Wu-Tang Clan

Sound Familiar?

“Protect Ya Neck,” “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Triumph”

Who Are They?

One of the most critically-acclaimed and respected rap groups of all time (and the best one of the ‘90s).

Wu-Tang Clan assembled in 1992 with RZA serving as the group’s de facto leader and producer. So what the hell’s a “wu-tang,” you ask? Well, since RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were such huge fans of old kung fu movies, they took the name from the 1983 martial arts film Shaolin and Wu Tang (sound bites from the English dub of the film appear in Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers).

Though plenty of rappers have collaborated with RZA and friends over the years, the official members of Wu-Tang Clan are RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard. (Longtime contributor Cappadonna’s status as an official member is unclear even though RZA supposedly added him to the group years ago.)

But I have neither the time nor the space to get into all the separate entities of the group (and there are a lot, I know. I’m pretty sure I was in Wu-Tang Clan for like a minute at one point). So for now, let’s get back to the history.

In 1993, Wu-Tang released its first independent single “Protect Ya Neck,” which immediately gave the group a huge underground following. After some difficulty finding a label that would sign the group while still allowing each member to venture to other labels for solo albums, Wu-Tang signed to RCA and released Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers later that year.

The success of 36 Chambers allowed each member to negotiate solo contracts. Without delving too deep into each solo career, I’ll just say that almost every member found success on his own. Method Man even picked up a Grammy for his track “All I Need.”

After proving themselves as solo artists, the members of Wu-Tang Clan reassembled to record the follow-up to 36 Chambers, 1997’s Wu-Tang Forever. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, achieved multi-platinum status and earned a Grammy nod for Best Rap Album. Wu-Tang Forever’s was more similar to the solo albums than 36 Chambers and featured verses written in dense stream of consciousness form (“Triumph” in particular was considered an odd choice for a first single since it featured nine verses with no chorus or hook).

A second round of solo albums followed Wu-Tang Forever, but they weren’t nearly as well-received as the first round. Wu-Tang Fever began decline by 1998 as a result of oversaturation. Keep in mind that these guys were everywhere in the mid-‘90s. They had albums under Wu-Tang Clan, solo albums, a clothing line and even video games. Yes, video games.

Where Are They Now?

Enjoying solo careers and possibly putting out a sixth Wu-Tang studio album in the near future.

Wu-Tang Clan reconvened in 2000 to release The W, the first album without Ol’ Dirty Bastard (he was too busy being incarcerated for violating his probation, but he did manage to record a verse for “Conditioner” via telephone).

ODB began having issues shortly before the release of The W, but kind of threw caution to the wind later that year. He escaped custody while in transit to rehab, became a fugitive and was finally caught signing autographs at a McDonald’s in North Philadelphia.

But back to Wu-Tang. Iron Flag followed The W, but didn’t sit well with fans due to its light crossover vibe. Around this time, Method Man began his acting career, starring in the stoner comedy How High alongside Redman. (Fun fact: The film currently holds a dismal 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 420% rating among stoners.)

By 2004, Wu-Tang Clan was wearing thin as a rap collective. U-God left the group claiming that RZA had hindered his success as a solo artist. The two ended up reconciling later on and Wu-Tang embarked on an unexpected European tour. Later that year, Ol’ Dirty Bastard collapsed in the recording studio and was pronounced dead just two days shy of his 36^th birthday.

Following ODB’s death, the remaining members of Wu-Tang Clan released another round of solo albums, but have yet to release another collective studio album.

But Why Wu-Tang Clan?

They may or may not be celebrating their 20^th anniversary next year with a sixth studio album. According to an interview with Ghostface Killah last year, the album was slated for release by May of this year. That didn’t happen. So then GZA told us that the album would probably never happen. But then RZA said the album would probably drop next year. I don’t even know what to believe anymore. Let’s just go with next year or never.

What Does Sam Think?

I really dig ‘90s rap and hip-hop, but I am in no way an expert. So why do I like Wu-Tang Clan?

I really can’t give you a coherent answer to this question. I always feel a need to explain myself when I admit to liking a rap group/artist, which is kind of ridiculous. Yeah, I’m really into rock music in general, but that doesn’t mean it’s all I listen to. But I digress. Rap artists of the late ‘80s and early to mid-‘90s definitely had something to say. That time period is usually referred to as “The Golden Age of Hip-Hop” for a reason. Acts like Wu-Tang Clan weren’t afraid to be political or aggressive. This isn’t your mommy and daddy’s hip-hop; this is the real shit.

There’s something about the grittiness of this group that really appeals to me. I can probably trace that interest back to my punk rock roots. Punk is all about channeling this rage you feel into an aggressive statement. It’s a slap in the face, and that’s kind of what rap groups like Wu-Tang Clan, or even N.W.A., were all about. Yeah, you can find the odd song about “bitches and hoes” in their discographies, but the majority of the songs deal with subjects like racism, classism and the occasional drug war.

I’m not going to pretend that I can relate to Wu-Tang songs. I’m a white girl going to college in the Midwest. I’m definitely not in this group’s key demographic. But in recent years, white college kids have become a key demographic in rap music. Think about Odd Future (arguably the modern day equivalent of Wu-Tang). That group is successful because it has such a diverse fanbase. It’s kind of baffling when you really think about it.

So let me end this entry by asking you, the reader, why you like rap music and why you think Wu-Tang Clan “ain’t nuthin’ ta fuck wit.”

-- Sam Boyer, reporting from the ‘90s.

Will Smith

Sound Familiar?

“Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Miami,” “Wild Wild West”

Who Is He?

Probably one of the most successful cases of a rapper-turned-actor in history.

In West Philadelphia, born and raised, Will Smith spent most of his days as one-half of the surprisingly successful hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. If you happen to be a child of the ‘80s, you’ll remember that catchy tune “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” If you were born a little too late, you should still know that song.

In fact, that song was so good it won the first ever Grammy in the Best Rap Performance category in 1989. Not bad, not bad.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince released five albums from 1987 to 1993. What’s even more impressive for this novelty hip-hop group is the fact that these guys have sold over 5.5 million albums in the US.

Due to a self-admitted “spendthrift attitude,” Will ended up blowing through $2.8 million and ditched paying taxes. Long story short, he got caught by the IRS and was forced to pay it all back.

In 1990, after releasing three albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Will took up an offer for a starring role in a little sitcom called The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That show’s theme song was the equivalent of “The Star-Spangled Banner” for just about every ‘90s kid. If you didn’t know all the words, you weren’t an American.

During the show’s run (1990-1996), Will released a couple more albums with his buddy DJ Jazzy Jeff and began to pursue acting full-time. His first lead roles were in 1993’s Six Degrees of Separation and 1995’s Bad Boys. After leaving The Fresh Prince in 1996, Will landed the role of a lifetime in the massive blockbuster Independence Day.

Will struck gold again in 1997 with Men In Black. Not only did he star in yet another blockbuster, but he also recorded a hit single for the film. “Men In Black” earned Will another Grammy for a rap performance (which seems kind of silly considering that the track was written for a comedy film).

That same year, Will released his first solo album Big Willie Style. The album’s lead single “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Will yet another Grammy. This man is made of Grammys. It’s insane.

After starring in Enemy of the State in 1998, Will released his follow-up album Willennium in 1999. The record’s only major hit was “Wild Wild West,” a track recorded specifically for the film of the same name. (Fun fact: Will turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of a starring role in Wild Wild West. It’s okay, Fresh Prince. We all make mistakes.)

Where Is He Now?

Still active in the film industry, but also ready to make another album. Did I also mention that he’s one of the richest men in America? Yeah, the Fresh Prince is loaded.

Will took a break from music to star in 2001’s Ali (which earned him an Oscar nod for Best Actor) and 2002’s Men In Black II. Born to Reign, his third solo studio album, dropped in June 2002. While it didn’t achieve the platinum status of the first two records, Born to Reign garnered mostly positive reviews from critics (Allmusic gave it a 4/5 rating, which is pretty damn good).

After a couple more film roles, Will released Lost and Found in 2005. The record featured some heavy-hitters in the rap and hip-hop community (Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and Ludacris), but failed to achieve any commercial success.

Since the commercial failure of Lost and Found, Will has shifted his focus back to film. In 2006, he scored another Oscar nod for his role in The Pursuit of Happyness.

After roles in I Am Legend and Hancock, among others, Will began to favor working behind the scenes. In 2010, he produced the remake of The Karate Kid starring his own son, Jaden Smith.

But Why Will Smith?

People were actually begging for this entry and I originally thought they were kidding. Then I realized, “Hey! Will Smith is actually kind of relevant as a ‘90s icon right now!”

In case you didn’t know, Men In Black III hits theaters on May 25 (though Will doesn’t appear on the soundtrack). In music news, Will is actually in the process of recording a brand new album. Does this mean we’ll finally get another party anthem from the Fresh Prince himself? I sure hope so.

What Does Sam Think?

The whole rapper-turned-actor thing isn’t a new concept and Will Smith definitely wasn’t the first guy to make a successful transition (Marky Mark, anyone?). So in that respect, he’s not a special snowflake.

What’s really interesting about Will is his squeaky-clean rap career. At a time when rap/hip-hop was starting to get gritty (see N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton), DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince kept it radio friendly.

Unfortunately, this attitude kind of attitude discredited Will as a “real” rapper. He even managed to avoid Parental Advisory stickers on his solo albums. Sure, he’s been mocked by the rap community for sticking to his morals, but do you really have to be a so-called “gangsta” to be a rapper?

Will actually addressed this issue on Lost and Found. The album is a critique of the perceived state of hip-hop at the time. In the title track, Will speaks about how he doesn’t do the standard “sex, drugs and violence” songs as found in gangsta rap. In “I Wish I Made That Swagga,” he mentions the issue of not being “black enough.”

Since I’m not exactly a rap/hip-hop connoisseur, I’ll leave you to ponder the finer details on your own.

As far as his solo work is concerned, Will knew how to write a pop song. “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” is so ‘90s-tastic (in the best possible way). Listening to it now just makes me long for those delightfully simple pop hits of yore.

Maybe it’s just the nostalgia talking, but I miss Will Smith as a musician. Of course he’s a great actor, but I feel like he’s got another pop hit in him just waiting to emerge. Even if this new album ends up being moderately serious, I’ll still be excited to hear Will get back to his musical roots and see him return to his throne as the Prince of Bel-Air.

Yo homes, smell ya later!

-- Sam Boyer, reporting from the ‘90s.