What was the real time reaction of Wu Tang rise to fame?

[Rozay Oro]

I’m in my 20s and loved them as a teen. What did grown nikkas like y’all think of them besides them being good emcees? Were they considered weird or people just enjoyed it and accept the theme?

 

[Amerikan Melanin]

It was a tidal wave when protect your neck hit the streets. Then Meth instantly became a star with the Method Man shyt. Once the video got dropped for that they were certified. Cream is what made them commercial. That was a special time in music.

 

[Solomon Lurke]

Around my way at that time most of the people I knew were listening to No Limit and Cash Money. I got “teased” for “being on some New York shxt” for being in to Wu early on. I also adopted the “New York style of dressing” as a teen so that added to it. People messed with Meth but funny enough Ol Dirty was the first one I noticed many people gravitating to. People messed with Only Built album but overall it was a very slow adaptation. It definitely wasn’t until around the double album release that they were really fully accepted. Triumph video played a major role.

 

[Rozay Oro]

It was a tidal wave when protect your neck hit the streets. Then Meth instantly became a star with the Method Man shyt. Once the video got dropped for that they were certified. Cream is what made them commercial. That was a special time in music.

Damn how he get shadow banned? Lol

 

[Rozay Oro]

Around my way at that time most of the people I knew were listening to No Limit and Cash Money. I got “teased” for “being on some New York shxt” for being in to Wu early on. I also adopted the “New York style of dressing” as a teen so that added to it. People messed with Meth but funny enough Ol Dirty was the first one I noticed many people gravitating to. People messed with Only Built album but overall it was a very slow adaptation. It definitely wasn’t until around the double album release that they were really fully accepted. Triumph video played a major role.

Interesting

 

[Marco Zen]

What a time to be alive



That was back before internet and mixtapes and the only access we had to new hip hop was thru cable tv..

Back when rap city and yoMtv raps was lit..

They used to do a top 10 countdown every Saturday morning ... man when C.R.E.A.M came out

Everybody in school and on the block had the whole song memorized.. Even old heads was vibing to that shyt..




WU was them nikkaz back then fr

 

[Complexion]

Had the bootleg tape before the retail. Got the retail and it sounded exactly like the bootleg.

Mixing and mastering on the debut wasn't good but then was part of the aesthetic and the content/vibe was crazy unique. First time seeing such a huge crew where everyone was talented and they all had their own style and yet still meshed into something crazy together.

 

[Doobie Doo]

It was a tidal wave when protect your neck hit the streets. Then Meth instantly became a star with the Method Man shyt. Once the video got dropped for that they were certified. Cream is what made them commercial. That was a special time in music.

Very accurate, I was in MD at the time so I wasn't aware of Protect Ya Neck when it dropped. I remember hearing METHOD Man on WPGC and that was the first time hearing Wu. THen I remember seeing Cream on Rap City and that was the first video I saw. THey got 4.5 in the Source so I went to purchase the album maybe a few months after it dropped and it wasn't on sale and in the front like all the other current popular rap releases, I paid full price like 14 bucks for the tape.

 

[pawdalaw]

I lived off the beaten path at the time but was plugged in to what was hitting. I liked them from "protect your neck" everyone seemed to accept them when "Cream" dropped.

Backpack rap was starting to develop a corny aura and we were bombarded with "shiny suit shyt". Wu was refreshing. Organic and street.

 

[Wild self]

When M-E-T-H-O-D Man hit, it was

I knew from then that Wu Tang is forever.

 

[New Jeruz Jewelz]

I was 16 in Job corps when Protect your neck and Method Man original video dropped. K7, Percolater and Beat that bytch with a bat was popping around that time.

I was a dingy little lost nikka and they was just as dingy so I was all in!

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

We heard it around 6 months before it went 'mainstream' on the Awesome Two Show and Marley Marl Show on WBAI in the Tri-State. There were a couple other groups that sounded like them at the time, but Wu got more push while the others got embroiled in legal problems and pushed back.​

For instance:​

This came out BEFORE 'Proteck Ya' Neck.​

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

I’m sorry but I’m a little confused by some posts. Wu came out in 92-93. nikkas was already listening to cash money and no limit? Shiny suit era was here in 93?

 

[desjardins]

They were accepted almost instantly when they hit the scene in a mainstream way
36 chambers was the first album I ever owned, begged my parents to get it for me then had to explain "bring the mf ruckus" on the ride home as we listened to it

You mentioned weirdness and themes in OP but the stuff that might get looked at sideways now like the kung fu influence, the 5% ideology, and the heavy mafia references were pretty much all seen as positives that made them even more popular. It was something different that actually sounded good, people gravitated towards it instead of questioning them

 

[Robbie3000]

Around my way at that time most of the people I knew were listening to No Limit and Cash Money. I got “teased” for “being on some New York shxt” for being in to Wu early on. I also adopted the “New York style of dressing” as a teen so that added to it. People messed with Meth but funny enough Ol Dirty was the first one I noticed many people gravitating to. People messed with Only Built album but overall it was a very slow adaptation. It definitely wasn’t until around the double album release that they were really fully accepted. Triumph video played a major role.

Damn, we had a similar experience. I got a lot of shyt for being a big fan of NY Hip-Hop at the time. But hey, I’m a fan of lyricism and NY MCs were more advanced at the time.

The Wu was more polarizing at the time compared to someone like Big. You either got it or you didn’t. Those that got it, became die hard fans for the most part. That’s why they can still tour till they are ready to hang it up.