Wu-Tang Clan Net Worth

What Is The Wu-Tang Clan's Net Worth?

The Wu-Tang Clan, an iconic American hip hop group, has amassed a combined net worth of $100 million. Formed in 1992, the group consists of renowned rappers RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

The group has released notable studio albums including "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (1993), "Wu-Tang Forever" (1997), "The W" (2000), "Iron Flag" (2001), "8 Diagrams" (2007), "A Better Tomorrow" (2014), and "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" (2015). Four of these albums have achieved Platinum or higher certifications. Their singles "C.R.E.A.M.", "Triumph", and "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" each became top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.

The group's exclusive album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" gained high notoriety when it was sold to Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli for $2 million. After Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud in 2018, the album was sold to NFT collectors PleasrDAO for $4 million in 2021. The group has affiliations with the digital music company The Orchard, featured in the 1999 video game "Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style." They also launched Wu Wear stores in the '90s, with their line available at Macy's and other retailers. Nike even released a Wu-Tang Clan-themed sneaker in 1999.

Founding

In the late '80s, cousins Gary Grice, Robert Diggs, and Russell Jones formed a group called Force of the Imperial Master, later known as the All in Together Now Crew. They initially performed under the aliases The Genius, Prince Rakeem/The Scientist, and The Specialist, respectively. The group gained popularity in the New York rap scene and attracted the attention of rapper Biz Markie. By 1991, Prince Rakeem and The Genius had signed with different record labels, releasing albums that later led them to adopt new names: RZA for Prince Rakeem, GZA for The Genius, and Ol' Dirty Bastard for The Specialist. RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard later joined forces with Ghostface Killah to form a new group named Wu-Tang Clan, inspired by the 1983 martial arts film "Shaolin and Wu Tang."

Career Milestones

In 1993, Wu-Tang Clan's independently released single "Protect Ya Neck" garnered a significant underground following. Their debut album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", was released on November 9, 1993, reaching #41 on the Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified 3× Platinum in the United States. Their follow-up album, "Wu-Tang Forever" (1997), topped charts globally, achieving 4× Platinum status in the U.S. The single "Triumph" reached #6 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

The group continued their success with the album "The W" (2000), which reached #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in several other countries. They followed this with "Iron Flag" in 2001, which also went Platinum in the U.S. Sadly, in 2004, the group lost Ol' Dirty Bastard, who passed away at the age of 35 due to a drug overdose.

In 2007, Wu-Tang Clan released "8 Diagrams", which was well received, and in 2014, "A Better Tomorrow" followed. Their unique album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" was released in 2015, but only one copy was made and sold to Martin Shkreli. In 2019, they released the EP "Wu-Tang: Of Mics and Men".

Award Nominations

Wu-Tang Clan has been recognized with numerous award nominations, including a 1998 Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album for "Wu-Tang Forever". Additionally, they received American Music Award nominations for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist (1998) and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band/Duo/Group (2008).