The Purity of Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘36 Chambers,’ 30 Years Later

30 years ago, the Wu-Tang Clan — a group of young men from Staten Island — came together to deliver a hip-hop album entitled Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Named after a class of Chinese martial arts, the group’s debut project was brimming with stories from their “native land” of Shaolin. RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon the Chef, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Inspecta Deck and U-God told Shaolin tales of violence, drugs and incarceration over sinister, piano-ladened beats that were significantly more aggressive than the melodic West Coast sound that was prevalent in hip-hop at the time.

RZA remembers that time well, but being asked to describe the energy of 36 Chambers causes him to pause in thought. “Determination with intention. Intended determination, not blind determination,” he says, circling back to the question later on. When the recording of the album began in 1992, the Wu had a strong sense of intention and were determined to express their art, culture, skill set, sonic and even hip-hop perspective. “I would describe 36 Chambers as the capturing of untamed youth,” RZA says. Much of the group was in their early 20s — a time when many feel the need for rebellion, but can also the time when one has more awareness of the world that results in a deeper understanding of mortality. “For us, it was the violence and death in our community. These are things that happened in our youth. It had to be expressed out of us or it would have blown up inside of us,” he reveals, naming songs like “Bring Da Ruckus,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ ta F’ Wit’” and “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” as examples of internal struggles that could have exposed itself in dangerous, physical ways if not through rhymes. RZA explains that in his community, especially during that era, a lot of men were either dead or in jail by the time they’re 25 years old. He was 22 when he started to work on 36 Chambers, so it was imperative that he find a way to express himself: “We found…