Cher has contributed vocals to two songs on Wu-Tang Clan's upcoming "secret album" The Wu - Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
A representative for Cher declined to make the singer available for comment, but confirmed the collaboration to Rolling Stone. "She recorded her parts separately, so I don't believe there was direct interaction," said the rep.
In a video posted by Forbes on Tuesday, writer Zack O'Malley Greenberg traveled to Marrakesh, Morocco to "become the first civilian" to hear the album, of which the group is only pressing one copy and selling to the highest bidder. Tarik "Cilvaringz" Azzougarh, the album's producer, played one song on-camera featuring Ghostface Killah rhyming over pounding drums, dusty organ and a repeated female wail. At the end of the track, Cher improbably sings, "Wu-Tang, baby. They rock the world."
Cher's appearance had been hiding in plain sight since at least March, when the album's website noted that it "includes special guest appearances by Bonnie Jo Mason." In 1964, Cher released "Ringo, I Love You," her first solo single without Sonny Bono and a tribute to Ringo Starr, under the pseudonym of the same name.
In the video, Azzougarh says production of the album, which was six years in the making, was done in Marrakesh "in a very unconventional way." After Azzougarh produced the tracks and sent them to RZA for review, the pair came up with song titles before it was decided which rappers would appear on which tracks. When it was time for each Wu member to record his part, the rappers rhymed over similar-sounding beats, but not the original, to avoid any leaks. According to Azzougarh, no one in the group, including RZA, was given final copies of the album.
The video also shows the album's container, which was handcrafted over three months by 10 artists led by British-Moroccan artist Yahya. Yahya shows off the case, an ornate container carved in nickel silver with the Wu-Tang W logo embossed in the middle of the case. "We treat it as an art piece, which it is," says Yahya. The album has allegedly been moved to a different secret location since the video was shot.
"We're about to sell an album like nobody else sold it before," RZA told Forbes in March. "We're about to put out a piece of art like nobody else has done in the history of [modern] music. We're making a single-sale collector's item. This is like somebody having the scepter of an Egyptian king."
Before the album is sold to one wealthy fan — RZA claims he's been offered $5 million for the 31-track record — it will be toured across the world's museums, galleries and festivals, using headphones to protect the songs from piracy.
The release of the secret album has been overshadowed of late by group infighting over Wu's other upcoming album A Better Tomorrow. Last month, Raekwon told Rolling Stone that he was "on strike" from the group, accusing RZA of "mediocre shit" when it came to new music and alleging that contracts still needed to be negotiated for him to appear. After saying that Wu-Tang Clan "needs him" on the next album, RZA gave the rapper a 30-day ultimatum to agree to terms. While it's unclear if Raekwon will appear on A Better Tomorrow, the rapper told Rolling Stone the odds were two out of 10.
05-07-2014, 06:28 PM
ShaDynasty
Ay random as fuck my nig. Whats Cher got to do with the 90s?! Ol' plasticface has a voice like an airhorn.
05-07-2014, 06:48 PM
food for thought
LOL!!!!
This can be life
05-07-2014, 06:49 PM
Sky Blue Bally Kid
Wu name generator puts Cher's Wu-Tang name at Bittah Assassin or Amazing Prophet, depending on entering stage or real name...just sayin...
(*waits for angry Wu nerds to enter thread and complain that she is taking up space that could have been better used by Blue Raspberry etc.*)
05-07-2014, 07:16 PM
zooruka
Cilvaringz should get Rza to Resurrect sonny bono and have him spit a grimey 16 on the new record and have Chaz bono in the video clip reppin the 1-6-0.
05-07-2014, 10:58 PM
TheWuSepticTank
Cher is an OG.
05-07-2014, 11:03 PM
check two
^^
That
05-08-2014, 01:31 AM
Kemetian_Warrior
They should get her on the upcoming Clan album too, to add some much needed gangsta flava.
Stop saying this. In what way is she an Original Gangster? Shes just an old singer. I think she has a big gay fanbase so maybe Cilvaringz is trying to expand the Wu-Tang brand to phony art fans that will eat this pretentious nonsense up and gays.
05-08-2014, 03:46 AM
Drunken Monk
fuck all this Homo history.. the wu is over
05-08-2014, 04:03 AM
cj wisty
05-08-2014, 04:14 AM
BigSchnikkel
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigking.nl
wu-tang cher coming at ya!!
Watch your step kid!!! Watch your step kid!!!
g
05-08-2014, 04:21 AM
zooruka
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaDynasty
Stop saying this. In what way is she an Original Gangster?.
Takeitha should beat that ass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaDynasty
I think she has a big gay fanbase.
All I know cher for is her dance music tracks. That equals Gay icon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaDynasty
Cilvaringz is trying to expand the Wu-Tang brand to phony art fans that will eat this pretentious nonsense up and gays.
I haven't gone through every post in the "Once Upon A Time" thread, but from my knowledge, Cilvaringz keeps mentioning washed up 80's music figures such as David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson and Cher. Which leads me to believe his taste in music is mad suspect and he should not be allowed anywhere near a classic wu tang album.
05-08-2014, 04:29 AM
cj wisty
yeah ur right prof rza has a much better taste in singers
05-08-2014, 04:38 AM
zooruka
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy Cain
yeah ur right prof rza has a much better taste in singers
lol u think rza didn't like MJ? wu would've creamed themselves if Michael asked the wu to do a song with them.
05-08-2014, 10:39 AM
check two
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaDynasty
Stop saying this. In what way is she an Original Gangster? Shes just an old singer. I think she has a big gay fanbase so maybe Cilvaringz is trying to expand the Wu-Tang brand to phony art fans that will eat this pretentious nonsense up and gays.
As soon as you stop saying the word pretentious all the time. It makes it sound like some up tight french weirdo sitting at a cafe with his legs crossed puffing on a cigarette and ready to drink a latte.
05-08-2014, 10:47 AM
hectis
What this has done is create some kind of buzz that will at least get some Cher fans to go listen to the album that wouldn't listen to a Wu-Tang album.
05-08-2014, 01:42 PM
cj wisty
Quote:
Originally Posted by hectis
What this has done is create some kind of buzz that will at least get some Cher fans to go listen to the album that wouldn't listen to a Wu-Tang album.
Lol but they can't listen to it. Unless a cher groupy bids for the album
05-08-2014, 01:49 PM
The Hound
Cher on a Wu Tang rekkid :lmao: good thing nobody will hear this shit smh no wonder this garbage is 1 copy only lmao
05-08-2014, 02:11 PM
RADIOACTIVE MAN
Lmfao..the comments in here just flatlined me
05-08-2014, 02:12 PM
hectis
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy Cain
Lol but they can't listen to it. Unless a cher groupy bids for the album
They can at a museum.
05-08-2014, 02:12 PM
MASTER PAI MEI
LMAO @ Rugged Monk with Princess Leia's hair do.
05-08-2014, 02:12 PM
MASTER PAI MEI
The snippet was dope.
05-08-2014, 02:16 PM
Frank Drebin
I can't believe they didn't do this before, sounds like a perfect mix
I oughta punch a whole in his palm with these pointy ass rings,
No more was said, I knew your chump ass was dead, when I saw the 4 4 reflecting of his shiny head,
It's Wu-Tang Nigga, ain't nothing changed Nigga, do you believe in life after love Nigga, it's in his kiss Nigga
05-08-2014, 02:27 PM
food for thought
Quote:
Originally Posted by ol dirty abbot
I can't believe they didn't do this before, sounds like a perfect mix
I oughta punch a whole in his palm with these pointy ass rings,
No more was said, I knew your chump ass was dead, when I saw the 4 4 reflecting of his shiny head,
It's Wu-Tang Nigga, ain't nothing changed Nigga, do you believe in life after love Nigga, it's in his kiss Nigga
As soon as you stop saying the word pretentious all the time. It makes it sound like some up tight french weirdo sitting at a cafe with his legs crossed puffing on a cigarette and ready to drink a latte.
Pretentious "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed."
Just calling it like i see it, i think i'm mainly using it in reference to the one subject though.
05-08-2014, 04:11 PM
ShaDynasty
Quote:
Originally Posted by ol dirty abbot
I can't believe they didn't do this before, sounds like a perfect mix
I oughta punch a whole in his palm with these pointy ass rings,
No more was said, I knew your chump ass was dead, when I saw the 4 4 reflecting of his shiny head,
It's Wu-Tang Nigga, ain't nothing changed Nigga, do you believe in life after love Nigga, it's in his kiss Nigga
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sky Blue Bally Kid
I always wondered what the inspiration was for those suspect Coachella outfits, now it all makes sense...
Cher is 100 times better than Drake. At least he's not on the album.
05-08-2014, 04:19 PM
Rev Jones
Ultimately she just provides some vocals, not a big deal at all the way I see it. If BitBit came with a good Wu chorus, why not? I separate the singers from the careers. (Harder in hiphop than in other genres, for me, though.)
05-08-2014, 04:22 PM
food for thought
any rap song with cher on it is getting skipped on general principal
by default.
05-08-2014, 05:02 PM
ShaDynasty
Quote:
Originally Posted by Check Two Allah
Cher is 100 times better than Drake. At least he's not on the album.
Whatever dude. Its a gimmick.
05-08-2014, 05:42 PM
JEM
No disrespect intended..but Cher on a wu album= Corny
and sorry but that snippet with Ghost sounded weak...
05-08-2014, 05:54 PM
BigSchnikkel
05-08-2014, 06:07 PM
food for thought
hahaha im not even mad at teh autoplay lol
classic thread already
05-08-2014, 06:09 PM
zooruka
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEM
and sorry but that snippet with Ghost sounded weak...
The first thing I noticed was, even though it was a rugged 90's sounding beat, it still sounded like a modern ghostface rapping over it. Didn't sound like Ghost in the 90's I.M.O.
To be honest, there are many ingredients that made Wu tang ill in the 90's. I just don't think, making some Rza sounding beats and having m.c's spit over them, is gone take it back to the golden era. To many things have changed I.M.O.
Having said that it's still better than anything we gonna get in 2014.
