The Wu-Tang Clan is a pioneering hardcore rap group, originally from Staten Island, New York, USA (Staten Island is referred to as "Shaolin" in their lyrics). User made version of Wu-Tang logo. ... Hardcore hip hop is a form of hip hop music that has confrontational, often violent lyrics, and generally sparse, gritty urban beats. ... Staten Island, shown in an enhanced satellite image Staten Island is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located on an island of the same name on the west side of the Narrows at the entrance of New York Harbor. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ...

The crew is composed of nine MCs (now reduced to eight with the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard in 2004). All of the nine members have released solo albums, and the group has spawned several affiliate groups. This was the plan from the group's inception: Wu-Tang was designed to become an empire, to take over the hip hop community through saturation of like minded artists. Russell Jones appears as Dirt McGirt Ol Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas, and Unique Ason), born Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was an African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles... See also: 2003 in music, 2004 in music (UK), other events of 2004, 2005 in music, list of years in music, 2000s in music // Events January 1 - Vienna New Years Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Vienna, conducted by Riccardo Muti January 1 - Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol... An affiliate is an entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity. ...

Though the group's style has evolved considerably over the years, and the solo projects of individual members differ in tone and content, the group is generally well-known for thumping, surreal beats and aggressive lyrics loaded with metaphor, references to life in New York, and allusions to Chinese folklore and martial arts film. In language, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope where a comparison is made between two seemingly unrelated subjects. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture. ... Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. ...

Foundation

The founders of the Wu-Tang Clan were GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard and RZA (who had also formed the by-then-defunct All In Together Now Crew) and the rest of the crew was gradually assembled from friends and accomplices from around Staten Island. The RZA is the de facto leader & the producer of the group's albums, as well as many of their solo projects. The two cousins (GZA and RZA) created their rap nom-de-plumes by mimicking the sound that the words Genius and Robert would make when scratched on a turntable. The name of the group itself originates from the Wudang (or Wu-Tang) Mountains in the Hubei province of China, which are a traditional center of Chinese martial arts; RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after seeing the kung-fu film Shaolin and Wu-Tang, which features an invincible collective of mercenary warriors known as the Wu-Tang (many dialogue excerpts from the film were used on their debut album). The group have also developed various backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers like KRS One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God" and "We Usually Take All Niggaz Garments". GZA (pronounced The Jizza, aka The Genius, born Gary Grice August 22, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper and member of The Wu-Tang Clan. ... Russell Jones appears as Dirt McGirt Ol Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas, and Unique Ason), born Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was an African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles... RZA (pronounced rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is a record producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. ... The All In Together Now Crew was a rap group formed in the late 1980s by future Wu-Tang Clan members the RZA, the GZA, and Ol Dirty Bastard. ... RZA (pronounced rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is a record producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. ... Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique originated by Grand Wizard Theodore, an early hip hop DJ from New York (AMG). ... A turntable is any rotating platform: a phonograph (or the platter of), for playing phonograph records (often utilised by hip hop DJs to play and mix or scratch vinyl records, such as a 45-RPM EP, see turntablism) a device used at some railroad facilities to turn a locomotive or... Cliffside Temple at Wudangshan The Wudang Mountains (武當山; pinyin: wǔ dāng shān, also known as Wu Tang Shan or simply Wudang), are a small mountain range in the Hubei province of China, just to the south of the manufacturing city of Shiyan. ... Not to be confused with the unrelated province of Hebei Hubei (Chinese: 湖北; pinyin: Húběi; Wade-Giles: Hu-pei, also seen as Hupeh), abbreviated to 鄂 (pinyin: È, WG: O), a province of the Peoples Republic of China, lies to the north of the Dongting Lake, giving it the... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... RZA (pronounced rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is a record producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. ... Russell Jones appears as Dirt McGirt Ol Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas, and Unique Ason), born Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was an African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles... A backronym or bacronym is a reverse acronym, that is, the words of the expanded term were chosen to fit the letters of the acronym. ... KRS One (born Lawrence Krisna Parker on August 20, 1965, but known throughout his career by several monikers including Kris Parker, The Blastmaster, and The Teacha) is a rapper from the Bronx, New York City. ... Big Daddy Kane (born Antonio Harding, 10 September 1968) is a rap music artist from Brooklyn, New York. ...

The Wu-Tang Clan first became known to hip hop fans, and to major record labels, in 1993 following the release of the independent single Protect Ya Neck, which immediately gave the group a sizeable underground following. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign the Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud/RCA finally agreed and the debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers in late 1993 was popular and critically-acclaimed, though it took some time to gain momentum. See also: 1992 in music, other events of 1993, 1994 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music Events January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... RCA, formerly an initialism for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark used by two companies for products descended from that common ancestor: Thomson Consumer Electronics, which manufactures RCA-branded televisions, DVD players, video cassette recorders, direct broadcast satellite decoders, camcorders, audio equipment, telephones, and related accessories; and... Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers is the 1993 (see 1993 in music) debut album by the Wu-Tang Clan, a collective of American hip hop musicians. ...

Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers did indeed establish the group as a creative and influential rap group in the early nineties, allowing GZA, RZA, Raekwon, Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard to negotiate solo contracts. The nineties is a decade common to a number of centuries. ...

Solo careers

The Wu-Tang Clan minus ODB and plus Cappadonna. Back, left to right: Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, GZA, RZA, Masta Killa. Front, left to right: Raekwon, Method Man

RZA was the first to follow up on the success of 36 Chambers with a side project, founding the Gravediggaz with Prince Paul (a producer most famous for De La Soul), Frukwan (of Stetsasonic) and Poetic (of the Brothers Grimm). The Gravediggaz released 6 Feet Deep in August of 1994, which became easily the most famous work to emerge from hip hop's small sub-genre of horrorcore. 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, and indeed 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. RZA's hands-on approach to Tical, which extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structure, would continue throughout the first round of solo projects from the Clan members. Ol' Dirty Bastard found success soon after with Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which saw the 36 Chambers sound become even rawer and rough-edged. 1995 saw two significant and well-received albums from the group members. Raekwon the Chef's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was a diverse, theatrical criminological epic that saw RZA move away from the raw, stripped-down beats of the early albums and towards a richer, cinematic sound more reliant on strings and classic soul samples. It also featured Queensbridge emcee Nas on the song Verbal Intercourse, the first non-Wu-Tang artist to appear on a Wu-Tang album. GZA's Liquid Swords had a similar focus on inner-city criminology to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, yet was far darker, both in GZA's grim lyrics and in the ominous, forbidding production that saw RZA more heavily reliant on keyboards than ever before. The two 1995 solo albums remain widely regarded as two of the finest hip hop albums of the nineties. Ghostface Killah released his own debut, Ironman, in 1996; it struck a balance between the sinister keyboard-laden textures of Liquid Swords and the sentimental soul samples of Cuban Linx, while Ghostface himself explored new territory as a lyricist. It was critically acclaimed and is still widely considered one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums. Although these albums were released as solo albums, the rule of RZA behind the boards and the large number of guest appearances from other Clan members (Raekwon and Ghostface's albums only had two or three actual solo tracks each and both included tracks that only included other Clan members and not themselves) means they are usually considered as important to the group's evolution as the group albums proper. official promotional image of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... official promotional image of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Gravediggaz is/was a rap group from New York City. ... Originally a member of the self-proclaimed hip hop band Stetsasonic, Prince Paul, a. ... In the music industry, record producer designates a person responsible for completing a master recording so that it is fit for release. ... Album cover of 3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul is a massively influential alternative hip hop group, best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap subgenre. ... Frukwan (also known as The Gatekeeper) is probably the most mysterious member of the Gravediggaz. ... Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1981 (see 1981 in music) in Brooklyn. ... Gravediggaz is/was a rap group from New York City. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Horrorcore is a genre of hip hop music that evolved from pioneers such as Ganxsta NIP, Esham, The Flatlinerz, Brotha Lynch Hung and The Gravediggaz. ... Method Man (born Clifford Smith, April 1, 1971 in Hempstead, Long Island, New York) is an East Coast rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan, also known for acting and frequent collaborations with Redman (not a Wu-Tang member). ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... Tical was the first album released by Method Man of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan. ... RZA (pronounced rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is a record producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. ... Tical was the first album released by Method Man of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan. ... Russell Jones appears as Dirt McGirt Ol Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas, and Unique Ason), born Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was an African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles... Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is the first album by an American hardcore rap singer Ol Dirty Bastard. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raekwon (born January 12, 1970) as Corey Woods (aka the Chef and Lex Diamonds)) is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Only Built for Cuban Linx is an East Coast rap album by gangsta rapper Raekwon, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). ... Criminology is a sub-field of sociology dealing with matters related to crime and criminal behavior. ... A string instrument (also stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording. ... Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in the United States. ... Nas or NAS can refer to multiple things: Nas (b. ... GZA (pronounced The Jizza, aka The Genius, born Gary Grice August 22, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper and member of The Wu-Tang Clan. ... Liquid Swords was a 1995 (see 1995 in music) solo album by Wu-Tang Clan member Genius (GZA). ... A classic FM synthesizer, the Yamaha DX7. ... Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, May 9, 1970) is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ...

With solo careers established, the Wu-Tang Clan came back together to release the enormous double album Wu-Tang Forever in June 1997. It was eagerly anticipated and entered the charts at number one after selling 600,000 in its first week ; no mean feat for an album that made very little attempt to have wide commercial appeal, and whose lead single Triumph was a five minutes plus nine-MC "posse cut" with no chorus. The sound of the album mostly built upon the sounds of the previous three solo albums, with RZA increasing his use of keyboards and string samples, as well as for the first time assigning much of the album's production to his proteges True Master and 4th Disciple (known as the "Wu-Elements"). The group members also appeared much more ambitious lyrically than on 36 Chambers, with many verses on the album being dense stream-of-consciousness narratives heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. However, the live tour supporting the album was cancelled halfway through amid rumors of internal disputes. Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of RZA's "five year plan"; at the group's inception, he promised the group if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip hop world within five years. After Forever's success, RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell Diggs. This move was designed to enable the Wu-Tang empire to expand further and further into the fabric of the hip hop industry, and in accordance with this an extremely large amount of Wu-Tang music was to be released over the next two years. A double album is an audio album of sufficient length that two units of the medium in which it is sold (especially records and compact discs) are necessary to contain the entirety of it. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the communications operator see Chorus Communications For the computer operating system see ChorusOS In classical music a chorus is any substantial group of performers in a play, revue, musical or opera who act more or less as one. ... In psychology and philosophy stream of consciousness, introduced by William James, is the set of constantly changing inner thoughts and sensations which an individual has while conscious, used as a synonym for stream of thought. ... The Nation of Gods and Earths, commonly known as the Five Percent Nation or the Five Percenters are an African-American social/religious movement founded in Harlem in the late 1960s by Clarence 13X. Spawned from a combination of teachings of by Malcom X and The Nation of Islam, the...

Immediately post-Forever, the focus of Wu-Tang was on promoting emerging affiliate artists rather than the members itself. The group's close associate Cappadonna, who first appeared on Raekwon's debut and was a large presence on both Ironman and Wu-Tang Forever, followed the group project with March 1998's The Pillage, and soon after Killah Priest (like Cappadonna a close associate of the Clan, though not an official member) released Heavy Mental to great critical acclaim. Affiliate groups Sunz Of Man (of which Killah Priest was a member) and Killarmy (which included RZA's younger brother) also released albums while a compilation album, Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm, was also released showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists as well as including new solo tracks from the group members themselves. The same year, 1998, Ol' Dirty Bastard began a long career of erratic behavior, landing him in both the headlines and jail on a regular basis. At the Grammy Awards, he protested the Clan's loss (in Best Rap Album) by interrupting Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech. He then announced a name change to Big Baby Jesus, but never followed through. He was also arrested several times for a variety of offenses, including assault, making terrorist threats, shoplifting, wearing body armor after being convicted of a felony and possession of cocaine. He was also in trouble for missing multiple court dates. The whole Wu-Tang Clan also fell under suspicion as alleged leaders of a gun-running scheme between Staten Island and Steubenville, Ohio, though the investigation never found significant evidence for the allegations. Cappadonna (born Darryl Hill in 1969) is an American rapper and has featured on many Wu-Tang Clan projects. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Killah Priest (born Walter Reed, a. ... Killarmy, an underground east coast hip hop group located in New York, and one of the many branch-off entities stemming from the better known Wu-Tang Clan. ... The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and the... The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album has been awarded since 1996. ... Shawn Colvin (born January 10, 1958) is a pop artist who received critical success in the 1990s with a number of Grammy winning/nominated albums. ... Shoplifting is theft of merchandise for sale in a shop, store, or other retail establishment, usually by a would-be patron or customer. ... ... A felony, in many common law legal systems, is the term for a very serious crime; misdemeanors are considered to be less serious. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Steubenville is a city located in Jefferson County, Ohio. ...

In the midst of such problems, the Clan released yet more solo albums. In the space of just three years, RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo, Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Blackout! (with Redman), GZA's Beneath the Surface, Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please, U-God's Golden Arms Redemption, Raekwon's Immobilarity, Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele and Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance were all released (7 of them being released in the space of 7 months between June 1999 and January 2000). RZA also composed the score for the film Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai, directed by Jim Jarmusch, while he and other Wu-Tang members contributed music to a companion "music inspired by the film" album. Tical 2000: Judgement Day is the follow up release to Tical on Def Jam by rap artist Method Man. ... Nigga Please is a hardcore rap album by American hip hop artist and member of the Wu-Tang Clan Ol Dirty Bastard, released on September 14, 1999 (see 1999 in music). ... Supreme Clientele is a hardcore rap album by East Coast hip hop artist and member of the Wu-Tang Clan Ghostface Killah, released on January 25, 2000 (see 2000 in music). ... Uncontrolled Substance is the 1999 (see 1999 in music) debut of Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck, an American hip hop musician. ... A film score is the background music in a film, generally specially written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ... Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 film directed by Jim Jarmusch. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio, USA) is a noted film director. ...

However, as well as the releases from the nine Clansmen and the most high-ranking affiliates, there was a long line of mostly poorly-received releases from lower-ranking affiliates such as Popa Wu, Shyheim, GP Wu, and Wu-Syndicate, as well as a greatest hits album, a b-sides compilation, and Wu-Tang branded clothing and video games, and consequently the market had been somewhat saturated with Wu-Tang products. This perhaps fuelled the mixed reception for the second round of Clan member solo albums, which did not live up to their pre-Forever forebears either critically or commercially. Occasional albums would still excite the hip hop world (Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele for one) and Method Man and ODB remained popular, but their sound was becoming heavily imitated by others, and they were no longer superstars of hip hop. Fans also bemoaned the lack of RZA input on the post-Forever albums, which were mostly produced by the Wu-Element producers, other lower-ranking affiliates or by outside producers such as the Trackmasters or the Neptunes. Shyheim Franklin born November 14, 1977 is a New York rapper who is a cousin to some of the Wu-Tang Clan members. ... Computer and video games A screenshot of Tetris for the Nintendo Game Boy A console game (better known as a video game) is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment, which consists of a moveable image displayed on a screen that is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld... Trackmasters Entertainment is a successful record production company, run by Jean-Claude Poke Olive and Samuel Tone Barnes. ... The Neptunes are Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, a pair of producers based in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia who created the sound for some of hip-hops most successful artists (Nellys Hot In Herre, Jay-Zs Change Clothes) and pop icons (Britney Spears Im...

Recent history

Wu-Tang Clan on the cover of their 2001 album Iron Flag

In 2000 the group reconvened to make a new album: minus Ol' Dirty Bastard who was incarcerated in California for violating the terms of his probation. Almost finished with his rehab, Ol' Dirty Bastard escaped suddenly and spent one month on the run as a fugitive before showing up onstage at the record release party for The W, the group's new album. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club, but was captured by Philadelphia police and sent to New York to face charges of cocaine possession. In April, 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison. The W itself was mostly well-received by critics, particularly for RZA's production, and also gave the group a hit single with the uptempo Gravel Pit (which was supported by an extravagant faux-prehistoric Flintstones-inspired video). 2001 saw the release of Digital Bullet (the second RZA album released as Bobby Digital), Bulletproof Wallets (Ghostface Killah) and The Yin and the Yang (Cappadonna). The group's latest album (as a group) was 2001 Iron Flag, made without the participation of the still-incarcerated Ol' Dirty Bastard, and which received mixed but mostly positive reviews. album cover for the Wu-tang clan album Iron Flag. ... album cover for the Wu-tang clan album Iron Flag. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Probation is the suspension of a prison or jail sentence - the criminal who is on probation has been convicted of a crime, but instead of serving prison time, has been found by the Court to be amenable to probation and will be returned to the community for a period in... Substance-abuse rehabilitation is a process of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... The cast of The Flintstones, from left to right: Betty, Barney, Fred, Wilma and Dino. ... The Iron Flag is a Wu-Tang Album. ...

After GZA released Legend of the Liquid Sword in late 2002, the following two years saw a spate of new solo releases, including new works by Cappadonna (The Struggle), Method Man (Tical 0: The Prequel), Raekwon (The Lex Diamonds Story), Ghostface Killah (who, in his new contract with Def Jam Records, changed his pseudonym to simply Ghostface, and released The Pretty Toney Album), Inspectah Deck (The Movement), Masta Killa (No Said Date) and Wu-Element producer Mathematics (Love, Hell & Right). Ghostface's The Pretty Toney Album was critically acclaimed in the mainstream press, appearing on many prestigious end-of-year "best of 2005" lists, and Masta Killa's independently released No Said Date was well-received by the group's hardcore fanbase and hip hop enthusiasts in general for its unpretentious, back-to-basics approach and in-house production. However, the albums by Raekwon, Deck and Method Man received mixed reviews which were generally lukewarm at best. 2004 also saw the unexpected return of the Clan to the live stage, and minus Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man (who was filming the Fox sitcom Method & Red) they embarked on a short European tour, before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline the Rock The Bells festival in California. The concert was released on DVD shortly afterwards, along with another greatest hits compilation. This renewed interest in the group fuelled rumors that another group album is on the way soon, although nothing concrete has been announced by the Clan themselves. Ol' Dirty Bastard's death due to a drug overdose on November 13, 2004 should have a limited impact on the Clan, given that his involvement with the group had been very sporadic for many years. Ol' Dirty had been recently released from prison, and subsequently signed to Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-a-Fella Records label where he was preparing a new album, while he recorded other new songs with the Neptunes and the Clan themselves. The unfinished Roc-A-Fella album is expected to be released in some form in June 2005, and a posthumous official mixtape titled Osirus and featuring many new songs was also released in March of that year. New albums are also planned for 2005 from Method Man (who early in the year announced a new RZA-helmed LP), Ghostface, GZA (who is releasing an album-length collaboration with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill) and Raekwon (who plans to release the long-delayed sequel to his 1995 debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx). Legend of the Liquid Sword is GZAs 3rd album, released December 10, 2002. ... Def Jam is a hip-hop record label founded in 1984 by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons with artists like LL Cool J, Run DMC and The Beastie Boys. ... A pseudonym (Greek: false name) is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to their legal name (whereas an allonym is the name of another actual person assumed by one person in authorship of a work of art; e. ... The Movement can refer to several different things: For the 1950s literary movement, see Movement (literature). ... No Said Date is the 2004 (see 2004 in music) solo debut of Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa, an American hip hop musician. ... No Said Date is the 2004 (see 2004 in music) solo debut of Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa, an American hip hop musician. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Method & Red (sometimes written Method and Red) was a television program that first aired on Fox in June 2004. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Damon Dash (also known as Dame Dash, born May 3, 1971 in New York City, New York) is an African-American label executive; the former CEO and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z and Kareem Biggs Burke. ... Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC. Roc-A-Fella Records, was one of the largest United States hip hop/rap record labels. ... The Neptunes are Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, a pair of producers based in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia who created the sound for some of hip-hops most successful artists (Nellys Hot In Herre, Jay-Zs Change Clothes) and pop icons (Britney Spears Im... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The compact audio cassette brought homemade mixes of pop songs within the reach of the casual music fan. ... DJ Muggs (born January 28, 1968), also known as Muggs, is Cypress Hills DJ and producer. ... Cypress Hill is a prominent rap music group (formed in 1988), which has sold 15 million records around the world. ... Alternate use, hydrogen fuel car: General Motors Sequel A sequel is a work of fiction (e. ...

Trivia

The Wu-Tang Clan's famous logo was designed by Allah Mathematics, DJ and producer with the group. A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface/font, or arranged in a particular, but legible, way. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ...

The group (actually just RZA, Cappadonna and affiliate group Killarmy) made an appearance in the "Adolf Hankler" episode of the HBO sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. In the episode, the group are booked to perform on the show-within-the-show by guest host Jon Stewart, who then comes into disagreement with the show's network over whether or not the Clan are "too urban" for the show's audience. In one of their two scenes they are seen rehearsing the song "And Justice For All" and in the other awkwardly conversing with the show's sidekick character Hank Kingsley (played by Jeffrey Tambor). HBO logo HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... The Larry Sanders Show is the name of a satirical situation comedy television series that originally screened from 1992 to 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the USA. It starred former standup comedian Garry Shandling as the shows vain, self-obsessed, neurotic host, Larry Sanders. ... Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962 in Trenton, New Jersey), is an American comedian, actor, author, and producer, best known as host of The Daily Show. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... The term urban means cities and towns as distinct from rural areas. ... Jeffrey Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. ...

Some members of the group have also appeared in two sketches on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. The first was in episode 107, in a sketch titled "Wu-Tang Financial", in which RZA and GZA run an investment firm. The second appearance was in episode 201, in a sketch titled "Racial Draft 2004", in which the group is "drafted" to become of Asian ethnicity. Comedy Centrals old logo Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ... Dave Chappelle Chappelles Show is a sketch comedy series starring Dave Chappelle, a comedian (previously) best known for his role as Thurgood Jenkins in the stoner film Half Baked. ... A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ...

The Clan never actually released a track on which all nine original members rap. The closest they came was the hit single "Triumph" from 1997, on which all 9 members as well as Cappadonna appear, but Ol' Dirty Bastard only speaks a short intro and bridge and does not rap. In popular music a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material or section. ...

Members and their aliases

• Ghostface Killah (short: ghost) (birth name: Dennis Coles)
  • Sun God
  • Tony Starks (from the comic Iron Man)
  • Ghostface
  • Pretty Toney
  • Tone-Tanna
  • General Tony Starks
  • Starkey Love
  • Wally Champ
  • Ironman (from the comic Iron Man)
  • Black Jesus
  • Ghost Deini
• GZA (pronounced "The Jezza") (birth name: Gary Grice)
  • The Genius
  • Allah Justice
  • Justice
  • The Scientist
  • The Head
  • Maximillion
• Inspectah Deck (short name: INS (I-N-S), deck) (birth name: Jason Hunter)
  • Fifth Brother
  • Rebel INS
  • Ayatollah
  • Manifesto
  • Charliehorse
  • Rollie Fingers
• Masta Killa (short name: masta) (from the film Shaolin Master Killer) (birth name: Elgin Turner)
  • High Chief
  • Jamel Irief
  • Noodles
• Method Man (short name: meth) (birth name: Clifford Smith)
  • The Ghost Rider
  • Johnny Blaze (from the comic Ghost Rider)
  • Methtical (Meth-tical)
  • MZA ("The Mezza")
  • Shakwon
  • The Panty Raider
  • Tical
  • Ticallion Stallion
  • Hot Nixon
  • John-John McLane
  • John-John Blaizini
  • Johnny Dangerous
  • Long John Silver
  • Iron Lung
  • Hot Nikkels
• Ol' Dirty Bastard (short name: ODB, dirty) (birth name: Russell Jones) (deceased)
  • Big Baby Jesus
  • Ol' Dirt Dog
  • Joe Bananas
  • Freeloading Rusty
  • Dirt McGirt
  • The Old Dirty Chinese Restaurant
  • The Projessor
  • the Bebop Specialist
  • the Specialist
  • Prince Delight
  • Unique Ason
  • Cyrus
  • Dirt Schultz
  • Joe Bannanas
  • Ol' Dirty BZA
  • Osiris
  • Brother Osiris
  • Ason Unique
• Raekwon the Chef (short name: rae) (birth name: Corey Woods)
  • Lex Diamonds
  • Louis Diamonds
  • Rick Diamonds
  • Shallah
  • Louis Rich
  • Shallah Raekwon
• RZA ("The Rezza") (birth name: Robert Diggs)
  • Bobby Steels
  • Bobby Digital
  • The Abbot
  • Chief Abbot
  • the Scientist
  • Prince Delight
  • Prince Dynamite
  • Prince Rakeem
  • RZArecta (from resurrector - waking up the mentally dead)
  • Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig-Allah
• U-God (birth name: Lamont Hawkins)
  • 4-Bar Killer
  • Baby U
  • Universal God of Law
  • Baby Huey
  • Four-Bar Killer
  • Golden Arms
  • Lucky Hands
  • UGodz-Illa

Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, May 9, 1970) is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Iron Man is a Marvel Comics superhero. ... Iron Man is a Marvel Comics superhero. ... GZA (pronounced The Jizza, aka The Genius, born Gary Grice August 22, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper and member of The Wu-Tang Clan. ... Inspectah Deck (born Jason Hunter July 6, 1970 in Bronx, New York ) is an East Coast rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Masta Killa (b. ... Method Man (born Clifford Smith, April 1, 1971 in Hempstead, Long Island, New York) is an East Coast rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan, also known for acting and frequent collaborations with Redman (not a Wu-Tang member). ... Ghost Rider is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, and of several characters in the Marvel Universe. ... Ghost Rider is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, and of several characters in the Marvel Universe. ... Russell Jones appears as Dirt McGirt Ol Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas, and Unique Ason), born Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968–November 13, 2004), was an African American rapper with one of the most highly distinctive styles... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Raekwon (born January 12, 1970) as Corey Woods (aka the Chef and Lex Diamonds)) is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... RZA (pronounced rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is a record producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. ... Abbots coat of arms An abbot (from the Hebrew ab, a father, through the Syriac abba, Latin abbas (genitive form, abbatis), Old English abbad, ; German Abt; French abbé) is the head and chief governor of a community of monks, called also in the East hegumenos or The English version... U-God (born Lamont Hawkins aka Golden Arms, Lucky Hands, Baby U, 4-Bar Killer) is one of the rappers in the Wu-Tang Clan. ...

Discography

• 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud)
• 1997 Wu-Tang Forever (Loud)
• 2000 The W (Columbia)
• 2001 Iron Flag (Columbia)
• 2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (Sanctuary)

Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers is the 1993 (see 1993 in music) debut album by the Wu-Tang Clan, a collective of American hip hop musicians. ... Loud Records is a subsidiary of Arista Records See also List of record labels Categories: Record label stubs | Record labels ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Loud Records is a subsidiary of Arista Records See also List of record labels Categories: Record label stubs | Record labels ... The Iron Flag is a Wu-Tang Album. ... Sanctuary Records is an independent record company formed by Rod Smallwood, the manager for Iron Maiden. ...

See also

• Shyheim Franklin

Shyheim Franklin born November 14, 1977 is a New York rapper who is a cousin to some of the Wu-Tang Clan members. ...

External links

• Official Wu-Tang Site
• Automatic Wu-Tang name generator
• Official Sony Music site
• Wu Wear fashion line
• Wu Wear fashion line
• Chambermuzik, fansite with lyrics, forum and other info
• WuForever, fansite with image gallery and forum