Home » Music » Hip-Hop Music & Culture » Wu-Tang Forever: big hit or big flop?

Wu-Tang Forever: big hit or big flop?

© Steve Juon

What better time to speak about the Wu-Tang Clan than right now? On May 13th, their official website "http://www.wu-tang.com" debuts on the internet; on June 3rd, their brand new double album "Wu-Tang Forever" hits stores. The Wu-Tang phenomenon is not one to be taken lightly; it has been both a revival of classic hip-hop and an exploitation of the trendiness of the hip-hop market. If the trendiness turns out to be more important to the Wu-Tang than their music, this new double album may be the downfall of the Wu empire.

The Wu-Tang Clan have been a domineering force ever since they first dropped an album in 1993, but many people aren't aware that members Prince Rakeem and The Genius (RZA, GZA respectively) both had their own record deals before Wu-Tang signed with Loud/RCA as a family. After bad experiences with their previous labels, RZA and GZA hooked up with friends, cousins, neighbors around the way, and people with skills in general. They decided as a collective, they might have more voice than as individuals, and they drew lyrical inspiration from the martial arts movies of their childhood. To explain the multiple meanings of 36 within the name of their debut or it's lyrics would take an article longer than this entire piece. Suffice it to say, the tongue is the sword and they have many different styles of rhyme to cut you with; just like great martial artists.

When people got into the debut single "Protect Ya Neck" and later the surprisingly popular B-Side "Method Man" by the artist of the same name, the industry was shocked. The Wu-Tang Clan had a homegrown, basement, "dirty" sound that no other group had, and hip-hoppers instantly declared it the REAL thing; what commercial hip-hop had been missing for years. A large following gathered around their record, and the hype machine spun it to platinum status. Subsequent solo albums by individual members have each fared well enough to sell 350K if not go gold themselves, which is quite an impressive feat for any group -- hip-hop or otherwise. Can you imagine each of the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers releasing a solo album that sold 350K?

There's only one problem with this stunning success for the Wu-Tang. Lately, despite the help of trainee producers 4th Disciple and True Masta, Prince Rakeem/RZA's beats have been accused of being stale and repetitive. Not always a fair accusation, but sometimes true. People have theorized that RZA has produced so many albums, singles, and remixes for other people that he has

The copyright of the article Wu-Tang Forever: big hit or big flop? in Hip-Hop Music & Culture is owned by . Permission to republish Wu-Tang Forever: big hit or big flop? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.