Wu-Tang Clan Essentials

Wu-Tang Clan’s debut single “Protect Ya Neck” didn’t even chart upon its release, but by the close of 1993 the Staten Island collective had gained a permanent foothold in rap culture with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). That raw, grimy introduction of no fewer than nine MCs—RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa—yielded such instant classics as “C.R.E.A.M.” and the de facto theme song “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit” and now ranks on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list. Memorably mingling East Coast street life with Asian martial arts movies, Wu-Tang encouraged its members to proliferate in the solo sphere, producing top-tier material from the likes of Raekwon (“Ice Cream”), GZA (“Shadowboxin’”), ODB (“Brooklyn Zoo”), Meth (“Bring the Pain”), and Ghostface (“All That I Got Is You”), all while helping each out along the way. Such prolific solo work made proper Wu-Tang albums a real event, with round-robin joints like 1997’s “Triumph” and 2000’s “Protect Ya Neck” sequel “Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)” announcing each new reconvening. The collective Wu catalogue is sprawling to the point of unwieldiness for newcomers, but this choice selection of solo and group cuts proves exactly why the group was once able to fetch $2 million for a single-copy album at auction.