Wu-Tang Clan

Happy 53rd Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef!

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On this date in 1970, Wu-Tang Clan swordsman and lyrical legend Raekwon The Chef was born in Staten Island, New York. The Staten Island-based emcee is one of the Wu’s most celebrated artists, with his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx projects reaching cult-like following proportions. Along with his Wu blood kin, Rae has appeared on every WTC project since the group’s inception in 1992, which led up to their monumental debut single “Protect Ya Neck”.

As for the Chef himself, Rae has released six solo albums plus the Wu Massacre project featuring his PNC Ghostface Killah and Method Man. Rae has also appeared in a couple of silver screen hits including the Hip Hop powered The Show and the race-baiting flick Black and White starring Wu-Tang manager Oliver “Power” Grant.

In 2009, Raekwon found religion and converted to Islam.

Happy born day to Shallah Raekwon, wishing him a great day and much more hereafter!

The post Happy 53rd Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: GZA’s ‘Liquid Swords’ Certified Gold 27 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, GZA of Wu-Tang Clan’s second album, Liquid Swords, was certified gold by the RIAA.

The album was originally released on November 7, 1995. The LP was recorded entirely in the basement studio of fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA (who also produced 12 of the 13 tracks on the project) in Staten Island, New York. Much to the theme of previous Wu-Tang releases, this album consisted vastly of dialogue sampled from kung fu film, Shogun Assassin.

The tone of this project was quite dark and ominous while dropping bombs of knowledge and understanding of the physical world. The way GZA rapped on this album sounded as if he were playing a game of chess against the listener. His lyrical genius attacks capturing pieces of their minds through the use of his Asiatic philosophy.

Upon its release, Liquid Swords peaked at the #9 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The project is critically acclaimed due to the complexity of its composition. Over the years it has been referred to on many occasions as one of the best rap albums of all time. Selwyn Seyfu Hinds of The Source is quoted saying on this album GZA is:

“a highly focused master-craftsman” and that “throughout Liquid Swords he maintains a clear, precise flow, one that reflects deadly-sharp purpose and skilled execution.”

The album was awarded 4 out of 5 mics by The Source upon release. Critics, journalists, and magazines alike had nothing but positive remarks in regards to this album. Matt Hall of Select wrote in 1995 that “…Liquid Swords sneaks under the tape to qualify as Rap Album of the Year.”

Said to be one of the best solo projects out of Wu-Tang, this album helped GZA build his kingdom in the rap game. After this release, he and Wu-Tang Clan went on to be the most successful rap group in the history of music.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: GZA’s ‘Liquid Swords’ Certified Gold 27 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah’s Debut Album ‘Ironman’ Was Certified Gold 26 Years Ago

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On this day in 1996, Ghostface Killah’s released highly anticipated debut album Ironman was certified gold by the RIAA. 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 it’s story telling 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.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah’s Debut Album ‘Ironman’ Was Certified Gold 26 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

The First Look At Third Season Of Hulu Series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” Is Here

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Wu-Tang Clan is undeniably one of the most iconic groups in the history of hip-hop and rap music.

The supergroup‘s legacy continues to live on through their timeless music. Additionally, the ongoing Hulu show is actively telling the story of its members and the history of the crew.

Wu-Tang Clan perform on stage on the final night of the “New York State of Mind Tour” at PETCO Park on October 06, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

Hulu premiered Wu-Tang: An American Saga‘s first season in 2019. Executive-produced by members RZA and Method Man, along with Alex Tse and Brian Grazer, the show is a dramatized biographical look into the Clan’s formation. Season two subsequently premiered in September of 2021.

The new third and final season will follow the Wu-Tang Clan‘s five-year plan and the various challenges that come along with it. Furthermore, it will also explore the group members’ solo careers. RZA is responsible for rallying together the black men to turn to music rather than the streets. As a result, the “Grits” rapper struggles to stay on top of things.

The TV series took to its official Twitter account to reveal the first look at the show’s upcoming third season. The photos show the cast filming on set in various locations. It’s also set to be the show’s final season. “First look at the new season[.] The Final Season of Wu-Tang: An American Saga premieres February 15. #WuTangOnHulu,” reads the tweet.

In the series, Ashton Sanders plays RZA, Shameik Moore plays Raekwon and Dave East stars as Method Man.

The final season’s first three episodes will be available to stream on February 15. New episodes will premiere every Wednesday afterwards.

Will you be tuning into Wu-Tang: An American Saga‘s third and final season? Comment down below. Finally, make sure to stay tuned to all of HNHH for all of the latest updates in music and pop culture.

Ghostface Killah Sets The Record Straight On Speculated Raekwon Beef

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Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga first debuted in 2019. The dramatized origin story of the Wu-Tang Clan stars Ashton Sanders (RZA), Siddiq Saunderson (Ghostface Killah), and Shameik Moore (Raekwon). The show is currently gearing up for its third and final season in February, but ahead of its premiere, Ghostface Killah has commented on one of its most shocking story arcs.

For those who have not yet seen the show, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon’s characters are depicted as deadly adversaries. In the first season, Raekwon even participates in a violent act that puts Ghostface’s entire family in danger. Since Rae and Ghost famously teamed up for one of the most celebrated rap albums of all time, many casual fans couldn’t believe that they were originally mortal enemies. According to one of Ghostface Killah, fans were right to be skeptical.

Ghostface Killah denies ever having beef with Raekwon

Raekwon (L) and Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan perform during the “New York State of Mind” tour finale at Oakland Arena on October 01, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

In a recent interview on the Outside with Gorilla Nems podcast, Ghostface Killah denied the validity of the show’s depiction of his beef with his Only Build 4 Cuban Linx… collaborator. When asked how they were able to work so closely together after beefing, Ghostface denied ever having beef with Raekwon.

“Me and Rae never had beef. That’s what I told you,” Ghostface Killah explained. “Yeah, me and Rae never had no problems. It was the way them characters got switched around. It’s TV.”

“I don’t laugh about that shit ‘cause that shit ain’t my story,” Ghostface continued. “But Rae my bro. I love him. We just had great chemistry. We had chemistry. Like he taught me a lot of shit.”

In an exclusive 2013 interview with HNHH, Raekwon admitted that there was beef and tension within Wu-Tang from the beginning. In a 2021 interview with VladTV, Raekwon confirmed Ghostface was beefing with one of his friends. That tension eventually led to Ghostface’s home getting shot up.

Do you think Ghostface Killah is being completely honest? Or do you think the depiction of Ghostface and Raekwon’s tensions in Hulu’s Wu-Tang show may have some merit? Let us know what you think in the comment section and stay tuned to HNHH for more news.

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Final Season Of Hulu’s  “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” Coming In February 2023

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Curtain call for popular Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga as its third and final season will air on Feb. 15, 2023. The series ends after two seasons highlighting the iconic rap group’s come up. The hit Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, will air the third and final season of the series starting on […]

The post Final Season Of Hulu’s  “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” Coming In February 2023 appeared first on SOHH.com.

Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan’s Third LP ‘The W’ Certified Platinum 22 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history Wu Tang Clan, their third studio LP The W, was certified platinum by the RIAA. 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, reaching platinum status within a month o its release.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan’s Third LP ‘The W’ Certified Platinum 22 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Nas & Wu-Tang Clan Debut “NY State Of Mind Tour” Documentary

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Bouncing back from the pandemic closures, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan are currently embarked on the NY State Of Mind tour. The iconic Staten Island collective and the Grammy-award-winning rapper have taken their shows all across America.

For those who haven’t been able to attend, Live Nation produced a new documentary providing fans with some behind-the-scenes footage of the tour. It’s an eight-minute clip that shines a light on the relationship and camaraderie between Wu-Tang Clan and Nas.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 25: The Wu-Tang Clan performs live during Tribeca TV: Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival at Beacon Theatre on April 25, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

The documentary largely features their show in St. Louis with the interviews detailing the importance of the Bronx and the trajectory of hip-hop since.

“We been through so much, you know, we live in a fast city. That struggle had a lot to do with molding us, you know? So a lot of times, we was listening to the music that was coming from neighborhoods that we came from, which was the five boroughs,” Raekwon says in the video. “So that became literature in the street. Then the next thing you know, it got incorporated in the music. So it kind of like transcended into other cities.”

Busta Rhymes also makes a cameo in the documentary as well.

Press play on Wu-Tang Clan and Nas’ mini documentary on the NY State Of Mind tour below.

Today In Hip Hop History: Method Man and Redman Released Their Joint Debut LP ‘Blackout!’ 23 Years Ago

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On this date in 1999, Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man and Def Quad standout Redman collaborated on their first full-length studio album entitled Blackout! on the Def Jam Recording imprint.

Serving as a prequel to their 2001 blockbuster silver screen debut in How High, Red and Meth’s debut album, which was originally to be titled Amerikaz Most Blunted, debuted on No. 2 of US Billboard 200 and sold over a quarter-million copies in its first week.

The 19-track album failed to disappoint, churning out singles like “4 Sessions” featuring Queens legends LL Cool J and Ja Rule, the RZA-produced “Cereal Killer” and “Run 4 Cover” which featured Meth Wu cronies Street Life and Ghostface Killah.

Salute to Red and Meth for their timeless collaborations, especially this one that set the pace for their inevitable popularity that you see today!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Method Man and Redman Released Their Joint Debut LP ‘Blackout!’ 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.