Wu-Tang, when East meets the West

 

En garde, I’ll let you try my Wu-Tang style!

Born in Shaolin, and made in America, that’s what the Wu-Tang presented in the eyes of the world.

With elements of dark street corners of Stapleton, horrors of Park Hill, Wu-Tang came from the cloth of street struggles.

With many Hip-Hop heads hailing from New York, the term Asiatic Black Man rings more than just truth.

Added to that the love for the streets, mixed with old Kung-Fu flicks, and Hong Kong Cinema invasion.

As depicted through many interpretation, Wu-Tang Clan puts Hip-Hop mythology into a whole new stratosphere.

Infused with so many layers of Five-Percent Nation teachings, Far-Eastern philosophy, and also the ruggedness of truth spoken through rhymes and poetry of Hip-Hop.

Wu-Tang Clan even had their own sets of slang, dialects and glossary of lexicon to boast.

Everyone in the 90s who was a Hip-Hop heads, will know exactly what I’m mentioning above.

 

Convergence, Harmony & Peace, God

The state that born out of struggle came through with harmony, and most of all peace. Five-Percent Nation is ultra-presence inside the Wu-Tang Clan way of living for the core members.

Islam and Hip-Hop always goes hand in hand, the same as African-American culture in United States coincides with struggles.

The in-depth Supreme Mathematics teaching is also presently well inside the Wu-verse. RZA name deeply rooted back to the Supreme Alphabet in Five-Percent Nation teachings.

R is for Ruler, Rule is to control righteously. God is the only ruler there is by acknowledging his building powers and making it born to all the planets of the universe. So that they can go according to it and bear witness to who the true ruler is, the black man, Allah.

Z is for zig-zag-zig, means that the black man, black woman and black child must build together to destroy all unrighteousness. Zig-zag-zig is also knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

A is for Allah, Allah is the all in all. The almighty true and living God the supreme being or black man from Asia. Allah is the black man who has knowledge of himself, for to know self is to know all things in existence, for all things has it’s origin within the black man Allah.

The deep insight of naming themselves functioning as empowerment unto themselves. Just like KRS-ONE, and Big Daddy Kane, they also use supreme alphabet in their Hip-hop moniker.

Kung-Fu Flicks, Hong Kong Cinema Invasion, Hip-Hop

Old Kung-Fu movies that being dubbed with English language, is actually one of the group’s main repertoire. Scraps of dialogue, sound effects, and background music seeps into the makings of signature RZA’s early sound.

Rough, wild, and unfiltered, words that defining the first 6 albums & more of Wu-Tang Clan’s and all of its members solo projects. The truth and sharp razor skills that spilling is dubbed as the Wu-Tang sword style.

Creation of mixing the idea of Stapleton as Shaolin, and Five Percent Nation ideas of Medina as Brooklyn, was the true amalgamation of The East and West culture.

Influence of African-American Islamic teachings, and The eastern cultural appropriation of brotherhood and mirror image of movie violence, to a real condition of early 90s in America.

 All in together now..

1993 – After spending time in prison, RZA packed his bags and records went back to Stapleton, from Ohio. Rounding up young 9 individuals from the slums, all across the corners of Stapleton, the idea of assembling a Voltron-like team with 9 young people depicted as a family of lyrical assassins.

Wu-Tang Clan formed in a sense of urgency, fate, and brotherhood. Together with the sense of camaraderie and struggles of being young black youth in America. Only a single pipe dream of reaching the summit may sustain hopes and dreams. As a result, they have assembled a formidable arsenal of weapons like no other.

Each individuals is equipped with experience, viewpoint and styles of rap like no other. The vibes generated by each of these individuals are the consequence of years of pent-up rage combined with an art performance sense.

The grand theatrical stage of the world is never ready for Wu-Tang Clan when they came to the surface. With a lot of discography, lore, myth, and documentary to pay tribute to yours truly, a Hulu exclusive television series was born to complete the cypher cycle of myth.

Watch Wu-Tang an American Saga exclusively on Hulu.