Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan are a hip-hop version of the mythical Greek serpent called the Hydra — a many-headed creature that can’t be killed, because if you cut off one head, two more appear in its place. They exploded onto the scene in 1993 with “Protect Ya Neck,” displaying their fascination with ninja imagery from the get-go as every member of the crew, from Inspectah Deck to U-God, busted a verse on this battle-rap milestone. “C.R.E.A.M.” kept the onslaught going but slowed the flow, flooding the track with a B-movie film noir feel that would become a Wu trademark, while Raekwon, Deck, and Method Man told tales of street hustling. By the time they hit with “Triumph,” with unofficial member CappaDonna coming furiously to the fore, they were unquestioned rulers of the roost.

Find out why Wu-Tang is bigger than the sum of its parts, in Next Steps.

The Wu-Tang Clan’s secret weapon is the push-and-pull between its larger-than-life personalities, with each MC moving in his own unpredictable direction. But unity is still the key — every so-called solo album is still considered a Wu-Tang release, with all the power that name implies. Even when GZA the Genius strikes out on his own on “4th Chamber,” Ghostface, Killah Priest, and RZA still stick close by his side, laying out leftfield rhymes that cover everything from Henry VIII to ancient Greece. On the monumental “Release Yo’ Delf,” Method Man serves up a slice of street reality with a blurred, surreal spin via a Herb Alpert trumpet sample and Blue Raspberry wailing an adaptation of “I Will Survive.” Meanwhile, Raekwon keeps it gangsta on “Incarcerated Scarfaces” while shouting out Shaolin and Wu-Tang’s home borough, Staten Island, along the way.

Wander a while through the wide world of Wu in Deep Cuts.

The beauty of the Wu is that just when you think you’ve got them pegged, they pop out in a different direction, and their story is loaded with twists and turns. The late, great Ol’ Dirty Bastard was always the wild card in the deck, and his raw, almost unhinged rhymes on “N***a Please” are the sound of a man defining his own off-kilter universe, where you get to visit for a while if you’re lucky. The Wu had a love-hate relationship with Notorious B.I.G., but together, Method Man and Biggie showed the world what the New York City streets really sound like on “The What.” And if hip-hop had been around in the heyday of Blaxploitation flicks, “Harbor Masters” could have been a soundtrack staple.

Part of the Wu-Tang magic comes from the mythology the Clan has created over the years. There’s the collective’s own convoluted history, and then there’s the freaky, freewheeling flow of imagery that’s made them hip-hop Ninja superheroes starring in their own sci-fi story. The Wu-Tang Clan changed the hip-hop game forever by keeping the street beneath their feet while letting their lyrical minds roam into uncharted territory. There are nearly two decades of Wu to wander through, including countless solo projects and spin-offs, but from the hands-down hits to the undercover classics, we’ve entered into all 36 chambers of the Shaolin temple to give you the ultimate guide to the Wu-Tang world.