Wu-Tang Clan

Released: June 3, 1997

Songwriter: GZA RZA

Producer: RZA

[Interlude: RZA (GZA)]
Yo, yo one two one two, yo live in effect
We got the king Ruler Zig-Zag-Zag Allah
Commonly known to y'all as the RZA
Yo before we go into side two or side B of this double CD
Knahmsayin I want to give y'all a little announcement man
For the last year there's been a lot of music comin out
The shit been weak, knowhatI'msayin?
A lot of niggas trying to take hip-hop
And make that shit R&B, rap and bullshit yaknowhatI'msayin?
Or make that shit funk
Fuck that, this is MCin right here, this is hip-hop
Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang gonna bring it to you in the purest form
I got the GZA on my side, Killah Priest
Sunz of Man, Royal Fam, Killarmy, Gravediggaz, 12 O'Clock
Yo, we want to let y'all niggas know somethin man
To my people all across the world; Japan, Europe -- knowhatI'msayin?
Canada, knowmean -- Austria, Germany, Sweden
Yo, this is true hip-hop you listenin to right here
In the pure form, this ain't no R&B with a wack nigga takin the loop
Be loopin that shit thinkin it's gonna be the sound of the culture
YaknowhatI'msayin? (That player bullshit)
YaknowhatI'msayin? All that player dressin up
On this shit, actin like this some kind of fashion show man
YaknowhatI'msayin? This is hip-hop right here
YaknowhatI'msayin? This is lyrics, MCin
And yo, to y'all niggas who think you going to become an MC overnight
YaknowhatI'msayin? Better snap out that fuckin dream
Man it takes years for this you Cat in the Hat ass rappers
You Dr. Seuss, Mother Goose, simple minded
(Stop runnin up on niggas with all that wack shit)
Word up man (talking bout "you MC")
You ain't no MC; niggas ain't made for this yaknowhatI'msayin?
This shit was Only Built 4 Cuban Linx -- we told y'all niggas back then
And then everybody wanted to change their motherfuckin name
YaknowhatI'msayin? We come out with a style
Now everybody wanna imitate our style and all you producers out there
YaknowhatI'msayin? It's all good to show love to a nigga
But stop bitin my shit, yaknowhatI'msayin?
Come from your own heart with this shit
And all y'all MC's, stop biting from my niggas
We told ya'll niggas on the fucking Cuban Linx album
Don't bite our shit, y'all niggas keep biting
Yo, I'm going to tell y'all something man
It's time for the Wu revolution right here
To all my niggas across the world
Raise your motherfucking fist in the air
And get ready for the Triumph
Cause the Gods is here to take over this shit
Word up, peace

Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre’s G-funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, NY-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-’90s – and only partially because of their music.

Turning the standard concept of a hip-hop crew inside out, the Wu-Tang Clan were assembled as a loose congregation of nine MCs, almost as a support group. Instead of releasing one album after another, the Clan was designed to overtake the record industry in as profitable a fashion as possible – the idea was to establish the Wu-Tang as a force with their debut album and then spin off into as many side projects as possible.

In the process, the members would all become individual stars as well as receive individual royalty checks. Wu-Tang Clan has several lyrical Einsteins aboard. As far as large vocabularies, GZA (not called Genius without reason) places in the top 2! RZA, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, and Method Man are also all within the top 25. Wu-Tang Clan does not disappoint.

more tracks from the album

Wu-Tang Forever

From the album

Wu-Tang Forever (1997)

Wu-Tang Clan popular songs

Wu-Tang Forever IntroWu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Forever