The soothing finger-picking of a Spanish guitar is not something that’s immediately associated with the Wu-Tang Clan…
But Wyclef Jean revealed on a new episode of Drink Champs that he owes the composition of his iconic 1999 “Maria Maria” collab with Carlos Santana to an extremely unexpected source.
“In that whole record, did y’all hear the part that sounded like Wu-Tang Clan?” Wyclef asked the crowded room, although his audience didn’t know what he was talking about.
Grabbing his guitar to illustrate the exact writing process for the track, The Fugees legend showed N.O.R.E and DJ EFN how the opening riff came first, before the melody riff — which, once you hear it, is pure “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit.”
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Of course, people are talking about “Maria Maria” again now that DJ Khaled has used part of it to make the beat for his latest mega-hit, “Wild Thoughts,” which features Rihanna and Bryson Tiller.
Check out the video below. Wyclef’s virtuoso moment stars around the 18-minute mark. Then go ahead and compare the tracks for yourself.
