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C.R.E.A.M.
In a Nutshell
In a way, this raw, low-key track captures exactly what the notoriously outrageous Wu-Tang Clan seems to be all about: success and making money. But just like the Wu-Tang Clan itself, "C.R.E.A.M." has more than one side to it. Cash. Rules. Everything. Around. Me. It's more than just capitalism at its most naked: it's the Wu-Tang way of life.
About the Song
| Artist | Wu-Tang Clan | Musician(s) | Raekwon, Method Man, Inspectah Deck (vocals), The Charmels (samples) |
| Album | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | ||
| Year | 1993 | ||
| Label | Loud Records | ||
| Writer(s) | Robert Diggs (RZA), Jason Hunter (Inspectah Deck), Clifford Smith (Method Man), Corey Woods (Raekwon), David Porter, Isaac Hayes | ||
| Producer(s) | RZA |
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Shmoop Connections
Explore the ways this song connects with the world and with other topics on Shmoop
The Wu-Tang Clan might just be the biggest nerds in hip-hop history. The nine-deep crew includes rappers who list among their primary influences as kung fu movies, religious numerology, and the game of chess. Comic books and mobster movies also come up in a lot of Wu-Tang talk.While fantasy and games might inform the Wu's lyricism, most of the original nine members of the crew grew up in the housing projects of Staten Island, New York, notorious for drugs and crime. The resulting gritty realism of their rhymes is certainly Dickensian at times. Combine that bleak reality with humor and fantasy, and the slang-slinging, tragicomic world the Wu-Tang Clan creates is borderline Shakespearean.
"C.R.E.A.M.," a street-based lesson in economics, is also an iconic creative work that has influenced everyone from Eminem to Kanye West.
On the Charts
"C.R.E.A.M." is the Wu-Tang Clan's highest-charting single, peaking at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #32 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) peaked at #40 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Although it was not as commercially successful as later Wu-Tang albums, it is now considered a rap classic and is usually considered the group's most indispensable record.
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