Rollers and belts designed for the lifetime of the scanner. In fact, all three of the sampler workstations used on the album, the E-mu SP-1200, Ensoniq EPS 16+ and ARS-10, were all borrowed from fellow Staten Island musicians. Most of the equipment used was either borrowed from friends of the group or bought as second-hand and vintage pieces. The lack of an adequate budget greatly influenced the raw production that became on of the hallmarks of the album. With as many as eight or nine of the Wu-Tang members in the recording studio at once, producer RZA would often struggle to reach the knobs of his mixing desk. Budget Restrictions and Minimalist Production Wu Tang Clan Instrumental Songsĭue to the lack of funds available to record 36 Chambers, Wu-Tang Clan recorded their debut LP in New York City’s Firehouse Studio: a dimly-lit, miniscule and cheap recording space. We take a look at what went into making Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)., regarded as one of the greats in hip-hop. RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck crafted their debut album from late 1992 to 1993, perfecting their incredible and unique blend of gritty beats, explicit yet tongue-in-cheek lyricism, manipulated soul samples and martial arts film grabs. Eventually signing with Loud Records, Wu-Tang Clan’s first single gave the public the first taste of the group’s ethos which, as explained by de facto leader RZA in a 2015 interview with The Boston Phoenix, consists of “Eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies, watered-down Nation of Islam preaching picked up on the New York streets, and comic books.” Wu-Tang Clan first piqued the interest of radio stations and record labels with their 1992 release Protect Ya Neck.
But one nine-man group from New York (Staten Island to be exact) transformed the scene on November 9 1993, releasing the 62 minute masterpiece Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). West-Coast hip-hop was dominating the airwaves and G-Funk was emerging as a popular subgenre, thanks to the releases of Dr Dre’s The Chronic and Doggystyle by the fresh-faced Snoop Doggy Dogg.
With the golden age of hip-hop in full swing, 1993 saw the release of three landmark albums in the thriving genre.