Wu-Tang Clan fundamentally redefined what a hip-hop group could be – a collective of rappers, a modern pop culture mythology, an artistic brand, and a musical powerhouse. They created a movement that has sent shockwaves through the worlds of music, fashion, and film. Their sound has influenced the beats and rhymes of a legion of artists from JAY-Z and Nas to Pusha T and Odd Future.

Hailing from the mysterious land of Shaolin (Staten Island, NY), Wu-Tang Clan formed as a musical brotherhood featuring the talents of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna. Their de facto leader RZA described their mission as, “[opening] the minds of the youth…[becoming] aware of our people, our situation, our community, martial arts, knowledge of self… It was wisdom of the universe.” In 1993, a time when the polished sounds of West Coast hip-hop and g-funk were dominating the airwaves, Wu-Tang released Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Its raw, lo-fi production built on the cut-up techniques of Public Enemy served as a foundation for gritty street narratives spit in a dense style that flowed from the unified Voltron-like powers of the multiple MCs. RZA’s minimalist tracks were built from samples of soul music and kung-fu films to create a world that felt dangerous, underground, and mythic. Critics recognized the album as a genre-defining work that brought New York back to the center of hip-hop culture.

Their unprecedented business model allowed individual members to sign solo deals with different labels while remaining part of the collective, permanently changing how artists negotiated power and ownership. This strategy produced classic albums – Method Man’s Tical, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return to the 36 Chambers, GZA’s Liquid Swords, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele – all of which expanded Wu-Tang’s reach while reinforcing the group’s central identity. No other rap collective has generated such a deep and influential body of interconnected work. Wu-Tang Clan achieved massive success earning platinum-selling albums and staging global tours, all while their iconography – the W logo, martial-arts mythology (The Wu-Tang Manual), and Staten Island slang – became a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Wu-Tang is forever.

Nominees: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, Masta Killa, Cappadonna