Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Wu- Tang Clan. It was released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records. Its title originates from the martial arts films Enter the Dragon and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The album had surprising chart success, peaking at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first week on sale. By 1995 it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and in October 2018 it wascertified triple platinum.

About Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in brief

Summary Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Wu- Tang Clan. It was released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records. Recording sessions took place during early-to-mid 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City. Its title originates from the martial arts films Enter the Dragon and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Despite its raw, underground sound, the album had surprising chart success, peaking at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first week on sale. By 1995 it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and in October 2018 it wascertified triple platinum. Its influence helped lead the way for several other East Coast rappers, including Nas, The Notorious B. I. G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z. Its sound also became greatly influential in modern hip hop production, while the group members’ explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have served as a template for many subsequent hip hop records. Group leader RZA produced the album by creating sonic collages from classic soul samples and clips from martial arts movies such as Shaolin and Wu Tang. He complemented the rappers’ performances with menacing beats that evmented their gritty surroundings more effectively than their words. The use of various esoteric clips, which RZA employed in his beats, was largely unprecedented in hip hop. The album is considered one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

The group never signed to a major label, but caught the attention of the New York city rap scene and was recognized by rapper Biz Markie. In the late 1980s, cousins Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, and Russell Jones formed a group named Force of the Imperial Master, also known as the All in Together Now Crew. Each member recorded under an alias: Grice as The Genius, Diggs as Prince Rakeem or The Scientist, and Jones as The Specialist. RZA began collaborating with Dennis Coles, later known as Ghostface Killah, another rapper from the Stapleton Houses in Staten Island. The duo decided to create a hip-hop group whose ethos would be a blend of eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies, watered-down Nation of Islam preaching picked up on the NYC streets, and comic books. In 1991, The Genius released Words from the Genius on Cold Chillin’ Records and Prince Rakesem released Ooh I Love You Rakeam on Tommy Boy Records. Both were soon dropped by their labels, and RZA refocused his efforts and on new monikers; The Genius became GZA, while Prince Rakingem became RZA. RZA discussed the matter in the book ThewuTang Manual, stating: ‘Damn, they chose a bunch of whiteboy shit over me. When they dropped me, I was thinking, ‘Damn,. they chose to sign House of Pain over us’