It's hard to believe, but the Wu-Tang Clan's classic debut album Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers dropped 20 years ago today, on November 9th, 1993. It reached platinum status in 1995, and in 2003, was ranked #386 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
As a means of commemorating the project, MTV spoke with multiple artists about the influence it had on them.
"I was locked up when Wu came out, and it's crazy cause I never seen nobody from Staten Island, right?" said N.O.R.E., a fellow New York City emcee. "Nobody from Staten Island, and then Wu came out and there was like mobs from Staten Island, 'You from Staten Island? Jesus man! Where was you at yesterday?'... All these dudes. It was something that Hip Hop had never seen. We've seen two-man groups, maybe even four-man groups, we've seen Heavy D and The Boyz, rest in peace. But we've never seen a nine-man army with everybody spitting. Like when 'Protect Ya Neck' came out, I was like, 'Woah.'"
As for Kendrick Lamar, he feels the group's lyrics and appearance were what affected him most.
"When they were talking about their lyrics, talking about what's going on in their neighborhoods and at the same time, bringing their whole character with it, and how they was walking in the streets," he said. "That's what I really got from it."
Rick Ross also weighed in, recalling how influential the album was when he was in high school.
"I remember when we had our yearbook," he said. "At the time "Protect Ya Neck" was the hottest song, we were in high school, I forget what grade we was in but I remember all the chicks drawing the Wu-Tang logo."
What does this album mean to you?
Below, peep all the testimonials as well as the official "C.R.E.A.M." visual.
(Read all the words to Enter The Wu-Tang at gotbars.com.)