Product Review

Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album, “Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)” sold a million copies in less than two years, in America alone, without making a single concession to pop radio. That album spawned a mini-empire, including a clothing line that grossed $10 million in its first year, a video game, a comic book, and multiple solo albums, TV appearances and film roles for the group’s members. Wu-Tang Clan group albums and solo albums combined have sold more than 18 million units in America alone and many more around the world. From the three years Rza spent living in North Carolina as a child to the five years Method Man spent working at the Statue of Liberty as a teenager, the Clan built upon their formative experiences with a diverse range of people to construct an album with nationwide appeal. However, the influence of Islam, martial arts film, and music from around the world is the foundation of the Clan’s global appeal. Wu-Tang Clan is seen in the popular imagination as an unruly collective: creative, yet barely under control, and led by one man: The Rza. The truth behind the Clan is more complicated. In this heavily researched work, author (and hip-hop journalist) Alan Page explores the early history of the group, examines the depth of thought involved in creating their iconic debut album, and explores why their music has resonated with millions of fans around the globe.