On this day in Hip Hop history Wu-Tang Clan, their third studio LP The W was certified platinum by the RIAA. As the follow-up to the immensely successful Wu Tang Forever, this album fell a little short of its predecessor’s success but continued to grow Wu’s legacy.
At the time of the album’s production and release, Wu-Tang member ODB faced a legal saga with seemingly no end. Although that may have stopped Dirt Dog’s ability to grace the album more than once, it did not derail the Clan’s creative process and ability to execute. Much to the tone of their past work, The W once again proved that Wu-Tang is lyrically the strongest rap collective of all time as far as production; however, RZA toned down the intricate instrumentation used on Forever and went back to the 36 Chambers style of soulful samples coupled with negative drum patterns. This back-to-basics model allowed the Clan to stand out lyrically as they once did.
Commercially, the album was an international success. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 in the UK and Ireland. The album won numerous album of the Year awards from esteemed publications and is heralded as one of Hip Hop’s greater albums, reaching platinum status within a month o its release.
