36 is a culmination of styles, using kung fu movies to market their music, with an entire brand new defining sound to match. shyt sounded like kung fu fights on wax. The while who is everyone aspect with a solo standout.
Tical is a drug head album with rockish type beats, and had wuropeans remixing the songs into techno/house hits. Meth being so popular had them branching out to pop rap with puff.
Return was an old school blaxploitation comedy esque old sound record that could fit with modern rap of the times west coast stuff in a way with catchy tunes. Odb was then marketed to the pop market while having the absolute rawest beats out. He collabed with dozens of rnb singers and rock stars.
Cuban linx uses mafia/street culture. This locked down streets snd the nyc white boys. Staple of street rap wnd kept their name good even when they were out the light so rae / ghost stayed working with top street rappers for decades.
Liquid swords is heady shyt for college kids. Marketed on college radio. Got the hipsters. Its dark and lyrical. It uses classic b movie to market off of: japanese style this time. Used the movie theme in full. Comic book cover art. legit MOVIE on wax and sampling a Classic ug movie and made it his own. . Gza was directing getting into the diy movie vibe of the eras 90s ug movies too. Singles were marketed on those films of the time like fresh.
Ironman was the soul album, marketed using soeed racet cartoons, anime / a combo of all the previous movie brandings, colorful language, clothes/gear… wu wear blew up same time. Marvel comics off branding. Deck was sposed to use spiderman at this time.
Wi tang forever 5% stuff on tour with rage, almost rock group type marketed. by then wu was on skateboards like the misfits and in skate vids, mtv specials and off it went. By then they dominated soundtracks that kept them out there even if the radio in nyc died.
99 it was vudeogames. 10 releases main. 10 ug wu on 20 diff labels. Each in different lane. Killarmy was military… bootcamps gimmivk.
Score / ost sets for big directors. West coast beez + Bobby digital album and film. They put the W on kung fu flicks and re released them all with new names. Belly movie / ost. Black and white movie / ost. Killer beez had hits in europe with la saga and had an entire euro only releases before any act in rap. Eventually that lead to a slew of score / ost side releases and they again dominated the underground market.
Rza basically… worked a deal with EVERY label so wu stayed being promoted.
always had tie ins for every album. On a whole diff level. Hed score. Then have a side ost. Then a solo album. Then a group album. Then a wu comp. Then another solo. And anothrr score. Then a european album / mixtape. Now he does jingles for ad campaigns and promotes all types of products and keeps wus music in commercials like its mtv in 90s.
Everything was carefully crafted to different markets/sub cultures. Even in doing kill bill ghost dog and afro samurai. Which is why i saw gunns wwf thing a mile away and knew some day someone would use that shyt even in 90s.
Bcc could barely hold one consistant sound with 4 diff groups for 4 albums.. It didnt pop like wu. They couldnt compete with wu sonically let alone business wise and rzas vision of sampling
