A Better Tomorrow
1997 · Loud 07863-66905-1 · Staten Island, New York
- Artist
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Title
- A Better Tomorrow
- Release
- Wu-Tang Forever
- Year
- 1997
- Label
- Loud # 07863-66905-1
- Format
- Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Staten Island, New York, USA
- Genre
- Hip Hop · East Coast Hip Hop
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — Rap / Hip Hop Songs
Another influential and prominent East Coast Hip Hop group (or collective), formed in 1992 in Staten Island, New York, USA, with a line-up of successful and well-known hip hop artists, including: RZA (MC, production), GZA/Genius (MC), Method Man (MC, production), Raekwon (MC), Ghostface Killah (MC, executive producer), Inspectah Deck (MC, production), U-God (MC), Ol' Dirty Bastard (MC, production, 1992-2004), Masta Killa (MC, 1993-present), and Cappadonna (MC, 2007-present). They released two songs referencing the Vietnam War: "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" (1993) and "A Better Tomorrow" (1997).The song "A Better Tomorrow" (Loud Records # 07863-66905-1) used the portrayal of a Vietnam War veteran, suffering from PTSD, as a metaphor for violence and tension in city communities: "the projects, lifeless like a Vietnam vet, constant war, sever threats of enemy conquest... streets are like a jungle".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Yo, in the housing, thousands seen early graves / Victims of worldly ways, memories stays engraved / All my live brothers is locked down with high numbers / The young hunger, blind to these lies, they die younger / In this New World, the Order slaughter men, women and children / Ten feet gates surround the building, keep us sealed in / The projects, lifeless like a Vietnam vet / Constant war, sever threats of enemy conquest / Crooked cops comb my building complex that's in the rumble / Streets are like a jungle, can't let my cypher crumble
About the artist
Another influential and prominent East Coast Hip Hop group (or collective), formed in 1992 in Staten Island, New York, USA, with a line-up of successful and well-known hip hop artists, including: RZA (MC, production), GZA/Genius (MC), Method Man (MC, production), Raekwon (MC), Ghostface Killah (MC, executive producer), Inspectah Deck (MC, production), U-God (MC), Ol' Dirty Bastard (MC, production, 1992-2004), Masta Killa (MC, 1993-present), and Cappadonna (MC, 2007-present).
Themes
Violence Metaphor · Vet · PTSD · Jungle · City & Community Violence