Sunz Of Man

Emerging from the expansive Wu-Tang Clan network, Sunz of Man occupied comparable East Coast hip-hop ground yet distinguished themselves through extravagant biblical motifs in their lyrics. Their sonic foundation drew from the same rugged rhythms, recurring piano motifs, and fragmented soul fragments that defined Wu-Tang productions, shaping the long-delayed debut The Last Shall Be First and fueling an uneven sequence of releases punctuated by frequent membership adjustments across twenty years.

Three Brooklyn-based artists—Shabazz the Disciple, 7th Ambassador, and producer Supreme—initially operated in the mid-'90s as Da Last Future before the collective grew to encompass Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, and 60 Second Assassin, becoming the inaugural act signed to Wu-Tang Records. Their introduction came via the 1995 single "Soldiers of Darkness," crafted by 4th Disciple as a joint effort with Killarmy that mirrored the darkly cinematic, high-energy tone prevalent across most Wu-Tang material. An intended first full-length, Nothing New Under the Sun, had been slated for 1996 yet remained unreleased. Instead, The Last Shall Be First surfaced in 1998 through Red Ant Entertainment, marking their strongest commercial showing by entering the Billboard 200 at number 20. Subsequent developments proved circuitous: The First Testament, prepared for a 1999 launch, circulated widely in unauthorized copies prior to any official drop and was likewise withdrawn. The collective entered a short pause while Killah Priest pursued individual work.

Saviorz Day appeared in 2002 featuring a trimmed roster limited to 60 Second Assassin, Hell Razah, and Prodigal Sunn. Two years afterward, reworked and augmented tracks from the earlier shelved effort surfaced as Elements, followed in 2006 by the anthology The Old Testament that gathered stray singles. Scattered additional releases under the Sunz of Man name—encompassing solo ventures and mixtapes—continued over the ensuing decade until the proper studio return Rebirth arrived in 2019. That twelve-song set stayed grounded in the crew's characteristic East Coast approach and featured guest turns from Cappadonna, La the Darkman, and Planet Asia.