Wu-Tang v. Shaolin | From Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem

Wu-Tang v. Shaolin | From Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem

From Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond by Pushkin Industries

August 4, 2026 · 34 min · Season 6

About this episode

The episode explores the secession movement in Staten Island during the 1990s and its connection to the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan.

In Revisionist History's new season The Staten Island Problem, senior producer Ben Naddaff-Hafrey investigates the story of what was, at the time, the biggest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War. The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s—the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York—all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough. At the height of the secession movement, the Wu-Tang Clan formed on Staten Island. Here’s a tour of early 1990s hip-hop and the hidden history of the group. Find more episodes of Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem wherever you get podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

  • secession movement
  • hip-hop history
  • Staten Island
  • 1990s New York
  • Wu-Tang Clan
  • Rudy Giuliani
  • Donald Trump

Keywords

  • Staten Island
  • Wu-Tang Clan
  • Rudy Giuliani
  • Donald Trump
  • 1990s
  • hip-hop
  • secession movement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wu-Tang Clan

Places: Staten Island, New York City

More episodes of Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond podcast page.