wu tang clan FAQs
1) WHEN DID THE WU-TANG CLAN GET TOGETHER?
The Wu-Tang Clan as we know it originated in 1992, although much of them
were friends before then, and some of them are related to each other. The Genius' first group was called "All In Together Now", which was said to have featured Ol' Dirty Bastard. Considering how The RZA works, there may be some tracks lying in the vaults, but it is unknown if anything from that era exists.
2) WHAT DOES WU-TANG MEAN?
Wu-Tang is a sword style of kung fu martial arts done primarily in Northern
China. The term "wu-tang" translates to battle. The group have also made a number definitions for Wu-Tang, including "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", and "We Usually Take Another Niggas Garments".
3) WHO IS IN THE WU-TANG CLAN?
The eight core members of the group are The RZA, The Genius, Ol' Dirty
Bastard, Inspector Deck, Raekwon The Chef, U-God, Ghost Face Killer, and
Method Man. Master Killer is also considered to be the "9th member". There are also members in the Wu-Tang "family", some of which are rappers in their own right. They include Scientific Shabazz, Shyheim a/k/a The Rugged Child, Cappadonna, Shorty Shit Stain, Prodigal Sun, Killer Priest, Blue Raspberry (vocalist), Dark Skinned Assassin, KGB, Pop Da Brown Hornet, KD Da Downlow Wrecka, 4th Disciple, 62nd Assassin, Buddha Monk, 12 O'Clock, Dreddy Krueger, DJ Skane, Ill Master Y-Kim, and many many more.
4) WHERE IS SHAOLIN?
In terms of the Wu-Tang Clan, Shaolin is another name for Staten Island,
New York.
5) IS KING JUST A PART OF THE WU-TANG CLAN?
King Just is from Shaolin, but no, he is not a part of the Wu.
6) DID THE RZA DO ANYTHING BEFORE THE WU-TANG CLAN?
Yes. As Prince Rakeem, he released his first 12" single on Tommy Boy Records called "Ooh, I Love You Rakeem". It was a flop.
7) DID THE GENIUS RELEASE AN ALBUM IN 1991?
Yes. "WORDS FROM THE GENIUS" was released on Cold Chillin'/Reprise Records
with not much of a response. He did do a video for the first single, "Come Do Me". The song is not on the 1994 reissue of the album.
8) IN THE PHOTO INSIDE "ENTER THE WU-TANG (36 CHAMBERS)", who is in the
photo?
They are (from L-R): Raekwon The Chef, Inspector Deck, The Genius, Ghost
face Killer, The RZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard.
9) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER NAMES EACH MEMBER OF THE WU USES?
The RZA is also known as The Rzarector and Prince Rakeem
The Genius is also known as The GZA, and Justice
Ol' Dirty Bastard is also known as Unique Ason
Inspector Deck is also known as Rebel INS
Raekwon The Chef is also known as Shallah Raekwon
U-God is also known as Baby-U; Golden Arms; and 4-Bar Killer
Ghost Face Killer is also known as Sun God
Method Man is also known as Meth Tical; Shakwon; The MZA; and Ticallion
Stallion
They also have WU-GAMBINO names:
The RZA is Bobby Steels
The Genius is Maximillion
Ol' Dirty Bastard is Dirt McGirt/Joe Bananas
Inspector Deck is Rollie Fingers
Raekwon The Chef is Lou Diamonds (Louis Rich Diamonds)
U-God is Lucky Hands
Ghost Face Killer is Tony Starks
Method Man is Johnny Blaze
10) WHAT ARE THE WU-GAMBINOS?
The rumor is that the Wu-Tang Clan are planning to do a movie, and it will be called the Wu-Gambinos. The new names puts each member in a mafia/gangster mind frame. It's just another twist to the Wu-Tang puzzle. However, music has been their primary focus recently, so don't expect to see any kind of movie for quite some time.
11) IS MASTER KILLER A MEMBER OF THE WU?
Yes. He is considered to be the honorary "9th member" of the group. His
Wu-Gambino name is Noodles.
12) ARE THERE ANY OTHER WU-GAMBINOS?
Yes. Cappadonna is also known as Cappachino; rapper Nas is known as Nas
Escobar, the only non-Wu member to have a Gambino name.
13) WHAT ARE THE REAL NAMES OF THE WU-TANG CLAN?
The RZA: Robert Diggs
The Genius: Gary Grice
Ol' Dirty Bastard: Russell Jones (born November 15, 1968)
Inspector Deck: Jason Hunter
Raekwon The Chef: Corey Woods
U-God: Lamont Hawkins
Ghost Face Killer: Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970)
Method Man: Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971)
Master Killer: Jamal Turner
Cappadon: Darryl Hill
Shyheim: Shyheim Franklin
14) WHO RAPS WHAT IN EACH SONG ON "ENTER THE WU-TANG"?
Bring Da Ruckus: Ghost Face/Raekwon/Inspector Deck/The Genius
Shame On A Nigga: Ol' Dirty Bastard/Method Man/Raekwon/Ol' Dirty
Clan In Da Front: The RZA/The Genius
Wu-Tang-7th Chamber: Raekwon/Meth/Inspector Deck/Ghost Face/The RZA/Ol'
Dirty/The Genius
Can It Be All So Simple: The RZA (intro)/Raekwon/Ghost Face
Da Mystery Of Chessboxin': U-God/Inspector Deck/Raekwon/Meth/Ghost Face/Ol'
Dirty/Master Killer/Meth
Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing Ta Fuck Wit': The RZA/Inspector Deck/Meth/The
RZA
C.R.E.A.M.: Raekwon/Inspector Deck (chorus: Meth/vocals: Ol' Dirty)
Method Man: The Genius (intro)/Meth/The RZA (1st part; outro)/Ghost Face
(2nd part)
Protect Ya Neck: Inspector Deck/Raekwon/Method/U-God/Ol' Dirty/Ghost
Face/The RZA/The Genius
Tearz: The RZA/Ghost Face
15) WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "TICAL"?
Tical is said to be Shaolin slang for a potent strain of marijuana, a word
often used by Method Man. When Meth says it, it is also used to say
something positive. In interviews, they say that their use of Tical comes
from a Native American tribe called "Tikal".
16) IN METHOD MAN's SONG "BISCUIT"... WHAT EXACTLY IS A BISCUIT?
Biscuit is a slang for a gun.
17) WHO ARE THE GRAVEDIGGAZ?
It is another group co-founded by The RZA and Prince Paul. Some call it
RZA's side project, when in truth they are a full group in their own right.
The members of the Gravediggaz are:
The RZA...The Rzarector
Prince Paul...The Undertaker
Too Poetic...Grym Reaper
Fruitkwan...The Gate Keeper
Prince Paul was a member of Stetsasonic, and produces such artists as De La
Soul, Queen Latifah, The Jaz, and Chill Rob G.
Fruitkwan was a member of Stetsasonic, who left before the "BLOOD, SWEAT &
NO TEARS" album.
Too Poetic was a member of Brothers Grimm. He also had a short lived solo
career, releasing the "God Made Me Funky" 12" single on Tommy Boy in 1990.
18) WHAT IS "NIGGAMORTIS"?
This is the original title for the album American fans know as "6 FEET
DEEP". Gee Street/Island Records, however, objected to the title. The
United States is the only country where their debut album is called "6 FEET
DEEP". In Europe, "6 FEET DEEP" is an EP of remixes.
19) OL' DIRTY BASTARD CALLED HIS DEBUT ALBUM "RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS:
THE DIRTY VERSION". IS THERE A CLEAN VERSION?
The term "the dirty version" refers to the fact that you would be listening
to Ol' Dirty's version of the Wu, thus "the dirty version". However,
someone says there is a clean version of the album, pressed on vinyl, but I
have yet to see this myself.
20) IS THERE A CLEAN VERSION OF "ENTER THE WU-TANG"?
Yes. The clean mix features clean/radio edits of the songs, and is much
shorter than the explicit version. The clean version can be detected by
not having a Warning Label on the cover. It can be found in stores that do
not normally sell records with explicit lyrics (i.e. K-Mart, Wal-Mart).
The clean version has been only released in the U.S.
21) WILL EACH MEMBER OF THE WU RELEASE THEIR OWN SOLO ALBUMS?
Yes.
22) WILL THERE BE A HOME VIDEO FROM THE WU-TANG CLAN?
In early 1996, Wu-Tang Management said there would be one but so far, no word of any.
23) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO VERSIONS OF THE "WORDS FROM THE
GENIUS" ALBUM?
The original, brown cover version features "Come Do Me", a house-flavored
song. The 1994 reissue replaces that song with "Pass The Bone", featuring
Prince Rakeem. The reissue also rearranges the song order, and lacks any
kind of liner notes and lyrics.
24) ARE THERE ANY WOMEN IN THE WU-TANG CLAN?
In the Wu-Tang musical family, only vocalist Blue Raspberry is a part of
the Clan. She will release her debut album in 1996. Rapper N-Tyce, who
featured Method Man in her first single, is not a member of the Wu. The Genius directed a video by a female MC from Miami named Mother Superia, but she is not a member of the WU family.
25) HOW MANY MEMBERS ARE IN THE WU?
Besides the nine core members, there are over 400 members, most of whom
are not rappers. Other groups spawned from the Wu include Sunz Of Man, Royal Fam, Killarmy, and Brooklyn Zoo, with more to follow.
26) WHAT IS "MONTH OF THE MAN"?
"Month Of The Man" is a promotional campaign done by Def Jam Records in
1994 to promote the albums by Method Man and Redman. The TV and print ads
that came out made it look like they were working on a movie together,
and/or an album. Because both rappers have "Man" in their names, the term
"Month Of The Man" was catchy. The original "Month Of The Man" was
October, but both of their albums were pushed to November (the 15th for
Meth, the 22nd for Redman).
They did collaborate in the song "How High" from "THE SHOW" soundtrack, as well as "Do What Ya Feel" on REDMAN's "Muddy Waters" album. Both joined up again in the video for Redman's "Whateva Man". They will team up again for a track on the forthcoming "WHO'S THE MAN 2" soundtrack, and have announced that an EP from them is on the way in 1997.
27) WHAT ARE THE "CHAMBERS"?
In kung fu movies, a "chamber" is a place where one must master a
aspect and technique of kung fu before moving on. Balance, hand/eye coordination, etc.
In the movie "Master Killer", Gordon Liu comes into a Shaolin Temple and wants to learn kung fu. He must go through all the chambers in order to know how to fight. Eventually he builds and builds until he reaches the 35th chamber. There are only 35 chambers in the temple, no higher. The Abbot and Master ask Liu what he wants to do next. He wants to create a new chamber, which consists of him teaching what he has learned to the outsiders. The Abbot and Master, refusing to let go of tradition, kick him out. Essentially they know what he's doing, and at the end, Liu has taught new friends the secrets of the shaolin temple, so they can share it with their children, and so on and so on, continuing tradition.
The Wu-Tang Clan have adapted the art of the chambers and made it
their own. Each Wu "chamber" is a different aspect of their rapping style,
either verbally, lyrically, or musically. What the Wu are doing is sharing
what they know to the rest of the world, they are experiencing their own
36th chamber.
A full list of chambers the Wu have made for themselves has not
been compiled. The Gravediggaz have a "Graveyard Chamber", Ol' Dirty talks
about a "Chamber #9, Verse 32/only speaks about the Brooklyn Zoo" in his song "The Stomp". In the video for "Protect Ya Neck", it says the song is the 13th chamber. The Genius recently came out with a song called "4th Chamber".
Most fans consider each album to be a chamber, and members have
acknowledged it as such.
28) HOW MANY ALBUMS HAVE THE WU MADE (AS A GROUP AND SOLO)?
As a group, they have made only one: "ENTER THE WU-TANG (36
CHAMBERS)".
Solo wise, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, and Ghost Face Killer have all released their debut albums. The Genius and Shyheim have released two. Gravediggaz have released one LP.
29) WHY AREN'T THE TRACKS ON THE GENIUS' ALBUM IN ORDER?
They are in order on the vinyl and cassette versions. The listing on the back was simply done to arrange the songs in a storytelling-like manner. The inside, however, is another story.
30) IS THERE ACTUALLY A WU-TANG MANUAL?
The manual listed on the back of "LIQUID SWORDS" simply says the
little story on the back cover is a verse out of the non-existent Wu-Tang
Manual. It is similar to Ol' Dirty talking about "chamber #9/verse 32".
If you have the original copy of GZA's first album, the "words" being
written in those books could be verses, chapters of the non-existent
manual.
31) WHAT IS THE SONG HEARD DURING THE INTRO OF RAEKWON's "SPOT RUSHERZ"?
That is the commercial the Wu-Tang Clan did for St. Ides Malt Liquor. The longest version of the song that has circulated so far features Method Man, Raekwon, Ghost Face, U-God, and The RZA. It has remained unreleased. Supposedly, St. Ides pressed up a limited amount of promotional cassettes featuring a number of songs done by other rappers for their company. The Wu may have been one of them. This is considered to be a rarity.
32) WHAT IS THE SONG HEARD DURING THE INTRO OF RAEKWON'S "GLACIERS OF ICE" ON HIS ALBUM?
On the album version, what you hear is the original mix of KGB's "Bless Ya Life". KGB is down with the Wu, and the "Bless Ya Life" 12" single was released in 1995 on Mascot Records.
The 12" version of "Glaciers Of Ice" has a totally different intro.
33) WHO IS WHO IN THE GROUP PHOTO FOUND INSIDE "ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX"?
From L-R: U-God, Master Killer, The Genius, Ol' Dirty Bastard (in the back), Raekwon, The RZA, Inspector Deck, and Ghost Face. Method Man is underneath the table, smoking a joint. His hand can be seen, and GZA is looking down at him. There is an alternate shot from the same session, where you can see Meth give the camera the "middle finger".
34) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOVIES THE WU-TANG CLAN HAVE SAMPLED ON THEIR ALBUMS?
This is a very partial list:
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
Shaolin vs. Lama
Five Deadly Venoms
Return Of The Bastard Swordsman
Master Killer
Shogun Assassin
The Killer
The Mack
Scarface
Fresh
Carlito's Way
The Usual Suspects
There are others. If anyone can help me with this list, it would be appreciated.
35) DOES GHOST FACE KILLER HAVE AIDS?
No.
36) DOES METHOD MAN HAVE CANCER?
No.
37) WHO IS OSIRIS/CYRUS?
Osiris was the mame that Ol' Dirty Bastard wanted to change into in October 1996, a few weeks after the death of 2Pac. "Osiris" is said to be a fertility god of some sort. The name was later changed to just "Cyrus". He has yet to use this name in a song.
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