My first experience with the Wu-Tang Clan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uv03vgZf18
Today I had the pleasure of letting my head nod to the new release of the Wu-Tang Clan's "A Better Tomorrow", 21 years after having my first experience with this dynamic group of emcee's.  The great thing about music is that really good music places this stamp on memory that is permanent. The same as certain sights, smells, and touches trigger ancient memories that we might have thought was long buried within our own subconscious. Good music triggers memories, rather good or bad, that we have no control over they are just there.
In 1993 I had just turned 18 and was attending my first year of community college at College of Lake County. Now, most of the student population would sit out in the general gathering area inside the main building playing cards, telling jokes, and listening to music while we decided if we were going to class that day. Of course the topic of the group I hung around with was usually girls or music. On this particular day I can vividly remember it was sunny and pleasant. My boy Mike B. comes up to me and was like "Tremayne, how do you like that new crew Wu-Tang Clan?" I kind of laughed thinking to myself that what kind of wack crew would name themselves after a kung-fu movie? He could tell what I was thinking and gave me that look like, I know you claim to be a B-Boy and you haven't heard this yet, ya' slippin'. So he simply said, "this is the best sh*t I have ever heard!"
(For all you younger heads out there the next few sentences might not make much sense to you, but you older heads will relate to this.).
So I say to him "let me borrow your tape?" He gives me this look like, Hell No! See back then loaning a cassette tape was a risky scenario, give your cassette tape to some one with a wack radio, you run the risk of the tape being eaten "never put me in ya box if ya shi*t eat tapes" (Nas, "N.Y. state of Mind), or worse you never see that person again. If it wasn't for the fact that he understood my respect for music and the laws of borrowing tapes, he would have never let it go down. So the condition was simple, He had class for an about 1 and a half hours, that's all the time he could give, again raising my curiosity, because he was like this tape is like gold right. The problem was I also had class, so how would I be able to listen to the tape? Only one option, that's right, skip class and listen to it in my ride.
I stroll to my car, unlock the doors, get in, key in the ignition, pop the tape in, hit rewind, and I sit back expecting who knows what. For everyone that has heard the "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" album the first thing you here is that infamous Wu-tang sample:
"Shaolin shadow boxing, in the Wu-tang sword style...If what you say is true the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous. Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me... en guard I will let you try my Wu-Tang style" Then the that first 8 bars kicks in followed by, to me, only the second best lyrical intro to an album next to Nas' intro on the classic "Illimatic" album.
" Ghostface, catch the blast of a hype verse, my glock burst
leaving a hearse, I did worse
I come rough, tough like an elephant tusk
Ya' head rush, fly like Egyptian musk..."
Immediately, I am in full shock and awe over the precise lyrical content, razor sharp terminology, and the sheer genius of the production.
No where in my thought process could I have imagined 20 years later I would be getting that same feeling from the same group of emcee's while sitting in my car. The truth is that I was hooked from the beginning and thanks to the persistence of these great artist, after 2 decades and numerous solo and group projects I am still a fiend for this raw, spiritual, street based sound that the Wu has consistently beat into my ear drums. They have unknowingly created a sound track to some selective memories that swell up in my head every time I bump some Wu. I hope that you have the same connection and memories associated with an art form that impacts you in a positive way, the way Hip-Hop has impacted myself and so many others around me.
Bring the Muthaf*ckin Ruckus,Bring the Muthaf*ckin Ruckus!!!