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How ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’ Changed Everything

30 years after the release of Wu-Tang Clan’s debut, the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now looks back at the album, with help from Raekwon

Wu-Tang Clan

Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Wu-Tang Clan‘s debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was more than an album — it was a universe unto itself. The album, which dropped Nov. 9, 1993, introduced the world to nine wildly talented rappers at once, along with the crackly genius of RZA‘s soul-and-kung-fu-movie-inflected production and an entire cosmology of lyrical references. 30 years later, there’s still plenty to unpack, which we attempt to do on the latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now.

Andre Gee joins host Brian Hiatt for a discussion of the album’s greatness and influence, and then one of the group’s stars, Raekwon, sits down with Gee for a look inside its making and much more. For the full episode, go here for the podcast provider of your choice, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play above.

Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone‘s weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). Check out six years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Questlove, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, and Gary Clark Jr. And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.

From Rolling Stone US