Wu-Tang Forever

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Wu-Tang Forever
Studio album by Wu-Tang Clan
Released	June 3, 1997
Recorded	Late 1995 to early 1997
Genre	Hardcore hip hop
Length	45:15 (Disc 1) 73:28 (Disc 2)
Label	Loud/Columbia
Producer(s)	RZA Inspectah Deck 4th Disciple True Master
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Wu-Tang Clan chronology
	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	The W (2000)
Ghostface Killah chronology
Ironman (1996)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Supreme Clientele (2000)
GZA/Genius chronology
Liquid Swords (1995)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Beneath the Surface (1999)
Inspectah Deck chronology
	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Uncontrolled Substance (1999)
Masta Killa chronology
	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	No Said Date (2004)
Method Man chronology
Tical (1994)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Tical 2000: Judgement Day (1998)
Ol' Dirty Bastard chronology
Return to the 36 Chambers (1995)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Nigga Please (1999)
Raekwon chronology
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Immobilarity (1999)
RZA chronology
Ooh I Love You Rakeem (1991)	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Bobby Digital in Stereo (1998)
U-God chronology
	Wu-Tang Forever (1997)	Golden Arms Redemption (1999)

Wu-Tang Forever is the long-awaited follow-up to the Wu-Tang Clan's first album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). It was released on June 3, 1997 as a double album.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Critical reaction 3 Track listing 3.1 Disc one 3.2 Disc two 4 Album singles 5 Album Chart Positions 6 Singles Chart Positions 7 Personnel

[edit] Overview

The sound of the album built significantly on the sounds of the previous three solo albums, with RZA using more keyboards and string samples, as well as, for the first time, assigning some of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple. The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers, with many verses written in a dense stream-of-consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation.

Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of The RZA's "five year plan". After Forever's success, The RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had done previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. This move was designed to expand Wu-Tang's reach in hip-hop and take advantage of financial opportunities for the group. In keeping with this move, a large amount of Wu-Tang product (both musical and otherwise; example Wu-Wear) was to be released over the next two years.

[edit] Critical reaction

Due to the success of the group's debut and subsequent solo albums, expectations of both fans and critics were high for this album's release. Stephen Thomas Erlewine - writing for All Music Guide - stated:

“

Where contemporaries like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. issued double-discs cluttered with filler, Wu-Tang Forever is purposeful and surprisingly lean, illustrating the immense depth of producer RZA and the entire nine-piece crew... The result is an intoxicating display of musical and lyrical virtuosity, one that reveals how bereft of imagination the Wu-Tang's contemporaries are.

”

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Disc one

1. "Wu-Revolution" – 6:46
2. "Reunited" – 5:21
   • Intro/outro: Roxanne
   • First verse: GZA
   • Second verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
   • Third verse: RZA
   • Fourth verse: Method Man
3. "For Heaven's Sake" – 4:13
   • First verse: Inspectah Deck
   • Second verse: Masta Killa
   • Third verse: Cappadonna
   • Samples "Don't Leave Me Lonely" by King Floyd
4. "Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours (Still Don't Nothing Move But the Money)" – 3:01
   • First verse: Raekwon
   • Second verse: Method Man
   • Third verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Producer: 4th Disciple
5. "Visionz" – 3:09
   • First verse: Method Man
   • Second verse: Raekwon
   • Third verse: Masta Killa
   • Fourth verse: Inspectah Deck
   • Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Producer: Inspectah Deck
6. "As High as Wu-Tang Get" – 2:37
   • Intro/Chorus: Ol' Dirty Bastard
   • First verse: GZA
   • Second verse: Method Man
7. "Severe Punishment" – 4:49
   • First verse: U-God
   • Second verse: GZA
   • Third verse: Raekwon
   • Fourth verse: RZA
   • Fifth verse: Masta Killa
8. "Older Gods" – 3:05
   • First verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Second verse: Raekwon
   • Chorus: Ghostface Killah & Raekwon
   • Third verse: GZA
   • Producer: 4th Disciple
9. "Maria" – 2:55
   • First verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
   • Second verse: Cappadonna
   • Third verse: Ol' Dirty Bastard
   • Fourth verse: RZA
   • Samples "I Love You More than You'll Ever Know" by Blood, Sweat & Tears & "Get out of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey
10. "A Better Tomorrow" – 4:55
    • Intro/First verse/chorus: Inspectah Deck
    • Second verse/chorus: Masta Killa
    • Third verse: U-God
    • Fourth verse: RZA
    • Fifth verse: Method Man
    • Samples "Love Theme from 'Romeo & Juliet'" by Peter Nero
    • Producer: 4th Disciple
11. "It's Yourz" – 4:17
    • First verse: Raekwon
    • Chorus & Third verse: RZA
    • Second verse: U-God
    • Fourth verse: Inspectah Deck
    • Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah
    • Samples "Black Grass" by Wilbur 'Bad' Bascomb

[edit] Disc two

1. "Intro" – 2:02
   • Performed by: GZA & RZA
2. "Triumph" – 5:38
   • Intro: Ol' Dirty Bastard
   • First verse: Inspectah Deck
   • Second verse: Method Man
   • Third verse: Cappadonna
   • Fourth verse: U-God
   • Fifth verse: RZA
   • Sixth verse: GZA
   • Seventh verse: Masta Killa
   • Eighth verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Ninth verse: Raekwon
3. "Impossible" – 4:28
   • Chorus: Tekitha
   • First verse: RZA
   • Second verse: U-God
   • Third verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Outro: Raekwon
   • Producer: 4th Disciple
   • Samples Pathetique Sonata by Beethoven
4. "Little Ghetto Boys" – 4:49
   • First verse: Raekwon
   • Second verse: Cappadonna
   • Samples "Little Ghetto Boy" by Donny Hathaway
5. "Deadly Melody" – 4:20
   • Intro & first verse: Masta Killa
   • Second verse: U-God
   • Third verse: RZA
   • Fourth verse: Method Man
   • Fifth verse: RZA, Masta Killa, U-God & GZA
   • Sixth verse: Method Man
   • Seventh verse : Streetlife
   • Eighth verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Ninth verse: Streetlife
6. "The City" – 4:05
   • Performed by: Inspectah Deck
   • Samples "Living For the City" by Stevie Wonder
   • Producer: 4th Disciple
7. "The Projects" – 3:17
   • Intro & first verse: Raekwon
   • Chorus : U-God & Raekwon
   • Second verse: Method Man
   • Third verse: Ghostface Killah
8. "Bells of War" – 5:12
   • First verse: U-God
   • Second verse : Method Man
   • Third verse: RZA
   • Fourth verse: Masta Killa
   • Interlude: Method Man & Raekwon
   • Fifth verse: Ghostface Killah
   • Outro: RZA
   • Samples "Sneakin' in the Back" by Tom Scott
9. "The M.G.M." – 2:38
   • Performed by : Ghostface Killah & Raekwon
   • Producer: True Master
10. "Dog Shit" – 3:34
    • Performed by : Ol' Dirty Bastard
11. "Duck Seazon" (Wu Tang Clan) – 5:42
    • Intro & first verse: Raekwon
    • Second verse : RZA
    • Third verse: Method Man
    • Fourth verse: Raekwon
12. "Hellz Wind Staff" (Wu Tang Clan) – 4:52
    • First verse: Streetlife
    • Second verse : Ghostface Killah
    • Third verse: Inspectah Deck
    • Fourth verse: Method Man
    • Fifth verse: RZA
    • Sixth verse: Raekwon
13. "Heaterz" – 5:26
    • First verse: Raekwon
    • Second verse: Inspectah Deck
    • Bridge: Ol' Dirty Bastard
    • Third verse: U-God
    • Fifth verse: Cappadonna
    • Producer: True Master
14. "Black Shampoo" – 3:49
    • Performed by: U-God
15. "Second Coming" – 4:39
    • Performed by: Tekitha
16. "The Closing" – 2:37
    • Performed by: Raekwon
17. "Sunshower" – 6:11
    • Performed by: The RZA (UK release only)

[edit] Album singles

Single cover	Single information
	"Triumph" Released: August 4, 1997 B-side:
	"It's Yourz" Released: September 23, 1997 B-side:
	"Reunited - The Remixes" [Non Album Single] Released: March 30, 1998 B-side:

[edit] Album Chart Positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums	Top Canadian Albums	Top UK Albums
1997	Wu-Tang Forever	#1	#1 (2 Weeks)	#1	#1

In the UK, it fell from #1 to #14 - the biggest fall from the summit in that chart's history.

[edit] Singles Chart Positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1997	It's Yourz	-	#75	#21	#7

[edit] Personnel

• A-D - Art Direction, Layout Design
• Sherin Baday - Photography, A&R
• Bob Berg - Photography
• Carlos Bess - Mixing, Mixing Engineer
• Cappadonna - Performer
• Dennis Coles - Executive Producer
• Tom Coyne - Mastering
• Mitchell Diggs - Executive Producer
• Robert Diggs - Executive Producer
• Divine - Production Coordination
• Fourth Disciple - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Arlene Godfrey - A&R
• Oli Grant - Executive Producer
• Scott Harding - Mixing, Mixing Engineer
• Che Harris - A&R
• Inspectah Deck - Producer, Mixing
• Dia Kudu - Artwork, Art Direction, Design
• Ola Kudu - Art Direction, Design, Layout Design
• Laurie Marks - A&R
• Philippe McClelland - Photography
• Shawn Mortenson - Photography
• Eugene Nastasi - Editing
• Ney Pimentel - Artwork, Art Direction, Design, Layout Design
• P.O.W.E.R. - Production Coordination
• Michael "Wolf" Reaves - Mixing
• James Roach - Artwork, Art Direction, Design, Layout Design
• RZA - Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Assistant Producer
• Troy Staton - Mixing
• True Master - Producer, Engineer, Mixing