Sunz Of Man

An early extension of the ever-growing Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man worked in similar East Coast hip-hop territory as their parent group, but carved out their own identity with outlandish and biblical lyrical themes. The jagged beats, piano loops, and chopped soul samples Wu-Tang were known for guided the sound of their long-labored debut, The Last Shall Be First, and from there an irregular release schedule and various lineup reshufflings spanned the next two decades.
Brooklyn rappers Shabazz the Disciple, 7th Ambassador, and producer Supreme were originally working in the mid-’90s under the name Da Last Future. Sunz of Man was born when the group expanded to include Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, and 60 Second Assassin and became the first signees to Wu-Tang Records. They debuted with the 1995 single “Soldiers of Darkness.” Produced by the 4th Disciple, the track was a collaboration with Killarmy, and like the majority of Wu-Tang output, was grimly cinematic and energizing. The group worked towards a debut album titled Nothing New Under the Sun, planning for a 1996 release date, but the LP was ultimately shelved. Their first album, The Last Shall Be First, finally arrived in 1998 on Red Ant Entertainment. Easily their most successful release from a commercial standpoint, it debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. After that, Sunz of Man’s path began to twist. Their second album, The First Testament, was readied for a 1999 release, but was widely bootlegged before it was commercially available, leading to it, too, being shelved. The group went on a brief hiatus and Killah Priest worked towards a solo career.
In 2002, Saviorz Day arrived, with Sunz of Man’s lineup stripped down to just 60 Second Assassin, Hell Razah, and Prodigal Sunn. Two years later, material from The First Testament was reconfigured, expanded, and released as Elements and after that the 2006 collection The Old Testament compiled various singles. Over the next ten years, various other projects emerged bearing the Sunz of Man brand, including solo outings and mixtapes, but in 2019 the group returned with a proper studio album, Rebirth. The 12-track album was rooted in the group’s signature East Coast sound and included features from guests like Capadonna, La the Darkman, and Planet Asia. ~ Andy Kellman & Fred Thomas