w0rd.ca

When you listen to a band for awhile you tend to take a few things away with you; whether it’s to buy their merchandise or to fuck the system that sells you it, hopefully you’re listening to the tunes close enough that you gleam some sort of message. It’s been years since I’ve started down my slippery path into the world of hip-hop, and I’d like to share with you (yes, you!) the life lessons that I’ve learned from rap’s first dynasty, the Wu-Tang Clan. By no means is this supposed to sound preachy; I’m just riffing on a thought process that I had.

Roll With a Clan

The reason I use the word “dynasty” is because the Clan is nine-strong; most rap groups tend to not grow that large, but somehow these guys made it work. This told me something about the people I choose to associate with: not only did it encourage me to keep a diverse group of friends, it told me that I needed to surround myself with people that could make my life work for me, not against me.

The members of the Wu-Tang Clan worked together as a unit to get where they needed to be, and to an extent, needed that diversity that each member brought to the table. I feel like each and every person in my close group of friends is someone I can trust to be there for me, support me in my decisions and perhaps most importantly, tell me I’m a dumb-ass if I’m making a stupid one.

Another facet of this was that the group wasn’t afraid to take hiatuses to pursue solo projects; understanding that trying to fit nine members equally on an album was difficult, unique contracts were drawn up that enabled each group member to be signed by other labels while still retaining their “group” affiliation on another. While essentially saying “Sorry man, I don’t like you hogging my spotlight”, group members welcomed their Clansmen (wow, feels a bit weird typing that) onto their records for guest spots. What I’ve gleamed from this is that even though friends have to go their own path from time to time, wealth is to be shared, support is to be given and that you should never forget where you came from.

Be Different. Be Yourself.

I would gladly challenge anyone to find a group with such diverse personalities that aren’t (or weren’t) ripping each other apart at the throats. I also challenge anyone to point me in the direction of a gangster rap group who could rap about Voltron and still sell millions of records. The reason I enjoy the Wu is becuase they’re simply different from anything else I’ve heard from the rap genre. While they still have influences stemming from the “gangster” genre of things, I was initially surprised to hear verses about Voltron, comics, video games and perhaps most frequently, kung fu movies. This struck me as a huge risk; instead of going what with what worked, the Wu-Tang Clan decided to stick with what they knew and what they enjoyed; this gave them an enormous amount of credibility to me.

What’s great about sheer number of rappers in the group is that everyone develops their personal favourites; while I’m not a big fan of the more “gangster” members (Raekwon, Ghostface), I can still find appreciation in the performers that resonate better with my personal style. I honestly think that’s part of the philosophy of the group; they aren’t asking you to like everything, but at least they’re offering a variety. For every reference to cocaine and bitches, there’s another verse that references a “moonshine drunken monk” or Ghostface’s weird affinity for Iron Man.

I could write an entire essay on the unique style and personality of the Ol’ Dirty Bastard, but I think I’ll just limit it to a paragraph under this heading: the man was a living testament towards going against the mold. Although he might have had his hiccups when it came to real life (including pulling a Kanye), ODB at least had the initiative to be himself. Or he was hopped up on drugs and drunk off his ass. You take your pick.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

Moving out on my own has taught me that money is the single driving force behind many people’s lives, and that it’s a significant cause of stress to the people who have it as well as the those who don’t. The tenement of C.R.E.A.M has both given me a jaded perspective on life and something to strive for; I actually have a greater appreciation for the money I do make, and the work I do to earn it. While I wouldn’t classify myself as poor, I can honestly say I’m frugal; doing work to rectify that feels good for the specific purpose that I’ve earned it. It also makes it feel all the more better to be generous with my money – Christmas shopping tends to bring that out in me.

At the same time it’s hard not to be wary of what people around you are trying to take from you; I’m finding myself quickly jumping to the almighty question of “What’s the catch?”, even if it’s something a little more altruistic. This can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how you see it.

Ultimately the bottom line is that you have to work hard to be successful. While I can’t exactly condone the gangster lifestyle of drug trafficking (fictional or not), Wu clearly took initiative with their more legal pursuits; the sheer amount of product they put out at the height of their popularity was staggering, and even though they might not feature as prominent now, their branding power (and that recognizable “W”) still lingers. They’ve made quite a name for themselves, and probably a healthy sum of money as well.

“The game of chess is like a sword fight; you must think first before you move.”

“Chess is a way of being aggressive without being physical. You’re beating someone with your mind.” -RZA

I’ve never been much good at chess, but I’m learning. Severly impeding my progress is the inability to think far ahead into late game and the subsequent baiting of my opponents. While this seems like quite a major couple of flaws, the repeated thrashings at the hands of my friends and Dad have given me perspective, and have improved my game.

Chess is a great game because it teaches you to be both aggressive and humble. Simple to learn, yet hard to master, Chess is one of those games you can break out to kill a long lull of time while testing wits with those around you. Many a good conversation has sprung up from a game of chess, and it gives me a good chance to unwind and occupy myself with something a little bit more… medieval than my usual time-wasters. I don’t know, there’s something almost romantic about sitting down across from an opposing general and determining who will feel the sting of defeat while the other can bask in the glory of victory. Members of the Wu-Tang Clan are fanatical chess players, and I’d like to think that both keeps them sharp and calculating.  Enviable qualities.

Anyways, this wraps up this set of rules; who knows? Maybe I’ll be back with another few after I work my way through a couple of solo albums. Till then:

“How can hip-hop be dead when Wu-Tang is forever?” – RZA