Once Upon a time in 1993, a group of lyrical ninjas descended on the hip-hop world, firing lyrical darts into the ears of those who dared to Enter their 36 Chambers. Reigning from Shaolin, the capital of an Island called Staten, the nine-man militia, better known as the Wu-Tang Clan, slowly began attacking the hip-hop world until it surrendered into their clutches by the end of 1994.

The greatness of the Wu lay in the fact that all nine members were individual artists with the ability to form like Voltron and wreak havoc as one. After Enter The Wu-Tang reached platinum success (as of 2025, it’s three times platinum), it was time for the team to shine individually. Meth would strike first in ‘94 with Tical, followed by solo releases from Old Dirty Bastard (Return To The 36 Chambers), Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx), and GZA (Liquid Swords) in ‘95, and Ghostface (Ironman) in ‘96 (I’m fully aware that RZA, as part of Gravediggaz, released 6 Feet Deep in August of ’94, but I’m only talking about solo albums, so no need to correct me in the comments, folks). These solo releases would help the legend of Wu-Tang grow as a few would become bonafide classics, and all would earn platinum certifications. But their solo successes couldn’t trump the synergy the collective generated with Enter The Wu-Tang. Wu-Tron would reassemble, releasing Wu-Tang Forever in June or ‘97.

Following the path that All Eyez On Me and Life After Death lay before it, Forever would be a double album featuring twenty-seven tracks. Naturally, RZA would be responsible for the bulk of the album’s production, occasionally letting 4th Disciple, True Master, and Inspectah Deck contribute to the project’s soundscape. The album was instantly praised by critics and fans alike. It would sell more than two million units, and since it’s a double album, that’s four times platinum, but y’all already know how I feel about that numbers game.

I haven’t listened to Forever in, um, forever, but I’m looking forward to this revisit. For shits and giggles, I’ll keep a running tally of all the aliases Method Man uses on the album.

Without further ado, let’s jump into it.

Wu-Revolution – Poppa Wu picks up where he left off on “Black Jesus” and “All That I Got Is You”(Ironman), spewing Five Percent teachings and all kinds of other randomness over a subdued and very uneventful RZA production. Uncle Pete joins Poppa Wu and sounds like an old uncle attempting to croon adlibs behind Poppa’s rambling soliloquy. Unc’s performance is embarrassingly bad but simultaneously extremely amusing (his gravelly, poor man’s James Brown tone screaming “Malcolm X!” was the part that had me dying). An uncredited female vocalist adds a little feminine touch to some of Unc’s adlibs, but if you sneeze at the wrong time, you’ll miss her contribution. As amusing as this intro was, its absence from the album wouldn’t be missed.

Reunited – GZA, ODB, RZA, and Meth get their Peaches & Herb on for the album’s first real song. All four emcees sound refreshed and locked in as they shine as bright as the elegant classical violin play underneath their vocals. The strings are accompanied by RZA’s rugged drums, and Roxanne (who might be the same female voice adlibbing on the opening track) adds a simple but potent lyric to the hook. Since the record is titled “Reunited,” it would have been nice to hear the whole team on it, but as is, it’s a great track that has aged very well. Meth begins his alias count: Iron Lung (1) and Twisted Metal (2).

For Heavens Sake – Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna wage war against RZA’s horror movie-ready instrumental. If the eerie chords and the possessed strings that come in during the hook weren’t chilling enough, the tempo change halfway into the refrain sounds downright spooky, and I loved every second of it.

Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours – Raekwon spins one of his signature hard-to-follow street chronicles, and Meth (recycling his Iron Lung alias) sounds razor sharp, but it’s Ghostface who bodies 4th Disciple’s light-in-the-ass beat and out raps his Wu bredrin.

Visionz – Meth issues one thousand lashes to those who walk into his “dead zone,” while Rae’s out to cleanse the game with his pussy Massengill rap. Masta Killa slaps up the comp with Allah’s mathematics, then Inspectah Deck transforms into the “mind arson” and gets wild like mechanical bulls. Ghostface, starring as Thurston Howell III, plays the closer and gets off another entertainingly erratic verse: “Coconut juice, walnut colored shoe, ninth annual, Moses lost his sandal, hiding the manual, blowing evangel, buggin’ off of Bon Jovi hits, Grandma Lowvey’s famous murder weapon was a trophy.” Inspectah Deck scores the track with dark chords and brilliantly ominous keys, and Meth adds a couple more to his alias count: Tical (3) and Meth Candyman (4).

As High As Wu-Tang Get – RZA hooks up a conservative offspring of his work on “Liquid Swords.” GZA and Meth’s raps and ODB’s colorful and catchy hook help loosen up the backdrop’s tie, turning this into a funky little album cut. Add another one to Meth’s alias list: John John (5).

Severe Punishment – After a Kung-Fu movie snippet plays, U-God, GZA, Raekwon, RZA, and Masta Killa spar over a bland RZA-produced backdrop, followed by karate kicks and more Kung-Fu flick soundbites. Other than Masta Killa’s “fiend for the capo regimes of the Wu-Tang Academy, to fuck up your anatomy, with assault and battery” line, everything else about this record was mediocre.

Older Gods – Ghost, Rae, and GZA team up for this one, and surprisingly, none of their rhymes moved me. The drab drums and puny piano chords didn’t help matters, either.

Maria – Wu-Tang is always good for a little misogyny music, and we get our first dosage of the evening with this record. ODB takes two stabs at it (verses one and three) and lives up to every ounce of the Dirty in his acronym. Cappadonna bats second and spits an intriguing verse of infatuation that includes some questionable bars about the object of his erection (“You walked by smelling like watermelon, you might make me a felon, my eyes balls swellin’, my nuts start yellin’”). RZA finishes this X-rated affair with a vivid tale about a promiscuous and very seductive Maria. The slightly demented string loop and pulsating drums work well with the threesome’s debauchery. This one ends with another Kung-Fu movie snippet to set up the next song.

A Better Tomorrow – This song would later be the muse for the title of Wu-Tang’s sixth group album. Over sorrowful strings and piano taps, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, U-God, RZA, and Meth speak on the troubles in the inner cities across America, with a hook aimed to change the minds and actions of the hood inhabitants, so their kids can do and be better. All parties involved deliver, but it’s Meth who spits one of the most substantive verses of the whole album. This is easily one of my favorite records on Forever and proof that Wu-Tang is for the kids. Sometimes.

It’s Yourz – RZA brings back the horrorcore vibes from early in the sequencing with a diabolical organ loop placed over head noddable drums for Rae, U-God, himself, Rebel INS, and Ghost to clutch the globe and motivate the listener to do the same. It’s not a spectacular record, but a decent way to end disc one of Forever.

Intro – Disc Two of Wu-Tang Forever begins with shimmering cymbals, wavering vibraphone chords, and RZA venting about the current state of hip-hop. GZA adds a couple of words to the rant as well.

Triumph – This is the only record on Wu-Tang Forever, and the first record in their catalog to this point, that features all nine clan members (Cappadonna also jumps on it). RZA unleashes rigid violins to wage war against each member, while angelic chords, a soulful chipmunked female voice, and ODB periodically drop in to celebrate each emcee’s victory. It’s a great record that will forever be remembered as the time Rebel INS “bombed atomically” and outrapped his entire crew. Meth also adds to his alias count: He reuses Iron Lung and adds Ghost Rider to the list (6).

Impossible – RZA opens this one up with a few words, while 4th Disciple’s unsettling backdrop makes you feel like something terrible is on the verge of happening. Tekitha adds to the anxious dramatics with soulful opera-style singing during the intro, between the verses, and at the track’s end. RZA spits an exceptional verse filled with theories on the earth’s creation, societal ills, and conspiracy, and U-God adds on, warning the listener to prepare before “the fuckin’ Illuminati hit.” But Ghostface steals the show with a brilliantly vivid verse about watching his homeboy Jamie die in his arms (so brilliant that I’ve forgiven him for his mispronunciation of “photogenic”). The track ends with Raekwon giving a quick PSA on gun violence. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Ghost’s verse on this record trumps Inspectah Deck’s verse on “Triumph” for best verse on Wu-Tang Forever. Feel free to agree or disagree with me in the comments.

Little Ghetto Boys – This one begins with a skit that finds the Clan in conflict with the po-po. Then, the soulfully warm voice of Donny Hathaway, along with Middle Eastern-flavored flutes and exuberant drums, set the musical tone for Rae and Cappadonna to rhyme. In his own roundabout way, Rae sticks to the subject at hand, while Cappa completely abandons the topic, going into full-blown battle mode, easily outrapping the chef on this track.

Deadly Melody – RZA brings the energy down with this instrumental, giving the listeners a chance to gather themselves after the emotional ride the previous two tracks took us on. Masta Killa, U-God, RZA, Meth, GZA, Ghostface, and Meth’s mans, Street Life, take turns verbally punching the understated backdrop. Meth adds two more aliases to the list: Mr. Mef (7) and my personal favorite, Hot Nickels (8).

The City – The emotional rollercoaster continues. A quick verbal exchange takes place, followed by gunfire and a brief mele. Then, 4th Disciple makes weeping violin strings dance over a depressed bass line and inconspicuous drums for Inspectah Deck’s solo street commentary. It’s not as strong a record as “Better Tomorrow,” “Impossible,” or “Little Ghetto Boys,” but still a solid effort.

The Projects – The track begins with a quick phone conversation between Rae and Shyheim. Then Rae and Meth discuss the antics and criminal side of life in the projects, respectively. Ghost uses the final verse to describe a sexual encounter with a project chick, and in true Ghostface fashion, he keeps it blunt and graphic. I like RZA’s dazed piano loop and the quirky buzzing sound in the instrumental. Meth adds Johnny Dangerous to his alias count (9).

Bells Of War – This is easily my favorite instrumental on Wu-Tang Forever and one of the dopest song titles in Wu’s lengthy catalog. RZA places soft but sneaky bells in between U-God, Meth, his, Masta Killa, and Ghostface’s verses and unleashes beautifully tender strings that sound like they morph into organ chords by the end of the track. Ghost and Rae randomly get into a little boxing commentary right in the middle of the song, which I found hilarious, and it made me think of how entertaining it would be to hear these two host their own sports podcast. Meth adds two more aliases to the list: Johnny B. Good (10) and Meth-Tical (11).

The M.G.M. – Rae and Ghost return to the boxing conversation they so rudely interrupted the dopest instrumental of the album with on the previous track. The duo share the specifics of the September 10, 1994 fight between Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker, held at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, hence the song title (shoutout to Chante Moore, one of the most underappreciated beauties of the nineties). I found True Master’s backdrop more appealing than Rae and Ghost’s recap of the star-studded event.

Dog Shit – ODB becomes the second recipient of a solo joint on Wu-Tang Forever, and I’m always down to hear Old Dirty wild-out. RZA provides a brilliantly bizarre screeching string-laden backdrop that winds up being the perfect match for ODB’s outrageous misogyny. The track ends with some unidentified dude snappin’, aka roasting his homies, and it’s funny as hell.

Duck Seazon – RZA takes Rae, himself, and Meth through the gutter via slivering bells with a splash of suspense. Even though Rae gets two cracks at the beat (and RZA makes a ballsy and memorable reference to Loud Records co-founder and CEO Steve Rifkin and then Tommy Boy Records President Monica Lynch), Meth metamorphoses into a snake and out raps both his counterparts (I’m still trying to make sense of his Tempestt Bledsoe line. Did he have beef with her? Did Vanessa Huxtable do porn after her Cosby days?). Add one more to Meth’s alias count: Ticalon (12).

Hellz Wind Staff – Signature Wu Kung-Fu movie snippets and kicks accompany True Life, Ghost, Inspectah Deck, Meth, RZA, and Rae through this exhilarating Wu experience. Meth also gives us his final alias of the night: Johnny Unitas (13).

Heaterz – Based on True Master’s instrumental, this song has the right title. The gully orchestra break paired with the soulful female voice was straight fire. Raekwon, Rebel INS, ODB, and U-God sound solid rapping over it, but Cappa delivers another show-stealing performance (one of these days, I gotta dive into his solo catalog). The track ends with a conversation skit featuring Killarmy and Wu-affiliate Dom Pachino and Tekitha, which sets up the next record.

Black Shampoo – U-God gets the third dolo record of the night, and he’s in the mood for love, showering his lady with lots of affection throughout one extended poetical verse. And, of course, Meth tries to ruin Golden Arms’ romantic rhetoric with a little male chauvinism at the end of the record.

Second Coming – A short skit plays to set up the next record, a solo joint that Wu graciously grants to Tekitha. RZA gives her an instrumental full of despair, and she gets into her theatrical bag, painting the world and hip-hop as hopeless spaces in need of a savior. Then, “The Wu-Tang sign appears in the sky,” and they fill the world and hip-hop’s voids with Wu-Tang Forever. It’s a bit dramatic, but I enjoy Tekitha’s singing. This would have made more sense as the intro on disc one.

The Closing – Wu-Tang Forever ends with a Raekwon rambling, which is always entertaining (I’m still amused by the part when he says, “Them niggas is really, really, really, really, really, thinking it’s their shit”), punctuated by a random helicopter flying over. I have two questions: What the hell was the meaning of the helicopter, and how many of you took Rae’s advice and bought a uniform when you purchased Wu-Tang Forever?

I’m a strong proponent that less is more, and I would gladly take quality over quantity, which is why I will always be pessimistic when it comes to double album releases. Through the years, many have tried to pull off this feat. Kendrick Lamar (Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers), Jay-Z (Blueprint 2), Nas (Streets Disciple), Outkast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (The Art Of War), and, as I mentioned during the intro, Pac (All Eyez On Me) and Biggie (Life After Death). Some of these bloated projects fared better than others, but all included excess blubber that could have been trimmed off and disregarded. Wu-Tang Forever almost becomes the exception to that rule.

The time in between Enter The Wu-Tang and Forever served the whole team well. Most of the main characters (RZA, GZA, Method Man, ODB, Raekwon, Ghostface, and Inspectah Deck) had the opportunity to hone their skills on cameo appearances and solo projects during the in-between time, as they all sound more polished on the mic than they did on the Wu debut. Even Masta Killa and U-God (who felt like extras on Enter The Wu-Tang) find their voices on Forever. While collectively, all nine emcees sound sharper this go round, Method Man (and all thirteen of his aliases) and Ghostface Killah are the undeniable standouts on Forever, delivering the most entertaining verses on the album. Cappadonna also makes a lasting impression with his handful of guest appearances, making a strong argument for why he should be the official tenth member of Wu.

RZA and his production understudies lean heavily on string samples and interpolations on Forever, giving the album a more refined feel than any of the previous Wu albums, but it still maintains the rugged and raw elements that defined the Wu-Tang sound through the years. I enjoyed most of the production, but when it’s churned at this capacity (twenty-seven tracks), you’re bound to miss at least a few times, and they do.

More so than a solo artist, a double album makes sense for a group as large as Wu-Tang Clan. It allows space for each emcee to display their unique style and distinct personality. But even a talented super group like the Wu can’t completely justify a twenty-seven-track album. There are a few instrumentals that fall flat (mostly on disc one), some lyrical redundancy, and a few meaningless ramblings that slow the album’s momentum at times, but the number of great joints far outweighs those moments. At twenty-two tracks, Forever might have been perfection. As is, it’s pretty damn close.

-Deedub
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