Short answers, pulled from the story.
Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, and Russell Jones formed the group in the late 1980s. They began their journey to becoming the Wu-Tang Clan after a series of failed solo attempts that nearly ended their careers before they even started.
The recording sessions took place in Firehouse Studio in New York City. This cramped and inexpensive studio forced the group to work with limited equipment to achieve their signature gritty sound.
The number 36 represents the total number of chambers in the hearts of the nine original Wu-Tang members. Each member has four chambers, a concept rooted in the Five Percent philosophy's Supreme Mathematics.
The album cover features only six members because U-God was in jail for a parole violation and Method Man had been arrested for marijuana possession. The group wore stocking masks to conceal their faces and maintain anonymity.
The single Protect Ya Neck was released on the 14th of December 1992. The B-side was titled Tearz and told two stories about RZA's brother getting shot and Ghostface Killah recounting a man who contracts HIV.
The album returned New York City hip-hop to national prominence during the mid-1990s. It shifted the emphasis away from the West Coast and paved the way for a new generation of New York rappers including Nas and The Notorious B.I.G.