Wu-tang Clan: Of Mics and Men Shows Us Why Wu-tang Clan Ain’t Nothin to F#<K With

Last week Showtime acquired the North American rights to Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men. The four-part docuseries “examines the cultural history of the hip-hop mega-group.” And to gear up for Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men’s Sundance premiere, Sundance Institute and Showtime have released trailers.

According to Deadline, Of Mics and Men isn’t your run-of-the-mill docuseries. They’re reporting that the doc transcends the music documentary genre by “creating a new lane that merges music, socio-cultural commentary and intimate family portrait.” A couple weeks back, Sundance Institute dropped a two-minute profile hosted by the film’s director, Sacha Jenkins. Take a look:

 

And here is Showtime’s latest trailer:

I can’t think of a better person to direct this picture. Jenkins’ hip-hop roots go back to the early 90s’ when he was a co-founding publisher of one of hip-hop’s first zines, Beat Down. (Beat Down gave Wu-Tang their very first cover). In recent years, Jenkins has been putting in work as a documentary filmmaker. In 2015, his film Fresh Dressed profiled hip-hop’s trendsetting luminaries such as Dapper Dan, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams. I’m excited for this series as a hip-hop die-hard and as a fan of Jenkins’ work.

Old-school artists like Wu-Tang and Jay-Z are fascinating case studies as their rap careers sail into uncharted territory. The rap industry is a youth movement. It’s a culture that drives out artists in their mid-thirties as though we’re living through Logan’s Run. Even though their popularity has waned, Wu-Tang is the closest thing rap music has to the Rolling Stones. I’m most curious to see if the documentary captures how these men deal with ageing out of the spotlight.

Here is Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men’s synopsis:

The real story of the Clan unfurls here, with never-before-seen footage and interviews recounting the obstacles traversed to stay united as one Wu family. Director Sacha Jenkins (Fresh Dressed, 2015 Sundance Film Festival) poignantly captures their struggles and triumphs in intimate detail, creating a group portrait that transcends music and delves into broader themes of race, economic strife, and brotherhood while weaving their distinctly raw and resonant sound throughout.