In a rap climate dominated by smoothed-out G-funk, Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers arrived like a stripped-down bat out of hip-hop hell. Kung-fu movies not only provided the inspiration for the Staten Island, N.Y.-reared nine-man unit’s name, but they also fueled much of 36 Chambers‘ cryptically aggressive, RZA-produced aesthetic, particularly its “sword style” lyricism.
Never before had a hip-hop outfit boasted so much vocal talent and so many larger-than-life personas. Rather than focus on one lead voice, songs like the plaintive “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Protect Ya Neck” provided showcases for individual members such as the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, GZA, and Raekwon.
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