Wu-Tang Clan "Wu-Tang Forever"
"Wu-Tang Forever" is the second album from the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which was released on June 3, 1997, by Loud/RCA Records in the United States. As a double album, it followed a successful run of solo projects from individual members of the group and acted as the successor to their debut album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)".
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"Wu-Tang Forever" is the second album from the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which was released on June 3, 1997, by Loud/RCA Records in the United States. As a double album, it followed a successful run of solo projects from individual members of the group and acted as the successor to their debut album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)". The album features appearances from Wu-Tang affiliates Cappadonna, Streetlife, 4th Disciple, True Master, and Tekitha. The initial pressing of the album included an "Enhanced CD" which enabled users to explore the "Wu Mansion" and access extra content.
While their earlier album was known for its minimalist production style, "Wu-Tang Forever" expanded on this, with RZA incorporating a more dense musical backdrop. This was particularly evident in Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." which was praised for its cinematic feel. RZA's production also featured strings, heavy synthesizers, and kung-fu samples from old movies. He pioneered a new technique of speeding up soul samples and chopping them up, creating an unusual high-pitched sound that influenced producers such as Kanye West and Just Blaze.
This album was the first to have production duties assigned to Wu-Tang protégés True Master and 4th Disciple, as well as Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck. Rolling Stone's Nathan Brackett described the lyrics as "hauntingly descriptive tales of ghetto hustlers and victims," and praised the back-and-forth wordplay of Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah. The album received positive reviews from critics, with Cheo Hodari Coker from the Los Angeles Times commenting on the "insular messages" in the lyrics and Steve Jones from USA Today praising the "hard-core rhymes and beats". However, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a two-star honorable mention rating and called the Wu-Tang Clan "the five per cent nation of Oscar aspirations". In 2018, the BBC included "Wu-Tang Forever" on their list of "the acclaimed albums that nobody listens to any more."