Week 54: WU-TANG CLAN (420 to 30: A Music Retrospective)
The RZA, the GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah and the Method Man, and Masta Killa (and later Cappadonna as well) form like Voltron to make up the greatest group in hip hop, the ones with witty, unpredictable talent and natural game, the Wu-Tang Clan. Their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is one of rap's best and inspired me as an artist and entrepreneur growing up. Years later, I was lucky enough to have one of my movie trailers open a concert of theirs in Washington D.C. in 2016.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from Wu-Tang Clan.
Week 54: WU-TANG CLAN
#373/420 - Wu-Tang Clan, “Triumph”
No chorus or refrain here to muck up the works, just a verse from every single member of the original Wu-Tang Clan (plus Cappadonna) and it is glorious. Rarely has a rap track ever been so bold, and the guys just crush it here.
Although they weren’t all present or alive to perform when I saw them live in Washington D.C. in 2016 at the event I was a part of with (showing my first trailer for Batman & Jesus as the lead-in to their show), it was a blast to have them do this song, and the people I was with in the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. (Somehow this guy knew every single word.)
Definitely one of the best from the Wu-Tang Clan and easily one of the most iconic for featuring all members.
#374/420 - GZA, feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard, Masta Killa, and Inspectah Deck, “Duel of the Iron Mic”
Quantifying what is a “Wu-Tang Clan” album, and even who exactly makes up the Wu-Tang Clan, can be a challenging task. After the release of their debut album, they started cranking out “solo” albums, but ones that were still produced by the same team, and featured the same ensemble, just ones that had the common thread of featuring the same “main character” through all the album’s tracks. In live performances, music from these albums is just as a part of the set as music officially credited to the Wu-Tang Clan, so I have decided to include these albums as part of my Wu-Tang list as well, because they contain some of their very best songs they made together, in my opinion.
One of the best solo albums was GZA’s Liquid Swords. This song is one of my favorites, featuring some awesome old movie audio samples from Shogun Assassin and Dragon on Fire and another iconic hook by Ol’ Dirty Bastard. “Duel of the iron mic! It’s the fifty-two fatal strikes!” Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck join GZA for some excellent verses and the juxtaposition of sword dueling with rap battling is a big success for me.
Such a cool, appropriate warning of a sample to end on.
#375/420 - Killah Priest, feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard, “If You Don’t Know”
I am stretching the definition of what makes a Wu-Tang Clan song a Wu-Tang Clan song here, because Killah Priest is not exactly regarded as a core member, but Ol’ Dirty Bastard certainly is, and this album is definitely part of the main Wu-Tang era of output and collaborations. Killah Priest almost got his own week, as I really enjoy his discography, but I decided to include him with my Wu-Tang week because it was honestly very hard to only pick 60 artists to countdown with.
Killah Priest is a special case because I have gotten to work with him on more than one project, perform with him on camera, and even just hang out and talk with him, as well as his sons. This was extremely cool for me because I could talk to him directly about the making of this song in particular, besides all the insight on recording sessions and seeing their dad work over the years I got from his sons.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard is another one in the rap community that is sorely missed. He had the most distinct voice in the entire Wu-Tang Clan, and could pull off intros just as well as hooks and just as well as verses. Vocally, despite his very specific tone, he probably had the broadest range of all. His ability really shines through here, and I enjoy that they let his chorus loop more than once. Talking to Killah Priest, he still knew every word of it, and remembered the day ODB came in to lay it down well.
The samples shine through here as on most Wu-Tang albums, and Killah Priest shows he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as all the rest of the guys with his talent. Not only a great rapper, but an excellent lyricist as well, and his knowledge of mythology comes through here as always. “I saw Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, barefoot, sucking from the titties of a wolf.” Hilarious and deeply referential. I was very glad he was on stage performing with the group during the show in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial. I was proud to be a part of it, and it was uplifting to know the feeling was shared by KP.
A legend in my mind, with an exceptional track featuring two legends from the Wu-Tang Clan.
#376/420 - Raekwon, feat. Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Cappadonna, “Ice Cream”
My favorite solo Wu-Tang album comes from Raekwon with his debut showing, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, which is a successfully realized concept album in the crime genre, with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah as its leading men, and appearances from all of the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as Nas, in a rare guest appearance on a Wu-Tang album.
Interestingly, my three favorite tracks on this album all have “ice” in the title, “Ice Water” and “Glaciers of Ice” being the other two, but this one has ultimately seized the throne over the years, especially after seeing it live. It is a flavorful delight.
Only missing Ghostface from the lineup, it was pretty cool to see this one performed in Washington, and the showmanship of Method Man in particular really shined through in a way that can only be seen live. I was fortunate enough to meet Raekwon backstage and had more than just a moment to chat with him. Of course I made a point to acknowledge this being my favorite Wu-Tang solo album, but I also pitched a sketch to him for a show I was making at the time, “Holy Shit”. The idea was based on the song “Method Man” from the first album, in which I would have come in with quoting the Bible with even fouler visualizations of torture than Raekwon and Method Man come up with in the skit preceding that song. He got a kick out of the idea, and while it seemed as though the manager wouldn’t go for it, and I never got to the point of making that episode it would have been included in anyway, it was fun to imagine and pitch to the man himself, and I appreciated having the time of day to do so.
If you dig concept albums and you dig rap, you can’t do much better than this album, and this song is figuratively and literally the cherry on top.
#377/420 - GZA, “Labels”
One of the things that drew me in so heavily to Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album is also what makes this my favorite Wu-Tang solo track, unapologetically calling out the industry on its bullshit. “Tommy ain’t my motherfuckin’ boy.” This one hits hard right from the start. The backing track is killer here too, and GZA has some of his smoothest lyrical transitions line-to-line from any song he ever did.
While this album doesn’t quite have the cohesive execution as Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, it has high highs with tracks like this, and both albums are really only bested by the original Wu-Tang album itself.
I did briefly get to meet GZA at the Washington DC event and concert, but I think he wasn’t particularly fond of the secular and atheist association it held, so he was a little grumpy at the time. But hey, at least I got in a picture with him! One of the greats of rap with a top tier body of work.
#378/420 - Wu-Tang Clan, feat. Cappadonna, “For Heaven’s Sake”
I requested this song so many times in New Zealand at every bar and club I went to, and repeatedly got turned down, saying they don’t play this type of music. This is a great song however, worthy of public play, and my favorite from their second official album, Wu-Tang Forever. Inspectah Deck, yet again, silently one of the best members in the group, another killer verse from Masta Killa, and Cappadonna finds his way onto an awesome Wu-Tang track yet again.
I love the intensity of this song, and the prominent “Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!” It’s the utterance of their name I most hear in my mind when I think of the group. “Creepin’ in the shadows!” This track is truly bumpin’ and while this full album is a little long for me, it has some of their best songs for those who seek them, and this is definitely one of their top tracks for me.
#379/420 - Wu-Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.”
The song that pulled me into the Wu-Tang universe remains my favorite of all. “Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M.—get the money, dollar dollar bill ya’ll.” One of the most infectious choruses of all time, from the man, the Method Man. This is the highlight for me from one of my 10 favorite albums of all time, and one that always resonated with me as an artist. That I eventually was able to work with and meet a good deal of these guys, I was elated, primarily because of what this album means to me. It’s one of the biggest, earliest, boldest, and most successful rejections of the establishment in any entertainment media, and the production of it is superb. RZA is the one behind so much of what makes these albums and this one in particular so fantastic, even though he is infrequently featured vocally. His samples and artistry are always something to behold.
Method Man never stood out to me as a listener as much as GZA, RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, or even Raekwon, but upon seeing them live, it’s easy to see why he is the biggest star, and why his hooks, like this one, are some of the best in the business. He totally commanded the show and the audience the entire time. He’s tall and imposing and a complete showman. Seeing and meeting them really filled in the full picture for me of the group and what makes them so dynamic and cohesive together. Everyone has their role, and the intercut interviews throughout this album do a great job of painting that picture. Right down to the names they go by, there’s a lot being conveyed.
This is one of my favorite rap songs of all time, and focuses on a rough reality of the world we all live in—money rules all. Musically it comes together so well, and it’s super chill and easy to listen to. The sample of The Charmels is all this track needs. Raekwon the Chef and Inspectah Deck lay down excellent verses as usual, and the lead-in skit and the way it’s produced, just a great track.
Later in the album, during interview audio, the group discusses their mission with this album and why they went about doing it the way the did, how they wanted to make their art their way and retain the rights and leave something behind for their children, in a way that many great musicians and artists have been unable to do over the years after being taken advantage of by record companies, studios, etc. They did it, and it has been very inspirational to me over the years, even if I have yet to see that payoff myself. It taught me the importance of being true to yourself, and while my first releases haven’t been anywhere near the successes of Wu-Tang Clan, I keep working towards that goal, and am grateful to have had their help in so many different ways over the years, both as inspirations and as peers. Wu-Tang Forever.
Next week, a group with perhaps the complete opposite reputation of the Wu-Tang Clan. The clean-cut California boys with some of the best harmonies rock and roll has ever seen, they ranged from the light and fluffy, to some of the deepest, most introspective music around thanks to the talented Brian Wilson. No one could quite imitate their sound that was the soundtrack to a generation. They were and remain one-of-a-kind, The Beach Boys.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors
Week 15: The Rolling Stones
Week 16: Gnarls Barkley
Week 17: Gábor Szabó
Week 18: Galaxie 500
Week 19: Simon & Garfunkel
Week 20: Gorillaz
Week 21: Ennio Morricone
Week 22: The Moody Blues
Week 23: Koji Kondo
Week 24: Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Week 25: Paul McCartney/Wings
Week 26: George Harrison
Week 27: Phil Spector
Week 28: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Week 29: Public Enemy
Week 30: The Love Language
Week 31: Barry White
Week 32: Frank Sinatra
Week 33: David Bowie
Week 34: Queen
Week 35: The Offspring
Week 36: Louis Prima
Week 37: The Notorious B.I.G.
Week 38: Nancy Sinatra
Week 39: Stevie Wonder
Week 40: Roger Miller
Week 41: Röyksopp
Week 42: N.W.A
Week 43: Sly and the Family Stone
Week 44: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Week 45: Supertramp
Week 46: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Week 47: The Kinks
Week 48: Eminem
Week 49: Mort Garson
Week 50: Foster the People
Week 51: Pink Floyd
Week 52: David Wise
Week 53: Sam Cooke
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)