The Wu-niverse
A mixtape on how Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter The Wu-Tang” became a cultural revolution
“Wu-Tang represents the sword style of rhyming; being that we are lyrical assassins, we are aware that the tongue is symbolic to the sword.” — GZA
Growing up, my family never listened to rap. If you were gonna turn on the radio the default station you were gonna get was 99.9 KISS Country. It wasn’t until high school that I started listening to artists like Drake and Lil Wayne, but I still was never immersed in the rap genre. On July 4, 2018, I was grilling dogs and lighting off fireworks with my buddies, when someone put “C.R.E.A.M” on the aux. “Cash Rules Everything Around Me — Cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill, y'all!”
There was something inexplicable about the Wu Tang that immediately drew me in. Perhaps, it was the grimy beats combined with a unique lexicon, or the flat-out realness. Wu-Tang Clan and their music was a response to growing up in the poverty ridden “Forgotten Borough” (Staten Island) where each day their lives were on the line.
However, Wu-Tang’s music became about more than just selling drugs and killing people, they became a cultural revolution with the release of their first album. Yes, the struggle of their everyday lives in “the slums of Shaolin” was expressed through their music, but they were also able to incorporate flavors of East Asian culture, comic books, soulful blues, and tales of social injustice. Their creativity combined the conviction of the streets formed what would become one of the most important rap groups ever.
Wu-Tang’s debut album “Enter Wu-Tang” is one that helped to shape the sound of 90’s hip-hop. In the album they display a level of uniqueness that was unrivaled in its time. The following songs showcase exactly what made this album so special.
1) C.R.E.A.M
“Cash Rules Everything Around Me—C.R.E.A.M—Get the Money, dollar dollar bill, y’all!” — Method Man
One of the most iconic hip-hop songs ever, “C.R.E.A.M” is a take on society’s never-ending money grab. The title C.R.E.A.M is an acronym for “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”, a saying that can be transcended through all classes. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling crack on the corner or selling stocks on Wall Street, we can all related to how our lives inherently revolve around money. The prospective that Wu-Tang takes throughout the song is one coming from the impoverished Staten Island neighborhood that they grew up in, where their primary income came from selling drugs.
“Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”- Raekwon
In this first verse Raekwon delivers the line, “Only way I begin the G off was drug loot.” In this line, “drug loot” refers to the money he’s made from selling drugs and he himself is the G trying to get off the block.
The Wu-Tang Clan grew up in the 80’s and 90’s when the crack epidemic in America was at its height. In poor neighborhoods the only guys that made any real money were the drug dealers, so naturally the Wu Tang turned to the same lifestyle to support themselves.
In an interview with Complex, Raekwon says that “when I think of this record it just automatically puts me back into ‘87/’88 where we were standing in front of the building. It’s cold outside. We didn’t care. We’re out there, all black on trying to make dollars. Just trying to make some money and trying to eat. Survive.” But Raekwon realized that the drug game was only holding him back and leading him down a path that led nowhere, but for the time being he had to do what he had to do.
“Tryin’ to get a clutch at what I could not touch”- Inspectah Deck
Inspectah Deck’s second verse is more introspective. The money he was making from selling drugs was not enough to propel his life to one where he wasn’t reliant on selling. At age 15 Inspectah went to jail, and in the song he says “livin’ in the world no different from a cell.” Once he got out he was still trapped, this time not by bars, but by the violent cycle of trying to make money.
The whole Clan found solace in music:
“The music was a medium to express all that energy in a positive form”-RZA
2) Da Mystery of Chessboxin’
Before Wu-Tang came onto the scene the genre of rap was primarily based around the themes and sounds of American Culture, but the RZA (Wu Tang’s producer) made rap international by incorporating the lessons and styles from his favorite Kung-Fu movies into their music.
“A Game of Chess is like a sword fight: you must think first before you move” — Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
To illustrate the influence of East Asian culture on Wu-Tang’s music I could've used nearly all of their songs, but “Da Mystery of Chessboxin” utilizes three of the RZA’s favorite movies: The Mystery of Chess Boxing, Shaolin vs Wu-Tang, and Five Deadly Venoms.
The song opens with a quote from Shaolin vs Wu-Tang, “A Game of Chess is like a sword fight: you must think first before you move.” An avid chess fan, RZA believes the lessons learned from the game can be translated to life. In an article by The New York Times, RZA says, “The way you have to think in chess is good for everyday thinking, really especially for brothers in the urban community who never take that second look, never take that second thought.”
The violent neighborhoods of Staten Island that helped raise the members of Wu-Tang and the small Asian villages in which these movies take place at first glance seem to be polar opposites, but many similarities can be drawn between the two. For example the Gangs and rival neighborhoods of Staten Island are often at conflict similar to how rival Kung Fu schools find themselves in conflict with one another. Prior to the formation of Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killa and Raekwon had a history of violence towards each other, with it reaching a pinnacle when Raekwon “allegedly” shot up Ghostface’s house. In Shaolin vs. Wu-tang, the rival warriors Tat-chi and Ming-kai must combine forces to defeat the Qing lord; similarly Ghostface and Raekwon had to set their differences aside if they were going to defeat the tyrannical cycle of poverty.
“The toad style is immensely strong and immune to nearly any weapon. When it’s properly used, it’s almost invincible.”- Five Deadly Venoms
When asked about why this quote was used, the RZA responded by saying that “It was perfect for what I was trying to say about my crew. That’s how I felt Wu was — almost invincible.” The use of such a unique culture in Wu-Tangs music allowed them to elevate themselves to an unrivaled level of creativity that truly was invincible.
3) Tearz
The smooth soulful sounds of Wendy Rene’s “After Laughter Comes Tears” may seem like an odd choice to sample on a song that is quite literally about killing people, but the genius in the song is in this juxtaposition.
The genre of soul came from the hybridization of traditional African-American Gospel & rhythm and blues. The term “soul” was used among black musicians to display the joy, pain, and heartache of being African-American in the United States. The Wu-Tang Clan throughout their lives had experienced this pain through systemic racism and it plays out in their music.
“Memories in the corner of my mind.
Flashbacks, of us laughing all the time” — RZA
Throughout the song, RZA and Ghostface recall times in their lives that mirror the chorus “After Laughter Comes Tears”. In RZA’s opening verse he recalls the time his brother was shot and killed. He is thinking back on all the good times he and his brother spent together, before he was unexpectedly killed. For many black men in the impoverished communities this is the reality they face each and every day. According to the University of Pennsylvania, a black man is 6 times more likely to be killed in a homicide than a white man. The RZA’s never got the chance to be with his brother in his final moments, so all he’s left with now are memories and pain.
“It’s always the good ones that have to die”- RZA
The kind of life that many members of Wu-Tang lived only increased this type of pain. They shared a special bond with the friends and brothers they worked with, but a life of crime was only leading them down a path of tears. Wendy Renee’s Chorus that was sampled throughout the song perfectly encompasses the feeling that they were left with after moments like these. One minute you are sitting there having a laugh with your brother, then next thing you know he’s gone forever.
4) Protect Ya Neck
One of the things Wu-Tang does best, is keep a certain realness to their music. They stay true to who they are and this is demonstrated through the everyday things they use throughout their music. One of these things in use is comic books and allusions to the childhood memories that go along with them. While, yes, they lived a rough and tough childhood, they still enjoyed the same things as other children. The RZA has even called himself “a geek” when it comes to comics. The little things such as this that give the listener a sense of connection to artists and music that address completely foreign struggles and allows Wu-Tang to get their message to an audience that otherwise may be skeptical.
“Swingin’ through your town like your neighborhood Spiderman”
— Inspectah Deck
Prior to the recording of the song “Protect Ya Neck,” Wu-Tang was made up of only 3 members- RZA, GZA, and Ol’ Dirty. RZA approached his friends prior to recording the album and told them that he wanted to make a posse cut. This was the first time all nine members of Wu-Tang came together to create a song. In an interview with complex about the formation of the group Method Man said, that “it wasn’t just anybody, it was dudes that f____ with each other.” The 9 members of Wu-Tang together to create the Voltron of songs with “Protect Ya Neck.”
“That’s really my first time of hearing eight cats on one record”- Raekwon
In 1999, the groups love for comics came to fruition as a comic called ‘The Nine Rings of Wu-Tang” featuring each of the members was created. The comic drew heavily from the groups love for east asian culture, superheroes, as well as their troubled background. Wu-Tang similarly is able to combine these elements in their music, which allows for a broader audience to identify with them.
5) Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothing Ta F — k Wit
“The most important thing that people need to know about us? That Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin’ to f–k wit” — RZA
When Wu-Tang Clan came onto the scene in 1993, the world of hip-hop was in contrast to the grimy New York feel that Enter the Wu-Tang brought. Fans of hip-hop had come to know the genre through the west coast, glossy sounds of Death Row records. Poverty was real for the members of Wu-Tang and this was reflected in their first album as the equipment used for production was cheap and not in the best condition. This may seem like something that would have deterred audiences, but instead it enhanced the underground, raw, aggressive vibe that came with Wu-Tang’s music. Wu-Tang was able to blaze a trail for a new style of rap that would become synonymous with 90’s culture.
“If MC Hammer sells 10 million records, that don’t mean nothing. That’s just 10 million people that are dancing. When Wu Tang sells a million records, that’s a million people that has woke up” — RZA
According to RZA, Wu-Tang’s goal was to “open up the minds of the youth and the people and become aware of our people, our situation, our community, martial arts, knowledge of self, and all the things that we put into those songs.” Wu-Tang’s music illustrates the struggle that occurs within communities that have been broken by poverty and drugs. By rapping about the struggles of growing up in Shaolin, Wu-Tang begins conversations for people who prior to listening were blind to the problems that people across the country face. By focusing on aspects unrelated to music, their music was elevated to another level and they were able to create an album that would become one of the most impressive ever.
