The Wu-Tang Clan are concluding one helluva ride.
The Clan have just begun Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, their final tour as a collective. The 27-date trek is the largest run of headlining shows the group has ever had, and concludes in Philadelphia on July 18. The tour will feature all eight of the Clan’s original members, along with unofficial tenth member Cappadonna and with Young Dirty Bastard, the son of the deceased member Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
Getting all of the members together is always a task, but RZA told the New York Times that this tour is the culmination of a five-year plan that further solidifies Wu-Tang's legacy. During that time, the Wu-Tang Clan was the subject of a four-part docuseries, a dramatized mini-series, multiple individual biographies of solo members, and held a Las Vegas residency. After years of giving fans tools to further familiarize themselves with the story of the Wu-Tang Clan, now they’ll get one last chance to see them live.
The Wu-Tang Clan is arguably the greatest group in rap history, and a large part of why they deserve such a title is because their success is so infeasible. That nine disparate personalities and skill sets were able to get on the same page even once was already a colossal achievement, much less for three decades and dozens of influential albums. Outside of their Shaolin stomping grounds, each member built respectable solo careers before reassembling, Voltron-style, for subsequent group albums.
Wu-Tang Clan's story is unique not just because of their mythology or roots on Staten Island, away from the beating heart of New York's more popular boroughs. Rather, their collective sound and strategy was far and away from anything resembling that of their peers. Under the leadership of producer/rapper RZA, the crew of Staten Island lyricists released the classic Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, a timeless and highly influential record that showcased each of their unique styles while uniting them under the common threads of pro-Black numerology and martial arts. The group then split up as each member pursued solo deals with various labels — an approach that was completely unprecedented at the time.
And after splitting up to showcase their own talents, they’d reunite for the sprawling double-disc Wu-Tang Forever. They’d release six albums total over the course of 21 years, along with one that the majority of the world will never hear (but more on that later).
The story of the Wu-Tang Clan may seem simple enough when considering their impact in totality, but making sense of their collective discography can be daunting. Between group records, solo projects, and collaborative LPs, the Wu-Tang Clan’s original nine members have released more than five dozen studio albums — and that’s not even including the mixtapes, compilations, or records from the hundreds of "Wu affiliates" who have contributed to the crew’s sprawling ambitions.
In honor of the group's final tour and what may be their ultimate chapter, GRAMMY.com has highlighted the Wu-Tang records that are most worth your time from each era of the storied group.
Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin’ Ta F’ Wit: 1993 - 1996
Essential albums: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers); Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx; GZA - Liquid Swords
Classic tracks: Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)," "Protect Ya Neck"; Raekwon - "Rainy Dayz," "Ice Cream"; Method Man - "Bring The Pain," "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"; Ghostface Killah - "Daytona 500"
The Wu-Tang Clan was the brainchild of Robert "RZA" Diggs, who already had a brief record deal as a solo artist under the moniker Prince Rakeem and had formed a horrorcore group called Gravediggaz. He enlisted cousins Gary "GZA" Grice (who also had a previous record deal under the moniker The Genius) and Russell "Ol Dirty Bastard" Jones, with whom he had a previous trio called All In Together Now.
Now, along with six other rappers – Ghostface Killah (Dennis Coles), Raekwon (Corey Woods), Method Man (Clifford Smith Jr.), U-God (Lamont Hawkins), Masta Killa (Jamal Irief; born Elgin Turner), Inspectah Deck (and Jason Hunter) – the crew was complete. (Cappadonna was an original member, but a prison bid prevented him from participating in early recordings.) After assembling in late 1992 they self-released their first single "Protect Ya Neck," building a buzz that eventually landed them a deal with Loud Records.
Learn more: Nothing To F With: How 'Enter The Wu-Tang' Established One Of The Greatest Rap Groups Of All Time
The album featured grimy productions by RZA, martial arts film samples, pro-black ideologies, and athletic rapping, with each member having his own style. "It was like being in the Superfriends," Raekwon said in the book Check The Technique, by Brian Coleman. "You don’t have the same power as the next nigga, but you’re all amazingly strong."
While rap in the early '90s was generally being run by West Coast titans Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) brought eyes and ears back to New York. The group’s debut album wasn’t just a great collection of talent, it was a powerful display of identity. The Wu-Tang Clan didn't just lead an East Coast rap renaissance; they were practically a religion. Songs like "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me"), "Can It All Be So Simple" and "Protect Ya Neck" became some of the most beloved songs in hip-hop history, and the Clan became one of the biggest rap groups in the world, changing every member's life forever.
Read more: A Guide To New York Hip-Hop: Unpacking The Sound Of Rap's Birthplace From The Bronx To Staten Island
Importantly, the group’s record deal with Loud gave each member free reign to pursue solo deals as well, the first deal of its kind. That allowed the best divide-and-conquer campaign in rap history, with the crew following its debut with five straight classic solo albums over the next three years. But a pair of floods in RZA’s studio destroyed an estimated 500 beats, forcing him to start from scratch on several members' solo albums.
Method Man, the most prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan, was the complete package: He had the wit and rawness of legendary MCs, a brawny voice, the physical attractiveness and charm of a sex symbol, and undeniable star power. And his self-titled solo song from Enter The Wu was a fan favorite. While an early version was lost in the flood, Method's debut solo album, Tical, showcased RZA’s kinetic chemistry and Meth’s gravelly flow as the perfect match for "the Abbot’s" sepulchral soundbeds. "Bring The Pain" is classic hip-hop cannon, but perhaps the most everlasting contribution is actually one of its remixes. "All I Need" was already a touching love song in its original form, but the "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" remix featuring Mary J. Blige is hip-hop’s preeminent love ballad.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard was the second member of Wu-Tang Clan to drop a solo album after the group's earth shattering debut. Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995) further established him as the loose cannon of the crew and rap's most unpredictable personality. His erratic, unmistakable delivery fluctuated between a hoarse croak and a throaty yodel; ODB spewed outrageously vulgar and hilarious lyrics over another batch of fantastic RZA production. Whether he’s making you laugh, cringe, or cheer, ODB would always make you feel something — and that’s what made him so unforgettable.
After ODB dropped in March '95, Raekwon took over later that summer with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a list of the greatest rap albums that doesn’t have OB4CL ranked in the top ten. It doesn’t only have an argument as the best solo album from this Wu-Tang Clan era, but it set a benchmark for Mafioso rap. Raekwon's debut weaved tales of Black organized crime with linguistic, cinematic flair.
"Co-starring" Ghostface Killah appears on 12 of the album’s 17 tracks, even posing behind him on the album cover. Songs like "Rainy Dayz" and "Can It All Be So Simple (Remix)" showcased Ghostface and Raekwon as a dynamic duo within the Clan — a partnership that would become one of rap’s most prolific and creative over the years. The album also featured a young Nas on "Verbal Intercourse," making it the first rap appearance by a non-Wu member on a Wu album. Add to The Chef's menu of Mafia references, new slang, and ominous RZA production, and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx set the table for generations of coke rappers to follow.
In a group full of flamboyant, boastful personalities, the rapper born Gary Grice is cold, stoic, and methodical. Before co-founding the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA went by the rap name The Genius — a fitting name due to his enthusiasm for brainiac fields like quantum physics and chess. He changed his name to GZA upon joining the Wu, and Liquid Swords is neck and neck with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as the best solo album to come from the Clan.
GZA shows off his hyper intelligence through his rhymes, spitting dense, layered metaphors with an unflappable demeanor over sparse, inventive RZA soundbeds. "Labels" uses a variety of record label names in clever wordplay to critique the music industry, while "Gold" metaphorically weaves ruthless street pursuits with chess references to the story’s characters.
The Wu-Tang Clan’s flawless opening season ended in 1996 with Ghostface Killah’s Ironman. Continuing the collaborative spirit of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the album featured Raekwon and Cappadonna as co-stars. Only four of the songs feature Ghostface by himself; some of them don’t feature him at all, as he was battling a diabetes diagnosis and depression over a close friend being arrested for murder (he served 23 years in prison before being paroled and eventually exonerated). But the album is still a classic: RZA crafted a set of beats inspired by the vibes of Blaxploitation films and Ghostface adds extra personality and dimension to the street novelas of Cuban Linx. "Wildflower" scornfully curses a promiscuous partner, "Daytona 500" is sees Ghost trading verses with his two co-stars, and the timeless "All That I Got Is You" finds Ghost recounting his rough childhood — living in poverty as one of 15 people packed in a three-bedroom apartment — in vivid, diaristic detail alongside a Mary J. Blige chorus.
Rainy Dayz: 1997 - 2001
Essential albums: Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever; Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele; Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance
Classic Tracks: Wu-Tang Clan - "Triumph," "It’z Yourz"; Ghostface Killah - "One," "Apollo Kids," "MIghty Healthy"; Inspectah Deck - "Elevation"; Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder"
After an industry-shattering debut and a string of successful solo records, the late '90s saw the Clan expanding. They started a clothing line called Wu-Wear and a retail store, released a video game called "Shaolin Style," shot one of rap’s earliest million-dollar music videos, and Method Man began to dip his toes into Hollywood.
The Wu-Tang Clan launched its sonic second wave with the group’s 1997 sophomore album, Wu-Tang Forever. The sprawling double-disc album embodied that same spirit of growth; affiliates like True Master and 4th Disciple shared in beat-making duties, while RZA further developed his sound by using fewer samples than before.
The album had all-time great songs like "Triumph," "It’s Yourz," and "impossible," but its bloated nature has made it one of the group’s most divisive efforts. While the album went platinum and has since been sampled by Drake and J. Cole, the release came during a tumultuous year for the Clan. A dispute with Hot 97 led to their music being banned from the station, and internal issues led to the group dropping out of a tour with Rage Against The Machine.
While sophomore efforts by Method Man, Raekwon, and GZA lacked the same spark as their debuts, other members finally got their first shots at solo albums. RZA released an experimental, keyboard-driven concept album called Bobby Digital In Stereo in 1998, and U-God dropped Golden Arms Redemption in 1999. But the best solo debut from that pack of releases came from Inspectah Deck.
Deck was one of the worst hurt after the floods in RZA’s basement, but he became known as one of rap’s best after his iconic verse on "Triumph" and a string of memorable feature verses for artists outside the Clan. His 1999 debut album Uncontrolled Substance continued that flow state, with underrated affiliates of the Wu handling production duties (4th Disciple, True Master, Mathematics) and guest appearances (La The Darkman, Street Life, Masta Killa, U-God). Deck also proved himself as a double threat on the mic and the boards, making his own beats while still dropping incisive rhymes. "Word on the Street" finds him on the run from cops after a co-conspirator rats him out; "Lovin You" begins with a verse that illustrates falling for a baddie on the train, then ends with appreciation for a platonic, sibling-styled friendship with a different woman; "Show n Prove" gets spiritual with its Five Percenter principles about finding the god within.
Despite a few contributions by RZA and True Master, Ol Dirty Bastard’s second album often feels like it’s completely separate from the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan. ODB is at his lighthearted, nonsensical, profane, and problematic best on Nigga Please, with beats that are just as eccentric and whimsical as his personality. On "Got Your Money," ODB plays a pimp charmingly demanding money from women with a irresistible Neptunes beat and catchy Kelis hook; "Good Morning Heartache" is a duet with Lil Mo that wouldn’t sound out of place at a jazz club; and, well, song titles like "I Want Pussy" and "Gettin’ High" are self-explanatory.
Method Man’s solo discography after Tical is uneven, especially relative to his rising star power. But his chemistry with RZA is only rivaled by his synergy with Redman, and that explosiveness was felt on their 1999 joint LP Blackout!. While RZA and Mathematics make a few contributions, most of the beats are handled by Redman’s Def Squad brethren Erick Sermon, making for an album that’s more funky and buoyant than dark and gloomy. It’s the perfect vibe for Meth and Red to trade playful, energetic and exuberant rhymes — more gutter in sensibility than in tone.
The top effort from the Wu-Tang Clan during its second wave is Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele (2000). Ghostface is at his absolute greatest, despite dealing with debilitating health issues. He wrote most of his second album in Africa — where we went to pursue alternatives to Western medicine — and the outcome was a masterpiece. Merging the Wu’s shadowy sound with Ghost’s soul and R&B inclinations, Supreme Clientele featured surreal, stream of consciousness rhymes that defied gravity. Its god-level slang and random association stylings can be indecipherable to the uninitiated (and, admittedly, even to Ghost himself at times), but it’s as adventurous an album as hip-hop has to offer.
Can It All Be So Simple: 2000 - 2007
Essential albums: Wu-Tang Clan - The W; Ghostface Killah - Fishscale; GZA & DJ Muggs - Grandmasters
Classic Tracks: Wu-Tang Clan -"Careful (Click Click)," "I Can’t Go To Sleep," "Uzi (Pinky Ring)"; GZA - "Fame," "General Principles"; Ghostface Killah - "Shakey Dog," "Run;" Masta Killa - "School"; Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder"
After earning multiple platinum and gold plaques from both solo and group albums,the Wu-Tang Clan entered their next chapter by releasing two LPs in as many years. The W (2000) scaled back from the unwieldiness of Wu-Tang Forever with a tight 13 songs (the same track length as 36 Chambers). This length serves the album well, and each track makes the most of its time.
"Careful (Click Click)" is as eerie and echoey as any of RZA’s best beats, while "Gravel Pit" finds the members having fun over a lighthearted '60s groove. The heart-tugging "I Can’t Go To Sleep" showcases Ghostface Killah and RZA tearfully breaking down over relentless surroundings of drugs and violence over a masterful sample of "Walk On By" by Issac Hayes — who closes the song with a powerful vocal of his own. The W was the first time the Clan welcomed multiple outside MCs on one of its group album: Redman gets busy on "Redbull," Nas delivers passionate fight-the-system rhymes alongside Raekwon and Deck on "Let My Niggas Live," and Busta Rhymes shows out on "The Monument."
But the year 2000 marked the beginning of the group’s eventual separation. Each of the members were granted requests to be released from their Wu-Tang contracts, left to their solo pursuits. Dealing with multiple legal issues,Ol’ Dirty Bastard only had one verse on The W — his last living appearance on a Wu-Tang album before he died of a drug overdose in November 2004, collapsing at RZA’s studio. ODB was missing from the group’s following album Iron Flag (2001), as was longtime honorary member Cappadonna after falling out with RZA over financial issues and dissatisfaction with his role in the group. U-God even appears to rap about wanting to leave the group on "One of These Days": "Every time I want out, they pull me back in," he claims, using the beloved quote from The Godfather III.
While Iron Flag received positive reviews, and songs like "Uzi (Pinky Ring)" still knock, it often gets lost in the annals of the group’s expansive history. The next few years didn’t have many standout solo releases to uphold the group’s stature, either.
Released in 2002, GZA’s third album, The Legend of the Liquid Sword is one of the solo highlights from this era of the Wu-Tang Clan. Even though RZA only contributed one beat to this one (along with one song by loyal Wu-Tang affiliate Mathematics), GZA still clearly knew what he was doing on the production side, enlisting craftsmen like Jay "Waxx" Garfield, Bink!, and Arabian Knight for beats that still encompass the Wu-Tang essence (even if they’re occasionally more lush). Lyrically, he’s as precise as always: "Auto Bio" recounts his early days at hip-hop parties in the Bronx, "Animal Planet" uses detailed metaphors to compare human behavior to animals, and "Did Ya Say That" continues his scorn against frustrating music industry practices.
Masta Killa was the final Wu-Tang member to release his solo debut, with No Said Date dropping in June 2004. Its title was fitting: several of the tracks dated back as far as 1997. But after being incarcerated for much of the creation of 36 Chambers and finally finding his groove on Wu-Tang Forever, he made the most of his time on his first album. No Said Date had all of the Clan’s staples — snippets from kung fu flicks, the Wu’s signature dark sound — and Killa delivers composed, thoughtful lyrics.
GZA also turned in one of the crew’s better projects in 2005 with Grandmasters, a collaborative album with producer DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame. Along with kung-fu flicks and Five Percenter ideology, one of the foundational motifs of the Wu-Tang Clan is chess — and GZA is one of the group’s most dedicated players, often referencing the game’s principles and strategies in his lyrics. Grandmasters is based upon elaborate, extended metaphors: He titled songs after chess moves and situations, using them as illustrations for story ideas and life principles. Not all producers can execute a dark, cavernous mood as well as RZA can, but DJ Muggs is one of those select few — and combining that with cameos by Wu members like Raekwon and Masta Killa made Grandmasters a worthy addition to the Wu canon.
When Ghostface Killah released Fishscale in 2006, it helped revive the Wu-Tang’s period of relative critical dormancy. He had already had a prolific two years before that, releasing a pair of collaborative albums with his crew Theodore Unit and protege Trife Da God in 2004 and 2005, respectively. So when it came to his fifth LP, he was already in game shape. Ghost’s street soliloquies were as vivid as always, and he was arguably at his most versatile ever. "Shakey Dog" narrates a robbery with the frenetic urgency of a Safdie flick, the Ne-Yo-assisted "Back Like That" laments a messy breakup, "The Champ" is a set of triumphant shit-talking, and "Whip You With A Strap" recalls childhood memories of corporal punishment from his mom. Ghostface didn’t employ production by RZA or other Wu-Tang affiliates, but he still got heat from a who’s who of legends like MF DOOM, J Dilla, Pete Rock, and Just Blaze, delivering a variety of beats appropriately soulful, haunting, and vibrant.
Wu-Tang Clan’s fifth studio album, 8 Diagrams (2007), was its largest creative diversion to date. It was their first album away from longtime label home Loud Records (though their new label, SRC, was created by Loud founder Steve Rifkind), and RZA took an orchestral, experimental diversion from the group’s gritty ethos. Critics were split on the final product, and so was the Wu itself: Raekwon and Ghostface both gave interviews that protested the new direction that the group had taken. The release date of Ghostface's Big Doe Rehab, which initially coincided with that of 8 Diagrams, led to further turmoil.
The group would go through various stages of creative and financial turmoil over subsequent years. They wouldn’t reunite again until the mid-2010s.
Preservation: 2009 - Present
Essential albums: Raekwon -Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II; Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons To Die; Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang; Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon - Wu-Massacre
Classic Tracks: Raekwon - "House of Flying Daggers," "Surgical Gloves"; Wu-Tang Clan - "Crushed Egos"; Czarface & Ghostface Killah - "Powers and Stuff," "Listen To The Color"
After 8 Diagrams, most of the Wu-Tang Clan began to create separately. Most of those releases failed to make a major impact.
Raekwon brought the W back to life in 2009 when he announced plans to make a sequel to his debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. The announcement both excited and worried fans, the latter of whom assumed that there was no way that a sequel could ever measure up to the original. But The Chef pulled out all the stops for 2009's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II, and the results were virtually perfect. Raekwon assembled an all-star cast of producers with RZA, J Dilla, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and Dr. Dre (whose Aftermath Records Rae had briefly signed to), but the cavernous Wu-Tang aesthetic is maintained throughout. Rae’s darts were still sharp, and everyone who showed up alongside him recognized the importance of the moment — whether it’s his fellow Wu-Tang members on songs like the stunning "House of Flying Daggers" or other rap greats like Jadakiss, Styles P, and Slick Rick.
Since then, members have had varying amounts of releases. Inspectah Deck joined rap duo 7L & Esoteric to form the supergroup Czarface, and they’ve since released more than a dozen albums since 2013, including collaborative albums with MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah, and Kool Keith. Raekwon has released multiple solo albums, including 2017 highlight The Wild. Ghostface Killah virtually never slowed down, releasing multiple albums, including collaborative albums with producer Adrian Younge, rapper Sheek Louch of The LOX, and more. Method Man and RZA have both immersed themselves into Hollywood, Meth as a consistent actor and RZA as actor, director, and composer.
The Wu-Tang Clan’s last studio release was A Better Tomorrow (2014), an album that was generally panned by critics. It’s often overshadowed by a different record altogether — an album that very few people have heard in its entirety.
Once Upon A Time In Shaolin is shrouded in lore: Wu affiliate Clivaringz conceptualized and produced the bulk of the record, assembling the group sporadically for sessions in Staten Island and Marrakech, Morocco before pressing a singular copy of the album and auctioning it off for $2 million in 2015. The album was banned from being commercially exploited until the year 2103. The album’s buyer, pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli (who infamously raised the price of the anti-infective drug Daraprim from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill), was convicted of fraud in 2017, leaving the album to be auctioned again by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.
The album was purchased by PleasrDAO, a group that publishes non-fungible tokens, in 2021. In 2024, NFT publisher PleasrDAO hosted exhibitions where they played a megamix of select songs from the album; they also began selling partial ownership of the album, with buyers receiving a five-minute sampler. Cilvaringz insisted that he ran the idea by each of the members before getting them to record their verses, but the members have vocally expressed their disdain for how the album was brought together.
Read more: Inside An American Hip-Hop Saga: The Wu-Tang Clan Story Enters A New Chapter
Since then, the Wu-Tang Clan hasn’t released any formal studio albums and members have made sporadic independent records. But the group has done lots to uphold its legacy otherwise: they released a four-episode docuseries with late journalist/filmmaker Sacha Jenkins called Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men in 2019, and FX aired three seasons of a fictionalized drama series called "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" between 2019 and 2023. Their upcoming tour, "The Final Chamber," is fittingly named — at least for everyone who doesn’t make it to the 88-year Once Upon A Time In Shaolin deadline of 2103.
Honorable Mentions
The Wu-Tang Clan has over 100 albums among its official members, and even more when considering side projects from the slate of Wu-Tang affiliates who still rep the W. That means there are plenty of other projects that are dope in their own right, even if they aren't essential pages in the Wu’s story. Look below for additional heat to catch up on if you haven't already.
Cappadonna - The Pillage; Masta Killa - Made In Brooklyn; Ghostface Killah - Bulletproof Wallets; Method Man - 4:21: The Day After; Method Man & Redman - Blackout! 2; Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon - Wu-Massacre; RZA - Afro Samurai: Resurrection; Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang; Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - 12 Reasons To Die; Raekwon -The Wild; Czarface & Ghostface Killah - Czarface Meets Ghostface; Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics - Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman