Wu-Tang Forever
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| Wu-Tang Forever | |||||
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| Studio album by Wu-Tang Clan | |||||
| Released | June 3, 1997 | ||||
| Recorded | On and off between 1994 and 1997 | ||||
| Genre | Hip-hop | ||||
| Length | 118:43 (North America) 130:11 (international) |
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| Label | Loud/RCA/BMG Records 07863-66905 (North America) 74321-45768 (international) |
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| Producer | RZA Inspectah Deck 4th Disciple True Master |
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| Professional reviews | |||||
| Wu-Tang Clan chronology | |||||
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Wu-Tang Forever was the long-awaited follow-up to the Wu-Tang Clan's first album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). It was released on June 3, 1997 as a double album and, despite limited radio and TV airplay, the album debuted at #1 in the U.S. with 650,000 copies sold in its first week. It also debuted at #1 in the UK and Canada. The album has sold over 8,000,000 copies worldwide to date.
The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, but lost to Puff Daddy's No Way Out. In an infamous moment, after losing, Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard interrupted Shawn Colvin's Song of the Year acceptance speech to protest the loss in the Best Rap Album category, saying that he spent a lot of money on an expensive suit with expectations of winning, and proclaiming "Wu-Tang is for the children".[1]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The sound of the album is built significantly on the sounds of the previous three solo albums, with RZA using more keyboards and string samples, as well as, for the first time, assigning some of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple. The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers, with many verses written in a dense stream-of-consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation.
Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of The RZA's "five year plan". After Forever's success, The RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had done previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. This move was designed to expand Wu-Tang's reach in hip-hop and take advantage of financial opportunities for the group. In keeping with this move, a large amount of Wu-Tang product (both musical and otherwise; example Wu-Wear) was to be released over the next two years.
[edit] Critical reaction
Due to the success of the group's debut and subsequent solo albums, expectations of both fans and critics were high for this album's release. Stephen Thomas Erlewine - writing for All Music Guide - stated:
| “ | Where contemporaries like 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. issued double-discs cluttered with filler, Wu-Tang Forever is purposeful and surprisingly lean, illustrating the immense depth of producer RZA and the entire nine-piece crew... The result is an intoxicating display of musical and lyrical virtuosity, one that reveals how bereft of imagination the Wu-Tang's contemporaries are. | ” |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Disc one
| # | Title | Time | Producer(s) | Performer(s) |
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| 1 | Wu-Revolution | 6:46 | RZA | Popa Wu & Uncle Pete |
| 2 | Reunited (feat. Roxanne) | 5:21 | RZA |
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| 3 | For Heaven's Sake (feat. Cappadonna) | 4:13 | RZA
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| 4 | Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours (Still Don't Nothing Move But the Money) | 3:01 | 4th Disciple |
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| 5 | Visionz | 3:09 | Inspectah Deck |
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| 6 | As High as Wu-Tang Get | 2:37 | RZA |
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| 7 | Severe Punishment | 4:49 | RZA |
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| 8 | Older Gods | 3:05 | 4th Disciple |
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| 9 | Maria | 2:55 | RZA
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| 10 | A Better Tomorrow | 4:55 | 4th Disciple |
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| 11 | It's Yourz | 4:17 | RZA
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[edit] Disc two
| # | Title | Time | Producer(s) | Performer(s) |
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| 1 | Intro | 2:02 | RZA | The RZA & GZA |
| 2 | Triumph (feat. Cappadonna) | 5:38 | RZA |
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| 3 | Impossible (feat. Tekitha) | 4:28 | 4th Disciple
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| 4 | Little Ghetto Boys"(feat. Cappadonna) | 4:49 | RZA
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| 5 | Deadly Melody"(feat. Streetlife) | 4:20 | RZA |
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| 6 | The City | 4:05 | 4th Disciple
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Inspectah Deck |
| 7 | # "The Projects" | 3:17 | RZA |
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| 8 | Bells of War | 5:12 | RZA
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| 9 | The M.G.M. | 2:38 | True Master | Ghostface Killah & Raekwon |
| 10 | Dog Shit | 3:34 | RZA | Ol' Dirty Bastard |
| 11 | Duck Seazon (Wu Tang Clan) | 5:42 | RZA |
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| 12 | "Hellz Wind Staff" (Wu Tang Clan) – 4:52 | 4:52 | RZA |
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| 13 | Heaterz | 5:26 | True Master |
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| 14 | Black Shampoo | 3:49 | RZA | U-God |
| 15 | Second Coming | 4:39 | RZA | Tekitha |
| 16 | The Closing | 2:37 | RZA | Raekwon |
[edit] International release only
| # | Title | Time | Producer(s) | Performer(s) |
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| 17 | Sunshower | 6:11 | RZA | RZA |
| 18 | Project (International Remix) | 4:34 | RZA |
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[edit] Album singles
| Single information |
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"It's Yourz"
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| "Reunited - The Remixes" [Non Album Single] |
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | Top Canadian Albums | Top UK Albums | ||
| 1997 | Wu-Tang Forever | #1 | #1 (2 Weeks) | #1 | #1 |
In the UK, it fell from #1 to #14 - the biggest fall from the summit in that chart's history.
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1997 | It's Yourz | - | #75 | #21 | #7 |
[edit] Personnel
- Ney Pimentel - Artwork, Art Direction, Design, Layout Design
- Sherin Baday - Photography, A&R
- Bob Berg - Photography
- Carlos Bess - Mixing, Mixing Engineer
- Cappadonna - Performer
- Dennis Coles - Executive Producer
- Tom Coyne - Mastering
- Mitchell Diggs - Executive Producer
- Robert Diggs - Executive Producer
- Divine - Production Coordination
- Fourth Disciple - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
- Arlene Godfrey - A&R
- Oli Grant - Executive Producer
- Scott Harding - Mixing, Mixing Engineer
- Che Harris - A&R
- Inspectah Deck - Producer, Mixing
- Laurie Marks - A&R
- Philippe McClelland - Photography
- Shawn Mortenson - Photography
- Eugene Nastasi - Editing
- P.O.W.E.R. - Production Coordination
- Michael "Wolf" Reaves - Mixing
- RZA - Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Assistant Producer
- Troy Staton - Mixing
- True Master - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
| Preceded by Spice by Spice Girls |
Billboard 200 number-one album June 21 - June 27, 1997 |
Succeeded by Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) by Bob Carlisle |
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