"C.R.E.A.M." | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Wu-Tang Clan | ||||
from the album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | ||||
B-side | "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" | |||
Released | January 31, 1994 | |||
Recorded | 1992 or 1993 | |||
Studio | Firehouse, New York City | |||
Genre | East Coast hip hop | |||
Length | 4:12 | |||
Label | Loud | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | RZA | |||
Wu-Tang Clan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"C.R.E.A.M." on YouTube |
"C.R.E.A.M." (an acronym of "Cash Rules Everything Around Me") is a song by the American hardcore hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on January 31, 1994 by Loud Records, as the second single from their debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993). The song was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA, and contains a sample of the Charmels' 1967 song "As Long As I've Got You" throughout. It features two verses from members Raekwon and Inspectah Deck, who discuss their upbringings while living in New York City, and Method Man, who sings its hook. Its music video, featuring all Wu-Tang Clan members in New York City, was released in 1994.
"C.R.E.A.M." achieved lukewarm commercial success, peaking at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1994. The song received universal praise from music critics, many of whom described it as one of the best songs on Enter the Wu-Tang. Since its release, the song has been called one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time, with some who even described it as one of the greatest songs of all time. It has since been sampled by numerous artists and was certified Gold in the United States in 2009.
The song was originally titled "Lifestyles of the Mega-Rich". [1]
I remember writing to the beat a long time ago before we actually came out. That beat is old. That was probably like a '89 beat. RZA had it that long because he had a bunch of breaks. He had all kind of things and he was making beats back then, but we was just picking and that beat happened to always sit around and I would be like, 'I want that beat, so don't give that beat to nobody.' And he kept his word and let me have it. [2]
Unlike most tracks on Enter the Wu-Tang, "C.R.E.A.M." contains a somber and more relaxed style, with lyrics that focus on storytelling, along with "Can It Be All So Simple" and "Tearz". [3] Wilson McBee of PopMatters describes the song as "a hard dose of reality," compared to the rest of the album, a "kung-fu–fueled fantasy." [4] Although credited to the entire group, "C.R.E.A.M." only features three of the nine Wu-Tang Clan members: Raekwon, who provides the first verse, Inspectah Deck, who provides the second, longer verse, and Method Man, who provides the song's hook: [5] Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M./Get the money; dollar, dollar bill, y'all. [6] According to Raekwon, Method Man wrote the hook but it was his friend Raider Ruckus who came up with the phrase 'cash rules everything around me.' [2] [7] In his verse, Raekwon chronicles his life, showcasing his move to Staten Island and his time living in New York City. [5] Jeff Weiss of Forbes praised the rapper's ability to artfully break down the entire group's background in two sentences: "I grew up on the crime side/the New York Times side/Staying alive was no jive." [5] Inspectah Deck, in his verse, paints a picture of his life, going from a "delinquent teen to juvenile offender to would-be mentor." [4] The "dollar, dollar bill y'all" part is the interpolation of Jimmy Spicer's 1983 track "Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)". The track contains a sample of the Charmels' 1967 song "As Long As I've Got You", [6] specifically the song's opening piano riff and its drums, which are looped continuously throughout. [8]
"C.R.E.A.M." was released on November 9, 1993, as the eighth track on Wu-Tang Clan's debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) . [9] The song was subsequently released as the third single from the album on January 31, 1994, through Loud Records on vinyl and CD formats, under the title "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)"; [10] [11] the cassette single was released on March 15, 1994. [12] [13] Its release came at a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the hip hop charts, originating with releases such as N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton (1988) and solidified by Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992). [14] [15] While East coast hip hop had begun to rise once again with contemporary releases by Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records, Black Moon, De La Soul, and Digable Planets, the release of Enter the Wu-Tang laid the groundwork for the hardcore hip hop genre and rebirth of the New York hip hop scene. [5] [9] While the album wasn't immediately commercially successful, the release of "C.R.E.A.M." solidified the group's status as a force to be reckoned with and earned the group a devoted following. [15] The success of "C.R.E.A.M." led to five of the group's members – GZA, RZA, Raekwon, Method Man, and Ol' Dirty Bastard – earning solo contracts from Loud Records; these five went on to release solo albums over the next three years, with RZA being the primary producer for all of them. [15]
The song has received universal acclaim from music critics, calling it one of the best songs on Enter the Wu-Tang. Brody Kenny of Consequence of Sound called it "iconic and somber" and praised Inspectah Deck's verse, describing him as the most underrated member of the group (having never had a RZA-produced classic solo album). [16] The song was described as a "classic" by Classic Hip Hop Magazine in their review of the album in 2018. [3] When reviewing Enter the Wu-Tang in 2013 for its 20th anniversary, Jason Lipshultz of Billboard praised the production, calling it "still devastatingly layered." [17] Lipshultz found it to be an odd choice to place the track between two less serious tracks ("Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' Ta Fuck Wit" and "Method Man") but found it to be "the beauty of the Wu: after entertaining listeners with braggadocio and jokes, they can flip the switch and deliver poignant realism." [17]
Since its release, multiple publications have listed "C.R.E.A.M." among the best hip-hop songs of all time, with some even describing it as one of the greatest songs of all time. In 2011, Time included the song on its list of the All-Time 100 Greatest Songs. [18] ThoughtCo. ranked the song number 20 on their list of the 100 Best Rap Songs of All Time. Their description reads "Never has there been a wildly influential hip-hop song so soothing by a group so blunt as Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M." That is the genius of The RZA." [19] In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 11 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, writing "Part of Wu-Tang's greatness was their messy, multitudinous sprawl, but the best song on their debut is ruthlessly efficient: just two breathless verses, plus the catchiest acronym in history, laying out the ground rules of street capitalism." [20] The magazine later included it in their 2021 revised list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 107. [21] The song was also included on The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Singles list in 2015. [22] The song was voted number 13 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs list in 2008. [23]
The music video was directed by Ralph McDaniels. [24] The video for "C.R.E.A.M." features the members of the Wu-Tang Clan starting off at the projects in Staten Island and moving on to a more lavish lifestyle of champagne and Mercedes. The video for this single also features classic early '90s urban New York styles of dress, as the majority of the people in the video are wearing goose-downs, Champion hoodies, black skullies, and either wheat or black Timberlands.
On the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, the song debuted at number 27 for the issue date of February 19, 1994, and entered the top 25 of the chart by climbing five places the following week to number 22. [25] The same week as its debut on the Hot Rap Songs chart, the song entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 84. [26] The song debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the issue dated March 12. [27] "C.R.E.A.M." eventually peaked at number 60 on the Hot 100 on April 23, 1994. [28] [29] That same week, it peaked at number eight and number 32 on the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts respectively. [30] [31] By having reached number 60 on the Hot 100, the song stands as the highest charting Wu-Tang Clan track ever. [32] In 2009, "C.R.E.A.M." was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 units, 15 years after its original release. [33]
The phrase cream has become a slang term for money, [33] [34] [35] and it has been used abundantly by other rappers since then. [35]
The song was featured in the 2002 film 8 Mile . [36] Composer Ramin Djawadi, notable for scoring the soundtracks for HBO's series Game of Thrones , covered the song for the HBO series Westworld , appearing in the fifth episode of the show's second season, "Akane no Mai". [37] Djawadi's cover was praised by Julia Alexander of Polygon , who compared it to Djawadi's other Westworld covers, including "Runaway" by Kanye West and "Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana. [38] Drake and Jay-Z interpolated the song's hook for their song "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2" on the former's 2013 studio album, Nothing Was the Same . [39] For her 2019 EP She Is Coming , American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus sampled the song for her promotional single "D.R.E.A.M." (an acronym for "drugs rule everything around me"), which features Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. [40]
Credits adapted from the single's liner notes and Tidal. [10] [41]
Per the single's liner notes. [10]
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100 [29] | 60 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [30] | 32 |
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [31] | 8 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [43] Mastertone | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop musical collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard. Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. They are credited for revitalizing East Coast hip hop and are considered one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time.
Lamont Jody Hawkins, better known by his stage name U-God, meaning Universal-God, is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He has been with the group since its inception, and is known for his deep voice and rhythmic flow that can alternate between gruff and smooth.
Corey Woods, better known by his stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang , in 1993. Raekwon would subsequently pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo album, entitled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., in 1995. The album received critical acclaim, and is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as a staple of 1990s rap.
Dennis David Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo career with Ironman, which was well received by music critics, in 1996. He has enjoyed continued success in the years that have followed, releasing critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film The Mystery of Chess Boxing. He is the founder of his own record label, Starks Enterprises.
Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records and RCA Records. The recording sessions took place during late 1992 to early 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and the album was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA. Its title originates from the martial arts films Enter the Dragon (1973) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).
Jason Richard Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper and hip hop producer. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface.
Tical is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man. It was released November 15, 1994, by Def Jam Recordings. It was the first Wu-Tang solo album released after the group's debut, Enter the Wu-Tang . Similar to all first generation solo Wu-Tang projects, Tical was mainly produced by group member RZA, who provided a dark, murky and rugged sound. The album features guest appearances from RZA, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, as well as several affiliates, who would later appear on future group projects. In 2017, Method Man revealed on the Viceland talk show Desus & Mero that the album's title is an acronym for "taking into consideration all lives."
Remedy is an American rapper and hip-hop producer. He was the first Jewish rapper to be affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He owns and runs Code Red Entertainment, his label that released Cappadonna's The Struggle album in 2003. He also served as executive producer on Inspectah Deck's album Manifesto in 2010. Remedy has produced and been featured on various works for ESPN. He released a mixtape, It All Comes Down to This, in 2010. He is the co-executive producer of the Wu-Tang Killa Bees: Return Of The Swarm album.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II is the fourth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released September 8, 2009, on Ice H2O/EMI Records in the United States. The album experienced numerous delays to its release due to Raekwon's approach of continual re-writing, as well as distribution issues with his record labels. Serving as the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995), Pt. II maintains many of the themes covered on its predecessor, and features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang Clan members, as well as Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss and Beanie Sigel.
The Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City-based hip hop musical group, consisting of ten American rappers: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, Cappadonna and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard.
"Triumph" is a song by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, from their 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever. It was released as the lead single from the album in February 1997. The song does not have a chorus, instead, solely consisting of an intro and interlude by Ol' Dirty Bastard and verses from the other eight Wu-Tang members and associate Cappadonna. It is the only Wu-Tang song featuring all members, though the song "9 Milli Bros." from Ghostface Killah's album Fishscale also features all members.
"Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" is the lead single from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's sixth studio album, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. The R&B and hip hop song features vocals from Niia and Akon, as well as rapper Lil Wayne. Verizon Wireless released the song on their V CAST service on August 7, 2007. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.
A Better Tomorrow is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. The album was released on December 2, 2014, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was supported by the singles "Keep Watch", "Ron O'Neal" and "Ruckus in B Minor". A Better Tomorrow received generally mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 24,386 copies in its first week of release.
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA or The RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is the de facto leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums for the group and its respective members. He is a cousin of two other original Wu-Tang Clan members: GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. After forming the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA was a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz, since 1992, where he went by the name The RZArector.
"Wu-Tang Forever" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same (2013). The song was released as the album's first promotional single on September 12, 2013. "Wu-Tang Forever" features a significant sample of "It's Yourz" by the Wu-Tang Clan, and uncredited background vocals by Jhené Aiko. The song was produced by frequent collaborator Noah "40" Shebib. The song has since peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released on August 1, 1995, by Loud Records and RCA Records. The album was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the "star", fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star", and producer RZA as the "director". It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album also features debut appearances from affiliates Cappadonna and Blue Raspberry, and an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas, which marked the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album.
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997, by Loud and RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up to their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang . Forever features several guest appearances from Wu-Tang affiliates Cappadonna, Streetlife, 4th Disciple, True Master, and Tekitha. The original run of compact discs featured an enhanced CD which allowed users to walk around the "Wu Mansion" and access additional content.
"Wu Tang Forever" is a song by American rapper Logic, featured as the sixth track on his 2018 album YSIV. The song is a homage to the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and features all living members of the group: Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, U-God, Masta Killa and GZA, as well as Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Jackpot Scotty Wotty; deceased member Ol' Dirty Bastard received a writing credit. The song shares the same title as the group's second studio album.
"D.R.E.A.M." is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus from her second extended play, She Is Coming (2019). It features guest vocals by American rapper Ghostface Killah, and was written by Cyrus, Killah, John Cunningham, RZA, and Ilsey Juber, while being produced by Cunningham and RZA. It samples Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 song "C.R.E.A.M." throughout, with the group members credited as co-writers.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)