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Wu-Tang CD Could Be Year's Biggest
Observers believe this album will erect sales milestones not only in the rap field, but in general sales, as well. "It will be the biggest record of the year, maybe of the decade," said a rival rap label executive with grudging admiration. "It will not only be the biggest hip-hop album ever, but one of the biggest albums of all time," said Loud Records chairman Steve Rifkin. "It's been one of the most anticipated records of the last two years, rap or otherwise. Also, it's one of the most positive rap albums you've ever heard."
While a certain amount of industry hyperbole is to be expected, the business has good reason to plan on stellar sales. The group's first album, 1993's Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers sold over a million copies. Even more important is the fact that five members of the band have since released solo albums that have reached the Top 10 of the pop charts, including Raekwon, Method Man, Genius, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Ghostface Killah. Other members of the Staten Island-bred group include Prince Rakeem (a.k.a. "The RZA" and the group's producer), U-God, Master Killa and Inspectah Deck.
Opening week numbers should be more than 500,000, in spite of the $24.95 suggested list price on the double, enhanced CD. It will easily outdistance other new album bows from Steve Winwood, Sinéad O'Connor, Pat Benatar and Michael Penn, as well as reigning chart-toppers the Spice Girls, who have been hovering in the 130,000-a-week range.
Other mega-hit rap albums, such as those by Tupac Shakur, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre, generally top out with total sales of three million. The Wu-Warriors have a chance to at least double that, as their album sales are counted twice due to the double-CD status and price tag. Plus, the group could crossover into mainstream markets. They have done it before and are so influential that Ol' Dirty Bastard even did a duet with Mariah Carey on her Fantasy release.
In spite of solo success, the group members still returned to their original banner as soon as the solo-album cycles were played out. "After all," said Ghostface Killah, "we all study Islam, play chess, live for kung-fu flicks, read Suntzu's The Art of War every day and are true Shaolin Soldiers." Method Man concluded, "See, we came to the game with some ill new shit nobody was ready for, but everybody had to recognize."
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