Yellow Vinyl
 
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) 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. Recorded from late 1992 to early 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, the album was produced by the group's de facto leader, RZA. Its title is inspired by the martial arts films Enter the Dragon (1973) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).
 
The gritty, distinctive sound of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) established a blueprint for hardcore hip-hop in the 1990s, helping to restore New York City's hip-hop prominence. Its production style has greatly influenced modern hip-hop, while the group's explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have set a standard for many rap records that followed. As a landmark release in the East Coast Renaissance era of hip-hop, the album paved the way for several other East Coast rappers, including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z.
 
Despite its raw, underground sound, the album achieved surprising chart success, peaking at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling 30,000 copies in its first week. By 1995, it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and by October 2018, it was certified triple Platinum. Initially receiving positive reviews from most music critics, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) has since been widely regarded as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s and one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. In 2020, the album was ranked 27th on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2022, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."