*By Jeffrey Marcus*
The Wu-Tang Clan didn't release its debut album a quarter-century ago for fans to explore only two or three of the 36 chambers. The celebrated rap collective's "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" presented a fully formed universe of kung fu-inspired hip hop to be experienced uncut.
“When we create a body of work, I like that everyone, they heard the body of work," said Ghostface Killah, one of the group's nine MCs. But that may not be how most people listen to music now, with the rise of streaming services.
Ghostface Killah was rueful: "I’m going to paint this picture for you, but yet you’re going to dissect it and take just one?”
Four members of the Wu-Tang Clan shared with Cheddar's Hope King how the expansive ethos of their 1993 debut album ー complete with imagined Shaolin culture and deeply textured lyrics and soulful samples ー remains their signature, even if the music business has fractured.
“Streaming definitely started off with bad economics but those economics are starting to balance themselves out,” said RZA, a founding member of the group.
Though the Wu-Tang Clan maintains its attachment to the album format, Cappadonna, another of the group's MCs (remember, there are a lot of them) said streaming services offer an important route for up-and-coming artists.
“It’s just putting it all out there, the streaming, the music, and creating more avenues for a lot of MCs and artists that don’t have a real chance to get their music heard,” he said.
RZA, however, questioned whether these young artists have the substance to add to the hip-hop canon, one song at a time.
“Hip hop is something that makes people entertained, provides avenues of economics for a lot of families, it expresses the culture of America, black culture, and also the diverse culture that America stand for and that's now the world culture," said RZA. “Hip hop is doing its job, but it could use some more substance.”
“Words should also contain wisdom,” he added.
The Wu-Tang Clan had that wisdom, real and invented, from the start, on albums that borrowed mystique from the legends that inspired kung-fu movies and soul music samples overlaid with intricate, often funny and boastful rhymes.
"Wisdom is an accumulation of experience, and some of these hip-hop artists haven't experienced what we've experienced," RZA said. "By the time we were 19, we experienced about 40 years of life."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-wu-tang-clan-on-snapchat-streaming-and-shkreli).
L’Oréal is doubling down on its investment in tech. The French beauty giant unveiled two new high-tech products ahead of CES 2022, aimed at simplifying the hair coloring process. Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's innovations for hair coloring, including the Colorsonic application device and the Coloright AI diagnostic tool.
After meeting by chance in an airport, legendary actor Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler joined forces to put out an album of poetry and music, go on a European concert tour, and release a feature documentary. Murray and Vogler joined Cheddar to dish about the experiences taking their “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization" on the road and filming the documentary that followed the pair, along with Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano, at their final show in Greece. "When this opportunity to play with Jan and Mira and Vanessa came along, I thought, well how bad can I be with these people behind me," Murray self-deprecatingly noted about his own musical talents.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals: Director of Programs at Alpine Ascents breaks down how to mentally and physically prepare for climbing Mount Everest; American Himalayan Foundation's Vice President discusses Sherpa culture and ethos, and why they are so critical to the climb; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History by the Numbers.'
All around the world, speed limits are placed on public roads to promote car safety and save lives. In that same world, car manufacturers have continued to look for ways to build faster and faster cars. Despite the dangers of speeding, many drivers are guilty of pushing the pedal from time to time. With cars being such a prevalent culture in everyday life, especially in the US, it’s worth wondering what it would take for car companies to once and for all settle the argument of safety versus freedom.
A recent study by MSI uncovers a vast racial divide in influencer marketing. The research found a 35% racial pay gap between white and black influencers. This gap is extremely wider than the gap in other industries such as education, business, and finance. The research also suggests that brands and agencies have the power to close this gap. Tiffany Hardin, founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot,
raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
