Wu-Tang Clan
It would be impossible to overstate the Wu-Tang Clan’s influence on hip-hop. Since its 1992 formation on Staten Island, the 10-member collective has left an indelible mark on hip-hop culture and beyond. After nearly three decades, the legendary crew continues to reach milestones: Wu-Tang Clan recently became the first hip-hop group to headline Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, and earlier this year saw a street on Staten Island named in its honor. Later this year, Hulu will premiere “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” a 10-part bio-series about the group.
In advance of Wu-Tang’s appearance at the Riverside Theater on Aug. 3, I spoke with founding member Inspectah Deck—who just released his fourth solo album, Chamber No. 9—about the recent five-part Showtime documentary “Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men,” his favorite Wu-Tang albums, and his group’s enduring legacy.
Prior to the formation of Wu-Tang Clan, there were very few internationally known hip-hop groups from Staten Island; in 2019, Wu-Tang and Staten Island are practically synonymous. Do you feel like a cultural ambassador for New York City’s “forgotten borough”?
Nah, I don’t see it like that. I just feel like [quoting his verse from “C.R.E.A.M.”]: “Leave it up to me, cuz I be livin’ proof,” you know? I just always led by example, and I didn’t really talk a whole lot. That’s really my legacy. I just wanna share my experiences. I’m not the hero of this movie!
Speaking of the movie, do you feel the documentary did an accurate job portraying the group as a whole?
I think it paints a realistic picture of how life was. When my generation watched movies from before our time, we got a glimpse of how life used to be, and I think this generation needed to see the ’90s the way it really was. They hear about it all the time: the ’90s, the ’90s, the ’90s. But for this generation to actually get a glimpse into it now, they can see pretty much why Wu-Tang is what it is, and how it came to be. It’s not just a bunch of crazy rhymes, you know? These dudes were living a lifestyle similar to everyone else, but just coming from a different place.
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Did you learn anything from the documentary about the other members of the group?
Yeah, because the documentary allowed everybody to just open up about things that they’ve probably never even told anybody before. Now that we’re all in our 40s and 50s, it’s cool to talk about things, you know? One case in particular was learning about Meth and his mom in the abuse shelter; I didn’t really know about that. I mean, I hung out with Meth every day, and I didn’t know that part of his life. Then to see him going back to the first job he had and thanking [his former boss] for helping him become a man by giving him his first job, I mean, that’s big.
Wu-Tang was recently honored with its own street on Staten Island. If you could go back in time and tell your 18-year-old self about this, what would he say?
Me and my mom and sister and brother used to walk that street every day growing up, going to the corner store getting bread and eggs and things like that, and passing that corner, so it’s crazy to see that. It’s a proud moment for me because that street sign is gonna be here for a long time, and generations to come are gonna see it. That’s monumental.
Do you have a favorite Wu-Tang album, whether group or solo?
I don’t know if I have a favorite group album; I like each one for its own thing. But as far as my favorite solo album, it’s different things on different days: one day it’ll be Cappadonna’s The Pillage, another day it’s Ghostface’s Ironman; then it’s Raekwon’s The Purple Tape or something crazy from Bobby Digital; then it’s Method Man’s Tical, you know? I try to take myself out of the group sometimes and just listen to our music as if I was growing up listening to it, knowing how I was as a kid. And I would still be into it.
Recently, there has been in rap music a pivot away from the sort of lyrically sharp, narrative-driven hip-hop Wu-Tang is known for. As a 30-year veteran, do you keep up with current hip-hop? What do you think about Soundcloud rap?
I listen to a lot of everything, man. I tell Alexa to play all types of things. There’s a lot of young rappers now and I try to get into what’s going on and feel their vibe; I’m not just stuck in the ’90s. There’s a lot of new music that’s damn good, and a lot of these young dudes are really talented. Even if the majority of them are just repeating what they’ve already heard, there’s a handful that knows how to put it together. But I say as long as you’re making music that makes you feel good, and you ain’t out there causing homicides and shit, it’s all good.
