The timing couldn’t be better, as nearly 25 years have gone by since the group’s debut album. The line was discontinued in 2008 but was revived earlier this year through a deal with Live Nation’s merchandise division. The independent venture capitalized on the group’s success by offering streetwear staples that packaged the essence of Wu-Tang’s lifestyle into a concise product line. Wu-Wear showed how forward thinking Wu-Tang was in terms of marketing themselves. First revealed in 1995, Wu-Wear was one of hip-hop’s first clothing lines and was sold at major retailers like Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Wu-Tang proved themselves to be way ahead of the curve by releasing its own lifestyle clothing brand in the mid-’90s. Wu-Tang’s sound was not the only driving force behind its rise, the group had a distinct look for everything they did, from music videos to photoshoots. The album raised the notoriety of not just Wu-Tang as a group but also helped launch their successive solo rap careers. That feeling of ‘90s New York is forever immortalized on Wu-Tang’s debut record, Enter The Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) which was released in 1993. The tracks were peppered with pop culture references and Staten Island slang, transporting the listener from wherever they were in the world to the New York borough. The unconventional use of dubbed kung-fu audio was intermixed with samples from classic soul records. The raw productions from the RZA gave the group’s tracks a chilling, instantly recognizable atmosphere. Some of us was on iron vacations, as we like to call it.As one of the most influential crews in the history of New York hip-hop, Wu-Tang Clan brought a style of its own right out the gate. In the early days, if you know our history, you know some of us wasn’t here, you know physically present, when this Wu-Tang thing popped off. “He’s been an official member of Wu-Tang Clan since 8 Diagrams. “Cappadonna is an official member of Wu-Tang Clan,” he said. RZA clarified Cappadonna’s status within the group during a press conference. His status as a member has varied throughout the years, with fans and rappers alike considering him to be the “Unofficial Tenth Member.” He was featured heavily on Raekwon’s debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, as well as Wu-Tang’s The W, but a falling out with RZA over royalties led to him being absent on their subsequent album, Iron Flag. #wutangĪ post shared by Wu Tang Clan on at 6:33pm PSTĬappadonna, a former Wu-Tang affiliate, is the most recent addition to the group.
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through. Cappadonna Was Made an Official Member In 2007 None of the Killa Beez are considered to be official members. OkayPlayer reports that he fell into a coma and never regained consciousness. Lord Superb died of unknown causes in October 2018.
These “affiliates” include Killah Priest, Popa Wu, Lord Superb and Young Dirty Bastard, the son of O.D.B. These are collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Beez, or simply Killa Beez. Wu-Tang also has many “affiliates” which receive support, financial and otherwise, from within the group. “I pulled up some accapellas, some of his wordings and sounds to some of the music so we can still feel that O.D.B. I made sure that he had some presence on this record,” RZA said. “As far as the album, I was able to get some vocal samples of his voice embedded in the album so you can hear that. RZA made a point of including vocal snippets of the rapper on their 2014 album A Better Tomorrow. A post shared by Wu Tang Clan on at 12:13pm PSTĭespite being dead, Ol’ Dirty Bastard has remained a notable presence in Wu-Tang’s music.