Cian Traynor celebrates the 30th birthday of a unique and brilliant album and re-appraises a hip hop anomaly by speaking to some of those who knew its creator, Ol' Dirty Bastard, the best. This feature was originally published on 30 March 2015
Trudging through the inverted worlds of Staten Island, Putney and Prestwich come a crew of rappers, a poet/ engraver and a dyspetic singer, says Tom Ellen. They steel themselves against the disappointment of the surface world - the feeling of 'Is this it?' - by doodling on the maps of their cities, adding monsters and demons, gods and angels, hidden passageways and secret portals.
In an exclusive extract from his new book, *Chamber Music: About the Wu-Tang (in 36 Pieces)*, Will Ashon discusses re-referentiality, Wu-slang, and "one of the finest musical evocations ever recorded of the sensation of being baked"
They may be better known these days for in-fighting and taking each other to court, but most of the surviving members of the Wu-Tang Clan have reunited for a better-than-you-might-expect LP. Interview by Angus Batey
In this month's Rock's Backpages, Angus Batey of _HHC_ magazine talks to the Wu-Tang Clan about their classic debut _36 Chambers_ and turning the hip-hop tide from the West to the East... PLUS! Method Man's guide to the WU
Drum & bass pioneer Krust takes Neil Kulkarni through the records that shaped him, from the lessons learnt from Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and Yellow Magic Orchestra to the "revelation" of Flying Lotus, via The Beatles, Michael Jackson and more