Wu-Tang Clan’s “Bring Da Ruckus” (1993). Video is fan made but the editing is actually decent. All rap songs should be set to martial arts movies.
Before this week, I had never listened to Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) all the way through. I’d heard the hits, sure: “C.R.E.A.M.”, “Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nuthing Ta F’ Wit”. But listening to it all the way through I was struck by both its cohesion and consistency. Even People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and 3 Feet High and Rising (which are my two favorite golden age hip hop albums not by Eric B. & Rakim) lag several in places, particularly the skits. But Enter the Wu-Tang (a couple years younger than the above two) has suffered none of that, at least in the first few spins. Each song flows pretty comfortably from one into the next in both style and tempo, and the martial arts concept is woven deftly and subtly. (And the skits are mercifully brief and, dare I say, actually somewhat funny. “And I’m gonna feed ya, and feed ya, and feed ya.” Brutal, but I actually laughed.)
If you’re at all hip hop curious, watch the above video and then give the record a few spins. You won’t be sorry.