That's a mighty hard combination to pull off but the RZA did it with flying colors by creating a style all his own yet still accessible enough to capture audiences across the globe and inspire an entire planet of upcoming Hip-Hop artists to follow his lead. Observing the Wu-Tang Clan and the solo projects that followed there is one thing that is blatantly apparent, and that's how the Clan delivered a sound and style that was amazingly original and unorthodox not only lyrically, but certainly on the production side also, where RZA created soundscapes that were catchy, atmospheric, and rugged all while being decidedly non-commercial. The last storytelling track is the highly dramatic, and visual 'Tearz' where RZA paints a picture of a traumatic and violent experience on streets, while Ghostface chimes in with a story about HIV/AIDS. with its famous acronym (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) with its memorable piano loop coupled with 'growing up hard' lyrics by Raekwon and Inspectah Deck, the track is topped off with the classic chorus by Method Man.
The second track in this mold is the classic C.R.E.A.M. The first track that uses this approach is the soulful and chilled out track 'Can't It All Be So Simple' which is the first time we get to hear Raekwon and Ghostface team up with their complementary styles. While the majority of the album's lyrics have the vibe of a cipher on the corner, there are three tracks that stand out lyrically with more of a storytelling style. Drawing on their many inspirations these talented young MC's never cease to entertain with their pop culture references, humor, and raw energy.
Lyrically this is a masterful battle rap album, with hundreds of ferocious bars delivered by some of the hungriest, most talented and creative MC's to ever grab the mic. All of the marks of their unique style are present on '36 Chambers' although they would only continue to develop and mature in all aspects on their subsequent releases. And despite being a massively popular movement in the Hip-Hop world, the sound was decidedly rugged, ruff, creative and original to a tee. This particular brand came from the rugged streets of Shaolin and was paving its own sound and style and creating a worldwide audience that would stretch from the slums of Shaolin to all corners of the globe. But they weren't simply going to be artists, they were going to be entrepreneurs all investing in a new brand called: Wu-Tang.
The idea was to make a huge crew consisting of razor-sharp MC's who were all capable of being amazing solo artists in their own right, and by having them on separate labels they could diversify their assets so to speak. The year is 1992, the place is Staten Island, and a 23-year-old RZA is in the process of masterminding a Hip-Hop collective that will revolutionize both the sound and the business of Hip-Hop forever.
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