Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre's G-Funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, New York-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-90s and only partially because of their music. Turning the standard concept of a hip-hop crew inside out, the Wu-Tang Clan was assembled as a loose congregation of nine MC's almost as a support group. Instead of releasing one album after another, the Clan was designed to overtake the record industry in as profitable a fashion as possible -- the idea was to establish the Wu-Tang as a force with their debut album, and then spin off into as many side projects as possible. In the process, the members would all become individual stars, as well as receive individual royalty checks. Surprisingly, the plan worked.... The vision of the Wu-Tang Clan is undoubtedly due to the musical skills of the RZA. Under his direction, the group -- through its own efforts and the solo projects, all of which he produced or coproduced -- he created a hazy, surreal and menacing soundscape out of hardcore beats, eerie piano riffs, and minimal samples.... The Wu-Tang Clan's long-awaited second album Wu-Tang Forever arrived to great anticipation, and the double-disc set did not disappoint. Where contemporaries like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. issued double-discs cluttered with filler, Wu-Tang Forever is purposeful and surprisingly lean (arguable, at best, in my opinion), illustrating the immense depth of producer RZA and the entire nine-piece crew. Each rapper has a different lyrical style, from Ol' Dirty Bastard's bizarre rants to Raekwon's story sketches, and RZA subtly shifts his trademark style for each song, creating an album of cinematic proportions. There are no great musical innovations on the album, since the Wu-Tang's signature blend of skeletal beats, scratchy samples, eerie pianos and spectral strings remain intact. Yet the music is more nuanced and focused than ever before, balanced equally between scary soundscapes and darkly soulful tracks. The result is an intoxicating display of musical and lyrical virtuosity, one that reveals how bereft of imagination the Wu-Tang's contemporaries are. - All Music Guide, 2002. Dig into in the archives for a lot more...
Some additional promotional items (coins + postcard) ...
