Wu-Tang Clan turned a $60,000 record deal into nine separate solo careers spread across eight different labels — and it all started with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). On this episode of 50 for 50, hosts Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down RZA's legendary Five-Year Plan, the business genius behind Wu-Tang's label-hopping solo structure, and a full track-by-track deep dive on the 1993 debut that changed hip-hop forever.
In this episode:
How three Staten Island cousins built a mythology out of kung fu movies and Five Percent teachings
Why RZA turned down $1 million from RCA to protect every member's right to sign solo
The Loud Records deal that let Method Man, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface, and more each land their own label
Inside the making of 36 Chambers — the flood, the studio accidents, the shoestring budget
A full track-by-track breakdown of the album that revived East Coast hip-hop
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