracks from

6650-490: The magazine have appeared in Da Capo Press 's Best Music Writing anthologies. On October 22, 2007, The New Yorker published “A Paler Shade of White", an essay in which Frere-Jones examined the changing role of race in pop, specifically indie rock and hip-hop of the last two decades. In the piece Frere-Jones charges indie with being too white and therefore not sounding black enough and hip hop for being too black. The piece

6745-554: The most prominent, and also production from RZA, Dr. Dre , Pete Rock , and J Dilla , among others. The album was initially intended to be released on Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records . The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been praised by most music critics. Several weeks later, Ghostface Killah released Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City . Talk of

6840-590: The music video for Oneohtrix Point Never ’s song “Nightmare Paint” Frere-Jones debuted as The New Yorker' s pop critic on March 8, 2004 with "Let's Go Swimming", an essay on Arthur Russell . He followed in the footsteps of the magazine's past critics Ellen Willis , Mark Moses , Elizabeth Wurtzel , and Nick Hornby . He has covered independent acts like Arcade Fire , Joanna Newsom , Grizzly Bear , Manu Chao , and Bon Iver , as well as mainstream successes like Neil Diamond , Mariah Carey , Wu-Tang Clan , Lil Wayne , and Prince . Three essays originally published in

6935-675: The official liner notes and AllMusic . All tracks written by Wu-Tang Clan and produced by RZA , except where noted. Notes Sample list Shipments figures based on certification alone. Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop musical collective formed in Staten Island , New York City , in 1992. Its members include RZA , GZA , Method Man , Raekwon , Ghostface Killah , Inspectah Deck , U-God , Masta Killa , and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard . Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. They are credited for revitalizing East Coast hip hop and are considered one of

7030-438: The original piece. He also worked on a planned short book, Pop Is King: On Michael Jackson and Pop Music , which was due for publication in 2010 by Ecco Press , but it was never released. Frere-Jones published his final column for The New Yorker on January 15, 2015. He left the magazine to work for the media annotation website Genius.com to work as an executive editor. He stayed there for several months, before moving to

7125-506: The page was disabled after this figure was reached. On June 29, 2011, Raekwon announced that the group were working on a new studio album, still in early stages. Ghostface Killah later said that the album would be released in May 2012. Members went back and forth on the issue. While GZA hinted that a new album was unlikely, the RZA said a new Wu-Tang Clan album might happen after all, on the occasion of

7220-475: The past ten years." Upon its release, Wu-Tang Forever received acclaim from music critics, who praised RZA's production work and the group members' lyricism. Matt Diehl from Entertainment Weekly commented, " Forever continues the group's artistic grand slam. Like their forebears in Public Enemy , Wu-Tang are musical revolutionaries, unafraid to bring the noise along with their trunk of funk. The RZA allows

7315-479: The project. The album was sold through Paddle8, an online auction house, for $ 2 million to Martin Shkreli . When the FBI arrested Martin Shkreli on December 17, 2015, they did not seize the Wu-Tang Clan album. Following the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Shkreli broadcast excerpts from the album on streaming platforms Periscope and Hitbox.tv . In July 2021, it

7410-580: The rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul", the pitch bending of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by RZA's production, and RZA has acknowledged his influence in an issue of Scratch magazine , saying he wished he had produced "Jesus Walks" and "Breathe", two 2004 hits produced by Kanye West and Just Blaze, respectively. Kanye West commented: Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all

7505-523: The release date of the album to be the end of 2009 or January 2010. It was then announced that the album would be pushed back from December to March 30, 2010; the single, "Meth vs. Chef Part II", was released after the announcement. Produced by Mathematics , it is an update of the song "Meth vs. Chef" from Method Man's first solo album, Tical , featuring verses by only Method Man and Raekwon. It had been confirmed by Raekwon that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang would in fact be his next solo album and that Wu-Massacre

7600-407: The same year, GZA released the album Pro Tools . In September 2008, RZA announced that he had signed a deal with digital music company The Orchard to release the Wu-Tang Clan's back catalogue worldwide digitally, for the first time. In addition to forthcoming material, the Wu-Tang Clan's catalogue includes 13 previous releases that have been previously unavailable digitally, including recordings by

7695-415: The single " Gravel Pit ". The album reached platinum status. In 2001, Wu-Tang Clan released their fourth album, Iron Flag . While originally featured on the cover of Iron Flag , Cappadonna was airbrushed out of the artwork and absent from the album entirely. This may be related to tension that arose within the group when it was revealed that Cappadonna's manager was, or had been, a police informant,

7790-470: The space of seven months between June 1999 and January 2000). RZA also composed the score for the film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai , directed by Jim Jarmusch , while he and other Wu-Tang members contributed music to a companion "music inspired by the film" album. The frequent release of Wu-Tang Clan content between 1997 and 2000 was considered by some critics to have resulted in an oversaturation that

7885-418: The story for the film King Kong . ( Merian C. Cooper wrote the screenplay.) In 1983, Frere-Jones played Capulet in a St. Ann's production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Nancy Fales Garrett. Mia Sara played Juliet. In 1984, Frere-Jones's We Three Kings was one of ten plays chosen for the Young Playwrights Festival. The original reading starred John Pankow and Željko Ivanek . The final production at

7980-530: The teachings of the Five-Percent Nation . The Clan also took full advantage of the double-disc format, allowing each of the nine members a significant number of appearances, including four solo tracks: "The City" for Inspectah Deck, "Dog Shit" for Ol' Dirty Bastard , "Black Shampoo" for U-God and "Sunshower" for RZA. Inspectah Deck raised his stock in the public eye with The Source ' s Hip-Hop Quotable for his performance on "Triumph". This verse

8075-504: The time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that. Raekwon 's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... helped (with the likes of Kool G Rap ) popularize mafioso rap , which remained widespread for more than half a decade. The landmark album touted a lifestyle patterned on drug dealing, regrets of living in harsh conditions, and partying (including popularizing

8170-606: Was also featured in The Source' s Hip-Hop Quotable, and was later hailed by RZA in the Wu-Tang Manual as "the greatest Wu-Tang verse ever written". "The sum of our parts is worth all the organizing," said Method Man . "It's like the Power Rangers where they come together to form that Megazord shit. Them guys are lethal but, when they come together, it's even more incredible. This album will destroy every hip-hop record made in

8265-622: Was announced that the album had been again sold by the US government for an undisclosed amount (later revealed as $ 4 million USD), following Shkreli handing it over to the FBI in 2018 after being convicted of defrauding investors. The new owner of the album is the PleasrDAO group. On August 25, 2017, Wu-Tang Clan released the song, "People Say", which featured Redman. RZA announced that the song would be part of an upcoming album, titled The Saga Continues . The album

8360-676: Was criticized by numerous pop music critics for Frere-Jones's seeming lack of knowledge regarding pop and rock music history, and controversial understanding of race in relation to music. It elicited responses from Playboy , The Village Voice , Slate , and Simon Reynolds , among dozens of other news outlets and blogs. The Stereogum music blog declared the controversy a 'war' between music writers. The New Yorker received more mail about "A Paler Shade of White" than it did for any other essay since "Escaping Picasso", Adam Gopnik 's December 16, 1996 essay about Pablo Picasso . Frere-Jones published follow-ups to his article to address some of

8455-407: Was described by AllMusic as "consisting of stark, booming beats and chilling samples (heavily drawing from vintage soul records as well as kung fu movies)," summarizing it as "lean, menacing." According to RZA, he tries to have no more than 20–25% sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He uses "the sampler more like a painter's palette than

8550-419: Was produced by RZA and his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple . The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers , with many verses written in a dense stream of consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five-Percent Nation . Wu-Tang Forever was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards , losing to Puff Daddy ; Ol' Dirty Bastard infamously protested

8645-518: Was released for purchase through RZA's record label Soul Temple Records . They performed at the 2013 HOT 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, twenty years after they performed at the first annual Summer Jam concert. On June 5, 2013, the first promotional single "Family Reunion" featuring Masta Killah, Method Man, Ghostface Killah and RZA was released via the Soul Temple Records website. In June 2013 RZA said so far every member of

8740-429: Was released in the same year, a side project executively produced by RZA, featuring live instrumentation from a Brooklyn soul band The Revelations. The album features appearances from five Wu-Tang Clan members, along with AZ , Kool G Rap , Cormega , Havoc , Sean Price , and M.O.P. Its first single, "Harbor Masters" featured Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and AZ. RZA spoke about the album to Billboard.com: "I think

8835-537: Was released on October 13 under the name "Wu-Tang", as U-God was absent from it. The Saga Continues was primarily produced by Mathematics , and debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. The Wu-Tang Clan collective became the first HipHop act to receive a Las Vegas artist residency with "Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues… The Las Vegas Residency" at The Theater at Virgin Hotels , launched February 2024. RZA's production

8930-434: Was responsible for the group's decline in popularity. The group reconvened again for their third album, The W . Despite his incarceration in California for violating the terms of his probation , Ol' Dirty Bastard was on the song "Conditioner", featuring Snoop Dogg . Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals were recorded via prison telephones. The W was released in November 2000, and was mostly well received by critics, and included

9025-447: Was subsequently put on their website. The album is encased in a handcrafted silver-and-nickel box made by British-Moroccan artist Yahya and features never-before-heard music recorded over years. RZA stated he has been receiving multiple million dollar offers for the album. Despite the album's exclusivity it made an appearance in electronic dance music producer Skrillex 's music video for his song "Fuck That" even though he did not purchase

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