Editing Wu-Tang Clan (section)

=== 2000–01: ''The W'' and ''Iron Flag'' ===
The group reconvened again for their third album, ''[[The W]]''. Despite his incarceration in California for violating the terms of his [[probation]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ol' Dirty Bastard Sentenced To Drug Treatment |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/574sur/ol-dirty-bastard-sentenced-to-drug-treatment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422202711/https://www.mtv.com/news/574sur/ol-dirty-bastard-sentenced-to-drug-treatment |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 22, 2024 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=MTV |language=en}}</ref> Ol' Dirty Bastard was on the song "Conditioner", featuring [[Snoop Dogg]]. Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals were recorded via prison telephones.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=The 50 Worst Songs By Otherwise Great Artists |url=https://www.spin.com/2022/07/the-50-worst-songs-by-otherwise-great-artists/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Spin}}</ref>''The W'' was released in November 2000, and was mostly well received by critics,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/wutangclan/w |title=Wu-Tang Clan: The "W" (2000): Reviews |publisher=Metacritic.com |date=November 21, 2000 |access-date=January 6, 2009 |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115154019/https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-w/wu-tang-clan |url-status=live }}</ref> and included the single "[[Gravel Pit]]".<ref>{{Citation |title=The W by Wu-Tang Clan on Apple Music |date=2000-11-21 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-w/457508066 |access-date=2024-04-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> The album reached  [[RIAA certification|platinum]] status.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-14 |title=Throwback: Wu-Tang's "The W" Gets Certified Platinum |url=https://rapstation.comhttps//rapstation.com/news/wu-tang-clan-certified-platinum |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Rapstation |language=en}}</ref>

In 2001, Wu-Tang Clan released their fourth album, ''[[Iron Flag]]''. While originally featured on the cover of ''Iron Flag'', Cappadonna was airbrushed out of the artwork and largely absent from the album entirely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Potato |first=A. Winged |date=2019-05-20 |title=Artist Spotlight: Wu-Tang Clan (Part 7 – Iron Flag) |url=https://the-avocado.org/2019/05/20/artist-spotlight-wu-tang-clan-part-7-iron-flag/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=The Avocado |language=en-US}}</ref> This may be related to tension that arose within the group when it was revealed that Cappadonna's manager was, or had been, a police informant, a revelation that also brought on the manager's subsequent firing.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5922868|title=Wu-Tang Clan Fires Manager After Village Voice Expose|author=Jennifer Vineyard|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 26, 2000|access-date=February 23, 2007|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115154022/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cappadonna continued collaborating and touring with the group in the following years.