The first book, the definitive book from HIP-HOP'S ORIGINAL DYNASTY Since the release of the revolutionary Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the Wu-Tang Clan has been hip-hop's leading creative force. Over the course of four seminal group albums and a multitude of ambitious side projects, they have constantly redefined the outer edge of what hip-hop can do and where hip-hop can go. Now, after a decade of dark beats and mysterious lyrics hinting at a larger whole, the legendary Staten Island hip-hop collective fully reveals, for the first time, the complex, multi-layered Wu-Tang Universe. Spearheaded by the RZA, the "Abbot" of the Clan, The Wu-Tang Manual unravels the intricate web of personalities (and alter egos), warrior codes, numerological systems, and Eastern spiritual ethics that define the Wu-Tang dynasty. Here you'll find the key to Shaolin, to the Nine Rings and to the 36 Chambers, to the eight-point sun and to the rest of the enduring mysteries of Wu-Tang. The Wu-Tang Manual also contains the first official and comprehensive lyrical encyclopedia of the Wu-Tang, complete with musical, technical, and anecdotal analysis and annotation by the Clan. For the hardcore Wu-Tang disciple and the recent initiate alike, The Wu-Tang Manual is the definitive guide to the essence of Wu.