Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is a pioneering hardcore hip hop group, originally from Staten Island, New York, USA (Staten Island is referred to as "Shaolin" in their lyrics).

Recent History

In 2000, the group reconvened to make a new album, minus Ol' Dirty Bastard who was incarcerated in California for violating the terms of his probation. Almost finished with his rehab, Ol' Dirty Bastard escaped suddenly and spent one month on the run as a fugitive before showing up onstage at the record release party for The W, the group's new album. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club, but was captured by Philadelphia police and sent to New York to face charges of cocaine possession. In April 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison. The W itself was mostly well-received by critics, particularly for RZA's production, and also gave the group a hit single with the uptempo Gravel Pit (which was supported by an extravagant faux-prehistoric Flintstones-inspired video). 2001 saw the release of Digital Bullet (the second RZA album released as Bobby Digital), Bulletproof Wallets (Ghostface Killah) and The Yin and the Yang (Cappadonna). The group's latest album (as a group) was 2001's Iron Flag, made without the participation of the still-incarcerated Ol' Dirty Bastard, and which received mixed but mostly positive reviews.

Related Topics:
2000 - California - Probation - Rehab - The W - Philadelphia - Cocaine - 2001 - Prehistoric - Flintstones - Digital Bullet - Bulletproof Wallets - The Yin and the Yang - Iron Flag

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After GZA released Legend of the Liquid Sword in late 2002, the following two years saw a spate of new solo releases, including new works by Cappadonna (The Struggle), Method Man ('), Raekwon (The Lex Diamond Story), Ghostface Killah (who, in his new contract with Def Jam Records, changed his pseudonym to simply Ghostface, and released The Pretty Toney Album), Inspectah Deck (The Movement), Masta Killa (No Said Date) and Wu-Element producer Mathematics (Love, Hell & Right). Ghostface's The Pretty Toney Album was critically acclaimed in the mainstream press, appearing on many prestigious end-of-year "best of 2004" lists, and Masta Killa's independently released No Said Date was well-received by the group's hardcore fanbase and critics for its unpretentious, back-to-basics approach and in-house production. However, the albums by Raekwon, Deck, and Method Man received mixed reviews which were generally lukewarm.

Related Topics:
Legend of the Liquid Sword - The Struggle - The Lex Diamond Story - Def Jam Records - Pseudonym - The Pretty Toney Album - The Movement - No Said Date - Love, Hell & Right

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In early 2004 U-God, for a long time one of the least renowned members of the Clan, apparently left the group in disgust. A DVD titled Rise Of A Fallen Soldier was released detailing his problems, which were mostly with his treatment by the RZA, who he claimed had hindered his success as a solo artist. He also formed a new group of young proteges called the Hillside Scramblers, with whom he released the album Ugodz-illa presents the Hillside Scramblers in March 2004. The dispute culminated in a heated phone conversation between RZA and U-God on live radio, which ultimately saw the two reconcile. U-God later effectively rejoined the group.

Related Topics:
DVD - March 2004

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2004 also saw the unexpected return of the Clan to the live stage, and minus Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man (who was filming the Fox sitcom Method & Red) they embarked on a short European tour before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline the Rock The Bells festival in California. The concert was released on DVD shortly afterwards, along with another greatest hits compilation. This renewed interest in the group fuelled rumors that another group album is on the way soon, although nothing concrete has been announced by the Clan themselves. Ol' Dirty Bastard's death due to a drug overdose on November 13 2004 should have a limited impact on the Clan, given that his involvement with the group had been sporadic for many years. ODB had been recently released from prison and subsequently signed to Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-a-Fella Records label. ODB was preparing a new album while he recorded other new songs with the Neptunes and the Clan themselves. a posthumous official mixtape titled Osirus and featuring many new songs was released in March 2005. The unfinished Roc-A-Fella album is expected to be released in some form in 2005. New albums are also planned for 2005 from U-God, who is releasing his sophomore album titled Mr. Xcitement, and GZA, who is releasing an album-length collaboration with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill titled GrandMasters. 2006 should see the release of Raekwon's long-delayed sequel to his 1995 debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, a new album from Method Man produced by the RZA, another album on Def Jam from Ghostface titled Fish Scale, and a collaboration album between Inspectah Deck and Pete Rock.

Related Topics:
Sitcom - Method & Red - Europe - California - DVD - Drug overdose - November 13 - 2004 - Jay-Z - Damon Dash - Roc-a-Fella Records - Neptunes - Mixtape - March 2005 - 2005 - DJ Muggs - Cypress Hill - 2006 - Sequel - Def Jam - Pete Rock

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