The Top 20 Wu-Tang Clan Songs

Nov. 9, 2013 is a monumental anniversary in hip hop. Twenty years ago today, The Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Two thoughts come to mind:

1. Good lord we’re ancient.

2. In the past two decades, RZA, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Raekwon, U-God, Cappadonna, and the immortal Ol’ Dirty Bastard have transformed the face of hip-hop. Dusty soul samples, weird but enthralling kung-fu imagery and lyrical excellence were their calling cards.

They reshaped the game in their image.

As a kid watching Rap City back on BET, these guys were like comic book characters come to life. Their charisma drew me in; their tales of street life and poverty that touched my soul. I know I’m not alone.

I literally grew up with the Wu – their songs transformed me from casual rap fan to full-fledged fanatic. And 20 years later, their music has proven to be timeless.

In commemoration of 20 years of classics, let’s look back at the Wu’s 20 best tracks. Whether individually or as a group, the Wu is unbeatable.

20.  “I Can’t Go To Sleep”

Artists: Ghostface Killah and RZA
Album: The W (2000)
Wu quotables: Somebody raped our women, murdered our babies/Hit us with the cracks and guns in the early 80s/For those that murdered me shall stand before God/To fall at the hands of fate, then out comes the rod– Ghostface Killah

19. “Hollow Bones”

Artists: Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah
Album: The W (2000)
Wu quotables: Laying up, playing the cut, what, stay in the truck/Something told me duck, folded me up, my shoulders struck/Out of luck, f**ked the Pradas up, fell in a daze like a Golotta snuff/N***as tried to body me up – Raekwon

18. “Can It Be All So Simple”

Artists: RZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah
Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu quotables: Yo, mad lives is up for grabs/Brothers passing away, I gotta make waves/Receiving all types of calls from upstate/Yo, I can’t cope with the pressure/Settling for lesser – Ghostface Killah

17. “4th Chamber”

Artists: GZA, RZA, Killah Priest, Ghostface Killah
Album: Liquid Swords (1995)
Wu quotables: It ain’t hard to see, my seeds need God-degree/I got mouths to feed, unnecessary beef is more cows to breed – GZA

16. “Method Man”

Artists: Method Man, GZA, RZA, Ghostface Killah
Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu quotables: I’m about to blow light me up/Upside downside inside and outside/Hittin you from every angle there’s no doubt/I am, the one and only Method Man/The master of the plan wrappin sh*t like Saran – Method Man

15. “Shadowboxin'”

Artists: GZA, Method Man
Album: Liquid Swords (1995)
Wu quotables: Protect Ya Neck, my sword still remain imperial/Before I blast the mic, RZA scratch off the serial – GZA

14. “All That I Got Is You”

Artists: Ghostface Killah, Mary J. Blige, Popa Wu
Album: Ironman (1996)
Wu quotables: Check it, 15 of us in a three bedroom apartment/Roaches everywhere, cousins and aunts was there/Four in the bed, two at the foot, two at the head/I didn’t like to sleep with Jon-Jon he peed the bed – Ghostface Killah

13. “Protect Ya Neck”

Artists: RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, GZA, Ghostface Killah
Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu quotables: I smoke on the mic like Smokin’ Joe Frazier/The hell-raiser, raising hell with the flavor/Terrorize the jam like troops in Pakistan/Swinging through your town like your neighborhood Spider-Man – Inspectah Deck

12. “Camay”

Artists: Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Cappadonna
Album: Ironman (1996)
Wu quotables: Can you cook darling? At the stove you’re evolving/Baked macaroni, turkey wings, a n***a starving – Ghostface Killah

11. “Verbal Intercourse”

Artists: Raekwon, Nas, Ghostface Killah
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
Wu quotables: What I strive for is what I live for/Infatuated by material things in this wild life of war/Like somewhere over the rainbow/I see a big pot of gold/Future stacks so I hold – Ghostface Killah

10. “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By”

Artists: Method Man, Mary J. Blige
Wu quotables: I got a Love Jones for your body and your skin tone/Five minutes alone, I’m already on the bone/Plus I love the fact you got a mind of your own/No need to shop around you got the good stuff at home – Method Man

9. “Incarcerated Scarfaces”

Artist: Raekwon
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
Wu quotables: Word up cousin, n*gga, I seen it/Like a 27-inch Zenith – believe it! – Raekwon

8. “Brooklyn Zoo”

Artist: Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Album: Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)
Wu quotables: My hip hop drops on your head like rain/And when it rains it pours, cause my rhymes hardcore/That’s why I give you more of the raw/Talent that I got will riz-ock the spot/MCs I’ll be burning, burning hot/Whoa-hoa-hoa! Let me like slow up with the flow/If I move too quick, oh, you just won’t know – ODB

7. “It’s Yourz”

Artists: Raekwon, RZA, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, U-God
Album: Wu-Tang Forever (1997)
Wu quotables:  It’s only natural, actual facts are thrown at you/The impact’ll blow trees back and crack statues/Million dollar rap crews fold, check the sick sh*t/Explicit, I crystallize ya rhyme til you can sniff it – Inspectah Deck

6. “Ice Cream”

Artists: Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
Wu quotables: Back to you Maybeline Queen let’s make a team/You can have anything in this world except C.R.E.A.M/So what you wanna do, what you wanna do/Let’s go ahead and walk these dogs and represent Wu – Ghostface Killah

5. “Mighty Healthy”

Artist: Ghostface Killah
Album: Supreme Clientele (2000)
Wu quotables: Woolly hair, eyes fiery red, feet made of brass/Twelve men following me, it be the God staff/Move, every script’s like Miramax – Ghostface Killah

4. “Da Mystery of Chessboxin'”

Artists: Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Ghostface Killah
Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu quotables: Raw I’mma give it to ya, with no trivia/Raw like cocaine straight from Bolivia/My hip-hop will rock and shock the nation/Like the Emancipation Proclamation – U-God

3. “Bring The Pain”

Artist: Method Man
Album: Tical (1994)
Wu quotables: Brothers want to hang with the Meth bring the rope/The only way you hang is by the neck n*gga poke/Off the set comin to your projects/Take it as a threat, better yet it’s a promise – Method Man

2. “Triumph”

Artists: Inspectah Deck, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Cappadonna, U-God, RZA, GZA, Masta Killa, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon
Album: Wu-Tang Forever (1997)
Wu quotables: I bomb atomically/Socrates’ philosophies and hypotheses/Can’t define how I be dropping these mockeries/Lyrically perform armed robbery – Inspectah Deck

1. “C.R.E.A.M.”

Artists: Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, RZA, Ghostface Killah
Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu quotables: We got stickup kids, corrupt cops, and crack rocks and/Stray shots, all on the block that stays hot/Leave it up to me while I be living proof/To kick the truth to the young Black youth – Inspectah Deck

Which Wu Banga did I forget? Leave you thoughts in the comments.