Tha Wu-Tang Manual

Formed in the early 1990s on New York's Staten Island, the Wu-Tang Clan took as their blueprint the doctrines of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, and applied them to the semi-benign dictatorship of an inner-city street gang of rappers. The resulting mix of gangsta rap, Oriental philosophy, and martial arts is laid out in THE WU-TANG MANUAL, put together by the group's de facto leader, the RZA. The MANUAL explains the origins of Clan members' names, their particular skills, and what it terms the Grand Spiritual Megamix, the foundation of their beliefs. It also features a lexicon of Wu-slang, from the commonly used cheddar (for money), to the more obscure (and imaginative) swayze, meaning to vanish, from the actor Patrick Swayze's spectral character in the movie GHOST. In addition, selected lyrics, by Clan members like Ghostface Killah and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, from albums like ENTER THE WU-TANG and WU-TANG FOREVER, are deconstructed. Intriguing, thought-provoking, and invaluable for anyone with even a passing interest in the group, THE WU-TANG MANUAL is an impressive collection of insights into the Clan's sophisticated workings. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.