Wu-Tang Clan- “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”
The present is active and always more difficult to speak about artistically. As a result, many musicians speak about their past and all associations with it, positive or negative, in their music. The feelings we get about the past we often refer to by the collective term: nostalgia. With this month’s issues revolving around the theme of nostalgia, I figured the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” would be the perfect album to speak about. From some of the lyrical points of the album speaking about the members’ pasts to the influence the album has had on current hip-hop to even my own relationship to this album. This album was my first real jump into the world of old-school hip-hop and left such an impact on me that it is still to this day my favorite album of all-time.
To preface speaking about this album, let’s talk some hip-hop history so we can get a feel for why this album has been so influential. Before I start explaining the history of the album, I’d like to mention, in honor of Women’s History Month, that the first number 1 song in hip-hop was performed and written by female artist Deborah Harry from Blondie; the track “Rapture” was actually the first of now many number 1 hip-hop songs. Hip-hop has, historically, been very male-centric, but the shift towards a more neutral balance among genders is slowly becoming more prevalent with rappers such as Nicki Minaj, Azaelia Banks, and Noname Gypsy in the fold. The album “Enter the Wu-Tang” was released in 1993 in New York City. The time prior to the release of this album featured a lot of more relaxed jazz rap (such as De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest) and was followed shortly thereafter with the West Coast G-Funk sound I spoke a little about in my previous review of “good kid, m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar. The late 1980s shift in the G-Funk movement brought forth by artists like N.W.A. introduced a certain aggression that really wasn’t present prior in hip-hop and with the East Coast versus West Coast rivalry that was brewing in hip-hop at the time. The East Coast desperately needed a rebuttal for the violence and ferocity brought forth by N.W.A. So along came the Wu-Tang Clan, a group of nine of the best rappers in the five boroughs of New York City, all teaming up to make music. Each of the nine rappers, RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, U-God, and Masta Killa, brought his own flavor to the group; they had different rapping flows, subject matter, and intensity in their rhymes. “Enter the Wu-Tang” was the debut album of the group and they managed to up the ante on the intensity delivered by their predecessors and made a brand new aesthetic and sound in hip–hop which had not been previously done before. They also brought their own unique flavor to their sound because of their shared love of watching martial arts movies, so everything from their name to the references on the album title to some of the samples used on the album root from that love. In addition to all the kung-fu sounds on the album are many other samples from soul to swing to jazz to folk, but despite the large amount of sampling on the album, the beats, all produced by the RZA, are all very minimalistic and pungent; they do a great job of setting up an easel on top of which each MC could paint his own picture on top. That easel happens to feature the grimy, gritty sounds of the streets of New York, while still allowing the MCs’ lyrics to be put at the forefront. This is present from the very beginning with the track “Bring Da Ruckus,” which has this grimy, bass-thumping instrumental that samples what sounds almost like a subway horn that is cut in a perfect way to fit the instrumental.
The whole album from front to back feels like sitting on the streets of New York listening to a rap cypher. In the studio sessions for this album, the Wu would have many members present for the recording of the tracks, and that presence can be felt quite easily on the album, a practice not particularly common today in the digital age where collaborations occur through email. The energy presented on this album is incredible, which also makes this a great workout album. Just listening to the tracks I can imagine each MC rapping his verse being cheered on by the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan. I feel the best example of this is the track, “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’,” where it seems each consecutive verse gets more amped up as the song continues along. We get the typically crazy delivery from Ol’ Dirty Bastard, from the rapping to the off-key singing, which segues perfectly into a hyped-up Ghostface Killah verse, which is followed up by an even more hyped verse courtesy of Masta Killa. This three verse segment on the back part of the track is one of my favorite moments on the whole album, as you can really feel the energy from them during this portion. In addition, the presence of all the members in the studio can be felt in the lyrics, which often bring forth the braggadocio route of hip-hop. This element of the lyrics really makes the album very raw, as it brings back the essentials of hip-hop, where you try to outdo the other people rapping with you. In the lyrical content of the album you can find some very witty and sharp wordplay, much of the structure of which has been emulated in and inspired future releases in hip-hop.
But sprinkled into all of the braggadocio talk are also stories of the past; tales of growing up in New York City broke and in the slums. This can be heard on tracks like “Can It Be All So Simple” and “C.R.E.A.M,” where we hear lines like, “I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side/ Staying alive was no jive.” Here Raekwon is speaking about how the place he lived was the same place the news crews film when crimes take place. Along with this Raekwon speaks about his heroin-addicted father and his life growing up poor wearing old hand-me-downs. To make money for himself, he started selling drugs at 8 years old, and later started using and becoming a fiend for drugs. Though he soon realizes this life leaves him in the same financial situation he was in to begin with, so he becomes a member of the Wu-Tang Clan and raps and now he makes enough money to live the life he desires. “C.R.E.A.M,” the track where much of this story is told, is, also one of the most influential tracks in the history of music in general, as it might just be the most referenced track by other pieces of music, as references to “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” or “C.R.E.A.M.” are thrown all throughout hip-hop. Inspectah Deck also recounts an overview of his life through his verse on this track. He speaks of growing up poor and selling drugs to make cash, but ends up in jail at age 15. Speaking after his time in prison, he realizes it shaped who he was and made him depressed, as he states, “But as the world turned I learned life is hell/ Living in the world no different from a cell.” He also speaks about how he smoked weed to escape his depression, but it was only a temporary fix, as his problems would still be present once he came back down from his high. He later listens to his mother and learns that if he works hard enough, he can make it out of the vicious cycle of poverty and incarceration he was trapped in. In addition, “C.R.E.A.M.” has one of the greatest and most iconic instrumentals in hip-hop history despite the simplicity of it, which includes some background vocal sampling, a kick drum, and a piano loop sample.
The impact of “Enter the Wu-Tang” is still very much present in modern hip-hop and their legacy continues to exist, as many of them have released solo material since (which I do recommend listening to if you enjoy this album) and continue making music to this day. The music may bring back memories for you like it does for me or you can simply listen to the sounds of older music along with stories of the artists’ pasts. Regardless, as I previously said, this is a great album for the gym and also a great album to just sit back and listen to lyrics for all the funny and witty lines.
Favorite Tracks: Protect Ya Neck, Da Mystery of Chessboxin’, C.R.E.A.M., Tearz, Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F*** Wit
Link: https://open.spotify.com/user/kkslider333/playlist/6INfD9tMWNpQddVyaRgtW7
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