In addition to Cappadonna, this includes Sunz of Man, Killarmy, Shyheim, Cilvaringz, Killah Priest, or anyone else listed here. Though he is now considered a member of the group, he is not one of the original nine and, being a traditionalist, I will never consider him an actual Wu member. So, naturally, I decided to make my own top 20 list of Wu-Tang albums.
The top twenty Wu albums list for Complex, also ranked and written by Cantor, is far better, but I had some disagreements, most notably what was eligible for inclusion. Unfortunately, that list is all sorts of wrong. As a person that appreciates the making of a list or two to put the history of Hip Hop into context, it was an admirable effort and, again, I love how much love is being heaped upon the Wu. While the piece regarding the attempt to listen to every track by RZA seems silly to me - mostly because I am absolutely positive I’ve heard everything by both the Clan and RZA himself many times over - but the one that really raised my eyebrows (and had multiple people tweeting me), was the one in which the author attempted to rank the top twenty Wu-Tang Clan group and solo albums of all time. Others, however, missed the mark, specifically Slate. Some, like Paul Cantor’s piece for Noisey and the staff of Grantland each choosing a member to praise, were outstanding and made me happy to be a longtime fan of Hip Hop’s version of The Beatles. None Found.As a well-known Wu-Tang Clan disciple, I was nothing short of overjoyed with the number of articles and retrospectives of the group and its impact on the twentieth anniversary of its debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). In 2003, the album was ranked number 386 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Initially receiving positive reviews from most music critics, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) has been regarded by music writers as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all-time. By 1995, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of one million copies in the United States.
Serving as a landmark record in the era of hip hop known as the East Coast Renaissance, its influence helped lead the way for several other East Coast hip hop artists, including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z.ĭespite its raw, underground sound, the album had surprising chart success, peaking at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Its sound also became hugely influential in modern hip hop production, while the group members' explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have served as a template for many subsequent hip hop records. The distinctive sound of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) created a blueprint for hardcore hip hop during the 1990s and helped return New York City hip hop to national prominence.
The group's de facto leader RZA, also known as Prince Rakeem, produced the album entirely, utilizing heavy, eerie beats and a sound largely based on martial-arts movie clips and soul music samples. The album's title originates from the martial arts film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978). Recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and it was mastered at The Hit Factory. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is the debut album of American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 9, 1993, on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records.