Note - it was a little hard to find the original album on Spotify. The OG track list contained the censored versions of the songs, which are a little bit pointless for many of these songs. So the link is to the expanded edition, which includes the original tracklist with a few extras. I listened to the original tracklist based on the expanded edition above, then went back for the deluxe version later just for fun.

Is grunge rap a thing? This has the grimy energy of a grunge-alt album layered with the NY undergound sound. It’s nerdy and smooth, like a comic book store owner who goes all Clark Kent on us and tears up clubs on the weekend. It’s also dusty and analog-sounding, a collection of weird beats and samples that find ways to support no less than nine vocalists as we’re introduced to the Wu-Tang Clan and their obsession with verbal and nonverbal kung-fu.

The history and lore around this album has a distinct effect on how much I enjoyed it, and I can’t help but think that’s the way the creators would want it. Wu-Tang members released album after album of uniqueness on the momentum of this album, and I find that knowledge only enhances how cool the introductions on Enter the Wu-Tang sound today. The music stands on its own, but lore is just as awesome sometimes.

Jams

“Bring Da Ruckus”
“C.R.E.A.M.”
“Method Man” (after the skit, anyway)

From the roundup Jamwise #43 - Best Albums of 1993, pt. 2.