the internet is magic

Here Is A Supercut Of Every Time Wu-Tang Clan Shouts Itself Out On Its Albums

By Maura Johnston Fri., Dec. 2 2011 at 2:00 PM
Categories: Wu-Tang, the internet is magic

Thumbnail image for wutangninedemo.jpg
Presented for your enjoyment and compiled by one Conor Lastowka: An audio supercut of every time the Wu-Tang Clan shouts itself out—by its collective name or individually—across the group's five studio albums. Lastowka spent "a few hours" putting together the clip, and he came to this conclusion, which might not surprise you: "They say Wu-Tang a lot. It peaks with 36 Chambers, still gets brought up a lot on Forever, and sort of trickles out by the last two. I guess they really wanted to establish who they were. Note that I tried not to include repeated hooks like on 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing to F With' or 'High as Wu-Tang Get' just because they sounded repetitive, and there were still plenty without them." Noted. Clip below!

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Fashion

Everybody In Wu-Tang: The Gap Enters The 36 Chambers With Its Latest T-Shirt Offering

By Maura Johnston Thu., Sep. 29 2011 at 12:00 PM
Categories: Fashion, Wu-Tang

wutang_shirt_crop.jpg
The jeans-and-tees emporium The Gap has paired up with musicians before; the likes of Luscious Jackson and Common have warbled holiday-appropriate tunes for them during the store's late-autumn shopping season ads, Daft Punk has danced for its denim, and even Willie Nelson has endorsed the brand. But now the chain's starting to return the favor for certain musicians and iconic people of note by placing them on t-shirts—and among those luminaries immortalized in 100% cotton form is none other than Staten Island's own Wu-Tang Clan. For $29.95, the "canyon shadow"-colored top can be yours! A bigger image of the shirt after the jump.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Upcoming Shows

Ms. Lauryn Hill And Nas To Headline Rock The Bells Festival, Which Hits NYC In September

By Maura Johnston Wed., May 25 2011 at 12:00 PM
Categories: Lauryn Hill, Nas, Rock the Bells, Upcoming Shows, Wu-Tang

lauryn hill.jpg
The Rock The Bells festival returns to the New York area with a Sept. 3 date at Governor's Island. This year's installment is headed up by a slew of full-album sets that includes run-throughs of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Illmatic (which Nas will perform with AZ, Pete Rock and DJ Premier), Only Built For Cuban Linx, and quite a few other storied hip-hop records. There'll also be a battle stage and a "36 Chambers stage," which "will primarily feature members of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as artists selected by stage curator and Wu-Tang Clan mainstay RZA." Tickets go on presale next Friday, June 3, with the general on-sale set for June 4. Full roster of performers after the jump.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Lists

The 10 Best Hip-Hop Album Skits

By J. Pablo Thu., May 12 2011 at 12:00 PM
Categories: Big Pun, Cam'ron, Dr. Dre, Ghostface Killah, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Heltah Skeltah, J. Pablo, Kool Keith, Lists, Notorious B.I.G., The Coup, Wu-Tang

killertape.jpg
This next joint is getting lit for a tradition in hip-hop long since passed--not Iceberg sweaters, but album skits. There've been so many awful ones that the handful of good ones weren't enough to keep them from going to hell in a backpack. But a few were incredibly vivid--and funny. Of course, it helped if the rapper performing them sounded cool saying pretty much anything, a la Ghostface Killah ("It feel hot at night..."). Or they were performed by Dave Chappelle, who Talib Kweli brought on board to imitate Nelson Mandela.

As you read on, you'll realize that three out of the 10 skits collected here are Wu-Tang related. To anyone tempted to complain about that, I say: Fuck off. I'm from the Wally era.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Politics

Barack Obama's White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech Runs Wild, Namechecks ODB

By Mike Barthel Mon., May 2 2011 at 3:00 PM
Categories: Barack Obama, Mike Barthel, Notorious B.I.G., Politics, Tupac, Wu-Tang

obama.png
On Friday, we talked about how Beyoncé's participation in Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program showed how the Obamas were interested in including a wider (and younger-skewing) swath of culture in official political life. On Saturday, President Obama's speech to the White House Correspondents' Association offered even more evidence. It was a shrewd move on Obama's part; though the event is ostensibly closed, Internet-disseminated videos of its speeches have been a postmortem fixture since Stephen Colbert's elaborate Bush satire in 2006. These speeches have become a way for presidents to temporarily drop the gravitas they're required to carry as symbolic heads of state and give the public an idea of their private character. Obama knew that the routine would be seen; moreover, he knew that he'd ordered the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, and in retrospect, you can see the swagger. He used the opportunity not only to utterly destroy Donald Trump, but to signal his cultural allegiances in subtle but powerful ways.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Last Night

Photos: The Village Voice/Frank 151 SXSW Party, Starring Wild Flag, Wu-Tang, Erykah Badu, Donald Glover, Yelawolf, and More

By Zach Baron Fri., Mar. 18 2011 at 9:40 AM
Categories: Erykah Badu, Featured, Fishbone, Last Night, Live, SXSW, Trae Tha Truth, Trouble Andrew, Ume, Wild Flag, Wu-Tang

wutangsxsw1.jpg
Wu-Tang, who else? All photos by Nate "Igor" Smith
The Wu-Tang/Wild Flag encore of champions never quite went off the way we hoped it would, but Donald Glover's rapping alter-ego Childish Gambino did make a cameo appearance, Yelawolf took off his shirt, and fireworks shot off down the block, where the Strokes were entertaining those who couldn't quite make it into the Austin Music Hall. Put another successful SXSW party--this one starring not just the aforementioned Wu-Tang Clan, Yelawolf, and Wild Flag, but also Fishbone, Trae Tha Truth, Marz Lovejoy, Rocky Business, Trouble Andrew, Ume, and Erykah Badu, who DJed and then performed with the Wu at the end of their 1 a.m. set--in the books. You can read a full report courtesy of our pals in Houston; our intrepid photographer Nate "Igor" Smith was also on the scene. His photos are below.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Lists

Ten Reasons Why The Wu Tang Clan Are The Greatest Rap Group Of All Time

By Phillip Mlynar Thu., Mar. 10 2011 at 12:10 PM
Categories: Featured, Lists, Wu-Tang

wu tang list logo.gif
Raekwon, the Wu-Tang Clan's resident slang scholar, released his new solo album, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, last week; it's the latest installment in a magnificent saga that's now nearly two decades strong and leaves Staten Island's finest rap representers firmly in the conversation for hip-hop's greatest-ever group. Whether you talk influence, impact, classic albums, or just good old-fashioned rapping ability, no other crew set such high standards, and maintained them. Here are 10 (of many) reasons why New York's hometown heroes will always rule everything around them.


More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Interviews

Q&A: Raekwon On Getting His Third Wind, Rapping About Crime In A Soft New York, And Giving RZA Tough Love

By J. Pablo Thu., Mar. 10 2011 at 11:00 AM
Categories: Featured, Interviews, Raekwon, Wu-Tang

"Just growing up when we grew up and how we grew up and of course where we grew up . . . I seen enough to keep me inspired for decades, man."

raekwon shaolin cover.jpg
From the moment we all heard those kung fu effects on "Protect Ya Neck," the world was hooked. Smitten by the rugged wordplay and seemingly endless lineup of furiously spitting rappers, the Wu Tang Clan was like nothing any rap consumer had ever heard before. But on their second single, "C.R.E.A.M.," the bragging, violent rhymes were replaced by somber, heart-wrenching verses about the hardships of growing up on the crime side - one particular emcee with a penchant for vivid, creative slang introduced listeners to a world few knew existed. Raekwon the Chef quickly became a Wu favorite; his 1995 solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, is still regarded by many as the finest individual Wu effort in a crowded field, and might get more than a few votes for the best hip-hop album of all time.

After 1997's Wu Tang Forever, however, things got a little funny. Excepting Ghostface and maybe Method Man, the rest of the clan didn't garner the same attention as it did during the early and mid '90s. Through the last decade, Raekwon released work sporadically to lukewarm critical reviews and wildly varied public opinions. After the release of the Clan's 2007 effort 8 Diagrams, Rae voiced dissatisfaction with ringleader RZA's beat selection and vowed to put out more work on a more consistent schedule. 2009's Only Built for Cuban Linx II . . . Part II was quickly followed by Meth, Rae, and Ghost's Wu Massacre; his latest solo effort, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, came out last week. Rae is clearly getting his third wind: Walk with Lex Diamonds as he revisits his childhood, and discusses his redoubled efforts to stay both inspired and relevant.


More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Announcements

Announcing the 2011 Village Voice and Frank 151 SXSW Party, Featuring the Wu-Tang Clan, Yelawolf, Wild Flag, Fishbone, and More

By Zach Baron Mon., Feb. 28 2011 at 7:00 AM
Categories: Announcements, Erykah Badu, Featured, Fishbone, Rocky Business, SXSW, Trae Tha Truth, Trouble Andrew, Ume, Wild Flag, Wu-Tang, Yelawolf

rocky-business-at-the-mercury-lounge.jpg
Rocky Business at the Mercury Lounge last week. Photo by Nate "Igor" Smith.
With three weeks to go and counting, we figured we might as well make it official: please join us in welcoming the 2011 Village Voice SXSW party, presented in concert with Frank 151, and starring the Wu-Tang Clan, Fishbone, Yelawolf, Trae Tha Truth, Marz Lovejoy, Rocky Business, Trouble Andrew, Wild Flag, Ume, and a DJ set from Erykah Badu. How about that? We're still pretty fond of last year's line-up (Superchunk, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood, and the xx), but this may well top it. People who have been sentient in the last two decades should need no introduction to Wu-Tang and Fishbone--or to Alabama rap hero Yelawolf or the all-lady post-Sleater-Kinney supergroup Wild Flag, for that matter. And Voice readers should recognize formidable Austin trio Ume too, if not from their lively CMJ stint a year and half back, then at least for their towering frontwoman:

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Lists

Top Ten Greatest Rap-Acronym Anthems

By Phillip Mlynar Tue., Feb. 1 2011 at 11:23 AM
Categories: De La Soul, Featured, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Killer Mike, LL Cool J, Lists, Prodigy, Schoolly D, Screwball, Smif-n-Wessun, Wu-Tang

wu tang cream.jpg
Kanye West and Jay-Z's Lex Luger-produced "H.A.M." is a creative union of the two biggest currently recording rap stars in the world -- as the lead single to the duo's upcoming Watch the Throne project, it's a feisty statement of intent. But more importantly, it's a fresh edition to the canon of wonderful rap songs tagged with (usually) brilliantly bad acronyms. With "H.A.M." Fever still in full effect, here are 10 of rap's biggest acronym-based anthems.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
VOICE Daily Deals

From the Vault

 

Slideshows»

Links

©2013 Village Voice, LLC, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places New York

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city

Join
Log In