A Better Tomorrow cover art

  Studio Album · No. 6

A Better Tomorrow Songwriting Credits by Wu-Tang Clan

2014 Warner Bros. Records 15 tracks 66 min
Warner Bros. Records Hardcore Hip HopEast Coast Hip Hop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 15 of 15 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 15 / 15 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Wu-Tang Clan carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
15 trackswritten by Wu-Tang Clan 0 tracksoutside writers
Wu-Tang Clan's roles on this album

Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer87%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

15
Tracks
11
Lyricists
5
Producers
2014
Released
Data Insight

A Better Tomorrow marked Wu-Tang Clan's 20th-anniversary reunion, and RZA again produced the bulk of it while each member contributed his own written verses. RZA assembled the album partly from sessions spread across years and aimed for an accessible, message-driven tone on tracks like 'Keep Watch' and 'Ron O'Neal,' a direction that reportedly caused creative tension with members who wanted a grittier record. The result is a polished but lower-selling reunion that debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200.

Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Ruckus in B Minor
CappadonnaMasta KillaInspectah DeckU-GodRZAMethod ManGZA Darryl HillJamel IriefJason HunterLamont Jody HawkinsRobert Fitzgerald DiggsClifford Smith Jr.Gary Eldridge GriceFrederick Jay Rubin RZARick Rubin Cappadonna (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)U-God (Rap)RZA (Rap)Method Man (Rap)GZA (Rap)
2
Felt
CappadonnaGhostface KillahRZAMasta KillaMethod Man Darryl HillDennis David ColesRobert Fitzgerald DiggsJamel IriefClifford Smith Jr. RZA Cappadonna (Rap)Ghostface Killah (Rap)RZA (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)Method Man (Rap)
3
40th Street Black / We Will Fight
Inspectah DeckMethod ManGZARZAU-GodMasta KillaCappadonna Jason HunterClifford Smith Jr.Gary Eldridge GriceRobert Fitzgerald DiggsLamont Jody HawkinsJamel IriefDarryl HillRonald Maurice Bean MathematicsRZA Inspectah Deck (Rap)Method Man (Rap)GZA (Rap)RZA (Rap)U-God (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)Cappadonna (Rap)
4
Mistaken Identity
Masta KillaInspectah DeckRZAU-GodMethod ManStreetlife Jamel IriefJason HunterRobert Fitzgerald DiggsLamont Jody HawkinsClifford Smith Jr.Streetlife RZA Masta Killa (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)RZA (Rap)U-God (Rap)Method Man (Rap)Streetlife (Vocals)
5
Hold the Heater
Method ManMasta KillaRZA Clifford Smith Jr.Jamel IriefRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Method Man (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)RZA (Rap)
6
Crushed Egos
RaekwonGZARZA Corey WoodsGary Eldridge GriceRobert Fitzgerald DiggsAdrian Younge RZAAdrian Younge Raekwon (Rap)GZA (Rap)RZA (Rap)
7
Keep Watch
Method ManInspectah DeckGZACappadonna Clifford Smith Jr.Jason HunterGary Eldridge GriceDarryl HillRonald Maurice Bean Mathematics Method Man (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)GZA (Rap)Cappadonna (Rap)
8
Miracle
Masta KillaInspectah DeckRZA Jamel IriefJason HunterRobert Fitzgerald Diggs4th Disciple 4th DiscipleRZA Masta Killa (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)RZA (Rap)
9
Preacher's Daughter
Method ManCappadonnaMasta KillaRZA Clifford Smith Jr.Darryl HillJamel IriefRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Method Man (Rap)Cappadonna (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)RZA (Rap)
10
Pioneer the Frontier
Masta KillaInspectah DeckU-GodRZA Jamel IriefJason HunterLamont Jody HawkinsRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Masta Killa (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)U-God (Rap)RZA (Rap)
11
Necklace
CappadonnaGhostface KillahRaekwonGZARZA Darryl HillDennis David ColesCorey WoodsGary Eldridge GriceRobert Fitzgerald Diggs4th Disciple 4th Disciple Cappadonna (Rap)Ghostface Killah (Rap)Raekwon (Rap)GZA (Rap)RZA (Rap)
12
Ron O'Neal
Method ManRaekwonMasta KillaInspectah DeckRZA Clifford Smith Jr.Corey WoodsJamel IriefJason HunterRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Method Man (Rap)Raekwon (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)RZA (Rap)
13
A Better Tomorrow
Method ManCappadonnaMasta KillaRaekwonRZATekitha Clifford Smith Jr.Darryl HillJamel IriefCorey WoodsRobert Fitzgerald DiggsTekitha RZA Method Man (Rap)Cappadonna (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)Raekwon (Rap)RZA (Rap)Tekitha (Vocals)
14
Never Let Go
Method ManMasta KillaGZAInspectah DeckU-GodRZA Clifford Smith Jr.Jamel IriefGary Eldridge GriceJason HunterLamont Jody HawkinsRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Method Man (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)GZA (Rap)Inspectah Deck (Rap)U-God (Rap)RZA (Rap)
15
Wu-Tang Reunion
Method ManRaekwonMasta KillaRZA Clifford Smith Jr.Corey WoodsJamel IriefRobert Fitzgerald Diggs RZA Method Man (Rap)Raekwon (Rap)Masta Killa (Rap)RZA (Rap)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 26 contributors

R
RZA
Writer · Producer · Rap
On this album14 written
RF
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs
Writer
On this album14 written
JI
Jamel Irief
Writer
On this album12 written
MK
Masta Killa
Writer · Rap
On this album12 written
CS
Clifford Smith Jr.
Writer
On this album11 written
MM
Method Man
Writer · Rap
On this album11 written
ID
Inspectah Deck
Writer · Rap
On this album8 written
JH
Jason Hunter
Writer
On this album8 written
C
Cappadonna
Writer · Rap
On this album7 written
DH
Darryl Hill
Writer
On this album7 written
GE
Gary Eldridge Grice
Writer
On this album6 written
G
GZA
Writer · Rap
On this album6 written

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Frequently Asked Questions A Better Tomorrow

When did Wu-Tang Clan release A Better Tomorrow?
Wu-Tang Clan released A Better Tomorrow on December 2, 2014 through Warner Bros. Records, with Asylum and Wu-Tang Records. It was the group's sixth studio album and arrived for their 20th anniversary.
What were the singles from A Better Tomorrow?
The album's singles were 'Keep Watch,' 'Ron O'Neal' and 'Ruckus in B Minor.' None of them charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who produced A Better Tomorrow?
RZA was the primary producer and executive producer, with contributions from Mathematics, Rick Rubin and others. Every Wu-Tang member wrote and delivered his own verses, the group's consistent authorship method.
How did A Better Tomorrow perform on the charts?
A Better Tomorrow debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200, selling 24,386 copies in its first week, and reached number 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It did not receive an RIAA certification.
What is the song Ron O'Neal about?
'Ron O'Neal' is named after the actor who played Youngblood Priest in the 1972 film Super Fly. Released as a single in August 2014, it leans on a vintage, blaxploitation-era atmosphere.
Was A Better Tomorrow released separately from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin?
Yes. A Better Tomorrow was Wu-Tang Clan's standard commercial 2014 album, while Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was a separate single-copy art project that was never commercially released. They are two distinct projects from the same era.

Sources

Wikipedia: A Better Tomorrow (Wu-Tang Clan album) Wikipedia: A Better Tomorrow (album) MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: A Better Tomorrow by Wu-Tang Clan