The Wu-Tang Manual »

The Wu-Tang Clan are a platinum-selling hip-hop group whose members have also released a platinum-selling solo albums, RZA, the "Abbot" of the Clan, is equally famous as a solo artist and is based in New York City. The complete Clan: The RZA, GZA/Genius, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck.

The first book, the definitive book from Hip-Hop's Original Dynasty

Since the release of the revolutionary Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the Wu-Tang Clan has been hip-hop's leading creative force. Over the course of four seminal group albums and a multitude of ambitious side projects, they have constantly redefined the outer edge of what hip-hop can do and where hip-hop can go. Now, after a decade of dark beats and mysterious lyrics hinting at a larger whole, the legendary Staten Island hip-hop collective fully reveals, for the first time, the complex, multi-layered Wu-Tang Universe.

Spearheaded by the RZA, the "Abbot" of the Clan, The Wu-Tang Manual unravels the intricate web of personalities (and alter egos), warrior codes, numerological systems, and Eastern spiritual ethics that define the Wu-Tang dynasty. Here you'll find the key to Shaolin, to the Nine Rings and to the 36 Chambers, to the eight-point sun and to the rest of the enduring mysteries of Wu-Tang. The Wu-Tang Manual also contains the first official and comprehensive lyrical encyclopedia of the Wu-Tang, complete with musical, technical, and anecdotal analysis and annotation by the Clan.

For the hardcore Wu-Tang disciple and the recent initiate alike, The Wu-Tang Manual is the definitive guide to the essence of Wu.

The New York Times - Alan Light

There's something touching about the RZA's account of how kids from the projects learned life strategies and ethics from kung fu movies, and something weirdly inspirational about their ability to take those lessons and expand into brand extensions like a Wu-Tang comic book and a nail salon.