The RZA Presents Shaolin Soul Selection: Vol. 1

2013 two CD collection curated by the Hip Hop master. In the early '90s, The RZA, then known as Prince Rakeem, had begun making music for his then new Staten Island (aka Shaolin) based supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan. When Enter The 36 Chambers was finally released in late '93, the effect was seismic. The RZA's "awkward" combination of rugged drums and off-center loops formed the foundation of a unique sound that would inspire a whole new generation of samplists, as well as set off searches for the components of those loops. Shaolin Soul Selection: Volume 1 presents 24 original recordings - nearly 2 1/2 hours of essential soul music from the vaults of Stax Records and its subsidiary labels that inspired The RZA and the classic sound of The Wu-Tang Clan.