20 Things You Didn't Know About Wu-Tang Clan

November 15, 2013 - 6:23 pm by Max Weinstein

Think you know it all about the legendary Wu-Tang Clan? Well, in honor of the 20-year anniversary of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), VIBE compiled a list of 20 rare things you might have missed about the almighty Wu.

Click the photos to begin.

20. RZA created the Bobby Digital alias as "a character who represents my past, my dark hip-hop side." (RZA, The Tao Of Wu. 158) The slang term "digi" meant weed dipped in PCP. He wanted to exorcise his demons before attempting to create his infamous, unreleased album The Cure.

19. Ghostface appeared on the song "He Comes" from De La Soul's Grind Date album, but after being angry that he never got paid for the feature, he jacked the beat and put out his own song called "Tony's Money", throwing shots at De La. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

18. Ol' Dirty Bastard (God bless his heart) was in the legendary Chung King studios with LL Cool J one day, and the two were supposed to cut a record together. Unfortunately, Ason Unique got a little too pissy drunk (literally), pulled one of LL's plaques off the wall, and took a piss on it. Actual factuals.

17. The first official Wu-Tang song that was ever recorded was called "After the Laughter", and it originally only featured Ghostface and RZA. The track was later renamed "Tearz". Listen to the raw demo below. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

16. RZA, GZA, ODB and Masta Killa were all born in Brooklyn, not Staten Island. Inspectah Deck was born in the Bronx, Method Man was born in Long Island, and Raekwon, Ghost, and U-God were born in Staten Island.

15. Ghostface allegedly had Mase's jaw broken. If you've ever heard Ghost spit, "Yo I-Cham punched Mase in the face over some bullshit the other day" on "Malcolm", then you know a little bit about this beef. Mase reportedly burned a Wu flag at a concert back in the day, and seeing how Wu doesn't play that, they not only laid the smack down on Betha, but they wrote about it in a song too.

14. Ghostface was shot in Ohio, but rarely mentions it In the book the Wu-Tang Clan and RZA: A Trip Through Hip Hop's 36 Chambers, it was revealed that Ghotst got shot early on in Steubenville, Ohio, where many Wu members would conduct illegal business. According to RZA, him and Ghost would use code names while in Ohio; Ghost was Moses and RZA was Jesus.

13. Before there was Wu-Tang, RZA, GZA, and ODB, who were all cousins, were in a group called All In Together Now. ODB was in a group called D.R.U.G.

12. In 2000, Ghostface recorded the most awkward episode of Rap City in the show's history. Cappadonna interrupted the show to bring Ghostface a sketchy briefcase, and Ghost didn't appreciate Tigger's curiosity about the briefcase at all. Later, Cappadonna mysteriously returned with a briefcase.

11. Cappadonna and RZA taught Inspectah Deck how to rhyme. In Brian Coleman's "Check The Technique" book, Deck says, "I only rhymed to certain people. I'd be more likely to just snap on people than do a whole rhyme. But eventually Cappadonna really sat me down and showed me how to put it all down on paper. I owe Cap a lot for that." He goes on to say that RZA helped him tweak his technique, specifically by suggesting that Deck write sentences in his rhymes so that he sounded like he was really having a conversation.

10. There is an infamous story of how Killah Priest fell asleep during the recording of Enter The Wu-Tang and Masta Killa stayed up all night writing his verse for "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'". When Killah Priest woke up, Masta Killa' verse was done, and it became the last verse on the song, while Killah Priest was left off.

9. According to Poppa Wu, when ODB went to Clinton Correction Facility, he lit himself on fire to get out of the prison and get transferred to the crazy house.

8. The working title of Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please album was supposed to be The Black Man is God, The White Man is The Devil

7. RZA and GZA each had solo deals before the idea of Wu-Tang even existed. RZA was on Tommy Boy for a single-only contract, but when he thought of the Wu-Tang, he presented the idea of the group to the label. They passed and signed House of Pain instead.

6. In an interview with Crack Magazine, Ghostface admitted to sniffing a lot of coke and being a dusthead during the early Wu-Tang days.

5. Masta Killa allegedly smacked a magazine animator because of published cartoon pictures that Masta didn't like. He went to Coker's house, rang the doorball, and clocked him in the face when he answered. As the legend goes, he told him, "Wu-Tang Clain Ain't Nothing To Fuck Wit'" before leaving.

4. In October 2000, ODB escaped from a drug treatment facility and spent one month as a fugitive before cops caught him in a McDonalds' parking lot in Philly. Master Wuol corroborates the tale in an old interview

3. RZA began learning supreme mathematics and 5% ideology form his older cousin, GZA, when he was just 11 years old.

2. Slang Editorial (Taken from "The Wu-Tang Manual") "Boom" - weed "Power U" - pussy "Scrape" - to have sex "Yard" - a three year sentence "Walk the dog" - to take care of business "Swayze" - to disappear, like a ghost, after Patrick Swayze "Sun, moon and stars" - man, woman and child "Lucci" - money "Rainbow Dough" - money from around the world "Ice" - cocaine, or diamonds