Everyone knows that Wu-Tang is for the children, and now the hip-hop collective widely regarded as one of the most influential rap groups of all time is getting their own documentary on Showtime.
The first trailer for Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men offers a peek at the four-part series that will explore the career of the famous group from its early days and the release of debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) through its evolution and ever-changing membership in the decades that followed. The series is directed by the group’s longtime collaborator Sacha Jenkins, who previously directed the Burn Motherfucker, Burn! documentary for Showtime.
As seen in the trailer, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men will feature interviews with founding members RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna, and chronicle their lives growing up in Brooklyn and Staten Island during the ’70s and ’80s, and the friendships that brought them together as bandmates in later years.
First garnering attention for their single Protect Ya Neck in the early ’90s, Wu-Tang Clan released their critically acclaimed debut album in 1993 and quickly became one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time due to their success as both a collective musical ensemble and as solo acts, with many of the group’s members spinning off wildly successful solo careers. Their music became known for its blend of club-friendly beats and lyrics that shifted from playful film and pop-culture references to more serious reflections on the poverty- and race-based struggles they faced while coming of age during that era.
Over the years, Wu-Tang Clan released four gold and platinum studio albums, beginning with Enter the Wu-Tang, and helped launched the careers of countless artists and other groups Wu-Tang mentored, produced, or otherwise inspired. Rolling Stone named Wu-Tang Clan “the best rap group ever,” and in 2004, they were declared one of the most influential music groups of any genre in the last 10 years by NME.
Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men will make its theatrical debut during this year’s Sundance Film Festival and will then premiere on Showtime later this year.
