7. February 28, 1998: Ol' Dirty Bastard upstages Shawn Colvin
For a while, ODB was the soul not just of the Wu-Tang Clan, but of hip-hop as a whole—a beloved court jester who represented the id run joyously amok. During the 1998 Grammy Awards, ODB proved his genius for making a spectacle of himself was unparalleled when he interrupted Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech to drunkenly rant about how "Wu-Tang is for the children!", a statement seemingly at odds with the parental-advisory labels affixed to damn near every Wu-Tang release.
8. March 3, 2000: Birth of a film composer: Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai drops
While RZA's career as a rapper and producer gets less interesting with every passing year, his composing career got off to a rousing start with his atmospheric score for Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai, a film whose central culture clash owes much to RZA's loopy oeuvre. The disc's soundtrack somewhat surprisingly crossed over to the NPR demographic, paving the way both for RZA's sample-crazy Kill Bill score and for his unforgettable appearance alongside GZA and Bill "Groundhog Day Ghost-Bustin' Ass" Murray in Jarmusch's Coffee And Cigarettes.
9. February 8, 2000: Ghostface releases Supreme Clientele
Ghostface Killah's 2000 Ironman follow-up was the first Wu-Tang Clan solo album in ages to generate the kind of fevered buzz that greeted nearly every pre-Forever release. Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, and RZA streaked out of the gate much faster, but Ghostface Killah is the only Wu-Tang member who's exhibited staying power.
10. December 18, 2001: Wu-Tang responds to 9/11
On "Rules," a standout track from the Clan's indifferently received fourth album, Iron Flag, Ghostface Killah defiantly proclaims, "Together we stand / Divided we fall / Sit down, Mr. Bush, I'm in charge of the war!" In spite of Ghost's bold announcement, Bush ultimately chose the safe route, appointing the usual brigade of generals and advisors to head up the war effort rather than eccentric rappers/bathrobe enthusiasts.
11. November 13, 2004: Ol' Dirty Bastard dies
After a marathon stint of flamboyantly bad behavior that included being arrested in a McDonald's parking lot, escaping a drug-treatment facility only to show up at a Wu-Tang gig, and enduring an extended prison stint, Ol' Dirty Bastard died of what was later revealed as an accidental overdose of cocaine and prescription painkillers.
12. March 28, 2006: Ghostface releases Fishscale
After hooking up with powerhouse label Def Jam and releasing 2004's stellar but strangely Wu-Tang-free The Pretty Toney Album, Ghostface Killah inspired Cuban Linx flashbacks with his fifth solo album, Fishscale. It's a masterful tour de force that combines the rugged, grimy, cinematic essence and ultra-vivid storytelling of early Wu-Tang with the dusty beat mastery of wizards like Just Blaze, Pete Rock and MF Doom. Suddenly, The Wu-Tang looked like it could be ascending all over again.
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