Wu-Tang Clan Archives - New Hip Hop News

Today in Hip-Hop History: RZA Released His Debut Solo LP ‘Bobby Digital In Stereo’ 26 Years Ago

November 24, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history in 1998, the leader of the world-renowned Wu-Tang Clan released his first solo album Bobby Digital In Stereo.

This project came late in RZA’s career after the success of the Wu-Tang Clan had been plentiful. Serving as a soundtrack to an unreleased blaxploitation martial arts film by RZA titled Bobby Digital: The Digital Bullet, the project featured a new experimental sound that was not like the usual edgy street vibe that Wu-Tang solidified in the game.

The album went gold, selling 500,000 copies by 1999, and received mixed reviews from music critics. For this album, RZA utilized a different production and vocal style. Instead of the sample-heavy beats that made his production popular throughout the 90s on fellow Wu-Tang Clan members’ projects, this project was composed of mostly keyboard-driven sounds which Bob Digi eloquently called the “Digital Orchestra”.

The inspiration for this album came from RZA’s love for comic books and yearning to live out his childhood dream of becoming a superhero in the projects. The lyrics of the project follow a loose storyline of RZA’s endeavors as Bobby Digital. His goal as Bobby Digital was to enlighten the people of the project to the poisons of the hood that surrounded them every day.

He created Bobby Digital to personify his wild and crazy life before his musical success because, during the growth of the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA became a musical hermit and spent the majority of his time perfecting his craft and not out enjoying the spoils of his lifestyle. Bobby Digital served as a sort of cathartic alter ego through whom RZA could unleash a side of himself that had laid dormant during his rise to fame and search for enlightenment.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan Dropped Their Third LP ‘The W’ Album 24 Years Ago

November 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this day in Hip Hop history Wu Tang Clan releases their third studio LP The W. As the follow up to the immensely successful Wu Tang Forever, this album fell a little short of its predecessors success but continued in growing the Wu’s legacy as a whole.

At the time of the album’s production and release, Wu Tang member ODB was facing a legal-saga with seemingly no end. Although that may have stopped Dirt Dog’s ability to grace the album more than once, it did not however derail the Clan’s creative process and ability to execute. Much to the tone of their past work, The W once again proved that Wu-Tang is lyrically the strongest rap collective of all time. As far as production however, RZA toned down the intricate instrumentation used on Forever and went back to the 36 Chambers style of soulful samples coupled with melancholic drum patterns. This back to basic model allowed the Clan to stand out lyrically as they once did.

Commercially, the album was an international success. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 as well as #1 in the UK and Ireland. The album won numerous Album of the Year awards from esteemed publications and is herald as one of Hip Hop’s greater albums.

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[WATCH] Ghostface Killah Talks Wu Tang Influence, Kanye West And Legendary Catalog

November 17, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The duo of Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg sat down with the New York City legend Ghostface Killah on the latest episode of the Juan Ep Is Life Podcast. The episode starts off with Peter praising Ghostface for the great quality of his latest album, Set The Tone (Guns & Roses). Rosenberg tells Ghostface, “Thank you for never putting me in a situation where I have to interview one of my heroes and pretend that their album is good.”

Ghostface revealed how he worked with Kanye West on the song “No Face” from the album. He said he got the feature shortly before the album’s release. Rosenberg noticed how the song sampled Ghostface’s chorus from the “New God Flow.1” collaboration with Kanye West and Pusha T and Ghostface said it’s an inescapable beat and that he loves it. He praised Kanye for his musical genius and how he works with other artists.

As they discussed his catalog, Ghostface reflected on how he didn’t like some of his projects, especially Ironman. “Coming off Cuban Linx, going into Ironman, it was down for me. Even for the beats, it was dark-ish, but I didn’t have the chance to really write because I only had two months to really get it done. And I think that’s why I don’t really deal well with deadlines now.”

They reflected on the song “Nutmeg” from the Supreme Clientele album. Cipha Sounds described the song as artful and should be labeled as more than rap. The interview closes with Ghostface, Rosenberg, and Cipha reflecting on Ghostface’s Hip Hop 50 performance at Yankees Stadium. The trio discussed the backstory on how a past Biz performance helped Ghostface figure out his set.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Method Man’s Debut Album ‘Tical’ Turns 30 Years Old!

November 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this day in Hip-Hop history, Method Man released his debut solo LP Tical. Sticking to RZA’s plan on industry domination, Method was the first to roll out his solo LP after the ridiculous success group debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). In the early years of the Wu, Method Man had grown become the public face of the group. His larger than life persona and a multitude of styles won over the hearts and ears of fans after the groups first single “Protect Ya Neck” had “Method Man” on it’s B-side.

Tical delves deeper into the sinister villainous style previewed on 36 Chambers. Method Man creates a dark anti-hero on this album who hungers for the career of wack rappers and perpetrators. It was truly a violent introduction to one of the most outrageous members of the Wu, second only to ODB in theatrical personality.

Considered a “two-man show” by critics, the album was almost entirely produced by RZA. As the Wu’s architect, RZA created specific sounds for each member. Method unique sonic was the most film inspired. Meth continued to build a character likened to the many crime bosses and master villains that starred in his beloved Kung-Fu flicks. Aside from the image, lyrically the album is on another level. Method Man flawlessly juggles synonyms and metaphors with a flow that weaves in and out of the beat to create a hardcore symphony of Shaolin style.

Commercially, the album was a hit and only added on to the cipher of success revolving around the Wu-Tang Clan. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart selling a million copies within a year of its release. It kick-started a wave of successful solo albums and keep afloat RZA’s five-year plan to becoming the greatest rap group in history.

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Raekwon Tributes Ol’ Dirty Bastard On 20th Anniversary Of His Death

November 14, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Raekwon and Ol’ Dirty Bastard are two of the most beloved and iconic members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Both rappers dropped classic debuts in 1995. Despite their singular styles, managed to cross over and collab with other legendary artists. Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s tragic death in 2004 rocked Wu-Tang Clan to its core, and Raekwon took to Instagram on November 13 to pay his respects to the “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” rapper.

Raekwon posted a singular photo of Ol’ Dirty Bastard performing next to a lengthy message. “Miss you beloved,” he wrote. “Today marks 20 years you been gone and it’s not a day that goes by we don’t miss feeling your presence in the world.” Raekwon, who appeared on Ol’ Dirty’s classic 1995 song “Raw Hide,” also announced plans to tribute the rapper in Newark, New York. “At my grand opening in Newark’s very own @hashstoria location,” Rae explained. “We will be doing a tribute to your legacy by playing ya music throughout the day.” The Chef concluded his statement by noting how important Ol’ Dirty Bastard was to the success of Wu-Tang overall.

Raekwon Still Misses Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Presence”

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“Thank you for believing in us and putting ya mighty crew on the map,” Raekwon wrote. “You will always remain general in my eyes. love you.” This is not the first time that the Chef has tipped his cap to Ol’ Dirty in the two decades since his death. The rapper’s classic 2009 sequel Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2 had a standout cut named after Ol’ Dirty: “Ason Jones.” “The first dude to say, ‘Yo, keep it real,’” Rae rapped on the song. “Yeah, the lover, the father, the hustler, the rap professor. Now, he with Allah, that’s a blessing.” A sample of O.D.B. talking is included at the end of the song.

Raekwon also came together with the rest of Wu-Tang to tribute Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2005. O.D.B.’s old recordings were repurposed for the posthumous album A Son Unique. Rae was among the artists who appeared on the tracklist. He appeared on the posse cut “Intoxicated” and the single “I Go Through Life” alongside the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan. Raekwon is currently working on his eighth studio album.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan’s Ol Dirty Bastard Passed Away 20 Years Ago

November 13, 2024 by newhiphopnews

20 years ago today, the Hip-Hop community lost one of its most eccentric, yet essential personalities that the game has ever known. Russell Jones, better known to the world as Ol’ Dirty Bastard, passed away just two days shy of his 36th birthday.

Ironically, Dirty took us through his 36th Chamber at the inception of his unprecedented career with his gold certified Return To The 36th Chamber debut in March of 1995. The Osiris of the WTC legacy followed up with another solo album entitled N***a Please as well as a posthumous release.

Ol’ Dirty will always be remembered by his loved ones and his fans as an original personality who wasn’t afraid to storm the stage during the Grammys, pick up food stamps in a limo on MTV, or repeatedly declare on The Arsenio Hall Show that the Blackman is God.

This Friday, which would’ve been the Wu Tang co-founder’s 56th birthday, his family is hosting a special screening of th A&E special documentary A Tale Of Two Dirty’s in his hometown of Brooklyn, where there will also be a panel discussion about the documentary and the impact of mental health.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’ 31 Years Ago

November 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

NYC Mayor to Proclaim Nov. 9 as 'Wu-Tang Day' on 30th Anniversary of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers'

On November 9th, 1993 rap music was changed forever. On this day, 9 Gods from the slums of Shaolin, who together form the Wu Tang Clan, released their first studio LP entitled Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
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This album was recorded from 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City. The album was recorded on Loud Records and distributed by RCA Records. It cost a total of $36,000 to complete.

The album’s concept was inspired heavily by the group’s love for Kung Fu flicks, particularly the 1978 Liu Chia-Liang film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, a story about a man who set out to become the master of all 36 chambers of kung fu and reach a form of enlightenment. In the movie, the 36th chamber of kung fu is to bring the knowledge and wisdom of kung fu to the people of the entire world. For Wu-Tang Clan, that was the goal with this album.

The project was entitrely produced by the group’s leader, RZA, through the art of sampling. The beats consisted of a lot of soul And martial art samples along with sounds from early hip hop synthesizers. Lyrically, this album was nothing like anything that came before it or would come after it. I was a change from the afrocentric “boom-bap” that was prevalent in New York. It was edgy and street while remaining intellectual in content. The Wu-Tang Clan was able to synchronize their hustler mentality with the wisdom of an ancient martial arts master. Well known singles from this album include, but are not limited to, “Protect Ya Neck”, “Method Man”, and “C.R.E.A.M.”
Upon its release, in an article for The Source, The Ghetto Communicator wrote “This record is harsh, but so is the world that we live in. For B-boys n’girls who come from the core of the hard, this is the hip-hop album you’ve been waiting for”. The rest is history.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan’s GZA Released His Sophomore LP ‘Liquid Swords’ 29 Years Ago

November 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1995, the head of the Wu’s “Voltron” released his first solo LP under the moniker “the GZA”.

“We form like Voltron and GZA happens to be the head.” -Method Man

After appearing as the closer on the Wu Tang’s premiere single “Protect Ya Neck” and dropping his own solo joint “Clan In The Front” on WTC’s classic Enter The 36 Chambers LP, The Genius, who changed his name to the GZA after the formation of the Wu Tang Clan in 1992, fulfilled the expectations of a solo album with Liquid Swords, which was released 27 years ago today.

This should not, however, be confused with the first solo album Words From The Genius, which was released under the alias “The Genius” before his claim to fame with Wu Tang.

With in-house album cover art of a war-torn chessboard from Wu Tang DJ/Producer Allah Mathematics along with Milestone Media creative director Denys Cowan and released on Geffen Records, the debut album of one of WTC’s founders was recorded in RZA’s basement, as was the rest of the early Wu projects including Meth’s Tical and OB4CL. It also featured all of the original members as well as introduced some of the supporting members of the Killa Bees including Killah Priest, Dreddy Krueger and Allah Life, who sung the hook on “Cold World”. Other smash singles from this album include “Labels”, “4th Chamber”, “I Gotcha Back” and the timeless title track.

Salute to the GZA for one of the most formative concept albums in Hip Hop during the 20th century.

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Today in Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah Dropped His Debut LP ‘Ironman’ 28 Years Ago

October 29, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in 1996, Ghostface Killah’s released highly anticipated debut album Ironman was released on the Loud/RCA imprint. With exclusive in-house Wu production from True Master and the RZA coupled with Raekwon The Chef appearing on almost every song on the album, making this album one of the best concept albums completed by the nine-man conglomerate to date.

The 16-track album featured several hits that bolstered the Wu-Tang Clan’s status as the best rap collective in the game, including the haunting street saga “Motherless Child”, “All That I Got Is You” featuring Mary J. Blige and the late Popa Wu and “Winter Warz”, which appeared on the Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtrack.

This album proceeded Ghost’s abstract lyrical content as witnessed on 2000’s Supreme Clientele LP, but its storytelling premise keeps listeners glued to the cadence and rhyme style of Mr. Coles equally as much as they are attracted to RZA’s production.

Ironman finally reached platinum status in 2004, which still proves to be Ghost’s most successful album of his career. The WTC would follow up with albums that attempt to mirror the conceptual preciseness of Ironman, however, none of the Clan’s solo projects can be compared in its totality to that of Tony Starks.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: RZA Released His Debut Solo LP ‘Bobby Digital In Stereo’ 26 Years Ago

Raekwon Tributes Ol’ Dirty Bastard On 20th Anniversary Of His Death

Raekwon Still Misses Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Presence”

Haute Living Celebrates The Wu-Tang Clan With Jonathan Schultz And Blue Heron Design-Led Development At Wakuda

Haute Living Celebrates The Wu-Tang Clan With Jonathan Schultz And Blue Heron Design-Led Development At Wakuda

Haute Living Celebrates The Wu-Tang Clan With Jonathan Schultz And Blue Heron Design-Led Development At Wakuda

Haute Living Celebrates The Wu-Tang Clan With Jonathan Schultz And Blue Heron Design-Led Development At Wakuda

Haute Living Celebrates The Wu-Tang Clan With Jonathan Schultz And Blue Heron Design-Led Development At Wakuda