Synopsis
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. Size
Length: 243 pages
Height: 9.3 in.
Width: 7.5 in.
Thickness: 0.8 in.
Weight: 18.6 oz.
Publisher's Note
The enigmatic State Island hip-hop collective offers a definitive introduction to the mysteries and complexities of the Wu-Tang Universe, revealing the intricate web of personalities and alter egos, warrior codes, numerological systems, and Eastern spiritual and philosophical concepts that define their world. Original.
Industry reviews
"[P]resents the recipe for a worldview that made this nine-member group the most distinctive force in urban music of the 1990s....There's something touching about the RZA's account of how kids from the projects learned life strategies and ethics from kung fu movies, and something weirdly inspirational about their ability to take those lessons and expand into brand extensions like a Wu-Tang comic book and a nail salon."
New York Times Book Review (07/03/2005)