From the Streets of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga

by S.H. Fernando Jr.

This definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, features decades of unpublished interviews and unparalleled access to members of the group and their associates. This is the definitive biography of rap supergroup and cultural icons, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC) . Heralded as one of the most influential groups in modern music—hip hop or otherwise—WTC created a rap dynasty on the strength of seven gold and platinum albums that launched the careers of such famous rappers as RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and more. During the ‘90s, they ushered in a hip-hop renaissance, rescuing rap from the corporate suites and bringing it back to the gritty streets where it started. In the process they changed the way business was conducted in an industry known for exploiting artists. Creatively, Wu-Tang pushed the boundaries of the artform dedicating themselves to lyrical mastery and sonic innovation, and one would be hard pressed to find a group who's had a bigger impact on the evolution of hip hop. S.H. Fernando Jr., a veteran music journalist who spent a significant amount of time with The Clan during their heyday of the ‘90s, has written extensively about the group for such publications as Rolling Stone, Vibe, and The Source . Over the years he has built up a formidable Wu-Tang archive that  includes pages of unpublished interviews, videos of the group in action in the studio, and several notepads of accumulated memories and observations. Using such exclusive access as well as the wealth of open-source material, Fernando reconstructs the genesis and evolution of the group, delving into their unique ideology and range of influences, and detailing exactly how they changed the game and established a legacy that continues to this day. The book provides a startling portrait of overcoming adversity through self-empowerment and brotherhood, giving us unparalleled insights into what makes these nine young men from the ghetto tick. While celebrating the myriad accomplishments of The Clan, the book doesn't shy away from controversy—we're also privy to stories from their childhoods in the crack-infested hallways of Staten Island housing projects, stints in Rikers for gun possession, and million-dollar contracts that led to recklessness and drug overdoses (including Ol' Dirty Bastard's untimely death). More than simply a history of a single group, this book tells the story of a musical and cultural shift that started on the streets of Shaolin (Staten Island) and quickly spread around the world.

Biographies on such an influential outfit are surprisingly few, mostly focused on a single member of the group's story. This book weaves together interviews from all the Clan members, as well as their friends, family and collaborators to create a compelling narrative and the most three-dimensional portrait of Wu-Tang to date. It also puts The Clan within a social, cultural, and historical perspective to fully appreciate their impact and understand how they have become the cultural icons they are today.  Unique in its breadth, scope, and access, From The Streets of Shaolin is a must-have for fans of WTC and music bios in general.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Hip Hop, Pop Culture, American

528 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2021

Reviews

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely developed respect for Wu-Tang Clan after reading this book. I liked the breakdown of the songs on each album especially their historical roots, although sometimes I thought it was too detailed for readers like me who are novices to the group. Super fans will probably love that section as well as the book as a whole. I enjoyed reading and learning about each member of the group as well as the group's trajectory over time. ODB was probably the most interesting member in my opinion.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes to this!!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The be-all and end-all history of arguably the most influential musical group of the last three decades. S.H. Fernando keeps the reader entertained the entire way through. Whether a diehard Wu-Tang fan or simply a fan of music and music history, “Streets of Shaolin” provides all of the information you could ever want about the history of hardcore east coast rap and the group that pioneered that sound.

[Jonah Mociun]

I'm about halfway thru this book and highly recommend it. S.H. Fernando (also known as Spectre, music producer and CEO of the Wordsound Recordings label), did countless interviews with Wu starting in their early days. It's a really enjoyable, well-written, smooth-flowing bio interweaving all kinds of interesting NYC/hip hop/martial arts history into Wu's development, and it's given me new appreciation for the group.

[Rob1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Large gaps in the history of the band that are filled with micro-examination of entire albums.

[P S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really great when it’s not a track by track breakdown of the first 5 years of album. That part is good too but not super engaging if you know the albums well

[Tyler Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed stories from each album in the 90's run and even going into each songs samples and equipment used.These guys came from absolutely nothing and had to work very hard to achieve what they did.

[Matthew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another addition to my favorites list, probably top 5. Having grown up listening to Wu-Tang since their first album was released, it was both nostalgic and incredibly interesting to read about how all of the songs I grew up listening to were created as Fernando goes into incredible depth about almost every individual song across 7 or 8 albums through the book. He also dives deep into the history of things having nothing to do with the Wu-Tang members themselves, but have everything to do with what made them who they were. A great example of this is the full history he goes into about The Nation of Gods and Earths, also known as the 5 Percenters, a black nationalist movement that all of the Wu-Tang members were believers and practitioners of.

My favorite part of the book by far was how the chapters were structured. For the second and longest part of the book, Fernando dedicates a full chapter to each of the first 7 Wu-Tang albums starting with 36 Chambers and ending with Wu-Tang Forever. Each chapter is then broken down further to dissect almost every single song on each album individually, explaining how the verses were written, where they were written, what songs were sampled in the track, AND how RZA used each sample. As a music producer this was incredibly exciting and is a major reason why I was able to read this almost 500 page book in a week. You almost have to sit and read the chapters while pausing to pull up the tracks to hear exactly what Fernando was talking about.

Another aspect I loved was the unbiased review the author gave. He gave praise where due but also gave his honest opinions on the latter albums that weren't as great, something you don't typically see from books written by people who had close ties to the individual or group they're writing about.

Overall I could write a short essay on everything I loved about this book. As a music producer, this book was probably the most inspiring book I've read and will most likely find a permanent home in my studio for reference. Finding out what songs other producers used to sample for their own records is easy enough but to then have someone exactly how those samples were used is somewhat rare. The pictures Fernando is able to create through his descriptions make you feel like you're sitting in the basement with RZA while he's creating these tracks. For anyone that's a Wu-Tang fan, this is a must read.

[Darin Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for fans of hip-hop, music, pop culture or anyone who appreciates bootstrapping, self reliance and perseverance. Thoroughly enjoyed it tho the last chapters dealing with the crew's inevitable decline and the death of Ol Dirty Bastard were sad. Highly recommended.

[Andy Rausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Wu-Tang Clan fan from Day One. I love these cats. I've seen them live multiple times. I even contributed a story to Wu-Tang anthology, This Book Ain't Nuthin' to F--k With. Like all fans, I've loved their ups and been saddened by their downs. So, I was curious (and hesitant) about what this book would be, but Michael A. Gonzales, the great hip-hop writer, told me it was fantastic. Well, Mike was right--this book is fantastic. S.H. Fernando, a writer with a ton of hip-hop street cred who even appears as a judge at the beginning of The Gravediggaz' "Diary of a Madman," knows about what he's writing, has done the interviews and legwork, and has delivered a stellar book.

It's well told and well written. The book goes far more in-depth than the 2019 documentary, Of Mics and Men. This is the definitive book on the Clan. There have been memoirs by RZA, U-God, and Raekwon, but each of those books tell those men's stories from their point-of-view and are subject to their personal biases and slanted viewpoints. From the Streets of Shaolin, however, is objective and balanced. S.H. Fernando takes an in-depth look at the making of the group's seminal group and solo projects. Fernando even goes an unneeded (but welcome) extra step by providing background information on just about anything he discusses peripherally, from the history of hip-hop (and the NYC hip-hop scene in particular) to a brief history of martial arts films.

I unabashedly recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of the Wu or is just interested in hip-hop history and its evolution (and, ahem, recent decline). Perfect. Just perfect. A++++

[MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Streets of Shaolin is an in-depth journey into the rise of one of hip-hop’s most legendary groups—the Wu-Tang Clan. S.H. Fernando Jr. does an incredible job of weaving together music, history, and culture to show how a group of nine MCs from Staten Island created a movement that went far beyond rap.

The book captures the raw energy of the 1990s hip-hop scene and the unique vision of RZA, who orchestrated Wu-Tang’s rise with strategy, creativity, and business savvy. Fernando takes us through the struggles, the street influences, the philosophy rooted in martial arts and Five Percent Nation teachings, and the eventual global impact of Wu-Tang’s music and brand.

What I found most impressive was how the author balances storytelling with context. You get not only the behind-the-scenes moments but also a clear sense of why Wu-Tang mattered and how they changed the industry forever. The personalities of each member come alive, making the book feel as much about brotherhood and conflict as it is about music.

This is a must-read for hip-hop fans, especially anyone who grew up on Wu-Tang or wants to understand their cultural legacy.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A little bit of fan service for Rza, but it nicely details all of the early solo albums and the first two full wu-tang albums.

[Jay Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge fan of Wu Tang since the "Protect Ya Neck" cassingle was released. This is effectively the Wu Tang bible. It's a great compendium piece to "Of Mics and Men" and dives deeps into the first wave of solo releases, including sourcing samples. Highest recommendation.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completing this book should qualify the reader for some sort of continuing education credit, and I say that as a compliment.

As opposed to an exhaustive dive into minutiae of each and every Wu-Tang album, Fernando, who himself is able to hold water as an expert on the group for several hefty reasons outlined in the introduction, lays down what's sure to be one of the definitive books on their history and cultural impact while also working hard to give a big-picture view on the kind of world that would produce these 9 rappers.

Now, there's definitely some breakdowns of albums (I'm guessing that Fernando just cherry-picked the ones he felt were the most notable) and, trust me, it gets down to the nitty-gritty, but it's an exceptionally educational and curious exercise, as I had no clue that "sampling" could get so finite, specific, and layered.

Adorning each of the members (and several more on the periphery) with backstory, key contributions, and referential material to help place rhymes and tracks into better context, it's a coherent masterwork that's as useful to a super-fan as it is to the totally unfamiliar.

At over 1000 pages, the story breathes and hardly gets redundant, although I can see if someone would get tired of reading after their 5 or 6th dissection of an album, but that sort of breakdown is one of the goals of the book, so it's quite beneficial to persevere. Toward the end, we do have mere mentions of some Wu albums that don't get the same treatment, and I'm not sure if that was a call to keep things tight, or if the albums were deemed that unimportant; at any rate, I don't think that the book necessary suffers because of those omissions, but fans of the group who were digging on that same picking apart of each song might've really dug on having a few more to "complete the set", as it were, at least up and until 2021.

Will it make the reader an instant fan? At the very least, I believe it'll gift them with a much greater appreciation for the work ethic and talent of The Wu, which is undeniable when considering the sum of their achievements. As someone who's bought something from the 36 Chambers website, I can attest personally to their business acumen, as their customer service goes above and beyond.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for the advance read.

[Danu Thung · Rating 1 out of 5]

This badly written group-hagiography has so many problems that it is essentially unreadable even for a huge Wu-Tang Clan fanboy such as myself.

Firstly, there's the writing style, which is repetitive in the extreme. Fernando Jr. does not shy away from teasing an anecdote two or more times before telling it in full detail, or even just telling it twice within the span of ten pages (like the story of how Ghostface Killah went to a witch doctor in Benin while working on his acclaimed album 'Supreme Clientele', told on page 383 and again on 389).

Then there is the fact that Fernando Jr. seems to be determined to unquestioningly praise nearly everything the Wu-Tang members do. For instance, on pages 379-380 we read how Ol' Dirty Bastard picks the sleep from his eye and 'studies it like a scientist'. Seriously?! In another unintentionally hilarious passage, we are told that GZA has 'clearly earned the title of "The Genius"'. The evidence provided to support this claim is a list of conspiracy theories touted by GZA. I'm not sure who is made to look more ignorant: GZA or the author. The continuous praising of Wu-Tang members contributes a great deal to the repetitiveness of this book, as Fernando Jr. runs out of superlatives around the halfway mark.

Then there's the inexplicable choice to spend over 220 pages on providing full sampling information on all of the Wu-Tang members' first albums. TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY PAGES! I still don't understand how I got through all of it. As an upside, I did learn that my illegal copy of GZA's 'Liquid Swords' has the track ordering wrong. That's about the most memorable thing I got out of it.

There are more issues, like the book being badly edited (on page 389, we learn that Ghostface, instead of doubling down, 'double downed' on his album), but eh, why bother go into it. Most of the examples of things wrong with this book come from the ending, because at that point I was mostly motivated by the prospect of absolutely trashing this book in my review, but trust me: It's consistently bad.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is interesting throughout. It starts in 1960s New York explaining the conditions that led to the rise of rap and Wu-Tang, and goes all the way to present day. It explores all nine MCs in the hip-hop supergroup and goes through all their albums. If you like 90s hip-hop, this is a must-read. Also for anyone interested in music history, the author breaks down all the songs and samples used in production of the Wu-Tang music. The only reason I didn't give it five-stars is because the explanations of beats and samples gets a bit tedious at times. However, it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book and I kept reading.

[Michael Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the Wu-Tang since the '90s, it was a exciting to read a book that captured the brilliance of the group as well as the inspiration of New York City (the grime, crime and bling) that was a major part of the Wu's work. This is a must read for hip-hop fans as well of folks interested in 1990s music history.

[Laith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Color me a little surprised, I am mixed on this book. This is a macro look at the group's history, but please disabuse yourself of the notion that this contains tales of Wu escapades and secret projects. You would think that a book about musical legends written by an author who was not only embedded with the Wu at the height of their fame, but was also one of the first columnists to write for The Source would have had a lot more stories about the group to relate. That's not what this book is, this is a music focused retrospective of the "core" Wu-Tang discography.

I want to establish some bona fides: I can't track my listening across iTunes, Spotify, and the playback on my local PC, but I can confidently say that Enter the 36 Chambers is the album that I've listened to most in life. I've put it on when I'm sick, when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm traveling, and when I'm home. It's been this way since I was put onto them by some truly enlightened 8th graders back in middle school. I've since gone on to listen to the entire Wu catalog, I love Tical and OB4CL and when I'm feeling a little saucy you know I am listening to Return to the 36 Chambers and belting along with ODB. All of that is to say that if someone was going to fall in love with this book and its approach to telling the Wu-Tang saga, it would be me.

We get a complete accounting of the creation of the first 6 Wu-Tang albums. This book takes us from the genesis of the group and the creation of Enter the 36 Chambers, through the first 4 Solo projects, and culminates with the release of Wu-Tang Forever. There is a sizable introduction that focuses on the backstories of the clan members and a fascinating explanation of the five-percenter ideology and its impacts on the Wu and the NY projects of the 1980s. But get one thing straight, we are going verse by verse, song by song, and album by album until we get to Wu-Tang forever and that content is the bulk of the book.

I think that the first third of this book is solid gold, I'd always known that a lot of the Wu lingo was coming from some street level nation of Islam stuff, but I felt like a total fake fan learning about the Five-percenters for the first time. Fernando builds this vivid image of the slums of New York and fills it with the backstory and character of the various clan members. It feels like all the interesting stuff got front-loaded into this first section: RZA and GZA's early music careers, the inception of Gravediggaz, and the group's early connection with criminal activities. Fernando has to paint with a broad brush given just how much stuff he has to cover, but there's enough information in the first chunk to validate reading this book.

What follows is what I described above, a breakdown of most of the tracks on each album from 1993-2000. I was pretty into it at first, the level of depth we get for 36 Chambers is exactly what I wanted (because it's my favorite) but once I got past Tical and Return to the 36 Chambers (my other favorite) I really started to get fatigued. It's pretty cool stuff, don't get me wrong, but l don't need 25 pages about the B-sides on OB4CL or any of the subsequent albums. I had the distinct impression as I read through the bulk of this book that most of the information was something I could have found out on my own had I the desire to seek that info out. It's really hard to account for what's "new" information and what is repackaged public information.

This book is dreadfully light on details when it comes to things that are definitely not public knowledge. There's the most anemic description of the production of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, and that album was a big motivator behind me wanting to read this book (If I can't listen to it, reading about it is the next best thing). I think that as a Wu-Approved publication this part of the book was purposefully light so as not to undercut Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: The Untold Story of Wu-Tang Clan's Million-Dollar Secret Album, the Devaluation of Music, and America's New Public Enemy No. 1 and whatever pending movie deal there is surrounding that story.

I wanted more Wu stories, but what I got was something close to the RZA's songwriting journal with some added context and framing. If that gets you going, then you should totally read this book. But, if you wanted to know more about the interpersonal side of the group or hear tales of some of their more wacky publicity stunts, I don't think this delivers. There IS mention of all of this stuff in the book, but it's a mention for completion’s sake and doesn't deliver the same depth as the musical portions of this book.

TL;DR: An in-depth accounting of the MUSIC of the Wu-Tang Clan. There's some cool stuff that bookends that information.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for any fan of the Wu.

Fernando manages to be encyclopedic without being tedious. I should have become tired of reading things like endless lists of old records that RZA sampled on various albums, but I never did. Maybe it's a testament to Fernando's writing or maybe it's just my lifelong love of the group that made me excited about things most readers would find boring, but I stayed engaged through nitty-gritty breakdowns of beats and verses and recording sessions that resulted in the first few Wu albums and the members' first few solo albums.

With his prose, Fernando mostly strikes a good balance between professional journalist and devoted fan. His use of hip hop vernacular and Wu Tang specific slang never comes across as trying too hard. Occasionally he editorializes just a touch too much for my taste, but most of the time he comes across as an educated member of the inner circle, close enough to know the material but detached enough to offer unbiased criticism. When I disagreed with his assessment of an artist or a song, it felt like an honest subjective opinion and not like sycophancy.

My two criticisms of the book are the inconsistent use of names and aliases and the uncritical acceptance of five-percent ideology. The first is just a formatting choice that hurt readability, but especially in the beginning of the book Fernando plays fast and loose with how he refers to the various Clansmen, sometimes by their legal names, sometimes by their adopted five-percenter names, sometimes by their early rap aliases, and sometimes by their Wu Tang rap names. It's a small nitpick, but I sometimes had to go back a few pages to remind myself of who he was writing about.

My other criticism, while still relatively minor, is a bit more substantive. I don't know if Fernando himself is a member of the five-percenters, but I was a little put off by how uncritically he uses their vocabulary. I don't necessarily have any more qualms with five-percent ideology than most other religions -- maybe a bit less because so many artists that I love are five-percenters -- but as an atheist, it raised my hackles a bit to read phrases like "So-and-so gained knowledge of self" rather than a more neutral phrase like "So-and-so joined the five-percenters." It was one of the few times when I felt like Fernando should've been a bit more objective.

The Wu is a fascinating group of artists and personalities, and regardless of what aspect of their history interests you, it'll likely be in this book. I've been a fan of their music since I was a kid, but I rarely read musician biographies because as a non-musician myself, I find the lives and creative processes of the musicians I like at best opaque, or at worst totally boring. But as someone who works in theatre, I was particularly interested in learning how a group of artists could function productively as a group and as solo artists while embracing imperfection and rawness. I was very satisfied with the answers I gleaned about their process.

Overall, this book reignited my excitement about a group of musicians that have been a part of my life dating back to elementary school. I've revisited a lot of those albums and I've put both of their TV series on my IMDB watchlist. I'm not sure this book would convince anyone of the greatness of Wu Tang Clan who wasn't already a fan, but for those of us who love them, it certainly clarifies and affirms the cultural impact still resonating decades after the Clan's inception.

[Zac · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is separated into 3 main parts. The first section includes biographical backgrounds of the members of the group (or Clansmen, as they are sometimes referred to here) and how they “formed like Voltron”. It covers some of the same ground as the dramatised, and partly fictionalised, TV series. The author also goes on a number of tangents about the history of hip hop, what was going on in the music industry at the time, and even explaining the rise in popularity of kung fu and wuxia films in the US. All of this was really interesting and gives great context to the rise of the Clan. There was surprisingly little about the influence of chess but I guess that this was less important to the Clan as a whole compared to, say, the Five Percenters, on which much was written.

The 2nd section focuses in on some of the recordings - the first 2 group albums and all the solo albums between these, which include my favs Only Built For Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords. The author explains the source of the samples, how the tracks were constructed and recorded, and provides many quotes from the lyrics. I love books that focus in on a discography in this way, and it gave me a greater appreciation of Tical after a closer listen. (The first ODB solo album is still too wacky for me to really get into).

The 3rd section gives a pretty broad overview of Wu Tang’s activities in the 21st century, with a chapter about the demise and death of ODB, and the controversy around Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (only 1 copy was created and marketed as an art piece and it was eventually sold to Pharma Bro). The book briefly covers Wu Wear and the group’s involvement in other media, including TV shows and comics. I think I would have preferred a bit more of an in-depth look at each Clan member’s output after 2000, as there were still some great solo albums that were produced (incl. Cuban Linx II, Fishscale). Still that would have made the book a pretty huge undertaking.

There are lots of quotes from the Clan taken from decades of interviews, and the author tries to capture their speech patterns and occasionally delves into their slang himself. The author sometimes repeated himself and there was a bit of unnecessary hyperbole but generally it was a pleasant read, and quick to get through in spite of its length and depth.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about this from an interview on the Ryen Russillo podcast, and SF Fernando’s overview put it on my radar. I don’t usually seek out musician biographies, but this was worth an exception.

I want to say it’s a completionist effort (clocking in at just under 450 pages, pre-notes and indexes), but the reality is that From the Streets of Shaolin is almost entirely focused on pre-2000 Wu Tang. I don’t mean that as an attack—Fernando’s reporting is thorough, and his enthusiasm is apparent throughout—but rather to illustrate the prolific careers of the various Wu Tang members.

Like with other successful biographies, the From the Streets of Shaolin connects the individual lives of its subjects to larger social concerns. Not only are we reading about how, when, and where the budding MCs honed their craft, we are reading about the minefields that young Black men had to navigate in the 1980s just to make it to adulthood in New York. The sections that describe how the group members got hooked on kung-fu flicks and ethos were particularly standout to me, as well as the chronicle of ODB’s final spiral. Fernando also does a good job pointing out how Wu Tang blazed numerous paths for subsequent rappers/entrepreneurs. The first and third sections, which do the biographical heavy lifting, are really compelling reading.

The second section, which is basically a long series of album reviews, does drag a bit—it’s more than 200 pages. Like I said above, however, it illustrates the author’s love for his subject matter. It’s not even strictly love, because Fernando does not hesitate to call out albums he thinks are less than stellar (most prominently the second wave of Wu solo albums). So, maybe this part could have been briefer, but it would maybe be better ingested in smaller parts (ideally accompanying listenthroughs to the albums themselves). Fernando does quite a job naming samples, and analyzing verses from numerous songs and albums. These are not casual treatments even if I felt like they dragged at times.

The entirety of this book may be mostly for diehard fans, but it is definitely worth checking out even if you “only” want to read the 200ish pages of biography. Great work, great recommendation, Russillo.

[Jason]

Fernando wants (and is qualified) to write the definitive Wu-Tang Clan story. The man knows the Clan, their history, and their music. You want bona fides? He's been down so long that you can hear his voice on Liquid Swords.

So if you only want one book on Wu-Tang Clan, "From the Streets of Shaolin" covers all the mandatory topics and includes enough arcane trivia to delight a dedicated Wu head. (My favorite tidbit: Fernando tells you who coined the sobriquet Blue Raspberry.)

But here's the rub: If you want to read a 500-page book about Wu-Tang Clan -- and obviously I do -- then you've heard A LOT of these stories before. You already know about RZA's 5-year plan and his trial in Steubenville. You know about Rae and Ghost's old neighborhood beef. You know about the flood that destroyed what would have been Deck's debut.

But here's the most damning thing of all. You've often heard these stories told better.

For one example, Fernando tells the tragic account of U-God's toddler son being shot while Wu was on their first tour. Both U-God and Raekwon have already shared their versions of this story in their respective memoirs. Of course, U-God offers all the pathos of a father living through his worst nightmare. And Raekwon explains how the geopolitics of that shooting strained the Clan's camaraderie. (The shooters were from Stapleton and, according to Rae, associates of Ghostface.)

Fernando doesn't match either the emotion or the insight. So, instead, he just tells you the same story for the third time.

To be clear, Fernando has worked hard to collect you all the information you might want -- at least through the recording of Wu-Tang Forever. Everything from '98 on is treated as extraneous except for the recording of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" and ODB's death. (I should note, Fernando depicts ODB's final years and addiction with the thoroughness and sensitivity it deserves.)

But this is more of a Greatest Hits collection than a new album.

Of course, with the Wu, the hits are pretty great.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography of the wu-tang clan. The beginning was interesting to hear about their lives growing up in poverty in NY paralleled with the rise of hip hop and rap with their childhoods. It was pretty much impossible to keep track of each one individually though as there are 9 members and they ran through nicknames like it was their job and the author kept switching between nicknames and real names (plus all their friends and families). Mostly they were normal kids growing up in crime ridden ghettos. They moved around a lot"," had single parent households with lots of siblings barely went to school and turned to crime in order to help support their families. But eventually they were able to pull together and (mostly) escape the crime through music. The middle of the book got a little tiresome as each chapter was about an album and the author would talk about each song individually. It was interesting at first because each song had multiple samples from previous music and it was impressive to see all the different genres and decades that RZA (the producer) pulled from. Then he quickly covers the fall of the wu-tang clan which was mostly due to drugs crime and then the death of ol’ dirty bastard. Nonetheless the history of the group and learning about the individual members definitely kept me entertained and I can appreciate them a bit more now for their ingenuity-musically and business wise. Although they’re kind of no longer together they also kind of are still and all the members are still active individually. The last major thing they did was release the single copy album in 2015"," but a few members have released solo albums since then. The most interesting thing I learned was that method man was in the wire and is like an actual actor. Lol. Anyway. If you have interest in wu-tang this was a good book to read.

[DJMikeG · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mostly excellent and in depth history of the greatest group in hip hop, the Wu Tang Clan. The early sections of the book up through the Wu Tang Forever era make up most of the book, are the most interesting and pretty obviously are what the author was most interested in featuring in the book. Post Wu Tang forever, you can sorta tell that the author wasn't too interested in the Clan's musical output as he kind of breezes over everything. I personally would have liked to see an entire, in depth chapter on Ghostface Killah's classic Supreme Clientele album, which was a very important album at the time. Fernando goes over why it was so important and bringing the Wu back to it's former glory but he only dedicates one long paragraph to it. Method Man and Redman's Blackout album is barely mentioned at all, another classic album that helped to maintain the Wu legacy and was an enormous hit at the time. No mention of Masta Killah's excellent debut No Said Date at all, and that felt like a serious comeback for the Wu at the time. My only other quibble is the author tends to repeat himself throughout.
Besides these criticisms, I will still give this book the highest rating, though, because the early sections and the chapters on all the Wu albums from Enter The 36 to Forever are excellent.

[Tenno · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of almost 500 pages, I still wanted to know more and would happily read more. This book covers the Wu-Tang from their rise as kids through the release of Wu-Tang Forever and then skims the rest of their history with special attention to the decline and death of ODB and the strange sale of their singular album to infamous pharma-bro Martin Shrkrelitor. I especially enjoyed the feeling of hanging with some of the Clan in the studio and the deep dives into the early albums song by song. I did want a deeper understanding of how these men developed their skill and interests because there are a lot of kids on the street battling and rhyming to cyphers, there's only one Wu-Tang. The answer to what made them special from this book and the recent documentary and Hulu series seems to just be that they knew and trusted in RZA. I think there's more to way they learned and practiced that I would have liked covered here.
Fernando's written voice is incredibly smooth, sometimes sounding like spoken word poetry as he riffs on the culture of the streets or history of the racism that was as close as an abusive parent to these men. He writes from a position of love and knowledge.
Some advice: bump some Wu-Tang while you read.

[Wendell Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of the group, I find that books like these tend to rehash the same stories we've heard a number of times. Due to Fernando being embedded with the group during the 90s as well as his extensive research, he is able to unearth a number of nuggets that kept things feeling fresh.

The other unique aspect of this book is how the members' albums are broken down song by song. As expected, the lyrical content of the tracks are examined, but Fernando also does a deep dive on the production for the songs which makes the review much more satisfying. Lastly, because Fernando was a working journalist in hip hop at the time these albums were made, he is able to provide a context for the music's place within the genre.

Overall a fast-paced, highly informative and highly entertaining peek at what make the group and its music so legendary.

[Michael Lortz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best outsider book on the Wu-Tang Clan. In-depth and detailed, From The Streets of Shaolin explores the influences, development, and downturn of the Wu-Tang Clan. It is divided into 3 sections: origin and rise, the 1st 7 albums, and fall from the pinnacle of hip-hop. Although it is over 400 pages, it is a quick and interesting read, especially the chapter on Ol' Dirty. If I had any criticisms, it would be that the detail of the albums is a lot and a lot is skipped over in recent years. For example, there is no mention of different beefs such as GZA-50 Cent and Ghost-Action Bronson. Overall, a great read for fans of the Clan and hip-hop.

[Carey]

I'm throwing in the towel at page 335. I might come back to it later. This book is incredibly well researched and I got a lot out of it. However, as a casual hip-hop fan, so much of the musical history went over my head. I would like to remedy this, and maybe my next step before coming back is to read a couple of Questlove's books. I suppose I was also expecting more of a retrospective on the members of Wu-Tang and the Wu-Tang mythology than the music, which is my bad on multiple levels. You can't really separate the artist from the art.

At any rate, this is an excellent book for people who already know a ton about the Wu and hip-hop in general.

[Gerrod Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Streets Of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga chronicles the rise of one of hip-hop's most revered groups ever. With a personal connection to the Clan, S.H. Fernando provides a deeper look that clarifies a history that is often muddied while setting the record straight on various narratives that have previously felt at odds with one another. Most impressively, Fernando remains critical of the group while examining the various social and cultural factors that influence the artistry behind their classic records as he demonstrates a level musical dominance within the genre; ultimately making From The Streets Of Shaolin among the strongest attempts to chronicle The Wu-Tang Clan.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of Wu-Tang and a nerd, I was looking forward to a really thorough breakdown of the first round of solo LPs which was something the blurb offered. There's little to nothing new here for Wu fans, it recycles whosampled.com info and "meh" interview quotes rather than any new insights. The album breakdowns are track by track descriptions rather than offering any interesting BTS info. The extensive history of hiphop storyline is also very old ground covered many times previously. Very Disappointing.