U-God Reportedly Bringing $2.5 Million Lawsuit Against Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan might be something to fuck with after all.

Wu member U-God is apparently not too happy with the way the group has been distributing its royalties. Namely that he hasn't been getting any. According to a report from TMZ, U-God is bringing a $2.5 million lawsuit against the group, alleging that he hasn't received his royalty payment on 12 of the Wu-Tang Clan's albums for the past six years. On top of that, he reportedly hasn't been paid the two percent he's owed from merchandise sales either. According to the report, he's particularly angry with RZA, who pulls many of the strings for the group.

He also claims that he hasn't seen a cent of the record-setting $2 million sale of the group's new album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. The one-of-a-kind album was sold to pharma bro Martin Shkreli in 2015. Shkreli actually played snippets of the album for his Periscope followers earlier this month to celebrate the presidential victory of Donald Trump.

Altogether, U-God is reportedly claiming that he's owed at least $2.5 million due to several alleged breaches of contract. He's also looking for a full audit of the Wu-Tang Clan's financials so that everyone can understand exactly where the money comes and goes.

The group has a long and complicated history of financial infighting. U-God left and rejoined the group over issues with RZA before. Ghostface Killah once sued for unpaid royalties, and RZA and Raekwon have also had a very public rivalry. We'll have to wait and see how the latest lawsuit turns out.

[via COMPLEX]

RZA To Donate Proceeds From 36 Chambers Menswear Jacket To Charity

Wu-Tang Clan member RZA and Mustafa Shaikh announced the limited-edition launch of the 36 Chambers menswear’s Quilted Denim Motorcycle Jacket.

Of the 36 jackets made, 24 come in black and 12 come in white.

RZA and Shaikh are donating 100% of the profits of the all white jacket to The Children’s Literacy Society.

“When starting this line it was very important for us to build a charitable aspect into our company starting with the first season. With it being the holiday season we hope to encourage others to get involved by giving to a great cause, while at the same time purchasing a great jacket to wear,” states RZA.

The Children’s Literacy Society was founded by RZA’s sister Sophia Diggs. The organization provides funds and resources for reading, writing, music, and nutrition after-school programs in public schools.

“When my sister left my company to work for New York Human Resources, she came across so many adults with low level literacy skills. These people occupy our homeless shelters, prisons and are in the lowest income bracket,” RZA Children’s Literacy Society aims to bring awareness to this problem as well as offer some solutions by engaging children at a young age to discover the beauty and importance of reading and writing,” RZA explains.

Diggs adds, “I started the Children’s Literacy Society in 2009. While working in human resources I felt a strong need to do more as my heart went out to the people that were walking through my doors. Our mission is to help those at risk by instilling in them confidence and motivation to become productive and successful individuals.”

Covering the story of the Golden Dragon, Chinese calligrapher Mak Ming Chan wrote a poem for the collection. The poem, written in Chinese calligraphy, is featured on the back of the jacket.

Items from 36 Chambers include limited edition varsity jackets, suit jackets, shirts, bags, and accessories. A women’s varsity jacket will also be made available.

“We put a lot of attention into the execution of every piece of the line to ensure that each limited piece told a story,” says Mustafa Shaikh. “Everything from the embroidery work to the liner to even the hang tag, were meticulously crafted in order to tell a cohesive narrative.”

The full collection is available for purchase at 36chambers.com.

[via All Hip Hop]

Wu-Tang Holiday Sweaters

Wu-Tang Holiday Sweaters

This one’s been around for a few years, but if you are a Wu-Tang Clan fan and haven’t copped it yet, better late than never. It’s available for $69 at Urban Outfitters Suuuu.

You can also cop The Red, White and Wu from ShreddersApparel.com

Raekwon's New Album Is Complete, Dropping 2017

Raekwon has announced that his new album is ready to go.

Raekwon's last album Fly International LuxuriousArt, and while we haven't received many updates on the follow-up, the Wu-Tang rapper now reports that his new album is complete.

"LP IS DONE !!!!! #blades is sharpened. # 2017 release litted !!!!!" he wrote on Instagram," adding, "I will always appreciate real rap....."

Unfortunately, Rae didn't put forth any further information on a release date, but if the project is done, one would hope we'd see it in the first quarter of the new year. 

Raekwon hit the road with his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx partner Ghostface Killah over the summer, so here's hoping the two recorded some new collaborative material on the tour bus.

Documentary On Hip-Hop Production Samples Input From Some Rap Classics (Video)

A documentary on the evolution of music production has been airing this fall. Soundbreaking on PBS examines what music producers do, how the craft and technology has advanced, and the impact some men and women have had on superstars in Pop, Rock & Roll, Soul, and Hip-Hop. Episode 6 of the PBS documentary (“The World Is Yours”) aired this past week. This one hour focused on Rap music, beginning with 1979’s Sugarhill Gang and evolving to Kanye West’s emergence.

It features new commentary by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, Rick Rubin, Q-Tip, The Bomb Squad’s Chuck D and Hank Shocklee, Ad-Rock, The Dust Brothers’ Mike Simpson, and others. There are also file footage interviews with other major players of Hip-Hop.

Episode 7 airs Monday (November 28) on PBS stations.

[via Ambrosia For Heads]

Happy Thanksgiving

Wu-Art Thursday #223

Space Cadet feat. Ghostface Killah & Autre Ne Veut

RARE Wu-Tang Clan On HOT97 In 1995!!

Today we have a live, throwback joint from the year 1995 originally aired on NYC’s Hot97 FM during Funkmaster Flex’s show and guest starring one of the greatest producers in hip hop history- The Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA.

RZA works the 1&2s blazes through half a milk crate of breaks before switching genres and finishing his set with some of his own work with the clan. This is recommended listening for any Wu-Fan out there. I guarantee you won’t be hearing this on the radio anytime soon.

[via Hezakya Mixologist]

16 Year Anniversary of 'The W'

16 Year Anniversary of 'The W' 

The W was the third studio album by the Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on November 21, 2000, by Loud Records. After their 1997 double album Wu-Tang Forever, several of the group's members released solo projects before The W, which has a more rugged, less polished sound than that of most Wu-Tang related albums from that era. The album also features guest appearances from Isaac Hayes, Redman, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Junior Reid.

Method Man Not Sure Wu-Tang Clan Will Ever Reunite Again

Rapper and actor Method Man fears the Wu-Tang Clan may never come together to record another album following the drama linked to their 2014 release.

A Better Tomorrow was savaged by critics and band members alike, and, despite coming together for the one-of-a-kind Once Upon a Time in Shaolin project last year, the “Bring The Pain” hitmaker can’t imagine another reunion.

“We gave it one last shot,” he told Playboy magazine, “but, you know, it wasn’t received well by the fans. And some of the Clan members didn’t like it either – the way it was done, the process and all that.

“For me, if you don’t love what you’re doing anymore, it’s time to leave that s##t the f##k alone.”

However, Method Man insists if one of his bandmates started planning another Wu-Tang project, they could count on his involvement.

“Dudes in the Clan still have that itch, and I’m a team player,” he adds, “so, if they want to go back and make another album… I’m here for it.”

Method Man’s comments emerge days after fans got the chance to hear tracks from the rare Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album, which was auctioned off for $2 million a year ago.

It was purchased by controversial pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, and last month, he vowed to release it to the public for free if Republican candidate Donald Trump won the race to the White House.

The property mogul and reality star stunned supporters and critics alike last week when he beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and Shkreli subsequently made good on his promise by streaming the new material online.

[via AllHipHop News]

Live from the Streets: Ol' Dirty Bastard - November 18th

'Russel Jones aka Ol' Dirty Bastard was born on November 15th and he passed away on November 13th. Every year, his family and friends wish that more people celebrated these dates. The Live from the Streets crew and ODB's family have teamed up to create a special episode out of old VHS tapes. The episode drops to celebrate the legendary artist and to remind people to always remember this week as both a high and low point of hip hop culture. In the end, we all need to celebrate the legacy of ODB.'

Huge thanks to ODB, Momma Cherry, Rza, Ashley, Barson, Menace, Missery, Icelene and of course Sean the White Rapper for making the whole thing happen. RIP to the legendary ODB, he will never be forgotten.

P.S. More ODB tributes are in the works... stay tuned. If you are on the east coast, his family is throwing a one of kind tribute show in Brooklyn on November 18th... buy tickets here: http://bit.ly/2f1KhiS

**Please share this video with your friends, family and everyone who you think would appreciate it. We don't have any record label, media company, tv network or marketing budget so we need people to spread the word.**

[via GreenHipHop]

Wu-Art Thursday #222

Method Man Drops ‘Tical’ Album - 20 year Anniversary

1994: Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man dropped his debut solo album Tical on Nov. 15, 1994. Tical was the first solo album from a Wu-Tang member released after the group’s debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993 and many hip-hop heads hail it as a driving force in the East Coast rap Renaissance.

With production handled by RZA (because, c’mon) and features from Wu-Tang soldiers Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and more, Meth delivered 13 dark, rugged track laced with punchlines and bravado. The album was supported by two major singles, “Bring the Pain” and “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.” “All I Need” was later remixed into “Razor Sharp Mix” by RZA, as well as a mix of the original name by Puff Daddy and Mary J. Blige. “Razor Sharp Mix” went on to win a 1996 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group/

The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. By July of 1995, Tical was certified platinum. Now, more than 20 years later, Tical is just as grundgy, witty and sharp as it’s first spin back in ’94.

[via XXL Magazine Online]

OL' DIRTY BASTARD - Before They Were DEAD - BIOGRAPHY

Before They Were Famous Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Before ODB founded the Wu-Tang Clan along with his cousins RZA and GZA, and changed the model for hip-hop groups forever...

[via Michael McCrudden YouTube channel]

20 Year Anniversary of Ghostface Killah's 'Ironman'

VinRican Showcases Classic Samples used On Ghostface Killah's 'Iron Man'

Lauriana Mae feat. Raekwon - Protect Ya Neck (Remix)

Lauriana Mae and Raekwon “Protect Ya Neck” (Remix) Produced by Jack Splash from the forth coming free project "Can't Go Back" coming soon.

Celebrating The 23rd Anniv. of Wu-Tang Clan's '36 Chambers'

VinRican Celebrates The 23rd Anniversary of Wu-Tang Clan's Debut Album '36 Chambers' By Showcasing Classic Samples Used On The Project.

[via Power 106 Los Angeles]

RZA Explains Why Wu-Tang Clan’s Next Album Is Ghostface Killah’s Responsibility (Video)

In June, Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah revealed that if the legendary Hip-Hop crew is to release another album, he will be at the helm. “RZA put the ball in my hand. He said ‘Yo, I want you to do it,’ and I been wanting to do it, and that’s a big test for me right there,” the Staten Island, New Yorker said in an interview with HipHopDX.

>> Read the full article over on Ambrosia For Heads <<

Wu-Art Thursday #221

Martin Shkreli Shares Snippets of Unreleased Wu-Tang Clan Album Following Trump Victory

Martin Shkreli still owns the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, and he promised to release the project to the public if Donald Trump was elected president. So following Trump's victory on Tuesday night, Shkreli appeared to be make good on that promise. He shared several snippets of the album during a live stream and promised to negotiate the terms of a wider release for the album with Wu-Tang.

He started off by playing part of the album's intro track:

After that, he previewed two more tracks from the album:

As it turned out, none of that came to fruition, and he's now looking to share the album with the world. It's unclear how members of Wu-Tang will feel about this, as it was originally reported that the buyer of the album was contractually obligated not to share the album for 88 years after purchasing it.

You can listen to all the snippets of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin above, and stay tuned for more information about whether or not we'll end up seeing the entire project released by Shkreli.

[via COMPLEX]

Wu-Tang Meets D.I.T.C. Two Legendary Crews Ain’t Nuthin’ To Mash Up

Ever go Diggin’ In The Crates for some Wu-Tang? On this ambitious mashup of two legendary New York crews who both emerged at the onset of the 1990s, Memory Man shows us what would happen if you took members of the Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. and threw their styles in a blender. Several years back, the Austin, Texas DJ attempted to “illustrate how evenly matched” the two cliques are by re-imagining their classic material, mixing-and-matching their rhymes and beats.

Pairing Ghostface vocals with Diamond D production on “Mighty One” and Big L with classic RZA on “Put It On Incarcerated Scarfaces,” Memory Man serves up some solid blends that do their job in helping listeners experience their favorite tracks in new light. The songs that really shine, however, are the multilayered mashups like “Can I Take It Back To Daytona 500, Yes, You May,” which blends the lyrics of Lord Finesse’s “Yes You May” (featuring “The Rhyme Inspector” Percee P and D.I.T.C. member A.G.) with the RZA-produced Ghostface classic “Daytona 500,” then switches the beat to “Take It Back” off Wu-Tang’s 8 Diagrams, a collaboration by RZA and Easy Mo Bee, for Finesse’s last verse. Another more complex blend is “C’mon, Fall Back Or Protect Ya Next Level,” which combines Big L, Fat Joe and Diamond D verses from different songs over the “Protect Ya Neck” instrumental.

>> LISTEN AND DOWNLOAD HERE VIA DATPIFF <<

Of course, members of both camps have actually collaborated in the studio before—especially Fat Joe and Raekwon, who have given us a number of dope tracks like “John Blaze” and “Clientele Kidd.” A lesser known, yet still celebrated cut is Big L’s mixtape classic “Furious Anger” featuring Wu-Tang affiliate Shyheim.

If you dig Wu-Tang Clan Vs. D.I.T.C., make sure you check out some of Memory Man’s other projects—including the Raekwon-endorsed Cuban Revolution, which features some of the Chef’s post-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx material remixed by the Man himself.

[via Ambrosia For Heads]

Wu-Tang Clan Reissues "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" Just In Time For The Holidays

Hip Hop fans will be treated to a wide variety of collectible items this Holiday season and among them is a vinyl reissue of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Get on Down is the company partnering with RZA to grace fans with the special edition 7-inch vinyl set, which comes with six discs and a bonus vinyl for “Protect Ya Neck” and “Tearz.” The Staten Island group’s 1993 debut album is packaged in a leatherette slipcase housing a hardcover booklet that holds the vinyls. Also included is a 56-page book called The Shaolinthology featuring lyrics, notes from RZA and exclusive interview content.

The collector’s set is available for pre-order now at Get on Down for the price of $84.98. The first 1,000 orders are scheduled to ship early December.

A preview of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) special edition vinyl is below along with the tracklist:

1A: Bring Da Ruckus

1B: Shame On A Nigga

2A: Clan In The Front

2B: Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber

3A: Can It All Be So Simple / Intermission

3B: Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’

4A: Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothing Ta F’ Wit

4B: C.R.E.A.M.

5A: Method Man

5B: Protect Ya Neck

6A: Tearz

6B: Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber – Part II / Conclusion

BONUS 7-INCH

7A: Protect Ya Neck (Bloody Version)

7B: Tearz [aka After The Laughter Comes Tears]

[via Hip Hop DX]

18 Koolest Wu Tang Clan Tattoos

TMNT x Wu-Tang Clan - Da Mystery of Chessboxin'

Joe Young Feat. Method Man "Crack Babies"

Wu-Tang Clan Mash Up

Wu-Art Thursday #220