Then 2 Now: Wu-Tang!
From Then 2 Now: Wu-Tang; Gerald Barclay Speaks to Aries from UrbanBridgez on the Wu Story documentary he directed, ODB, future projects and more!
UrbanBridgez.com: What made you want to do the Wu Tang Story?
Gerald Barclay: The fans and the members. We're just going back to re-visit a classic & a lot of answers will finally get answered. After we loss ODB, we just needed to find our way back. We just started looking over hours of footage. We had the journey in our hands & we decided to put the pieces together. It was a hard time as well, because members of the group were suing each other, ODB had died, there was a lot of bickering, it was crazy! Looking through the footage ended up being therapeutic for the group. I came in like the peace maker so to speak. I felt they needed to see it and remember how it was. When ODB died, it looked like the story was over! Hip-Hop has a short term memory. So many of the Wu laid the foundation so others could follow. It's like kids 15 and 16 all they know right now is Soulja Boi. Hip-Hop never gives credit. 50 Cent capitalized off of doing mixtapes. So it's just going back and telling a story that needs to be told!
UrbanBridgez.com: Now that's its done, did it come out the way you intended?
Gerald Barclay: Yeah I think so. It's funny because the director is the most die hard Wu fan (laughs). It just got different when BET came into the project. It was a good thing because we were able to get some footage licensed so it could fit the story. Like the CNN footage. We kept it personal and the BET version cut some of the key footage. We do have that footage in the mainstream version though. Like one is ODB and his interaction with other rappers. How he use to just take over shows! He did one with Biggie and Biggie turned into his background dancer (laughs). Some footage from Hawaii was left out that included a shot of Raekwon with a mountain background that was incredible. There were a few things that were left out and didn't make the cut. Even with that, we kept the heart of the film. Before BET got involved in the project, others wanted to come in and take a lot of stuff out and change it up.
UrbanBridgez.com: Watching it I think the biggest shock was the opinions stated about ODB's death and his signing with Damon Dash. Were you ever worried about putting too much info in the documentary?
Gerald Barclay: No I can say I was never worried about that. We have to honor the dead. ODB paid the ultimate price, with his life. So we have to tell his story the right way. A lot of people abandoned him, but if you knew him, you knew he didn't give a fuck! No part of ODB was a mystery! The story centers around him.
UrbanBridgez.com: You not only directed the Wu-Story, but you wrote & narrated it as well, was it hard wearing so many hats with this project?
Gerald Barclay: The writing part was crazy. You have to do the whole structure and make sure you hit the key parts. Directing is my favorite, when I have to go through the footage and find the right ones. I mean I'm in it as well & that's a key point. I'm at the release party in Hawaii & in other footage. The Wu has thousands of fans & I'm one of them. I've been just as much apart of the story as well.
UrbanBridgez.com: What are you working on next?
Gerald Barclay: This documentary went off really well,I'm working on a few more right now. I can't give too many details yet, but I'll say they are Hip-Hop ones. I'm not just an archivist, I document Hip-Hop. I mean I have gems, from back when people wasn't really filming events all the time. In NY there are some from the 90's, I have on VHS (laughs). It was like it is now in ATL. I can say that I'm working on a No Limit one. That's another story that needs to be told. I'm very instrumental in that as well.
UrbanBridgez.com: How did you get into directing?
Gerald Barclay: I've been fascinated with it since I was a kid. I went to community college, where we really didn't have state of the art equipment. But I learned the craft and enjoyed it. Later I hooked up with RZA and started doing videos. Like Protect Ya Neck and M.E.T.H.O.D. Man. I remember we did a raw and clean version for MTV for that one.
UrbanBridgez.com: What's your advice for someone who wants to get into the filed?
Gerald Barclay: It's tough to understand Black Film Makers. 20 years ago not many black people were doing it. In 86 Spike Lee kicked the door in and opened it for the rest of us. In the 90's way more black film makers were directing videos. My advice is to know it's a very competitive field. After you're done with each project, it's like starting all over again. So don't stop, keep going. Take advantage of your resources, mine would be Hip-Hop. There are so many up and coming directors. They have places to show their work like YouTube, some are directing low budget videos. There are many things you can do to keep developing your craft.
UrbanBridgez.com: Anything else you would like to share with us before we go?
Gerald Barclay: Thanks to everyone for their love. I've been online checking the feedback and it's been good. I do laugh at the reviews that talk about some of the quality of the footage. It's like you have to remember this is from a time when we used a VHS camera (laughs). This was when they debuted with the first album. So all I say is don't be fooled by the reviewers. Of course there will be a few haters. It's Hip-Hop, keep Hip-Hop alive! For those on the sideline talking shit, fuck em!
* Brownstone (Then2Now)
