There are only a few perfect albums in the rap game, One of those for me are Illmatic , the other is Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers from the Wu-Tang Clan. I have been one of those people that have said that the Wu are known for having the best intros in the game. "Bring Da Ruckus" is no different with the infamous "I'll let you try my Wu-Tang style" sample with RZA defiantly screaming "BRING DA MOTHERFUCKIN' RUCKUS!!!" while Ghostface Killah kicks the album off commanding us to "catch the blast of a hype verse" and declaring he "blows up spots like Waco, Texas".
The standout elements of 36 Chambers are RZA's innovative, rough, and rugged production, creating that dark and murky soundscape tied together by Kung-Fu samples, hilarious skits, and soulful piano loops. It is almost as if you are trapped in the deepest darkest alleyways or sewers of the Shaolin.
This is of course the peak of where the Wu bring all of their individual styles to the forefront and deliver every single time. Whether it be Raekwon's grimy storytelling, Method Man's charisma, GZA's complex wordplay, Ghostface's "don't give a fuck" attitude, or ODB teetering the line between animated and manical, everything comes together for better or for worse.
From the boom-thump, boom-thump of "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" to the neck-snapping "Protect Ya Neck" and of course in the middle is the timeless cut known as "C.R.E.A.M.".
Skipping one track on this album would mean that you would be missing out on something special. When I started out digging into the Wu's catalog, I took the bitch way and started with their greatest hits. The irony is that most of the songs that I was feelin' the most, ended up on the 36 Chambers album. But it is safe to say that 36 Chambers is a landmark for East Coast Hip Hop and what became the catalyst for a legendary run of classics, that I have yet to see ANYONE duplicate. I feel as if though I discover something new when I go back to this album, something that I don't get nowadays from this newly harvested crop of rappers. Like that saying goes before "Can It Be All So Simple"...."Everybody's talkin' 'bout the good 'ol days"....maybe then, I would've learned then....wait for it....wait for it.....WU-TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTHIN' TA FUCK WIT!!!!!!!....WU-TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTHIN' TA FUCK WIT!!!!!!!!
Favorites: "Bring Da Ruckus", "Can It Be All So Simple", "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'", "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit", "C.R.E.A.M.", "Protect Ya Neck"
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