20 Years Later, Listen to Wu-Tang Clan’s Classic “36 Chambers” Album (Stream) Posted by Nathan S. on 11/11/13 | Filed under Raekwon, Streams, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan

 

Last Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the Wu-Tang Clan's classic of all-classics album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", or just "36 Chambers" as just about everyone knows it. There's been a ton of coverage around the anniversary, but I thought we should celebrate with the one thing that really matters the most - listening to the album.

If you're a rap nerd who's already memorized every word  "36 Chambers", welcome back. And if you've never heard this shit before, welcome too. As I've written before, if we want hip-hop like this to live on, we can't berate people who haven't heard it yet. ("You've never listened to '36 Chambers'?!?!?! You don't know shit.") So really, welcome, I hope you discover some new-old music you love.  

I want this to focus on the music, not some 4,000 word article on Wu-Tang's impact, we can save that for the comments, but I do have to mention how momumentally groundbreaking this album was. It's fair to say no one had ever heard anything like it before - that blend of hardcore street rap and abstract mythicism - and musically it was monumentally influential. Plus, how fucking insane is it that this many Hip-Hop Hall of Famers just so happened to live in the same area? With all due respect to everyone I'm not about to name (especially GZA), RZA, Raekwon, Ghost, ODB and Method Man ending up in the same group is like Jordan, Kobe, Lebron and Iverson playing on the same high school team, with Phil Jackson as their player/coach*. What are the fucking chances that many insanely talented emcees were living in the same place at the same time? Imagine Outkast, but if there were at least two more dudes who were at least just as good as Big Boi and Andre. Fucking crazy talk. 

Tracklist and stream is below. RefinedHyp Nation ain't nothin' to fuck wit.  Enjoy...

UPDATE: If you really want to '90s hip-hop nerd out today, I also posted Tribe's "Midnight Marauders". 

1. Bring Da Ruckus [Chorus: RZA, First verse: Ghostface Killah, Second verse: Raekwon, Third verse: Inspectah Deck, Fourth verse: GZA]
2. Shame On A Nigga [Intro: Raekwon, Chorus & first verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard, Second verse: Method Man, Third verse: Raekwon, Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard]
3. Clan In Da Front [Intro: RZA, Chorus/verses: GZA]
4. Wu-Tang 7th Chamber [Intro skit: Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, First verse: Raekwon, Second verse: Method Man, Third verse: Inspectah Deck, Fourth verse: Ghostface Killah, Fifth verse: RZA, Sixth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard, Seventh verse: GZA]
5. Can It Be All So Simple [Intro: RZA & Raekwon, Chorus: Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, First verse: Raekwon, Second verse: Ghostface Killah]
6. Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' [Chorus: Method Man, First verse: U-God, Second verse: Inspectah Deck, Third verse: Raekwon, Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard, Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah, Sixth verse: Masta Killa]
7. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin To Fuck Wit [Intro/chorus/first verse/outro: RZA, Second verse: Inspectah Deck, Third verse: Method Man]
8. C.R.E.A.M. [Intro: Method Man & Raekwon, Chorus: Method Man, First verse: Raekwon, Second verse: Inspectah Deck, Outro: RZA & Ghostface Killah]
9. Method Man [Pre-song dialogue: Method Man & Raekwon, Intro: GZA, Chorus/verses: Method Man, Outro: RZA & Ghostface Killah]
10. Protect Ya Neck [Intro: RZA and Method Man, First verse: Inspectah Deck, Second verse: Raekwon, Third verse: Method Man, Bridge: U-God, Interlude: Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard and RZA, Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard, Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah.] 
11. Tearz [Intro/first verse: RZA, Second verse: Ghostface Killah]
12. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber—Part II [First verse: Raekwon, Second verse: Method Man, Third verse: Inspectah Deck, Fourth verse: Ghostface Killah, Fifth verse: RZA, Sixth verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard, Seventh verse: GZA]

* With the exception of RZA/Phil Jackson, I'm obviously not taking the time to match up Wu-Tang members to their exact NBA counterparts. If I did, I'd obsess over the comparisons for seven hours and never post this. It might have to be it's own "Rap Game" article.