Kung-fu's influence on hip hop has been around since the '70s, when B-boys busted Bruce Lee moves while break-dancing. But in 1993, gritty rap supergroup the Wu-Tang Clan released Enter the Wu-Tang (36-Chambers), the first chart-topping album to kick up raw rhymes with dialog sampled from underground Hong Kong flicks. The Wu has since sold nearly 6 million albums, all featuring snippets from producer RZA's personal collection of action imports — which boasts more titles in the genre than the Library of Congress. "The people who made these movies didn't know how much one sentence could inspire," says RZA, who also scored Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill saga and other films. In December, the Clan's eight remaining members (RIP, ODB) reunite for their fifth release, The 8 Diagrams. RZA gave WIRED the dope on Wu-Tang's cinematic source material and sounded off on a selection of rare movie clips.
Film Time:100:14:02 Film: Shaolin & Wu Tang Year: 1981
Film Time: 206:19 Film: Five Deadly Venoms Year: 1978
Album:Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Year: 1993 Song Time: 00:01 Sample: "1A game of chess is like a swordfight. [sword effects] You must think first [sword effects] before you move. 2The toad style is immensely strong and immune to nearly any weapon. When it's properly used, it's almost invincible."
RZA: "It was perfect for what I was trying to say about my crew. That's how I felt Wu was—almost invincible."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music1.mp3
Song: "Bring Da Ruckus"
Film Times: 100:11:15, 200:11:02, 300:14:17 Film: Shaolin & Wu Tang Year: 1981
Film Time: 400:58:44 Film: Ten Tigers from Kwangtung Year: 1979
Album: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Year: 1993 Song Time: 00:01 Sample: "1Shaolin shadowboxing and the Wu-Tang sword style. 2If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous. 3Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me? 4En garde, I'll let you try my Wu-Tang style."RZA: "It opens the album and sets the tempo for what the group was about. It brought listeners to the world we were in."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music2.mp3
Song: "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'"
Song: "Maria"
Film Time: 00:23:40 Film: The Four Assassins (aka Marco Polo) Year: 1975
Album: Wu-Tang Forever Year: 1997 Song Time: 00:02:37 Sample: "You people are all trying to achieve the impossible. That's exactly what we've done. But, you'll fail and you'll all die. If we die the next generation will fight them too and the one after them for as long as they must and eventually we shall succeed."RZA: "The movie didn't deal with all the facts, but it resonated with me..."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music3.mp3
Song: "Little Ghetto Boys"
Film Time: 00:00:32 Film: Invincible Armour Year: 1977
Album: Wu-Tang Forever Year: 1997 Song Time: 04:31 Sample: "One is invulnerable. In fact it involves strenuous breath control and of all techniques it's the most difficult. The human body has 108 pressure points. 36 of these can be fatal, the remainder paralyzing."RZA:"These lines are so obscure, I knew people didn’t know them. We brought new light to these movies — and the listener."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music4.mp3
Song: "Intro (Shaolin Finger Jab/Chamber Music)"
Film Times: 100:01:12, 200:01:22, 300:02:12 Film: Five Deadly Venoms Year: 1978
Film Time: 41:26:32 Film: Wu Tang vs. Ninja (aka Ninja Hunter) Year: 1983
Film Time: 500:3:58 Film: The Iron Monkey Year: 1977
Album: The W Year: 2000 Song Time: 00:07 Sample: "1I must tell you that the Clan is a danger to the public... 2but still for many men just to hear of the name fills them with hate and loathing.But why? They've never harmed anyone. I'm afraid they did, in the past..." 3There's something that I would like you to do. First I'll tell you about their styles, the poison clan techniques, the five main styles... 4Shaolin finger jab! 5We're watching your whole group around the clock. All we need is your orders to move... You kill everyone — young and old!"RZA: "Seven of Wu's nine members all served hard prison time. People were scared of us. This sample reflects that mind state."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music5.mp3Song: "Wolves"
Film Time: 00:48:23 Film: The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter Year: 1983
Album: The 8 Diagrams Year: 2007 Song Time: 00:01 Sample: "We're fighting to stop the wolves!"RZA: "This movie inspired me to form the Clan. It's about brotherhood. Beyond our fly name and shit, that's what Wu-Tang is all about."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music6.mp3BONUS:"Wu-Tang was more like an awakening type of group..."
https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/multimedia/magazine/1511/pl_music7.mp3__Listen to full interview:__
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