Mathematics On The Original Version Of “C.R.E.A.M.”

This past Saturday (November 9) was the 20th anniversary of the iconic Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. The album is stamped in hip-hop history, providing a number of hit records, most notably "C.R.E.A.M." This single is one of the highest charting Wu-Tang Clan singles and has been referenced by a number of MCs over time. XXL recently caught up with Mathematics who spoke about the lost verses  from the original version of "C.R.E.A.M."

"I remember a track like 'C.R.E.A.M.,' I remember when it had four verses on it," Mathematics says. "I wasn't there when it was originally done, but I remember going to RZA's lab and RZA being like, 'Yo, I want you to hear this.' It had four verses, they were going back and forth... I've always been a student of music, so to see where they started and how they ended up, to me, even when you hear them nowadays, to hear how it went from the rough to the finish."

The legendary producer discussed the differences between the past and present in hip-hop, saying, "Back then it was a different vibe, everything was more hard and hardcore. Sometimes the rougher the better. Nowadays, with me being a producer, I try to polish things. Now it's different, hip-hop is more clean now. It was just free, it was just a feeling, and you just came with your sword. As far as that album, that's what brothers did; brothers just came attacking from all angles."