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World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

The Culture Corner: 30 years of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'

WXPN

November 27, 2023 • World Cafe celebrates one of the most iconic debuts in hip-hop history.

The Culture Corner: 30 years of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'

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Steve Inskeep spoke to Raekwon about the new book, the difficulties of his upbringing and the trappings of success. Sebastian Duncan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Music Interviews

'From Staircase to Stage': Raekwon on growing up in N.Y. and the Wu-Tang Clan

November 30, 2021 • In his new memoir, From Staircase to Stage, rapper Raekwon recalls watching as that relatively serene New York City neighborhood rapidly declined, succumbing to the wildfires of the crack epidemic.

'From Staircase to Stage': Raekwon on growing up in N.Y. and the Wu-Tang Clan

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Music News

Wu-Tang Clan Album Once Owned By Martin Shkreli Sold By U.S. Government

July 27, 2021 • There was only one copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, and the government forced Shkreli to turn it over after his fraud conviction. Details are confidential, so don't expect to hear it anytime soon.

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Wu-Tang Clan is set to be the first hip-hop group to headline at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Kyle Christy/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Music News

Wu-Tang Clan Set To Make History As First Hip-Hop Act To Headline Ryman Auditorium

June 8, 2019 • Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, nicknamed "The Mother Church of Country Music," has never hosted a hip-hop show. After 125 years, Wu-Tang Clan will be the first rap act to headline at the venue.

Wu-Tang Clan Set To Make History As First Hip-Hop Act To Headline Ryman Auditorium

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The Wu Tang Clan performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Nov. 1, 2018 Cameron Pollack/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Wu-Tang Clan: Tiny Desk Concert

December 5, 2018 • The Clan celebrates its 25th anniversary with an old-school cipher at the Tiny Desk.

U2's eighth studio album, Zooropa, was released on July 5, 1993 on Island Records. Courtesy of Island Records hide caption

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World Cafe

25 Years Later: Was 1993 The Greatest Year In Music?

WXPN

November 8, 2018 • We had several watershed debuts, a handful of hip-hop classics, and alt-rock was still having its moment. Hear the playlist.

GZA & The Soul Rebels perform a Tiny Desk Concert on March 29, 2018 (Eslah Attar/NPR). Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

GZA & The Soul Rebels: Tiny Desk Concert

May 2, 2018 • Most rap fans would name RZA as the head of the Wu-Tang Clan. But Wu purists know that GZA, or The Genius, is the crew's unspoken elder statesman.

Lord Huron's Vide Noir comes out April 20 via Whispering Pines/Republic Records. Pamela Littky/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Guest DJ: Lord Huron On The Songs That Shaped The Cinematic 'Vide Noir'

April 19, 2018 • The band Lord Huron is known for its cinematic story songs. Ben Schneider, creator of the project, talks about some of the music by other artists that informed the tales on his latest album.

Guest DJ: Lord Huron On The Songs That Shaped The Cinematic 'Vide Noir'

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Martin Shkreli exits a Brooklyn courthouse after the jury issued a verdict in his case for securities fraud. Shkreli is selling a one-of-a-kind album from the Wu-Tang Clan he purchased in 2015. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli Lists His Wu-Tang Album On eBay

September 6, 2017 • Fresh off a conviction for securities fraud, the pharmaceutical and hedge fund executive is selling Once Upon A Time In Shaolin..., the record he purchased for millions in 2015.

Raekwon, seen here performing during the NBA playoffs, paid tribute to Marvin Gaye on his latest LP, The Wild. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Raekwon And Cee-Lo Pay Tribute To Marvin Gaye On New Song

April 1, 2017 • The Wu wordsmith and Goodie Mob vocalist team up on "Marvin."

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The Two-Way

Sole Copy Of Latest Wu-Tang Album Was Sold To 'Pharma Bro'

December 9, 2015 • The Wu-Tang Clan made just one copy of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin and sold it, shrouded in secrecy, for millions. Bloomberg Business reveals the buyer: a CEO infamous for a massive drug-price hike.

Taking inspiration from martial arts movies, the members of Wu-Tang Clan named themselves after a fictional sect of Chinese swordsmen. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Music Interviews

Nine Rappers, One Wu-Tang Clan

January 4, 2011 • There had been large groups in hip-hop before, but none featured nine different rappers, as the Wu-Tang Clan did when it made its debut in 1993. Creating a cohesive group out of nine individuals requires discipline and imagination.

Nine Rappers, One Wu-Tang Clan

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Music Lists

'C.R.E.A.M.': The Story Of A Sample

April 22, 2009 • The Charmels' single "As Long as I've Got You" didn't garner much attention when it was first released in 1967. A small snippet of the song, however, now stands as one of The Wu-Tang Clan's most recognizable hooks. Follow the 40-year life cycle of the pop song, from historical footnote to fan favorite.

Music Interviews

From The Slums Of Shaolin: A Wu-Tang Film

December 3, 2008 • From its very first single in 1993, the Wu-Tang Clan brought a hyperactive, slang-driven and wildly popular brand to rap. Now, a new documentary portrays the rise and ongoing struggles of hip-hop's first empire.

From The Slums Of Shaolin: A Wu-Tang Film

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Music News

New Site Fuses Chess with Hip-Hop

June 9, 2008 • Hip-hop fans who play chess can now head to a new online social network site called WuChess. Music and chess have a mathematical rhythm and flow that make them similar, says The RZA, a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan who also backs the new site.

New Site Fuses Chess with Hip-Hop

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Best Music of 2007

Best Hip-Hop of 2007 Changes the Game

KEXP

December 24, 2007 • This wasn't the strongest year for hip-hop, but 2007 still featured some excellent releases that pushed the genre's boundaries, as well as a few records that reveled, old-school style, in great beats and rhymes.

Review

Music Reviews

From Wu-Tang to 'Walk Hard'

December 11, 2007 • Wu-Tang Clan is back, Green Day might be giving it up for free, and the Walk Hard soundtrack lives up to the hype. Esquire music critic Andy Langer talks through the latest music releases and news on this New Music Tuesday.

From Wu-Tang to 'Walk Hard'

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The RZA. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images hide caption

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The History of Hip-Hop

Wu-Tang Clan's The RZA

Fresh Air

September 2, 2005 • One of the founding members of the kung-fu-meets-hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, The RZA also has written film scores, including those for Kill Bill and Ghost Dog, and a book called The Wu Tang Manual. (This interview originally aired March 7, 2005.)

Wu-Tang Clan's The RZA

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