Why are you reading this review? If you knew enough about the Wu-Tang clan to go and type it in the search box, you would know that they are considered to be one of the most talented rap groups in hip-hop history. "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", released in 1993, is their best CD. So if you have never heard of them, this CD is the perfect place to start. After listening to a couple of tracks, you'll notice that Wu-Tang is certainly not into glitzy beats and overused rhymes. They simply don't deal with that crap. The RZA used stripped down beats and cool clips from martial arts movies. The focus of Wu-Tang's work on this album was simply amazing hardcore rapping. They didn't want the listener to finish the album and then walk away humming a track on the album. It doesn't even take the entire album for most people to realize that, man, these guys can flow. Furthermore, the Wu-Tang were not afraid to dig in and get their hands dirty. Their raps were aggressive and hardcore. The album starts off appropriately with the great track "Bring Da Ruckus", challenging anyone to test the Wu-Tang style. The little introduction to the song talks about the two types of martial arts Shaolin and Wu-Tang. Indeed, the album is divided into two sections to reflect this. The simple formula that the Wu-Tang used -- simple beats and dope, hardcore lyrics -- was the key to their success. The Wu-Tang was a huge group, eight members at the time, but they were able to work together on great long tracks instead of stepping over each other or canceling each other out. They manage to do this and still preserve their individuality. Certain rappers definitely stand out like the gifted Ghost Face Killer (I suppose he later decided to change it to Ghostface Killah) and Ol' Dirty Bastard with his drunken style of rapping (perhaps this parallels the drunken style of fighting...who knows?). Ol' Dirty Bastard is my personal favorite. He steals the show in "Shame On a N*gga" and "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'". There is one rapper, U-God, that doesn't get to make too big of a contribution to the tracks. He only appears on a couple of tracks and his verses are short. Geez, I don't even think he's even on "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" because I think the "7" refers to the 7 rappers on the track. I suppose this is because he is not as talented as the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan, but it does seem a little unfair and sad.
All the tracks are outstanding. The three tracks I think stand out the most, though, are "C.R.E.A.M.", "Method Man", and "Protect Ya Neck". They are all back to back in that order, making for a very satisfying 15 minutes or so of the best of the best. "Protect Ya Neck" starts out with a little interlude of a fan calling a radio station to request Wu-Tang. The actual song is actually bleeped. I found that amusing. Hey, here's a Wu-Tang track for the kids! Haha... There are also some serious (not to say the topic of don't-even-dare-to-get-near-our-level isn't serious) songs like "Can It Be All So Simple" and "Tearz". One can only attempt to describe this album for so long before one just gets frustrated at one's mysterious loss for words and just blurts out, "Look, just buy it and experience it, okay?" There are only twelve tracks including the little interludes taped to the beginning or end of songs. I also feel that the last track ("Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II") is unnecessary because it's not a very dramatically different remix from the normal version (track 4).
If you consider yourself a hip-hop fan and don't know about this album, shame on you. Get ahold of it and see how these lyrical swordsmen shook up the industry with their innovation.

Quoting straight from the liner notes, Wu-Tang is:
Prince Rakeem "The RZA"
The Method Man
U-God
Rebel INS
Shallah Raekwon
Ghost Face Killer
Ol' Dirty Bastard
The Genius "The GZA"

The members of Wu-Tang have many aliases, however. For example, Rebel INS is also commonly known as Inspektah Deck. Also, some have tweaked their names a bit. In addition to the aforementioned Ghost Face Killer, The Method Man has also simplified his alias and is now known as simply "Method Man". Lastly, the Wu-Tang Clan expanded after this album to include two more members: the talented (in my opinion) Masta Killah and the not-so-talented (in my opinion) Cappadonna.

Again, I very much recommend this album to hip-hop fans.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving