Wu-Tang Clan was at the height of their powers when they released their second studio album Wu-Tang Forever in 1997. The sprawling double album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in its first week, moving a sizeable 612,000 copies.
Despite its success, the album didn’t come without its issues as there was friction amongst the Wu-Tang members, and the issues spilled over into their music thanks to creative differences. During a recent interview with VladTV, Raekwon shared his true feelings toward Wu-Tang Forever, admitting he doesn’t consider it a “classic.”
“I’m 50-50 with it. I feel like it was a masterpiece, and I feel like it wasn’t,” Rae said. “The reason I felt like it was a masterpiece is because, at that time, it was something different that we brought to the table as far as the collective of Wu-Tang. What doesn’t make it a classic to me is the fact that it wasn’t 100 percent of us involved on the creative side, like we were with the first one.”
He added, “So, you know, when it wasn’t a situation where everybody was putting they input in, automatically it’s not a classic to me no more because it’s only half of us talking here.”
Raekwon explained that during the making of the album, members of the Wu-Tang Clan were making a lot of money and getting love from all over the place. It reached point where people weren’t showing up to the studio to record. According to Raekwon, “dudes stop coming to practice like practice ain’t the shit no more.”
“Making that album was fucking, like, off and on moments in it as far as how we felt about the production, some of the rhymes and all of that,” he said. “But it still wound up being a great album, but it wasn’t a cohesive album where we all feeling like yo this shit is a hit.”
Raekwon Finally Has His Own Ice Cream
Thankfully, the Clan worked out their differences and are on better terms these days. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and GZA are currently on the 3 Chambers Tour, which began in Minneapolis in October and will wrap up in Indianapolis on Saturday (December 18).
Raekwon isn’t the only Wu-Tang member who feels ambivalent towards an entry in their decorated catalog. Ghostface Killah recently admitted he doesn’t love 1996 solo debut album Ironman.
“That’s my first joint, but I don’t really feel it like that,” Tony Starks said during his and Raekwon’s Drink Champs interview. “It’s not in my soul … I didn’t rhyme on them fucking records because I couldn’t! But I had to get the record done!”
Wu forever was solid 7/10, wasn’t as gritty as 36chambers but still good.
ya’ll need to update this…….The Rest of Dates (Starting With The Baltimore Show) for the 3 Chambers Tour was Postponed Due to an Family Emergency
I often listen to Wu-Tang Forever and it stands the test of time in my book. Is it a classic I do not know and who the duck cares… if you like it you like it. I love it. I love the intro, Wu-Revolution. Poppa Wu did his thang thang. And then the album unfolds and it is a stack of bangers one after another, it is what it is
ITS A DOPE ALBUM BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT A BIT TOO CLEAN FOR THE WU. THEN AGAIN IT WAS 1997 AND ALL THE BIGGER ARTISTS LIKE IWW NAS AND LAD BIGGIE HAD A CRISP MIX TO IT.
Man I loved WuTang Forever!
There’s no way to have 10 dudes all with equal say, as it relates to the creative direction. Someone has to be the head honcho. Rza was willing to do that. I thought it worked. I love that album. Wu started to fall off when guys started doing money-grab projects with no passion, like that Meth/Gza/Ghost ‘album’, what a joke. That disrespected the fan base. Then Ghost completely gave up on trying to write dope rhymes and now he just says anything and gets praised by white nerds. Deck never could carry an album in his own, he’s got the skills but he’s bland and boring. Gza Pro Tools album was slept on. Masta Killa first two solo albums were dope. Donna first album is a classic, everything after that was weak. U-God…cmon. Rza’s solo albums are interesting if nothing else. Birth of a Prince was dope. Digi Snacks was too. The first Bobby Digital album was ok, the 2nd one was wack.
Do you listen to music or do you just skim through it?
I’ve listened to every album, probably before you were in grade school, if you were even born. Why are people so threatened by opinions that differ from theirs now? Is it insecurity? What in my post would lead you to believe that I haven’t listened to these albums? Furthermore, is there anything ANYONE could POSSIBLY do, that would validate their opinion if it differs from yours? If the answer is ‘no’, then the problem is with you dude. I literally have listened to EVERY Wu-Tang song and album EVER made, including the obscure spin-offs. If I’m not qualified to have an opinion on their music, then literally nobody in the world is. So, take your insecure Hip-Hop feelings and stuff ’em in your backpack with your ensoniq emulator and your shelltoe Adidas, Stanley. I’m not the one.
Best Wu-affiliate album is Wu-Syndicate. I still bump that as much as I bump the mainline classics.
Great take. Aside from Deck being bland I agree with the rest of your assessment. Cappa’s The Pillage is my favorite Wu solo album. So slept on because when I’m talkin’ Wu man who praise Ironman and OB4CL say they’ve not even heard Cap’s album.
Wu-Tang Forever will always be my favourite Wu album. Everyone will have a different opinion and that is fine.
How can he say that? “As High As Wu Tang Get” is my anthem!!
Co-sign. The 2nd Wu album was the disappointment of the century.
Was a masterpiece for sure. Not a classic. Beats were too clean n crisp vs fuzzy n filtered of 36 chambers along with kung fu samples.
The album was fire to me tho
There are Classics on the double CD but as a whole I dont believe it’s a classic but it’s still a dope project overall WuTang 4eva