The W

The W is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 21, 2000 on Loud/Columbia Records. It was released several years after their previous album Wu-Tang Forever, to which many group members released solo projects between the two albums. The W contains a more rugged, less polished sound than that of most Wu-Tang related albums of this era, and features guest appearances from Isaac Hayes, Redman, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Junior Reid. The W debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart with 301,000 copies sold in the first week. It produced several singles, which also charted as well. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 14, 2000. Upon its release, The W received generally positive reviews from most music critics based on an aggregate score of 80/100 from Metacritic.