Greatest hits are Wu-nderful

Wu-Tang Clan The Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-tang Clan's Greatest Hits BMG Heritage Records

By 1993, hip-hop music had been firmly established on the map of popular music with artists like Run DMC, LL Cool J, N.W.A., De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. While each had their own unique style and contributed to the pioneering of hip-hop, a new group of eight lyricists from Staten Island would drop their debut album later that year, Enter the 36 Chambers of the Wu-tang Clan, and redefine the art of rap. More than a decade later, Wu-tang has released a greatest hits album, The Legend of the Wu-tang. Consisting of a chronological progression of tracks from old to new, I was able to fall in love with Wu-tang all over again, consistently overwhelmed with nostalgia for the group whose "esoteric, street-based rhymes and bone-crushing beats redirected hip-hop from the clubs to the street corner."

The Legend of the Wu-tang: Wu-tang Clan's Greatest Hits features hit tracks from all four of their studio-released albums and three tracks available only on compilations or soundtracks. It also features rare remixes that add freshness to an album that many Wu-tang fans might already think they are familiar with. Long-time fans will appreciate the collection of beats and rhymes, as will those who have never owned a Wu-tang album and want to have a copy of the essentials.

The songs flow in chronological order, with "C.R.E.A.M." being the perfect start. This was the track that echoed throughout the boroughs of New York in 1993 and firmly established Wu-tang as a legitimate rap force. This song gave listeners a different style that was raw, yet fluid, and had never really been heard before. After this, the album continues with six more classic tracks from 36 Chamber, including "Protect Ya Neck," "Wu-tang Clan Aint Nuthin' to F' Wit," and "Da Mystery of Chessboxin." I can remember when I was in the third grade and was rejected from my elementary school's talent show for trying to rap "C.R.E.A.M." with some friends. I guess the lyrics weren't what most third grade teachers expected. Even though I was young, I could feel the lyrics of 36 Chamber flowing through my veins. My love for Wu-tang had been solidified.

The next three tracks come from the double CD classic Wu-tang Forever. I couldn't bring myself to listen to the mind-blowing verses from "Triumph," "Reunited," and "It's Yourz" on my laptop. It just wasn't enough. These had to be played on my oversized, aviator-style headphones. Tracks like these brought me back to the days of wearing my fitted Wu-wear hat (which I have unfortunately outgrown) and tugging the boom box over my shoulder to the local blacktops.

The next group of songs comes from the most recent studio album, The W. Songs from this album include "Gravel Pit" and "The Jump Off." These tracks brought me back to high school when I used to blast them in my car on the way to basketball practice. Even when we took the bus to a game, I would zone out on my headphones to the emphatic verses and raw beats that got me ready to stick three's in anyone's face.

The four or five tracks that have not been previously released and appear on Legend are all solid picks. They serve as effective supplements to the more familiar songs, and in like fashion, moved in chronological order. Tracks like "Method Man (Skunk Remix)" and "Diesel" fit right into the flow of the album.

Even though the Wu-tang Clan seems a little young for a greatest hits album, the time seems right to release it. Legend of the Wu-tang serves as a fitting source of relief at a time when street-based rap has moved in commercialized variances that deconstruct the foundation that Wu-tang solidified. At times like these, it is nice (if not necessary) to go back in time to find the esoteric street-rap that Wu-tang started. As I listened to the whole record through, I found myself growing up all over again to the legendary verses of the Wu-tang Clan. GRADE: A