Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Hi! I am a teenager from the UK who is particularly obsessed with hip-hop, and even though it's 2024, I am pretty obsessed with collecting CDs as well (and I'm starting to get into vinyl a bit, although it is a bit pricey). I'm pretty interested in writing too, and so I've decided to start this blog, where I'll be reviewing a lot of hip-hop albums from all areas of the genre, although it'll mainly be a lot of 90s stuff if I'm honest, since that is when most of my favourite stuff comes from. I'll do a bit of listing as well, but mainly, I'll be publishing track by track reviews on here, and I'll definitely be taking a LOT of influence from other sites such as Hip Hop Isn't Dead and Focus Hip Hop (go check those guys out if you haven't), so if you see any similarities in writing style, then you probably aren't hallucinating. 

The goal for me is simply to publish my thoughts on the discographies of everyone who has been important to the rap genre (and who I actually want to listen to, so sorry, fans of Soulja Boy and The Black Eyed Peas, look elsewhere), and since I'm not particularly old, there's a lot of stuff I still haven't listened to, and will get to over the course of time. Therefore, if I don't catch a reference or make an obvious error, please head to the comments with a thoughtful and non-confrontational correction. 

But enough of the introduction.

For my first review, I'm going to go over the first album by what is, pretty much by definition at this point, the GREATEST hip-hop group of all time. And that would be, of course, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, who are famous for an absolutely incredible run of solo and group albums between 1993 (when this album came out) and 1997, and not much else, despite the fact that a lot of their releases from after this run are pretty damn good as well. Of course, today I'm going to be talking about their debut project, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), which I've always thought was a pretty confusing name for an album. Leave out those parenthesis and their contents, and the title would probably have been a lot more effective, but whatever. We're here to talk about the music (although the story behind the cover art is pretty interesting, so I would advise looking that up - it can be found on Genius, as can I).

To cover the members quickly, we have Method Man, generally considered to be "leader" of the group, and someone so good that he has a solo song named after him on this album. Then we have Ghostface Killah, often considered the best overall member, and the one with the most respected solo discography. Raekwon is liked as well, and is known for having a classic debut and unfortunately mediocre follow-up albums, and then GZA is often considered the greatest rapper and lyricist in the group. RZA is the brain, providing beats and some rather angry verses as well. Ol' Dirty Bastard adds some zaniness to the otherwise hardcore nature of the group, and Inspectah Deck is usually bought up when considering the most underrated member. And finally, we have Masta Killa and U-God, both of whom are pretty good, but generally considered to be the weaker links in the crew, although that's really up to whomever you ask.

So I think that sums things up nicely.

This album is regarded as one of the greatest pieces in the history of rap music, and did a LOT back in the early 90s for putting New York's name back on the rap map (you have to remember that back then, artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were the biggest names in rap, and the West Coast had been ruling for quite some time), through it's pure rugged and raw feel and lyrics, and complete lack of ANYTHING that catered to the radio's whims, which was exactly what the rap world needed. It's pretty damn important, and therefore I felt that for my first review, it would be a good project to talk about. So, without further ado... let's get into the first of what I hope will be many, MANY reviews.

All tracks are produced by The RZA, except where noted.

1. Bring Da Ruckus

After a plethora of old kung-fu samples (something that will be commonplace on albums from the Wu), a hard, gritty beat kicks in, and sets the template for one of the hardest songs you'll ever hear. After RZA's iconic (and iconically aggressive) hook, Ghostface comes in with his high-pitched and loud voice, and kicks one of the dopest verses on the project. Rae and Deck hold things down too, but I reckon the best verse belongs to GZA, who MURDERS shit here. Whenever GZA swears it just sounds so cool, and his aggression is brilliant. The chants of "bring it on" end things off nicely too. Pretty damn good way to start an album, no?

2. Shame On a Nigga 

Famous for it's hilarious radio version, "Shame on a Nuh", the album track is nothing to be sniffed at either, the horn beat presenting a more light-hearted feel for the ever zany Ol' Dirty Bastard, who clearly dominates this one. One thing to note is also the first appearance of Method Man, who kicks one of the smoothest verses I have ever heard. No wonder he's my favourite member of the Clan (hot take, I know).

3. Clan In Da Front

This one starts off with an amazingly creepy wail of "It's the Ghost- Face... Killah!!!", which is massively accentuated by the drop of that bass, which is just nasty. Shame there's no rapping on it - instead, RZA grabs his list of random names and starts reading off it, not for the last time on a Wu album, which is pretty annoying, considering that bass is just so damned creepy, and would have made the perfect backing for a song. After this attendance taking, the beat changes to something pretty fun, which GZA handles all by himself, a good thing, as he is probably my second or third favourite member (he switches up with Ghost for me). That hook is iconic, and GZA's lyricism is brilliant as ever. Man, I cannot wait to review Liquid Swords.

4. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber

Following a skit that is pretty funny, but not as legendary as a lot of people seem to claim, "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" plays out without any form of hook, leaving the seven MCs (hence the title) to all deliver some nice verses over some more hard RZA production. It doesn't necessarily have the memorable factor of the first three songs, but this track is still technically phenomenal. Damn, this album is off to a good start.

5. Can It Be All So Simple / Intermission

Something has always felt slightly off to me about this song, and I can never place my finger on what it is. The rapping is interesting and easy to follow, and the beat has some really nice touches to it, but still, something about it doesn't work. I guess the Wu-Tang aren't cut out for this type of conscious song so much. Still, there are positive points about this, and the "Intermission" that follows was useful in explaining all the meanings behind the Clan member's names (even if some of them made absolutely no sense - "Ghostface, he's on some now you see me, now you don't, knamean?" - no! I don't have a damned clue what you mean!)

6. Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' (prod. RZA, co-prod. Ol' Dirty Bastard)

So now we are into the "Wu-Tang Sword" section of the album, and we start with this track that, although probably inspired by GZA, due to the multiple chess references in the song and video, features no vocals from the Genius at all. Weird, that. Anyway, this track is still good, but I don't find this one as engaging as some of the other songs on here, even though this is easily one of the most beloved moments on the project. I think it's the production, which is solid, but doesn't have quite enough energy to it.

7. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit (prod. RZA, co-prod. Method Man)

One of the shorter tracks on here, which is for the best, as it's also one of the weakest. The rapping and hook are all dope, with RZA, Inspectah Deck and Method Man all laying down great vocals. However, the beat is pretty annoying whenever that humming sample comes in, and that significantly lessens my enjoyment of the song. Interesting how this and "Can It Be All So Simple", my other least preferred song on here, were both packaged as a double single. Just thought I'd bring that up.

8. C.R.E.A.M.

Easily the most popular song on this album comes in the form of "C.R.E.A.M.", standing for "Cash Rules Everything Around Me", something repeated frequently on the hook. This track is very good, although nowhere near the best on the album, and has one of the most iconic piano loops of all time on it. Rae's opening lines have surely been memorised by every hip-hop fan alive. There isn't too much to complain about here, and I think Method Man's hook is very catchy indeed. This was a worthy single to promote for sure, and it paid off. Pretty menacing single cover art too, and I always like it when the single cover recaptures a similar vibe to the album cover.

9. Method Man

The best song on the entire album. There, I said it. Method Man showcases arguably the most charismatic and entertaining verses ever spit in the history of rap over a phenomenal beat by the RZA, which sounds dark, creepy and fun all at the same time. Also, the torture skit at the start is arguably the best skit ever seen on a rap album, which is admittedly not too hard of a feat to pull off. What a song.

10. Protect Ya Neck

The first single, one which actually appears before "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'" on vinyl pressings of the album if I'm not mistaken. The CD places it here though, which is fine by me, as this manages to keep the momentum of "Method Man" going nicely, with its dark and dusty production and excellent verses. For some reason, the album version is partially censored, but the intense electronic sounds covering up some of the swears works partially in the track's favour, especially during ODB's iconic verse. I'm not a fan of music censorship at ALL, and it has the potential to ruin certain tracks (example: DMX's "Slippin'"), but here it doesn't hurt things too much.

11. Tearz

The final proper song on this album, and a powerful one. RZA, who was always fairly underrated as a rapper in my opinion, spits a heartbreaking verse about a murdered relative, before Ghost comes in and spits a saddening tale about a friend who was a little too optimistic about his relations' past, resulting in him contracting AIDS, which I think was still a major problem back when this album came out. And all this over some pretty haunting and shaking production, that has the potential to leave you in literal "tearz". A surprisingly heartbreaking ending.

12. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II / Conclusion

A remix to the earlier "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber", which has a new beat but the same verses. Honestly, I actually prefer this beat to the original, which is very unusual when it comes to tracks that have been remixed. The conclusion wasn't too necessary, but it was a solid way to tie back into the earlier "Intermission". A pretty nice bonus track.

The Wu-Tang Clan's debut album as a group is undoubtedly a classic, and one that is absolutely essential listening for any hip-hop fan out there. The gritty beats and brutal raps may take a little getting used to, but trust me, once they hit, they HIT. Personally, I think the album loses a little quality in the middle section (something I'm sure pretty much every reader will disagree with), but it picks back up after "C.R.E.A.M.", and even the weaker tracks are still good, just standing out less in the company of some of the incredible classics that appear on this album. I don't think I needed to tell anyone that this was a classic, but for those still not convinced, let me be the next one to tell you: listen to this album!!

Best Tracks: Bring Da Ruckus, Shame On a Nigga, Clan In Da Front, Method Man, Protect Ya Neck, Tearz

Worst Tracks: Can It Be All So Simple, Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit