Wu-Tang Clan
ListenProtect Ya Neck (Bloody Version) · 1992
Wu-Tang Clan — “Protect Ya Neck,” uncensored “Bloody Version,” RCA/Legacy audio.
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1992 · Wu-Tang Records
Protect Ya Neck / After the Laughter Comes Tears
Before the major-label deal, Wu-Tang Clan put “Protect Ya Neck” out themselves. The orange-label 12-inch pairs it with “After the Laughter Comes Tears,” documenting the group’s first independent release in 1992. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0007 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Wu-Tang Clan |
| Release | 1992 · United States |
| Label | Wu-Tang Records · PR234 |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 33⅓ rpm |
| Issue | Original independent commercial issue |
| Runouts | A: PR-234-A ΔM B: PR-234-B ΔM |
| Recorded grade | NM · generic sleeve |
Release history and significance
Firehouse studio owner Yoram Vazan recalled hearing the group finish “Protect Ya Neck” and discovering that they could not yet pay the bill. He let RZA settle it later. The amount was roughly $300, and Vazan remembered payments arriving in quarters. It is a small, concrete reminder of the resources behind a record that would travel far beyond the studio. [2]
RZA is credited as Prince Rakeem for production, arrangement and mixing. The “Wu-Tang Side” offers radio, uncensored and instrumental versions of “Protect Ya Neck”; the “Shaolin Side” contains vocal and instrumental versions of “After the Laughter Comes Tears.” The independent single helped lead to the group’s deal with Loud Records in 1993. [1]
Market context
An original PR234 copy without a barcode sold for £50 on 18 July 2009 after six bids. The seller graded the disc Mint and described a generic sleeve in shrinkwrap. [3]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with orange Wu-Tang Records labels and no barcode, housed in a generic sleeve. The label carries the original home-based distribution details. No inserts accompany this copy.
Condition
The disc is graded NM, with full gloss and minimal handling. The labels are clean, without writing, stickers or visible spindle marks.
Provenance
Acquired from Discogs seller StrictlyVinylRecords on 21 March 2025.
Sources
- Discogs, Wu-Tang Clan — Protect Ya Neck, release 663805. Original independent edition, tracks, credits and runouts.
- Red Bull Music Academy, Engineering the Wu-Tang Clan, June 2018. First-person accounts from the Firehouse engineers and owner.
- Popsike, archived eBay auction. £50 result, 18 July 2009; original no-barcode edition.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.