Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
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Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is the 1993 (see 1993 in music) debut album by the Wu-Tang Clan, a collective of American hip hop musicians. With sparse, penetrating beats and pseudo-mystical lyrics interspersed with samples from kung fu movies, 36 Chambers was an auspicious and critically acclaimed album for the group. Unlike other hip hop crews, the Wu-Tang clan did not immediately follow up on 36 Chambers, allowing for many of the members to release solo albums before reuniting to record a second collective record.
The album ranked at #1 for Top 100 Albums of 1993 and #138 overall by Rate Your Music. In 2003, the album was ranked number 386 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Track listing
- "Bring Da Ruckus" (4:11)
- * Chorus: RZA
- * First verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Second verse: Raekwon
- * Third verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Fourth verse: GZA
- * Samples: Melvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution"
- "Shame on a Nigga" (2:57)
- * Chorus: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * First verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * Second verse: Method Man
- * Third verse: Raekwon
- * Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * Samples: Thelonious Monk - "Black and Tan Fantasy" (from Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington)
- * Samples: Syl Johnson - "Different Strokes"
- "Clan in da Front" (4:33)
- * intro section: RZA
- * main section: GZA
- * Samples: Melvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution"
- * Samples: New Birth - "Honeybee" (from It Ain't No Big Thing But It's Growing)
- "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" (6:06)
- * First verse: Raekwon
- * Second verse: Method Man
- * Third verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Fourth verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Fifth verse: RZA
- * Sixth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * Seventh verse: GZA
- * Samples: Lonnie Smith - "Spinning Wheel" (from Drives)
- "Can It Be All So Simple" (6:52)
- * First verse: Raekwon
- * Second verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Samples: Gladys Knight & The Pips - "The Way We Were" (from I Feel A Song)
- * Samples: Labi Siffre - "I Got The" (from Remember My Song)
- "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" (4:47)
- * First verse: U-God
- * Second verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Third verse: Raekwon
- * Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Sixth verse: Masta Killa
- * Chorus: Method Man
- "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit" (3:36)
- * First verse: RZA
- * Second verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Third verse: Method Man
- * Chorus: RZA
- * Samples: Honeydrippers - "Impeach The President" (from I Feel A Song)
- * Samples: Unknown - "Theme song to Underdog"
- * Samples: Lafayette Afro Rock Band - "Hihache" (from Voodounon)
- "C.R.E.A.M." (4:12)
- * First verse: Raekwon
- * Second verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Chorus: Method Man
- * Samples: The Charmells - "I'll Never Grow Old"
- "Method Man" (5:50)
- * Pre-song dialogue: Method Man & Raekwon
- * Intro: GZA
- * Song: Method Man
- * Samples: Melvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution"
- * Samples: Lightnin Rod - "Sport" (from Hustler's Convention)
- * Sampes: Zapp - "More Bounce to the Ounce" (from Zapp
- * Samples: Hall & Oates - "Method of Modern Love" (from Big Bang Boom)
- * Samples: Schoolhouse Rock - "I'm Just A Bill" (from Schoolhouse Rock)
- "Protect Ya Neck" (4:51)
- * Intro: RZA
- * First verse: Inspectah Deck
- * Second verse: Raekwon
- * Third verse: Method Man
- * Bridge: U-God
- * Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
- * Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Sixth verse: RZA
- * Seventh verse: GZA
- "Tearz" (4:17)
- * First verse: RZA
- * Second verse: Ghostface Killah
- * Samples: Wendy Rene - "After The Laughter (Comes Tears)"
- "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Pt. II" (6:10)
- * (alternate version of "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" with different beat)
Personnel
- Chris Gehringer - Mastering
- Ol' Dirty Bastard - Producer
- Method Man - Producer
- RZA, Kevin Swansson - Arranger, Programming, Producer, Mixing
- Carlos Bess - Engineer
- 4th Disciple - Scratching
- Jacqueline Murphy - Artwork, Art Direction
- Dennis Coles - Executive Producer
- Robert Diggs - Executive Producer
- John Gibbons - Supervisor, Production Supervisor
- Richard Bravo - Set Design, Design
- Mitchell Diggs - Executive Producer, Supervisor, Production Supervisor
- Oli "Power" Grant - Executive Producer, Supervisor, Production Supervisor
- Amy Wenzler - Design
- Daniel Hastings - Photography
- Michael McDonald - Supervisor, Production Supervisor
- Ethan Ryman - Engineer
- Ghostface Killah
- U-God
- Masta Killa
- Raekwon
- GZA / Genius
- Inspectah Deck
Chart positions
Billboard Music Charts (North America) - albums- 1993 The Billboard 200 No. 41
- 1994 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 8
- 1993 Method Man Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks No. 40
- 1993 Method Man Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales No. 42
- 1993 Method Man Hot Rap Singles No. 17
- 1993 Method Man The Billboard Hot 100 No. 69
- 1994 C.R.E.A.M. The Billboard Hot 100 No. 60
- 1994 C.R.E.A.M. Hot Rap Singles No. 8
- 1994 Can It Be All So Simple Hot Rap Singles No. 24
- 1994 C.R.E.A.M. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks No. 32
- 1994 Can It Be All So Simple Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks No. 82
- 1994 C.R.E.A.M. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales No. 1
- 1994 Can It Be All So Simple Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales No. 9
Trivia
- "Protect Ya Neck" was featured in the game "".
- The intro to "Method Man" was referenced in an episode of Chappelle's Show in which recurring character Tron described how he was tortured by Method Man. His description was a play on the beginning monologue to this track.
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