Along with
Dr. Dre
's
The Chronic
,
the Wu-Tang Clan
's debut,
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
, was one of the most influential
rap
albums of the '90s. Its spare yet atmospheric production -- courtesy of
RZA
-- mapped out the sonic blueprint that countless other
hardcore rappers
would follow for years to come. It laid the groundwork for the rebirth of New York
hip-hop
in the
hardcore
age, paving the way for everybody from
Biggie
and
Jay-Z
to
Nas
Mobb Deep
. Moreover, it introduced a colorful cast of hugely talented MCs, some of whom ranked among the best and most unique individual rappers of the decade. Some were outsized, theatrical personalities, others were cerebral storytellers and lyrical technicians, but each had his own distinctive style, which made for an album of tremendous variety and consistency. Every track on
Enter the Wu-Tang
is packed with fresh, inventive rhymes, which are filled with martial arts metaphors, pop culture references (everything from
Voltron
to Lucky Charms cereal commercials to
Barbra Streisand
"The Way We Were"
), bizarre threats of violence, and a truly twisted sense of humor. Their off-kilter menace is really brought to life, however, by the eerie,
lo-fi
production, which helped bring the raw sound of the
underground
into mainstream
. Starting with a foundation of hard, gritty beats and dialogue samples from kung fu movies,
kept things minimalistic, but added just enough minor-key piano, strings, or muted horns to create a background ambience that works like the soundtrack to a surreal nightmare. There was nothing like it in the
world at the time, and even after years of imitation,
still sounds fresh and original. Subsequent group and solo projects would refine and deepen this template, but collectively,
the Wu
have never been quite this tight again. ~ Steve Huey