Never Ran Never Will, Park Hill
Do or Die, Bed-Stuy
By Temple A. Stark, Casa Grande, AZ
I grew up in the 80s
Turned 20 in the 90s.
Can appreciate the music
That boiled over from the 70s.
Talk here ‘bout New Wave?
Duran Duran?
Wham!?
Madonna?
No, I’m talking rap.
Rap
Make some people groan outright.
That’s their right.
Given 10 years I’ll detest what’s then new
With the disdain only nostalgia can bring
Hope not.
Right now, 2 zero zero 5, I still overhear conversations — where I work, I shop, I sit — about how being a rapper requires no talent except being a thug. Like being a country singer requires no talent, just the fake accent.
In an especially amusing exchange a few weeks ago now, I heard someone (about 58, and 5-foot 5) cry that the only thing rappers have to do is learn to “move records back and forth underneath the needle.”
You know, like playing the lute is just moving your fingers up and down the strings.
What I’m trying to say is, I like rap as a genre and I’m glad.
That enabled me in the mid-90s to appreciate the tour de force that was the Wu-Tang Clan. Early on I didn’t know anything about them. I subscribed to (Corporate) Vibe magazine then and while most of it was fluff, there was a lot that brought a perspective about living a life unknown to me. I'd never lived in huge cities, only near Seattle and London. I was educating myself.
What I read about the Wu-Tang Clan showed me their focus was success but not the materials. And the focus wasn’t raging against former and current oppression; a point and an issue that I felt Public Enemy (and others too numerous to mention) had said, and said well, all there really was to say on the subject.
The WTC had set up — quite completely and quite quickly it seemed — an entire mythology and atmosphere around them. It was something that went beyond a lot of the rap and hip-hop. More than slinging rhymes. So, while in college I bought Enter the 36 Chambers. I loved it with the excitement of the new discovery of a new world. There were references to Shaolin and vocal film and audio clips. It wasn’t about “the 411”, the fun of murder and the bitches.
You know what I really want to say? Bearing in mind the era-straddling, rap-fu piece that is the Wu-Tang Clan I know it sounds too too corny, but I consider the Wu the audio equivalent of Caine from the early 1970s series, Kung Fu - the best character ever on television in terms of idealism and walking a path toward making the world he directly encountered a better place.
Article comments
1 - MRBenning
The only album I have is Wu-Tang Forever. I found it to be pretty interesting, but never really got into it too much. I think, after reading your review, that I may not need to know too much about the group to get into RZA's philosophy. Nice work.
2 - Temple Stark
>>subdue your aggression down
That was my non-confrontational way od saying "Kick their ass."
Thanks Michael.
3 - Phillip Winn
The Wu is pretty incredible, and mind-bogglingly prolific. RZA is crazy, but in a good way. The dude knows kung-fu, hardcore.
Great review!
4 - windwalker
Check out wuforever.com
for latest daily wu-tang news
5 - Aaman
Tommy was good, and Who's Next - kinda downhill for the rest.
6 - sonja valentine
good review -
their kung-fu is definitely tight
especially (the underrated) Inspectah Deck
7 - HW Saxton
To make a long post short: Great review.
8 - Temple Stark
This is one I stressed mightily over. There is so much going on and its sometihng that people who aren't fans, I felt, would be if not fascinated by, pretty interested to read - the book that is.
I held on to this one too long too try and find the right words, and as most writers, I'm still not quite happy.
Thanks though.
9 - HW Saxton
I picked this up friday and I finished
it today. Great read.It made my weekend.
Thanx for the recomendation.I'd have to
say it's a great read whether you are
into Hip-Hop or not.If you are though it
makes it that much better.Funny, but now
I want to go watch "Mad Monkey Kung Fu"
and break out my old 12' hip hop singles
for some odd reason.
10 - L. Cue
what do you think TS? Let's make this a Wu summer!
11 - Temple Stark
I'm all about the Wu. Seriously, this book confirmed so much about my impressions - and todl me much more aobut their backgrond and outlook than I knew. So glad HW liked it too.
Post your own review man.
And I did listen to ODB's solo release again. "Shimmy ..." is really the only song I like - the others are way to "in the gutter" for my tastes. It was more controlled and together than I remembered, however.
12 - wuforever.com
dont forget
wuforever.com
largest wu-tang community
3000+ photos
200+ wu-tang wallpapers
13 - jonny blaze
the wu-tang is the ultimate rap group. The only bad thing about the wu-tang now is that wenever i listen to ne of their new stuff i just want to hear the fatherless rythem of ODB. Method man is still their, but the clan just ain't the same without dirt mcgirt.
14 - alex@rap français
Wu-Tang was my favorite band when I was younger