have you read the wikipedia entry for The Wu Tang Clan? Wow.
There were 3 small epiphanies while reading the article.
1) the Wu are the most prolific rap group in history. (and everything that implies)
2) Who ever wrote the Wu Tang Wikipedia page has an incredible insight into the Wu Tang Clan
3)The whole page is immaculately written.
a few excerpts;
One of the most critically and commercially successful hip hop groups of all time, Wu-Tang Clan rose to fame with their uncompromising brand of hardcore rap music, and their success enabled all 10 Wu-Tang members to pursue solo careers, with varying degrees of success. They have introduced or launched the careers of numerous other affiliated artists and groups,[2] often collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees.[3] In 2007, MTV ranked Wu-Tang the 5th greatest Hip-hop group of all time.
i don't trust anything MTV ranks, ever.
It had always been planned for Method Man to be the first breakout star from the group's lineup, with the b-side of the first single being his now-classic eponymous solo track. In November 1994 his solo album Tical was released. It was entirely produced by The RZA, who for the most part continued with the grimy, raw textures he explored on 36 Chambers. The RZA's hands-on approach to Tical extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structures.[3] The track "All I Need" from Tical was the winner of the "Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group" at the 1995 Grammy Awards.
and finally;
Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... helped (with the likes of Kool G Rap) popularize the Mafia theme in rap music that remained widespread for more than half a decade. The landmark album touted a lifestyle patterned on drug dealing, regrets of living in harsh conditions, and partying (including popularizing the Cristal brand of champagne) which Nas, Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and other popular artists all borrowed and/or expanded upon these themes at points in their respective careers.
The Wu-Tang Clan's slang has long been a staple of their music, wherein members would blend Five Percenter terms, Kung Fu/oriental words, and comic book and street terms to create their own nicknames for actions, people, places and things (such as the christening of Staten Island as "Shaolin Land" and money as "C.R.E.A.M."). The RZA noted in the The Wu-Tang Manual, that Raekwon was an originator of a great deal of the slang used by the group.
It's just a really well written document about an incredible rap group that originated slang, originated the mafia themes in rap; subsequently the whole bling era occurred as the music industry's programmed response to the Wu Tang. As individuals they were varied and had clicks even within the group. Rae and Ghost and cappadons when he was on, they put him on. Method met and fell inlove with red man, they've been married ever since. haha. RZA and GZA rapped on each others albums a a lot.
U-god, Inspectah Deck and Masta killa rapped more on each others albums than anyone's as well. And the cliques had different flavors and styles even within the Wu. The WuTang Clan was nobody's monolith.
Honestly right now i am more intereted in the first round of solo albums from the Wu Tang; Tical, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ironman, Return to the 36 Chambers and Liquid Swords; all albums feature RZA production exclusively and all of those albums are on different record labels. The way RZA structured the original Wu Tang Clan deal with RCA allowed all the members to sign solo deals with any other record label but Wu the group would do so many albums for RCA.
Power Move by RZA.
And the albums are among the Classics of Hip Hop. And he produced them all.
Just like a Great novel creates a universe, with it's own rules and flaws for us to reside in. Thats the appeal of comics and sci-fi movies and novels and the Wu Tang. They created a world so much like our own and so different from it, depending on who you were and what you wanted to see in the image of the Wu. Be it Gambinos, high level drug dealers, low level drug dealers, working people, super stars, assassins, traveling ronin or the city itself they created a muti-dimensioned world for us, the listeners to identify with and ultimately reside in, even if only temporarily.