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The W

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For the swing/ska group, see The W's. For the Latin character, see W. For other uses, see W (disambiguation).
The W
Studio album by
Wu-Tang Clan
ReleasedNovember 21, 2000
Recorded1999–2000
GenreHip hop
Length59:04
Label
ProducerRZA, Mathematics
Wu-Tang Clan chronology
Wu-Tang Forever
(1997) 		The W
(2000) 		Iron Flag
(2001)
Singles from The W
  1. "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"
    Released: October 17, 2000
  2. "Gravel Pit"
    Released: December 5, 2000
  3. "I Can't Go To Sleep"
    Released: 2001
  4. "Careful (Click, Click)"
    Released: July 17, 2001

The W is the third studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on November 21, 2000, by Loud Records.[1] After their 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever, several of the group's members released solo projects before The W, which has a more rugged, less polished sound than that of most Wu-Tang related albums from that era. The album also features guest appearances from Isaac Hayes, Redman, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Junior Reid. It is the group's last album to feature Ol' Dirty Bastard before his death in 2004, as he was absent from their next album, Iron Flag (2001).

The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart with 301,000 copies sold in the first week.[2][3] It produced several singles, which also charted as well. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4] Upon its release, The W received largely positive reviews from most music critics based on an aggregate score of 80/100 from Metacritic.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[7]
The Guardian[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
NME8/10[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]
Spin8/10[13]
USA Today[14]
The Village VoiceA−[15]

The W received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 17 reviews.[5] Aside from calling Wu-Tang "the best rap group ever," Kris Ex of Rolling Stone called the album "A sonic gestalt that exists somewhere between the Queensbridge projects and OutKast's Stankonia."[11] Entertainment Weekly's David Browne remarked that the members sound "utterly mellow on their third album." He further stated "The W forgoes innovation and simply revels in the Clan's strengths: the way their star rappers toss around rhymes as if playing catch; RZA's skulking, string-enhanced beats."[7] Kelefa Sanneh of The Village Voice declared it "The best-produced Wu-affiliated album since GZA's 1995 Liquid Swords.[16] Rob Fearn of Q stated "The W is largely a return to murky idiosyncratic form after 1997's filler-bloated Wu-Tang Forever. Weighing in at a svelte 60 minutes, it plays to the group's main strengths: brutal hooks and scary ambience."[17] Dave Heaton of PopMatters described it as "the sound of a group growing up and realizing that collaboration can lead to endless creativity" and commented on its significance in the group's catalogue, stating:

The Wu-Tang Clan of today is not the same as the Clan of 1993. And for this, we are blessed. Every Wu-Tang Clan member is growing as an MC as the years go by. Put them all together again now, after they've each done their own things separately, and you get an entirely new dynamic, a mix of the dark and the bright.[1]

Despite commenting that "The W isn't quite the masterpiece it sounds like after the first few tracks [...] it falls prey to inconsistency, resulting in half-formed tracks", AllMusic editor John Bush praised the album's "back-to-basics approach", writing that it succeeds "not only because it rightly puts the focus back on the best cadre of rappers in the world of hip-hop, but also because RZA's immense trackmaster talents can't help but shine through [...] When they're hitting on all cylinders, Wu-Tang Clan are nearly invincible."[6] Steve Jones of USA Today called it "sharply focused."[14] S. H. Fernando Jr. of Vibe called it "a dense, demented, 15-song opus that will now draw comparisons to the now classic 36 Chambers."[18] He further noted its "originality, innovation, and a mastery of the fundamentals of beats and rhymes", and commented "This album goes against the grain of everything that's going on in rap right now".[18] Sasha Frere-Jones of Spin complimented RZA's diverse range of production and the group's word play;[13] in The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Frere-Jones called the production "possibly RZA's most consistent yet."[12] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau commented that he "can't swear they've taken their moral vision much beyond 'Handle your bid and kill no kids'", but praised RZA's production and stated "He serves up a bounty of song-centered musique trouvée and stomach-churning beats from anywhere [...] Far from straining, he's gone sensei, achieving a craft in which the hand leads the mind".[15]

Accolades

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The W appeared on Albums of the Year lists by several American publishers, such as Rolling Stone,[19] Spin,[20] and The Village Voice.[21] The album also appeared on the same lists for several international publishers, such as NME,[22] The Wire,[23] and Uncut from the United Kingdom, and Liberation and Les Inrockuptibles from France, for which it was ranked number one in the latter.[citation needed] In 2005, Hip Hop Connection ranked the album number 70 on their 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005 list.[citation needed] One year later, the album was included in Gary Mulholland's book The 261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco.[24] In 2009, Pitchfork ranked it number 162 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list, stating "The W was as surprising as it was pleasing, packing some of the RZA's best production work, and some of the group's best music."[25]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The W debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts, selling 301,000 copies in the first week.[2][3] On December 14, 2000, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over a million copies in the United States.[26] As of April 2014, the album has sold 1.1 million copies in the United States.[27]

Track listing

[edit]

Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes and AllMusic.[28][29] All tracks produced by RZA, except where noted.

The W
No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."
  • Intro (Shaolin Finger Jab)"

  • "Chamber Music
"
4:26
2."Careful (Click, Click)"Wu-Tang Clan
4:56
3."Hollow Bones"Wu-Tang Clan
  • Ghostface Killah
  • Inspectah Deck
  • Raekwon
3:37
4."Redbull" (featuring Redman)
  • Inspectah Deck
  • Method Man
  • Redman
3:53
5."One Blood Under W" (featuring Junior Reid)
4:11
6."Conditioner" (featuring Snoop Dogg)
5:32
7."Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"Wu-Tang Clan
  • Cappadonna
  • Ghostface Killah
  • GZA
  • Inspectah Deck
  • Masta Killa
  • Method Man
  • Raekwon
  • RZA
  • U-God
3:58
8."Let My Niggas Live" (featuring Nas)
  • Inspectah Deck
  • Nas
  • Raekwon
4:29
9."I Can't Go to Sleep" (featuring Isaac Hayes)
3:35
10."Do You Really (Thang, Thang)" (produced by Mathematics)
5:22
11."The Monument" (featuring Busta Rhymes)
2:38
12."Gravel Pit"
  • Wu-Tang Clan
  • Paulissa Moorman
  • Ghostface Killah
  • Method Man
  • Paulissa Moorman
  • Raekwon
  • RZA
  • U-God
4:51
13."
  • Jah World" (featuring Junior Reid)

  • "Clap
" (produced by Mathematics)
  • Wu-Tang Clan
  • Ghostface Killah
  • Junior Reid
  • RZA

  • Ghostface Killah
  • Method Man
  • Raekwon
7:36
Total length:59:04

Notes

  • "Careful (Click, Click)" and "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" feature raps by Cappadonna.
  • "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)" features raps by Street Life and uncredited vocals by DJ Kay Slay.
  • "Gravel Pit" features additional vocals by Paulissa Moorman.
  • "Jah World" contains the uncredited hidden bonus track "Clap", produced by Allah Mathematics.

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[53] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[54] Gold 150,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[55] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[56] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Heaton, Dave (November 20, 2000). "Wu-Tang Clan: The W". PopMatters. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "The W – Wu-Tang Clan (Awards)". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Wu-Tang Clan debuts at No. 5". The 411 Online. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  4. ^ RIAA Search: The W Archived August 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  5. ^ a b "The 'W' by Wu-Tang Clan Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Bush, John. "The W – Wu-Tang Clan". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Browne, David (November 24, 2000). "The W". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  8. ^ Cameron, Keith (November 17, 2000). "Nine's company". The Guardian.
  9. ^ Weingarten, Marc (November 19, 2000). "Clan's Stuck in a Holding Pattern". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  10. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan: The W". NME. November 18, 2000. p. 41.
  11. ^ a b Ex, Kris (December 14–21, 2000). "Wu-Tang Clan: The W". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 29, 2001. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  12. ^ a b Frere-Jones, Sasha (2004). "Wu-Tang Clan". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 887–888. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  13. ^ a b Frere-Jones, Sasha (February 2001). "W for President". Spin. Vol. 17, no. 2. pp. 105–106. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  14. ^ a b Jones, Steve (November 21, 2000). "Wu-Tang Clan, The W". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  15. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (January 23, 2001). "Consumer Guide: Dub for Dummies". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  16. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (December 19, 2000). "Sobs, Static, and Sweat". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  17. ^ Fearn, Rob (January 2001). "Wu-Tang Clan: The W". Q. No. 172. p. 113.
  18. ^ a b Fernando, S. H. Jr. (January 2001). "Wu-Tang Clan: The W". Vibe. Vol. 9, no. 11. pp. 137–138. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  19. ^ Kris Ex (December 28, 2000). "The Year in Recordings: Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Rolling Stone. No. 858/859. p. 118.
  20. ^ "2000's Top 20 Albums". Spin. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  21. ^ "Pazz & Jop 2000". The Village Voice. February 20, 2001. Archived from the original on February 23, 2001. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  22. ^ "NME's best albums and tracks of 2000". NME. October 10, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rewind 2000: 50 Records of the Year". The Wire. No. 203. London. January 2001. p. 34. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  24. ^ Mulholland, Gary (2007). Fear of Music: The 261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco. Orion Publishing Group. pp. 342–343. ISBN 978-0-7528-8243-7 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s". Pitchfork. September 28, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  26. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  27. ^ Grein, Paul (April 3, 2014). "New Wu-Tang Clan Album: The Case for the World's First $5 Million Album". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  28. ^ The W (booklet). Wu-Tang Clan. Loud/Columbia. 2000. CK 62193.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ "The W - Wu-Tang Clan". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  30. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 306.
  31. ^ "ARIA Dance - Week Commencing 1st January 2001" (PDF). The ARIA Report (566): 16. January 1, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Wu-Tang Clan – The W" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – Wu-Tang Clan – The W" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  34. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Wu-Tang Clan – The W" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  36. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan: The W" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Wu-Tang Clan – The W" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  39. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week {{{week}}}, {{{year}}}". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  40. ^ "Charts.nz – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  41. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Hung Medien.
  42. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Hung Medien.
  43. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  44. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  45. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  46. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  47. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2000-11-21.
  48. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  49. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2001". Ultratop. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  50. ^ "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001". Jam!. January 8, 2002. Archived from the original on November 22, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  51. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  52. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  53. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Music Canada.
  54. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Wu-Tang Clan; 'The W')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  55. ^ "British album certifications – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The W in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  56. ^ "American album certifications – Wu-Tang Clan – The W". Recording Industry Association of America.

Further reading

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[edit]
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