The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2024 - Day #11

The culmination of RZA's successful five-year plan for the Wu-Tang Clan was 1997's double album Wu-Tang Forever, which, in my opinion, is the only double album in hip hop history that has any reason to exist, considering that he had to make room for nine different emcees (along with various affiliated guests) with varying, but complementary, styles. I'm sure the group members who didn't see a solo album released between 1994 and 1997 were kind of miffed, but I'm not sure if RZA knew how to market Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck (who might have made the cut had it not been for the storied flooding in RZA's basement that destroyed much of his work at the time), or U-God to the masses at the time, and likely still doesn't. (Hell, RZA himself didn't even release a solo album as a part of his plan, although I would chalk that up to hesitancy triggered by his experience on Tommy Boy Records pre-Clan.) 

(Of course, there were several Wu-related releases that coincided with the five-year plan that weren't considered part of that path, but are still canonically Wu. Before Royal Fam was ever a thing, Timbo King released a collaboration with producer Spark 950, while child rapper Shyheim dropped two (two!) different projects with minimal RZA assistance. Prince Rakeem's own side project Gravediggaz, a Prince Paul-led satirical take on industry nonsense cloaked in horrorcore garb, also released their debut within this window, which is how Paul managed to put a sample from "Protect Ya Neck" on there. I include that last fact for the completists, as I still fully believe that the Gravediggaz was not conceived as a Wu-Tang-affiliated project, it just became one after Prince Paul scaled back his participation.)

Wu-Tang Forever has sold more than four million copies in the United States to date, and fulfills the prophecy RZA had teased since day one, with the group officially becoming the biggest thing since sliced bread. Primarily produced by RZA himself, although 4th Disciple, True Master, and Inspectah Deck also contribute beats, Wu-Tang Forever is an epic piece of aural storytelling, with each member of the group receiving a turn to unload their fine-tuned boasts-n-bullshit with the confidence of hip hop veterans, which, at this point, they were.

There's much more to discuss with Wu-Tang Forever, so click on the links and share some thoughts!

RZA's Five-Year Plan #7: Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever (June 3, 1997)

Link to original write-up

Link to a Reader Review (written by Niccolo)

BONUS: Link to Revisionist History #1, where shoe-in and myself each create our own single-disc version of the album

-Max