It's hard to imagine a time before the Wu-Tang Clan, since most of the MCs who've passed through the group over the years -- RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard among them -- have gone on to become household names in their own right. 

Unsurprisingly, then, when the Staten Island ensemble's debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), landed on an unsuspecting planet in November of 1993 it blew a lot of minds right away. Between the RZA's crusty production -- heavy on sped-up soul samples, blown-out beats and clips from obscure kung-fu movies -- and the Wu's unique approach of tackling every tune like an all-in rap battle, this gleefully profane and violent slab of smoked-out street-life thuggery lit a much-needed fire under the East Coast hip-hop community's ass and opened the door for similarly inclined artists such as Nas, Notorious B.I.G. and Mobb Deep to come storming through, too. Moreover, chockablock with indelible tunes like "Bring Da Ruckus," "C.R.E.A.M." and "Protect Ya Neck" Enter The Wu-Tang is simply an hour's worth of good, dirty fun. It hasn't aged a bit.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Bring Da Ruckus
2. Shame on a Nigga
3. Clan in Da Front
4. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber
5. Can It Be All So Simple
6. Protect Ya Neck
   Intermission
7. Da Mystery of Chessboxin'
8. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit
9. C.R.E.A.M.
10. Method Man
11. Tearz
12. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II
    Conclusion