From the Slums of Shalin Wu Tang Strikes Again

In the long, complex, and hugely nether-appreciated history of Asian/hip hop cultural exchange, no miracle stands taller than the Wu-Tang Clan.

For a grouping of Staten Islanders with hip hop dreams and few resources at hand, the local dollar theater's imported stories of kung fu heroism and Eastern philosophy formed the foundations of an unstoppable ethos.

Part of it was a parallel between the supernatural globe of wuxia (martial arts) films, and the lessons in street philosophy the grouping'south members had picked up in New York. Part of it was the representation of the Asian human being, not a white person, as a symbol of strength — something that US audiences hadn't seen before back in the '70s when these films fabricated information technology the big screen.

"These films definitely resonate a lot in the black community," explains RZA in a special interview for the re-release of the 36 Chambers DVD.

"It's the underdog matter, it's the brotherly matter […] and also I call up it's the escapism. Because you lot can go there and watch these movies, and it'southward non even in America. It'southward like a whole other world."

Taking the themes they'd captivated from kung fu movie theatre, the group charged forward, giving birth to a audio and a move that would modify hip hop forever — and creating a labyrinthine arsenal of complex allusions in the procedure.

Here, nosotros seek to unpack some of those references, and shed some light on the Wu-Tang Clan's love matter with Chinese culture.

Wu-Tang

Let's start with the big question… where does Wu-Tang go its Wu-Tang?

The name's origin goes back to a Shaw Brothers classic calledShaolin and Wu-Tang. In the moving picture, the Shaolin fist mode goes caput to caput with the Wu-Tang sword style, presenting a powerful piece of imagery that caught the grouping's attention:

"You know, the thing about Wu-Tang in the movies was the sword style," explained RZA in an interview with Edison Chen. "How they used the sword. And we took the idea that our natural language is our sword, and the best sword style is the Wu-Tang sword."

A scene from Shaolin and Wu-Tang

U-God explains further details to the analogy in a 1994 documentary nigh the group:

"Wu-Tang represents a sword style of rhyming. Being that we are lyrical assassins, nosotros are aware that the tongue is symbolic to the sword — like when in movement it produces wind. Merely like when you lot hear the word 'Wu', you hear current of air. That's also the sound you hear when a sword is swinging on your neck. That'due south why we say protect your cervix."

"What'southward the commotion? Oh my Lord/another cord chopped by the Wu-Tang sword" – Method Man, "Method Human being"

"Shaolin shadowboxing…and the Wu-Tang sword style. If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous. Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me?" – Intro sample to "Bring da Ruckus", from Shaolin and Wu-Tang

Shaolin

Any kung fu fan worth their salt volition be able to tell you near the Shaolin Temple, the nearly legendary site in kung fu history. But to the Wu-Tang Association, the words have a second pregnant: Staten Isle.

"From the slums of Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan strikes again" – GZA'south opening lines on "Method Human"

In Shaolin and Wu-Tang, defectors from the Shaolin Temple leave to join the Wu-Tang sect. To the Wu-Tang Clan, that migration reflects their own motility away from Staten Island in order to share their music with the globe at large. Explains RZA: "We came from Shaolin, but we're bringing hip hop culture around the world."

"Had secondhands, moms bounced on old man/then then we moved to Shaolin lands."  – Raekwon, "C.R.E.A.M."

"I come from the Shaolin slum, and the isle I'm from, is coming through with enough northward*ggas, plenty guns." – Inspectah Deck, "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'"

Related:

Fact vs. Fiction: Truths from Inside the Shaolin Temple

36 Chambers

The 36 chambers has been an integral concept at the heart of the group'due south identity since the release of their debut record Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

The anthology'due south title is a reference to another iconic Shaw Brothers film,The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which stars Gordon Liu and is widely considered to exist ane of the greatest kung fu films of all time. Liu plays the monk San Te, who must main each private "chamber" of the temple's rigid Shaolin training curriculum. The film was also published under the alternative title The Chief Killer, later becoming the moniker of lesser-known Wu-Tang fellow member Masta Killa.

For a while, the group'southward leader RZA was producing their tracks out of his very ain 36 Chambers Studios. In his ain words:

"What's a chamber? Something a human being must get through. Something a man must conquer."

"And that's one in the chamber, Wu-Tang banger/36 styles of danger." – Raekwon, "Bring da Ruckus"

Ghostface Killah

Ghostface gets his name from the 1979 kung fu film,The Mystery of Chessboxing(which was too released internationally nether the significantly lamer title,Ninja Checkmate).

In the moving-picture show, a young kung fu acolyte strives to avenge his begetter's death at the hands of the mysterious kung fu assassinator, the Ghost Faced Killer. Just the student is weak, and unable to stand against the chief until he learns most the link between kung fu andxiangqi (Chinese chess) from a retired kung fu chief. Together, they team up to defeat the assassinator, using "Double Horse Way", a reference to the game.

The picture show also inspired the classic track from the group's debut album,Da Mystery of Chessboxin'.

"A game of chess is like a swordfight — you must recall first before y'all move." – Intro sample to "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'", from "Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang"

Masta Killa

Masta Killa was the last member to join the group, and the last i to release a solo anthology.

His proper noun is too a reference toThe 36th Bedchamber of Shaolin, which was originally released internationally under the titlesThe Master Killer andShaolin Master Killer.

The film'south original title "Principal Killer" is referenced in the opening skit to the rail "seventh Chamber", in which Raekwon famously asks Method Human, "Yo Meth, where my killer record at?"

RZA further elaborated on the proper noun in an interview:

"He was the last member to bring together the group, and he took that name because he felt like he had to become through the 36 chambers to go like to his bigger brothers […] he had to get through information technology to become a primary. He wasn't a lyrical master when he showtime entered information technology, he was just a pupil."

Method Man

Method Human's name links dorsum to a 1979 Shaw Brothers film of the same name.

"Then it's the Method Human being, it similar mad different methods to the way I practise my shit […] Basically, Method Man is roll that shit, calorie-free that shit, fume it, know what I'm sayin?" – Method Human, "Can Information technology Be All So Elementary"

Ol' Dingy Bastard

ODB's proper noun comes from the 1980 motion-picture show An Erstwhile Kung Fu Master, which was also released in the US nether the title Ol' Dirty and the Bounder.

ODB was known for his reckless and "dirty" style, drawing comparisons to the drunken kung fu character Beggar So/Sam Seed. The character is an classic ofwuxiastorytelling, an sometime drunken man with uncanny martial arts skills, portrayed most memorably past Yuen Siu-Tien, Yuen Woo-Ping's father, in Jackie Chan's iconic Drunken Master.

"Then nosotros got the Ol' Dirty Bastard, 'cause at that place ain't no father to his fashion." – Method Man, "Tin can It Be All So Uncomplicated"

RZA

RZA is the de facto leader of Wu-Tang Clan. His name has been said to refer to his "razor precipitous" style on the mic, but he's too sometimes called The Abbot, referring to his place at the head of the clan's Shaolin monastery.

"And the RZA? He the sharpest motherfucka in the whole clan. He always on point, razor precipitous. With the beats, with the rhymes, whatever." – Method Homo, "Can Information technology Exist All So Simple"

U-God

U-God first started rapping nether the name Golden Arms, referring to the 1979 filmChild With the Golden Arm.

He later changed the proper noun to U-God, brusk for his Five-Percent Nation righteous name "Universal God Allah" (the Five-Percent Nation and the Nation of Islam were both major influences on the group's ideology).

Allah the Father, also known as Clarence 13X or Clarence Edward Smith, founder of the Five-Percent Nation

Inspectah Deck

Inspectah Deck's name simply describes his cool, calculated personality. But the extension of his name, Rebel I.Due north.South., refers over again to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, where the main character is being hunted as one of the "rebels" standing against the Manchu government.

"Inspectah Deck […] he's like that dude that'll sit down back and spotter you play yourself and all that, correct? And meet you sit at that place and know yous lyin', and he'll take y'all to courtroom after that 'cause he the Inspectah […] and also he the Rebel I.N.S., you know what I'1000 sayin'? – Method Human, "Tin Information technology Be All So Simple"

Darts

A "dart" refers to a chop-chop-written verse. The imagery has origins in several Wu-Tang picture favorites which feature darts, the near of import of which is probablyFive Deadly Venoms.

In the picture show, a fighter known as Scorpion targets the weak spot of the otherwise invulnerable fighter known every bit Toad, crippling him.

In traditional kung fu, the rope sprint belongs to the category of "soft weapons", alongside nunchucks, chain whips, etc.

Out of the group's members, Raekwon is nicknamed the King of Darts, or the Dart Hero, and has a track chosen Sprint School.

"As nosotros telephone call it, a dart, is a quick fast rhyme. That could be built in 15 minutes, y'all know what I'grand sayin'? That's the kind of skills you gotta take in this rap game. You lot gotta be able to be put under pressure. Boom, I could write it in the studio in xv minutes, under pressure. And make it count. And make it stick." – U-God

Assorted Wu-Tang Slang: Wu shit, Wu juice, Shaolin

In his book, The Tao of Wu, RZA explains how the vernacular of Wu-Tang slang came into existence in the beginning place, and provides a few choice examples:

"Pretty before long a lot of Stapleton n*ggas were onto the Wu-Tang. Then the word was popping upward in slang. The beginning person to use it was Ghost. He'd say 'that Wu shit,' significant 'that fly shit.' He chosen Old English 'Wu juice.' But since I was more attuned to the martial arts movies and history, I was able to elaborate. I decided that I didn't drink Wu juice — because I drank Ballantine Ale — I drank Shaolin. Then I coined the term 'Wu-Tang slang,' and everybody started speaking it — just as a way to relate to i another."

Related:

The History of Rap in China, Part 1: Early Roots and Iron Mics (1993-2009)

Across these terms, the Wu-Tang slang and kung fu reference handbook extends for volumes and volumes.

This is by no means an exhaustive glossary. Rather, it's a top-level look at the meandering references, cultures, histories, allusions, philosophies and parables that constitute the working tools of one of the most groundbreaking and original musical acts of the 20th century.

Wu-Tang forever.

Additional enquiry past Shalena Adams

youngbefordow.blogspot.com

Source: https://radiichina.com/wu-tang-slang-an-abridged-glossary-of-hip-hops-most-iconic-group/

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