The Wu-Tang Clan were a 1990s East Coast phenomenon. Comprised of nine members born and raised in Brooklyn and Staten Island, the collective was raw, edgy and reinvigorated the New York rap scene. The group had humble beginnings. From a small trio in a Staten Island basement to becoming a nine-piece outfit taking over the airwaves, the Clan cleverly worked their way to the top.
The East Coast ensemble had a unique look and a far-out sound that made them incomparable to any other act at the time. The collective integrated the discipline and mentality of martial arts into their productions. Moreover, they drew parallels between the perseverance and mental strength needed in martial arts to the mentality necessary to survive in the “hood.”
This was an exciting approach to music that only the Clan had. Furthermore, the collective was highly conceptual concerning their tracks and had diverse subject matters. From GZA to RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Raekwon, the group was tight-knit. However, there was one prank that almost broke up the collective.
In an interview with the hip-hop media outlet 247HH, Ghostface and Method Man detailed the ridiculous prank that caused friction within the crew.
Detailing the event, Ghostface explained, “So we on tour in the USA; these are the early days. We’d always play jokes on each other. We’d be snappin’ a lot. We’d f*ck around, and we went to his [Method Man] room, his little joint. We went, and we got the fire extinguisher. We put this shit under his door, and we blew the whole f*cking can off under the door.”
Telling his side of the story, Method Man unveiled, “I hear a shhhhhh. I didn’t know what it was and sh*t, but I’m f*cked up, I ain’t getting up. Then I hear it again shhhhhh. Then I look, and I can’t see sh*t but white. This was a big-ass room filled with just white shit. I’m like, ‘What the f*ck?’ I get up, and I go out in the hall, and these n*ggas crackin’ up and sh*t thinking shit funny!”
Recalling Method Man’s reaction to the prank, Ghostface remembered, “This muthafucka came to the door, and his whole head was white. His whole head was white, and he was coughing. I guess he was asleep, and the shit just woke him up ’cause he was coughing and choking!”
However, Method Man got his revenge the next day. Detailing how he retaliated, the lyricist disclosed, “So I get up before everybody get up, and I go and get me a fire extinguisher. Now all these n*ggas is in one room, and I let loose. GZA and RZA was the most aggressive!”
The prank made some of the crew angry. However, it wasn’t quite enough to cause a split. Yo can listen to Method Man and Ghostface Killah speak about the incident in the video below.
