Ol’ Dirty Bastard Documentary Coming to A&E
Wu-Tang Clan
Today in Hip-Hop History: Ol’ Dirty Bastard Released ‘Return Of The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version’ 27 Years Ago
On this day in Hip-Hop history, Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard released his debut solo LP, Return of the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Released by Elektra Records, Return of the 36 Chambers was only the second solo LP by any Wu-Tang member. Largely produced by fellow Wu-Tang emcee RZA, the album had a mostly positive commercial reception.
Peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart, Return of the 36 Chambers sold 81,000 albums in its first week and was certified gold later that year. The album was also nominated for “Best Rap Album” at the 1996 Grammy Awards.
Coming off such a successful group debut, there were little critics could say to discount the record. The Source, Rolling Stone and Allmusic have all given the project four out of five stars. In 1998, The Source selected the album to be a part of its 100 Best Rap Albums list.
Following Return of the 36 chambers: The Dirty Version, ODB went on to release one more solo album, Nigga Please, before his untimely demise in 2004. Ol’ Dirty will forever be remembered as one of the most talented and unique emcees to ever grace the mic.
The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Ol’ Dirty Bastard Released ‘Return Of The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version’ 27 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.
Wu-Tang Producer “True Master” Sues NYPD Over Wrongful Imprisonment
Happy Birthday To Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man!
On this date in 1971, the Shaolin Island emcee who was virtually named after the term “John Blaze”, was born in Long Island, New York.
Admired for his unique voice and witty lyrics, Method Man is known for his one of a kind sound. The Long Island-born/Staten Island bred rapper raised the bar for the ideal Shaolin emcee alongside Wu brothers Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. Trailblazing the 90s, Johnny Blaze has pioneered an impressive portion of verses that are considered as one of the greatest in hip-hop history. His unpredictably bouncy flow hit wax in 1993 on Wu-Tang’s debut Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, which featured what would later become his anthem, “M.E.T.H.O.D. M.A.N.” His signature stance continued into creating essential tunes as featured in his 1994 solo debut, Tical, along with guest features on the solo debuts of fellow Wu members and the only featured emcee on Biggie’s Ready To Die LP.
The wavering style and persona of Method Man have allowed him to flourish in many different pursuits in both music and entertainment. His iconic r&b collaboration with Mary J. Blige “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” is sanctioned as a cult classic and also snagged the class-act rapper a Grammy in 1996. Dubbing another innovative vibe, his musical duality with Redman became one of the most distinct and successful in the light of hip-hop duos, which triggered Method Man’s acting career. Bound to craft commendable works, starting from his role as Father Sha in Belly (1998), to How High, and now Power II: Book Of Ghost, the man with the iron lung has maintained a stellar track record of creating classics that are timeless. His deeds as an emcee, actor, showman, and overall creative make him one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. A certified legend.
Happy born day to Meth!
The post Happy Birthday To Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man! appeared first on The Source.
RZA Speaks on Losing ‘More Hip-Hop Artists in the Last Few Years Than Ever Before’
“Got Your Money”, ODB’s Widow Wants Wu-Tang To Pay Her
Although rapper Old Dirty Bastard has passed, his widow and administrator of ODB’s estate filed a lawsuit against Wu-Tang Productions demanding unpaid royalties since his death. ODB’s Widow Sues Wu-Tang Clan Icelene Jones claims that ODB and the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan signed a contract with the music production company in 1992. The […]
U.S. Government Releases Photos of Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album
An updated on Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album. Continue reading…
Boosie BadAzz, Troy Ave and More – New Projects This Week
First the turkey, then the music. Continue reading…
RZA Admits Selling Martin Shkreli Wu-Tang Clan’s Exclusive Album Put It ‘In The Wrong Hands’
Wu-Tang Clan had high hopes when they created only one copy of their exclusive album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, which was meant to be auctioned off and barred from commercial sale for 88 years. But things didn’t quite go according to plan when currently imprisoned “Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli bought the LP before going to jail for several counts of fraud. RZA now admits that selling Shkreli the album was a mistake, but his original vision for Once Upon A Time In Shaolin could still come true after all.
RZA recently sat down for an interview on Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning radio show, where he discussed selling the album to Shkreli and said it definitely “was in the wrong hands.”
The rapper explained he met with Shkreli before selling him the album, but that was before his true character was revealed. “The thing that’s powerful about it now is, now that it’s out of our hands, no disrespect to Martin Shkreli, because I don’t never knock somebody who bought something,” he said. “But it was in the wrong hands in reality. He made the deal before it was revealed of his character, his personality, and all the insidious things he would go on to do. That wasn’t the guy that I met. He definitely unfolded into that guy. He had control of this one-of-a-kind piece of art, and I could see it was in the wrong hands. But still, it was a sale and I can’t complain about who we sell it to. Everybody’s got a right to buy something that’s for sale.”
The government has now sold Once Upon A Time In Shaolin to NFT organization PleasrDAO in order pay off the $7.4 million forfeiture judgment against Shkreli at the time of his conviction. RZA believes that the album is now in the “right hands” after meeting with the person behind PleasrDAO, saying his original vision for the album could still become a reality:
“But now, I think it’s in the right hands. I’m hoping that it is in the right hands. I spoke to the gentleman who’s leading the way and he just seems to have more of a Wu vibe about him. Wu is a vibe and I strive to say it’s a vibe of positivity, even with the aggression. […] There were some original ideas that we wanted to do with this album. A lot of beautiful ideas that wasn’t disclosed to the public, and I won’t disclose them now, but those ideas were not able to happen with Mr. Shkreli. Now that PleasrDAO has it, there’s an opportunity for a lot of these beautiful ideas of what this art can be and how it can expand itself in the world.”
Watch RZA’s full interview with Ebro In The Morning above.
Exclusive: Behind-The-Scenes of The Secret NFT Deal To Secure A Rare, Unreleased Wu-Tang Album.
How did a rare, unreleased Wu-Tang album become the most expensive music album ever sold? We explore the behind-the-scenes workings that made the deal possible and the key players in the headline-making $4 million acquisition of the only existing copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” album as an NFT. The […]