"Criminology" is the second solo single by
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
rapper
Raekwon
Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...
, from his debut album ''
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'', featuring
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...
, like many of the songs of the album. The song starts with dialogue from the film ''
Scarface'', where
Alex Sosa
Alejandro "Alex" Sosa is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1983 American crime film '' Scarface'' and the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. He is an international Bolivian drug lord and the chief supplier of c ...
insults
Tony Montana
Antonio Montana is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1983 film ''Scarface''. This character is portrayed by Al Pacino in the film and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. Embod ...
through phone, calling him a "fucking little monkey", because he failed to blow up the activist's car, then the first verse is performed by Ghostface Killah, and the second by Raekwon, without a chorus. The B-side of the single is "Glaciers of Ice".
Ghostface Killah wrote his verse in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, and requested that RZA make a beat for the song.
The song was sampled later by
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
, for his song "Mathematics". Official radio
Track listing
#"Criminology" (LP Version)
#"Criminology" (Instrumental)
#"Glaciers of Ice" (LP Version)
#"Glaciers of Ice" (Instrumental)
Samples
*"I Keep Asking You Questions" by
Black Ivory
Black Ivory is an American R&B group from Harlem, which had a number of hits in the 1970s, including "Don't Turn Around", " You and I", " Time Is Love", and "Will We Ever Come Together".
History Early days
The group was originally known as th ...
*"Why Marry" by
The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Cis ...
*Dialogue from the film ''
Scarface''
Chart positions
{{Ghostface Killah
1995 singles
Song recordings produced by RZA
Mafioso rap songs
Songs written by Ghostface Killah
Songs written by Raekwon
Songs written by RZA
Raekwon songs
Ghostface Killah songs