There’s too much to say about the Wu-Tang Clan. They are one of the most legendary rap collectives of all time. Anyone who has engrossed in the dusty, off-kilter production of RZA, or the gritty bars of Ghostface Killah has felt their one-of-a-kind presence. Their discography is second-to-none, with their debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) standing strong today as one of the best rap albums of all time, and a slew of classics delivered by almost every individual member. Another album that stands within that high esteem is their ambitious, double-disc blockbuster Wu-Tang Forever, that while it just turned 25 years old, sounds as fresh and inventive as ever.
The album stands as an important part of hip-hop history. It was the first rap release to hit number 1 both in the U.S and UK, setting the tone for their years of worldwide dominance to come and the rapidly growing presence of the genre. It was a critical success as well, with writers like Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly saying “Wu-Tang are musical revolutionaries, unafraid to bring the noise along with their trunk of funk.” To commemorate the anniversary of the monumental album, Wu-Tang Clan have released a stacked anniversary collection. Everything from cassettes and uncovered interviews, to remixes of tracks like ‘Triumph’ are available, revealing more about the 1997 opus. In celebration of this, we revisited the album, and have listed 5 of our standout tracks that exemplify the illustrious lineage of the Staten Island pioneers.
Wu-Tang Forever’s legacy lives on 25 years later, check out the list below and head here to stream the classic album from one of hip hop’s most influential groups.