1.
RZA
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Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, musician, actor, filmmaker and author. A prominent figure in hip hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and he has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clans albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He is a cousin of the late group-mate Ol Dirty Bastard and he has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz where he used the name The RZArector. Furthermore, he has acted in movies, including Coffee and Cigarettes, American Gangster, Gospel Hill, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Ghost Dog, Funny People, Derailed, Due Date. He also appeared in the Showtime TV series Californication and his directorial debut is for the film he co-wrote and in which he plays the title role, The Man with the Iron Fists, also starring Russell Crowe. The magazine The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazines twenty-year history and he also made the Elite 8 in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe. NME placed him on their list of the 50 Greatest Producers Ever, RZA was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He lived in North Carolina with his uncle from age three to seven, who encouraged him to read and study, RZA was introduced to hip hop music at the age of nine, and by eleven, was competing in rap battles. He relocated to Steubenville, Ohio in 1990, to live with his mother and he spent weekends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his father ran a convenience store in the citys Hill District. RZA got involved with petty crime and drug-dealing, and was charged with attempted murder while in Steubenville and he was acquitted of the charge, giving him what he stated was a second chance. He is named after Robert Kennedy and John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his mother greatly admired the Kennedys, the RZA has called his given name an honorable name, given the legacy of both brothers Robert and John. Robert Diggs formed a rap group with his cousins Russell Jones and they enjoyed local success but never signed a record deal. Diggs later debuted on Tommy Boy Records in 1991 as a solo artist under the name Prince Rakeem, after a shoot-out in Ohio in 1992, he faced eight years in jail. When they said not guilty, my face stuck in a smile for three days, he recalled, I was just walking around town, thinking about my daughter and my wife. Right then I said goodbye to anything that would put me in that situation again, I was up on trial on an attempted murder charge. I was a fool, with all that knowledge in my head. Diggs formed a new group with his cousins and five other childhood friends and this group would be named Wu-Tang Clan, releasing their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang,36 Chambers in 1993
2.
Wu-Massacre
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Wu-Massacre is a collaboration studio album by American rappers and Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, released March 30,2010 on Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album was handled by hip hop producers, including RZA, Allah Mathematics, Scram Jones, Emile, Ty Fyffe, BT. The album debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart and it charted modestly in international markets and produced four singles. Upon its release, Wu-Massacre received generally positive reviews music critics. The album has sold 64,000 copies in the United States, the album was first announced in July 2009, when Method Man mentioned the project to MTV News, stating that he wanted to do an album with several other Wu-Tang members. He described the album as being a Rae, Ghost and Meth album, with RZA-produced tracks, as well as some outside producers. Initially, the album was to be titled Wu-Massacre, and was later renamed Three the Hard Way, however, after the leak of the Wu-Massacre artwork, what the fuck we look like making a new group. Ghostface Killah also touched base on the subject in an interview with Rap Radar, so it’s not like we trying to start a group. I think the people enjoy it. One thing about me that I could say is, lyrically and its great production on the album. A couple of soldiers we work with is on there. If youre a ride-or-die Wu-Tang fan, and you know where we coming from, a three-part video series began to surface on the internet for the albums promotion in fall of 2009. On November 25,2009, Allah Mathematics premiered the song Mef vs. Chef 2 live on his radio show Math Files, the song features verses from Method Man and Raekwon, and was said to be from Wu-Massacre. On January 25,2010, Def Jam released the first single, Our Dreams on their website, which will be appearing on the Wu-Massacre album. On February 22,2010, Def Jam released a mixtape called, Avenging Eagles by Allah Mathematics featuring various older Raekwon, Ghostface. Aside from Mef vs. Chef 2, the mixtape also premiered the song Miranda, on March 2,2010 the next release from the album was Criminology 2.5, an original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, and a verse from Method Man. Mef vs. Chef 2 and Miranda have now released as the albums second. On the release of the video for Our Dreams a fourth single was released called Dangerous
3.
Method Man
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Clifford Smith, better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and he is also one half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. He took his name from the 1979 film Method Man. In 1996, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for Ill Be There for You/Youre All I Need to Get By, with American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. Method Man has appeared in such as Belly, How High, Garden State, The Wackness, Venom, Red Tails, Keanu. On television, he and frequent collaborator, fellow East Coast rapper Redman and he also had a recurring role as Tug Daniels on HBOs Oz and Calvin Cheese Wagstaff on the HBOs The Wire. In 2016, he had a role in Luke Cage which aired on Netflix. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. Born on March 2,1971, in Hempstead, Long Island and he has two sisters, Terri and Missy. As Wu-Tang Clan ascended to hip hop stardom, Method Man was always one of the most visible members of the collective. Method Mans solo debut, Tical, was acclaimed and well received, entering the American charts at #4. That album featured the hit single All I Need, later remixed featuring Mary J. Blige, which won a Grammy. During this time Method Man also became friends with fellow New York City-based rapper The Notorious B. I. G. and was the only guest rapper featured on his debut album Ready to Die. He was also featured on Spice 1s album AmeriKKKas Nightmare on the track Hard 2 Kill, in 1995, he was also featured on Got the Flava off Showbiz and A. G. s album Goodfellas. He was also featured on Redmans 1996 album Muddy Waters on the track Do What Ya feel, on June 3,1997, the Wu-Tang Clan released their Grammy-nominated multiplatinum double CD Wu-Tang Forever, the long-awaited follow up to 36 Chambers. The album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide, the album was certified double platinum. Reviews for the album were mixed and its long runtime and abundance of intermittent comedy skits were widely criticized, producers on this album included True Master, 4th Disciple and the RZA. Method Man was part of the very successful Hard Knock Life Tour with Jay-Z, Redman, Ja Rule, during this tour, Method Man & Redman recorded Blackout
4.
Raekwon
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Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon the Chef, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is the founder of his own label ICEH20 Records, Raekwon has been cited as a pioneer of Mafioso rap. In 2007, the editors of About. com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time, the Miami New Times described Raekwons music as being street epics that are straightforward yet linguistically rich universes not unlike a gangsta Iliad. Corey Woods joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a hip hop group based in the Staten Island borough of New York City. He performed under the stage name Raekwon the Chef as well as the aliases Shallah Raekwon, Shallah Diamond, Wu-Tang Clan debuted one year later with Enter the Wu-Tang,36 Chambers. Singles from the album included Protect Ya Neck and C. R. E. A. M, the latter of which reached #8 on the Billboard rap chart. Wu-Tang Forever followed in 1997 and was certified four times platinum by the RIAA, alongside other solo albums by its members, Wu-Tang continued recording as a group, releasing The W in 2000, Iron Flag in 2001, and 8 Diagrams in 2007. In 1994, Raekwon signed a deal with Loud Records. His first solo LP, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. was released in 1995 to rave reviews, Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah appeared on over half of the albums tracks, with Wu-Tang member RZA producing the album in its entirety. After Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Raekwon appeared on a track by the R&B group Allure from the groups self-titled debut in 1997. He also appeared on Fat Joes song John Blaze alongside Nas, Jadakiss, Raekwons next effort, Immobilarity, came out in 1999 to mixed reviews, which were mainly attributed to the absence of RZA and Ghostface Killah. The Lex Diamond Story followed in 2003 on Universal Records, to mixed reviews as well, Raekwon later voiced his distaste for the albums lack of promotion and budget and vowed that future releases would not suffer the same fate. Raekwon planned to release the sequel to his debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Pt. II in 2007 through Aftermath Entertainment, the album was informally executively produced by Busta Rhymes, whom Raekwon cited as getting him in the Cuban Linx mindset, and RZA, with RZA handling most of the production. Dr. Dre, Scram Jones, and J Dilla were other producers that were announced early on as working on the album, RZA explained the collaboration between him and Dr. Dre as yin and yang when it came to their styles. Raekwon and EMI both confirmed at one point that Only Built For Cuban Linx, pt. II would be released in the summer of 2009 with EMI serving as the distribution label for the album, which was officially released on Raekwons ICEH2O label. However, Raekwon and EMI later announced that the album would be pushed back to September 8,2009 due to clearance issues. On September 8,2009, Only Built For Cuban Linx, pt. II was released after many delays
5.
Ghostface Killah
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Dennis Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was received by music critics. He has continued his success over the years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele and Fishscale. His stage name was taken one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing. He is the founder of his own label Starks Enterprises, Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. Q magazine called him raps finest storyteller, pitchfork Media stated that, Ghostface has unparalleled storytelling instincts, he might be the best, most colorful storyteller rap has ever seen. NPR called him a compulsive storyteller, and asserted, His fiction is painterly, a roommate of Wu-Tang founder RZA, Ghostface helped bring together the other seven members. In 1995, Ghostface guest-starred extensively on fellow Clan member Raekwons debut album, appearing on almost every song and receiving nearly equal billing. He also contributed songs to the Sunset Park and Dont Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtracks, which would be included on his first solo LP, Ironman, in 1996. The album, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, had a more pronounced soul influence than previous Wu-Tang releases, in 2000, he released his second studio album Supreme Clientele. The album was received by critics and peaked #7 on the Billboard 200. It included Apollo Kids, a single which featured Raekwon and had a sample of Cool Breeze by Solomon Burke. Cherchez LaGhost, another single off the album, became a club hit. Supreme Clientele would be a point in RZAs influence on his sound, as only six songs are produced by the RZA, compared to Ironman, its predecessor where every song. Though he contributed fewer beats to the project, RZA personally oversaw the mixing and production of the album as a whole, Ghostface wasted little time in recording his next album, the heavily R&B-influenced Bulletproof Wallets, released a year after Supreme Clientele. Its feature single, Never Be the Same Again, featured Carl Thomas, in 2003, Ghostface signed with Def Jam Records. After temporarily dropping Killah from his name, Ghostface released The Pretty Toney Album in April 2004
6.
GZA
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Gary Grice, better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is known as the spiritual head. He has appeared on his fellow Clan members solo projects, and since the release of his acclaimed solo album Liquid Swords. An analysis of GZAs lyrics found that he has the second largest vocabulary in hip hop music and he teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop. Gary Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the early 1970s and he was involved in breakdance, graffiti, and DJing. Early on he developed an interest in writing, studying Mother Goose, in 1974-76 he listened to The Last Poets, however he was attracted by profanity rather than content, and didnt understand the underlying messages until many years later. The Last Poets, as well as songs by The Isley Brothers, the Commodores, later on, he began to listen to hip hop and R&B, for example by Secret Weapon and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He formed a group with his cousins, Robert Diggs and Russell Jones. At the time he didnt like the sound of his voice and he left school in the 10th grade, but nurtured his affection for science as he developed his skills as a lyricist. After some years of this, GZA was signed to Cold Chillin Records as a solo artist under the name The Genius. Albums beat selection is similar to the classic sound of the early 1990s. At the time he worked as a bicycle messenger, in 1992, GZA joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a group of nine, formed by his cousin RZA. GZA had some appearances on the groups debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang, including a solo track. This, combined with appearances on other Clan members albums such as Return to the 36 Chambers, The Dirty Version, according to Method Man, we form like Voltron and GZA happens to be the head. It was released on November 7 by Geffen Records, the albums complex composition included dialogue sampled from kung fu film Shogun Assassin. The album was met with reviews and sold well. It is considered to be one of the best albums from the Wu-Tang camp and it peaked at the #9 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. On October 8,2015, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that the album had earned a Platinum certification for having more than 1 million copies
7.
Masta Killa
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Jamel Irief, better known by his stage name Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though one of the members of the group, he has been prolific on Clan group albums. He released his debut album No Said Date in 2004 to positive reviews, born in Brooklyn, New York, Masta Killa was the last member to join the Wu-Tang Clan, consequently he did not appear on the groups debut single Protect Ya Neck. He was also the member who was not a rapper at the time of the groups formation. He was extensively mentored by the GZA during his days with the group. He derived his rap name from the 1978 kung fu film Shaolin Master Killer, Masta only appeared on one track on the Wu-Tang Clans first album, in the closing verse to Da Mystery of Chessboxin. Masta only narrowly made the track, and was almost left off in favor of Killah Priest. During the first round of projects, he made several appearances on tracks now considered Wu-Tang classics, such as Winter Warz, Duel of the Iron Mic. His flow at the time attracted attention for being slow and laid-back, in contrast to the more manic, forceful styles of members like Inspectah Deck. Masta Killa is also the Clansman fondest of Chinese martial arts imagery, in 1997, the Wu-Tang Clans second album Wu-Tang Forever saw Masta become a mainstay in the groups line-up with regular appearances throughout the double album. His second album, Made in Brooklyn, was released on August 8,2006, ringing Bells, the Bronze Nazareth-produced lead single from the album, was released in March 2006. In December 2012 he released his album titled Selling My Soul, an LP with heavy soul grooves and guests including Kurupt. The album was intended as a precursor to his long-awaited album Loyalty is Royalty, first announced in 2010, Masta Killa is known for being the most quiet and mysterious member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and little is still known about him. He does not give many independent interviews, on the Wu-Tang Corp. website, Masta Killa stated, I know I seem serious and quiet to a lot of the fans. Thats because I take my work seriously, the Clan and I work hard to give you the best. In his personal downtime he listens to Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Barry White, Parliament-Funkadelic, Masta Killa is a vegetarian, like GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. Masta Killa gets his name from the 1978 kung fu movie Shaolin Master Killer and he is often referred to as Jamel Irief. 2004, No Said Date 2006, Made in Brooklyn 2012, Selling My Soul TBA, Loyalty is Royalty Masta Killas Myspace Masta Killa Biography
8.
Ol' Dirty Bastard
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Russell Tyrone Jones, better known under his stage name Ol Dirty Bastard, was an American rapper and producer. He was one of the members of the Wu-Tang Clan. After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a solo career. However, his success was hampered by frequent legal troubles. He died on November 13,2004, of a drug overdose, before his death, Ol Dirty Bastard recorded his third solo album, which remains unreleased. Ol Dirty Bastard was noted for his outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped and his stage name was derived from the 1980 martial arts film Ol Dirty and the Bastard. Russell Jones was born on November 15,1968 in Brooklyn and he and his cousins Robert Diggs and Gary Grice shared a taste for rap music and martial arts-style movies. Jones, Diggs, and Grice formed the group Force of the Imperial Master and they eventually added six more members to their group, calling it the Wu-Tang Clan. The group released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang in 1993, Ol Dirty Bastards solo career began March 28,1995. His first solo album, Return to the 36 Chambers, The Dirty Version, spawned the hit singles Brooklyn Zoo and Shimmy Shimmy Ya, in this same year, Ol Dirty Bastard collaborated with Mariah Carey for the Fantasy Remix. The entire incident was filmed by an MTV camera crew and was broadcast nationwide and his caseworker revoked his eligibility after seeing the MTV segment, and the incident was viewed as an example of the welfare abuses that led to the significant welfare reforms enacted in 1996. In 1997, Ol Dirty Bastard appeared on the Wu-Tang Clans second and most commercially successful work and he had fewer appearances on this album than the groups debut, contributing to one solo track, three verses, one hook, and a spoken introduction/refrain. In February 1998, Ol Dirty Bastard witnessed a car accident from the window of his Brooklyn recording studio and he and a friend ran to the accident scene and organized about a dozen onlookers, who assisted in lifting the 1996 Ford Mustang—rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with first and second degree burns, using a false name, Ol Dirty Bastard visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media. As Ol Dirty Bastard took the stage to a round of applause, he asked the audience, Please calm down and its nice that I went and bought me an outfit today that costed a lot of money today, you know what I mean. Cause I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win, I dont know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best, Okay, I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. The incident was covered in the mainstream media
9.
Can It Be All So Simple
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Can It Be All So Simple is the fourth and final single on Wu-Tang Clans critically acclaimed debut album Enter the Wu-Tang. It features production from RZA that samples Gladys Knight & the Pips cover of The Way We Were. The song reached number nine on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, number twenty four on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, can It Be All So Simple features rapping from Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Its lyrics deal with a glorified mafioso lifestyle, in the song, Raekwon and Ghostface discuss the hardships of growing up in New York City during the 1980s, and how they want to live a lavish and famous lifestyle to escape the hardships of life. The music video was directed by Hype Williams, with similar to the songs content. A remix, with new lyrics can be found on Raekwons debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, lauryn Hills Ex-Factor uses the break beat from Can It Be All So Simple
