The founders of Wu-Tang Clan were cousins GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The RZA, who had previously comprised the trio Force Of The Imperial Master, who became better known as "All In Together Now" after they had released a popular single by that name. The group had attracted the attention of some in the industry, including Biz Markie, but had never managed to secure a record deal. Since the crew dissolved, GZA (then known as the Genius) and The RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem) had also embarked on separate unsuccessful solo careers with Cold Chillin' Records and Tommy Boy Records, respectively. Their frustration with the workings of the hip hop music industry would provide the main inspiration to Wu-Tang's revolutionary business plan. At the group's inception, RZA promised the members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip-hop world within five years, after which he would relinquish his total control.
Wu-Tang Clan was gradually assembled in late 1992 from friends and accomplices from around Staten Island, with The RZA as the de facto leader & the group's producer. The two cousins (GZA and The RZA) created their new Wu-Tang aliases by mimicking the sound that the words "genius" and "rakeem" would make when scratched on a turntable. The word Wu-Tang comes from the name of an area in China established by the Wu, a clan from the 3 Kingdoms period. The RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after seeing the kung-fu film Shaolin and Wu-Tang, which features a school of warriors trained in Wu-Tang style (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 "We Usually Take All Niggas' Garments," "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game" and "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation, and God". This is reflected by the teaching of the 5% nation of Gods and Earths.
The Clan first became known to hip hop fans, and to major record labels, in 1993 (see 1993 in music) 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 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. Though hip hop had long had a gritty texture, the surreal aggression and minimalist production of 36 Chambers nevertheless had a huge impact on the genre, and was to prove massively influential over the next decade. By the beginning of the 21st century, the album had become a regular fixture on "Best Albums Of The 90s" lists as well as a frequent choice for "Best Albums Of All Time" lists. The success of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers established the group as a creative and influential force in early 1990s hip hop, allowing GZA, The RZA, Raekwon, Method Man, and Ol' Dirty Bastard to negotiate solo contracts.
Wu-Tang Clan has influenced hip-hop profoundly in many aspects. They are arguably one of the most successful "crews" in rap history — though certainly the largest — with several other collectives (such as Dipset, Hot Boys and No Limit Records) emulating the framework established by The RZA. They were also among the first to start the trend in hip-hop of diversification; specifically, the hip-hop clothing line with Wu-Wear and the hip-hop video game with Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.
Band Members
Ghostface Killah · GZA · Inspectah Deck · Masta Killa · Method Man · Ol' Dirty Bastard · Raekwon · RZA · U-God
