The Wu-Tang Manual by The RZA, Chris Norris Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wu-Tang Manual
Book Review: Wu-mythos finally emerges as a whole
Summary: 5 Stars
All I can say is, why'd it take so long?
Oh yeah, that's right. They were too busy releasing albums, touring, doing shows (and drugs), getting locked up, getting released, appearing on Chapelle's Show, making comic books, scoring movies, and growing the legend of the nine generals, to finish writing a book.
Wow. This is an astonishingly exhaustive work explicating fully the reasoning behind all the insane lyrics behind the Wu, plus the culture with which they were inculcated in their youth. I've been a Wu fan since around Killa Bees/Gravel Pit days, and my collection now includes nearly every group and solo album (less Deck's The Movement, some Cappadonna, U-God's stuff, and Immobilarity). As such a thorough fan, I'm highly impressed. Lyrics in their songs that I'd just skipped over before or barely acknowledged take on added depth and meaning with the Abbot's commentary.
And it's not just Wu-devotees that will find material in here to their liking. The book begins very simply, with biographies of each of the original nine swordsmen. Containing exhaustive lists of aliases (some of which I had -no- idea belonged to the emcee that they do), birthdates, anecdotes, and releases, these serve perfectly to introduce the reader to the individual rappers. From there, however, the book progresses into a deeper analysis of the underpinnings of Wu tradition, including looks at -all- their obvious influences (kung fu movies, mob movies, comic books, drug culture, etc.) and some less obvious ones (did you know that the famous Shaolin Sifu Shi Yanming is personal friends with RZA and Iron Man?). During a time when rap is seen as mere gangsterism and cliched thug-talk, RZA shows a blinding level of intellectualism and scholarship, drawing quotes from Nietzsche, the Hagakure, Lao Tze, and Charles Mingus (among others). He also explains the particular religion of the Five Percent Nation, and the Gods and the Earths.
Personally, as a producer and emcee in training, RZA's section on technical details and equipment was also very valuable - he discusses working with equipment very specifically, and details how he built the characteristic Wu style.
Coming as it does during a renaissance of Wu music (Pretty Tony Album, No Said Date, and the Wu live CD all having been well-received in the last year), The Manual both reassures the Wu-fanboy within me while also relighting the fire for the Shaolin Style.
Suuuuue!
Book Review: Wu-tang Manual - Essentials
Summary: 4 Stars
Deadly manual of Wu-tang Clan !
Contains explanations over members and codes.
Very usefull to get the true meanings of lyrics.
U Must have it!
Book Review: do you like the wu
Summary: 4 Stars
if you like the wu this is for you. if you like hiphop its a good read. so many little fill ins for missing wu knowledge. the best bits will depend on where you come at hiphop from, as an mc i liked the annotated lyrics section. it is fairly comprehensive overview of the wu and well worth the price. buy it or stay a sucker mc forever.Book Review: hip-hop autobiography of Malcolm X
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not a hard-core Wu Tang fan -- I love a bunch of hop-hop, but listen to rock, Latin, jazz, classical, whatever. I knew about the Wu Tang Clan, liked some of their albums, but probably like most people, wasn't paying that much attention the last few years. So this book is a pretty big surprise: it's amazing. RZA really is a genius, able to sum up Taoism in three sentences, able to explain producing as a spiritual quest, able to leap tall buildings in a simple bound. It is sort of a superhero book, with RZA as the supreme martial artist who through his mastery of so many arcane fields of knowledge can synthesize everything in a totally unique and compelling way. That makes it hard to classify, but easy to enjoy. It's the best, coolest, most interesting music book I've ever read -- in part because it isn't just a music book, it's a life book, the story of a rise to consciousness of someone who was on the wrong path and found wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Whether the Wu Tang Clan sticks around or not, this book will last. Check it out.Book Review: informative but unfocused
Summary: 4 Stars
I realize that this book is merely an introduction to the Wu-Tang Clan's history, philosophy, religion, and message. However, I think that RZA tried to explain too much in too little space. He manages to cover chess, philosophy, movies, organized crime, drugs, capitalism, and more, so he does not (or can not) go into depth for most of these topics.
He introduces topics without elaborating upon them. For instance, he proposes that chess affects the Clan's hip-hop style, but does not say how (beyond what we can surmise ourselves). Many times, you will be left scratching you head, wondering why RZA brings up certain things, only to put them down and move onto the next topic.
Still, I give this book its rather high rating because the prose is accessible and what RZA does explain is clear. I first thought that the esoteric subject matter would be difficult to follow, but RZA doesn't use slang without explaining it (though he uses the word "ni**a" far too often). RZA is insightful without being abstruse, and his anecdotes are amusing.
This book is for all the fans who want to supplement their store of Wu-Tang knowledge as well as for new Wu heads who want to get their feet wet in one of hip-hop's most unique dynasties. When you read this book, you will be introduced to many aspects of the Wu-Tang Clan (and there are many aspects indeed), but do not expect this introduction to tell you too much. Perhaps RZA wanted to leave some questions unanswered. He's a complicated man, as you will find out, so we may never know.