Ask any nine Wu-Tang Clan fans who their favorite MC is and you may get nine different answers. That's how versatile the members were. When Showtime aired their documentary "Of Mics and Men" earlier this year, it left fans with questions of how a close nit group can be at each other's throats for years.
But then Hulu took it a step further and decided to give us answers as to how they came to be. While watching Wu-Tang: An American Saga, you can find yourself rethinking your position on who your favorite rapper in the group was. The show brought to light how different their paths and personalities were. If you had to choose who your favorite character from Season 1 was, who would it be?
GZA
GZA didn't have as much screen time as RZA, Ghostface, and others but his presence was needed. As the first of the group to actually get a record deal, he was instrumental in helping to get his cousin's vision in order.
His role was one of showing guidance and protection for RZA. The Genius was the one who introduced RZA to the God Body way of thinking which in turn had a positive impact on his mental health and his rap style. GZA didn't lose his cool the entire first season and always displayed a level head.
Shurrie
What Shurrie provided Wu-Tang: An American Saga with was that age of innocence. With the show centered around drugs, violence, and death, Shurrie was that character we're hoping finds a way out. Now, is she completely innocent here? No. She's still dealing with a drug dealer and decided to keep her relationship a secret from her family and friends.
Even so, she kept her focus on her books. Admittedly, it was a nice break from the side hustles which allowed us to take a trip down memory lane watching the beginnings of puppy love. Shurrie was a bright spot but one that could easily stray off the right path if she's not careful.
Ms. Diggs
It's hard trying to raise kids as a single mother. But what Ms. Diggs had to endure was just painful. In certain environments, parents understand that it's a lost cause keeping your kids out of harm's way. We can do the best we can, but in the end, when the streets come calling, no belt or punishment can keep them away.
So, with three boys and a girl on her plate, she did what she knew was in the best interests of her family's survival. She turned them loose to the street but kept them close to her. In the end, she received a gift from a person she never thought would walk back into her life. Such a strong woman.
Divine
As the head of the Diggs household, Divine had the weight of the world on his shoulders in the first few episodes. He was trying to hold the house down, be a big brother to three younger siblings and prove to his mother that he could handle any all and situations that may come up. Not forgetting to mention, he was running things on the street in search of that big score.
But then he got locked up and was forced to straighten out his life. In the end, Divine had enough of trying to be a gangster and turned his attention to legit work and going back to school.
Power
The question for many regarding Power is, has he done anything for anyone to not like him? He hasn't done anyone grimy. He hasn't betrayed anyone and, as far as we know, his hands are clean of death. So why does he give off that vibe of the villain?
No matter how you may view him, Power is the hidden gem throughout the first season. His allegiance with Cressy is pure business as it was with Haze and Divine. However, in the end, Power became a big reason why Wu would become successful by saving Raekwon from certain imprisonment.
ODB
The one character fans were waiting to see if Hulu managed to nail. T.J. Atoms did a remarkable job portraying the Hip Hop icon. Ol' Dirty added humor to the show with his one-liners and persona. And when he got on the mic, that energy was unmatched. As the saying goes "there's no father to his style".
For a Brooklyn resident, ODB sure spent a lot of time on Staten Island. His loyalty to his cousin Bobby may have been the second-best relationship on the show besides Bobby and Dennis. It's easy to see why the ladies loved him. He was pure and straight to the point with everyone. What you see is what you get when it came to Ol' Dirty.
Method Man
It seems that Method Man was limping throughout the entire first season. Even back then, his energy just stood out from the rest of the group. Hot-headed? Yes, but his energy was well needed. Although from different sections of Staten Island, Meth was good no matter where he went.
What was interesting to see was his family dynamic. There was really no one in his corner and for the most part, Meth appeared to be homeless. His dream, probably even bigger than Bobby's was to get a record deal. He wanted it bad.
Raekwon
It's funny, one of the best rappers in the group is the one who never wanted to rhyme. Raekwon was all about the drug game and didn't care if he ever spit a rhyme through a microphone. But when he did, it was pure magic. Seeing his character's growth as Season 1 progressed was a wonderful piece of art.
In the end, you could see it all come full circle as he went to his mother and offered a child-like forgiveness as he told her his dreams of rapping. While he still hasn't answered for his role in the shooting of Dennis's house, Rae instantly became a fan favorite in the first 10 episodes.
Ghostface
Documentaries and interviews will have Wu-Tang fans believing that it was ODB or Method Man who possessed the most energy in the crew. No, that distinction easily goes to Ghostface. His mannerisms showcased a persona that he shows on record. If viewers who have never been to NYC wanted to know how we speak and walk, Ghost was the perfect example.
He's a hothead but he's loyal and loves hard. Despite keeping his relationship with Shurrie a secret, remember – it was he who wanted to come clean about it a long time ago. Ghost has not fully embraced the rap, but by the end of Season 1, he was getting there.
RZA
It's no secret that the first season of Wu-Tang: An American Saga was centered around Bobby Diggs aka RZA. The mastermind behind it all deserved top billing on a show showcasing a group of nine individuals. As the unofficial leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, it was great to see how everyone formed around Bobby's vision even when they couldn't see it in the beginning.
The drug-dealing part was a bit hard to watch as you could see he just didn't have the stomach for it. It was a sight to behold to see RZA in his early stages trying to put all the pieces together to form arguably the greatest group in music history.