'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' is the debut studio from Wu-Tang Clan, first released in November 1993. The group's de facto leader RZA produced the album entirely, utilising heavy, eerie beats and a sound largely based on martial-arts movie clips and soul music samples. The distinctive sound of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' created a blueprint for hardcore hip hop during the 1990s and helped return NYC hip hop to national prominence. Its sound also became greatly influential in modern hip hop production, while the group members' explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have served as a template for many subsequent hip hop records. Serving as a landmark record in the era of hip hop known as the East Coast Renaissance, its influence helped lead the way for several other East Coast hip hop artists, including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z. The album has sold over two million copies in the United States. Initially receiving positive reviews from most music critics, 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' is widely regarded as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums ever.