Wu-Tang Forever: Not Just a Slogan

by Ted Schmiedeler

When discussing hip hop collectives, the conversation almost always starts with the legendary New York based Wu-Tang Clan. The group (consisting of members RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, U-God, and Masta Killa) became worldfamous for their unique flows, innovative use of sampling in production, and masterful lyrical abilities showcased throughout the last thirty years. The group has inspired generations of rappers with their music, but how they achieved such success is, arguably, equally as extraordinary.

The most impressive part about the Clan outside of their music is the persistence of group unity in a world that values individualism. The group is touring in 2023 as a collective and members remain steadfast in their commitment to one of their most popular slogans: “Wu-Tang forever.” They remained tight-knit for about the first decade of their existence and still collaborated in the following two decades when solo projects became priorities. Many popular rap collectives fall apart within a few years due to members having differing creative visions or believing the group is holding them back.

BROCKHAMPTON, a collective headed by Kevin

Abstract and popular for their SATURATION trilogy, split last year after 12 years. The Migos, before the tragic and untimely death of Takeoff, split after 11 years. N.W.A—the most famous and successful West Coast collective to come out of the late 1980s—only lasted 4 years before they fell apart. Wu-Tang Clan formed in 1992 and still play shows and make music together after more than 30 years. So why have these groups fallen apart and why has WuTang persisted?

Collectives or groups allowed rappers to move from the underground to the mainstream, especially from the 1980s to early 2000s. Before the popularity of the Internet, the music industry had gatekeepers, such as label executives and radio DJs, that determined who would rise out to mainstream success. Back then, the mainstream looked like selling records at a CD shop and getting radio play. The underground looked like selling CDs out of a trunk and rapping on the side of the road or at local freestyle events. During this era, many rappers relied on a group to sell out venues and boost CD sales because fanbases of one rapper would be exposed to the work of everyone else in the group all in one album or performance. However, once in the mainstream many individuals felt they no longer needed the group and moved on in their career. They had already passed through the gates of the mainstream and had access to the resources necessary to keep their career going. Group longevity was not necessarily a priority for many during this era.

Furthermore, in recent years, with the removal of many of these gatekeeping mechanisms due to the Internet, rappers can elevate themselves from the underground to the mainstream much quicker and with fewer resources. A song can blow up as a result of the Spotify or TikTok algorithm and drive hundreds of fans to a rapper’s page, circumventing the label executives and radio DJs of the past that played a role in determining who would move on to that next level. Hip hop groups now are less necessary and therefore less popular. So, the survival, let alone thriving, of as large of a group as the Wu-Tang Clan through the era when groups were prone to fall apart into the era when they are not as necessary is an anomaly to be admired. So how did they do it?

Wu-Tang’s model was somewhat unique and created their continued group success. RZA was the primary producer and de facto leader of the group, and he organized a system to allow for individual and group success. The group released their debut group project Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993 to great commercial success. However, instead of immediately working on their next project, RZA started producing four member’s individual projects. Method Man released his debut solo album Tical in 1994. GZA’s Liquid Swords, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version were all released in 1995. All of these records were produced by RZA and had features from other Wu-Tang Clan members. The genius in this system is that it allows for members to pursue their creative vision alongside group projects, while maintaining a somewhat cohesive sound. Because RZA was the producer for these records, they share in the similar core elements, such as masterful use of both musical and non-musical samples in the beats to create a cinematic listening experience. Although other groups had differing members do features on each other’s solo projects, the level of involvement down to the production was rare among groups at the time. It created an atmosphere that would feel similar across all Wu-Tang works that grew the fanbase and developed them a cult following. Each album felt like a new installment of a movie franchise, with solo projects being captivating spin-offs that were almost as good as the main series movies and built for fanfare among the diehards.

Additionally, each member of Wu-Tang bought into the system and did not let their ego get too big. Each member understood that individual success was tied to group success and strived to push the group, not just themselves, forward. The result of this system is that the individual sales of each member’s solo records get boosted by their inclusion in the group, as some fans will buy anything Wu-Tang related, and their inclusion of other members of the group on their individual projects means some fans of individual Wu-Tang members will be driven to the record to hear that rapper do a feature. Furthermore, nobody feels limited because they are encouraged to do their own work from time to time.

Although most members have chosen to focus on their solo careers for the last two decades, this emphasis on unity and cohesion defined the group’s success in their first decade of existence and allows for the continued success of the group as hip hop icons to this day. Due to their unity, they have the ability to pursue their own projects while still being able to reunite for a tour or a record after years with no problem.

WKCR will celebrate the group with a birthday broadcast running from July 5 at 10pm (RZA’s birthday) to July 6 at 6am (Inspectah Deck’s birthday).

WKCR merch is back! Every month this summer, we will be releasing two different T-shirts designs. One will be a re-release of an old design, featuring one of our WKCR logos; the other will be an original or entirely new design created by WKCR members, which will be available exclusively during the summer drop. All proceeds from merch will go toward general station expenses. You can purchase this month's designs on our website throughout the entirety of July. If you like a design, you should get it while you can, as designs will go offline at the end of the month! After the July merch drop, there will be two more—one in August and one in September, each featuring two different sets of designs. Support WKCR in style!