Wu Tang Clan Enter the 36 Chambers Classic Review

Rj Knight | 7 years ago | No comments yet | Tags: Enter The 36 Chambers, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Genius, Masta Killa, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Reakwon, U-God, Cream, Album Review, classic, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan, Hip-Hop, Ghostface Killah, Music

Album History

–Wu Tang Clan : Enter the 36 Chambers is an album that was made in 1993, and is about 60 mins long. Its an East Coast Hardcore Hip Hop album, whose title was inspired by a cult classic Kung Fu movie called The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (which I believe was made in 1978 or 77). The album was the debut album of Wu Tang clan (another name inspired by Kung Fu movie genre) and re-invigorated East Coast Hip Hop (especially New York). Personal: This album changed Absolute Zero‘s perspective on Hip Hop music and made him appreciate and admire the genre. Leading him to develop into the artist he is today.

– Artist on the this album are –

Inspectah Deck

4th Disciple

Ghostface Killah

GZA/Genius

Masta Killa

Method Man

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

RZA/Prince Rakeem

Raekwon

U-God

The Album’s Best Tracks

–Shame on a Nigga (5:30): This is the first standout track I would like to talk about, and a great song to introduce someone to Wu Tang Clan. All the members of the clan are featured and each brings their own personality to the track. The song is really in your face and edgy. At the same time the track is laced with comic book and Kung Fu references making this one of Wu‘s most memorable tracks. The juxtaposition of Stanton Island (aka Shaolin) hood culture and what should be nerdy comic book references creates and amazing flavor to the track. This is a hallmark of Wu Tang Clan and really gives them a lot of personality

–Can it All Be So Simple (7:15): This is one of the most introspective cuts on the album. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah talk about their past and how they are tired of the drugs and violence were they live. The track comes off really genuine and the beats slow driving melody, along with some passionate female vocals really pours a lot of emotion into the track. These days, It seems like too many rappers are saying its fun to be in a trap house. Wu Tang on the other hand is giving you more of that reality of hood life.

–C.R.E.A.M (8:50): “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” is one of the most iconic lines in hip hop. Wu Tang popularized this term and made it into one of the most iconic songs in hip hop. This song has a very similar feel to Can It All Be So Simple. We have Inspectah Deck and Rae really taking us down to street level, and delivering passionate verses. Inspectah Deck even goes into him being arrested as a child here. The track is really amazing

–Method Man (10:30) : `Method Man is the only member of the crew to get his own song on the album. This is for good reason as he is one of the best lyricists ever. When Method Man is in his competitive mode he goes off and that is exactly what you see here. Combine amazing color lyrics with one of the best voices in hip-hop and a ton of charisma, and you have Method Man.

–Protect Ya Neck (11:50): Here is another posy cut from Wu Tang Clan. If you see Wu Tang to this day they will probably perform this song. Its a fun anthem that showcases every member of Wu Tang clan and their individuality. Its amazing that you can have 9 emcees in this crew and each of them can sound so unique and different. Each emcee comes to the track from a different angle and the result in a high energy incredibly fun track.

The Album’s Worst Tracks

–Bad Tracks : All the tracks are amazing, the interludes are amazing. If I had to pick the worst track I would have to choose Wu Tang Clan 7th Chamber 2 the worst song on the project, but its still a pretty good song. The song is less impressive among all the other legendary tracks its next to.

Conclusion

The Influence of this record is huge. I would say that Wu-Tang Clan is in the top 5 most influential Hip Hop acts. Newer artist influenced heavily by Wu-Tang Clan include : Action Bronson, Mr. Mutha Fucking Esquire, and Captial 6. Older acts influenced by (or similar to) Wu include MF Doom, Organized Konfusion, Onix, and Mobb Deep.