Really, over the years it has become an unwritten rule that you are lucky if you can get all of them at one place at one time; pretty much all of the shows they perform have at least a couple members missing, which they are notorious for.

I think given the fact that RZA is their 'leader' of sorts, if RZA is there, no matter what collection of members is with him, it would be considered the 'Wu-Tang Clan'.
Source(s):
My years of being a Wu fan.

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I'd have to say the 9 core members must be present, together they formin like Voltron and getting deep like a Navy Seal.

1. RZA aka Prince Rakeem
2. GZA aka The Genius (he forms the head when Wu-Tang combines like Voltron)
3. Ol'Dirty aka ODB, Ol Dirty Bastard, Big Baby Jesus etc.
4. Inspectah Deck aka Rollie Fingers
5. U-God aka Golden Arms aka Lucky Hands
6. Raekwon The Chef aka Lou Diamonds
7. Ghost Face Killah aka Tony Starks
8. Method Man aka Johnny Blaze
9. Masta Killa (though this could be disputed, but he did appear on 36th Chambers along with the rest of the Clan)

The 10th member, could be disputed. That is Cappadonna. Apparently he fell in and out of the Clan for a while due some issues with the FBI. Read Wikipedia and search for Cappadonna.

Other Wu-Affiliates like Timbo King, Killah Priest, Sunz of Man, Killa Army, American Cream Team, United Kings, Coins, Maccabeez and the many other members are all considered branches of Wu-Tang and should not be confused as core members.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wu-Tang_Clan_affiliates

I was listening to Wu-Tang since 'Protect Ya Neck' was playing on college radio.

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I think any combination of 4 members not including Masta Killa or U-God is acceptable. After seeing them in concert, they usually don't perform entire songs. Instead, they perform key verses and then move to the next. 4 core members will allow for a good mix of verses from most of their fan favorite songs.
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Well, there are eight surviving members, so half plus one? Five? But they need all nine of them to form the Wu Tang Voltron.
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8 MEMBERS---

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Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, 1970) - He has a very distinctive, almost abstract style of rapping, and is known for his ability to write lyrics extremely quickly. He is arguably the most consistent member of the group, having released his debut album Ironman to critical acclaim, he also played a big role in Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... Mainstream hip-hop press credits his second album Supreme Clientele with "saving the Wu", and later enjoyed similar success with The Pretty Toney Album (2004), Fishscale (2006), and More Fish (2006).

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GZA (born Gary Grice, 1966) - He is the oldest member of the group as well as the most experienced, having begun rapping in 1976, when hip hop was still a local New York phenomenon.[47] He was also the first to release an album, Words from the Genius, which was released in 1991 on Cold Chillin'/Reprise. He is known for his laid-back flow and complex use of metaphor, containing references to Samurai films, chess and 5 Percenter teachings. Liquid Swords, his Wu-Tang debut album, is often considered among the group's best work, only perhaps challenged by Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

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Inspectah Deck (born Jason Hunter, 1970) - He was one of the star members of the group, gaining attention by providing stand-out performances on both Wu-Tang albums and on other member's solo albums as well as being a popular guest rapper in 1997 and 1998. He is considered by many in the fanbase as the stand-out member on Wu-Tang Forever, although his later solo albums failed to live up to the high expectations. Inspectah Deck is known for his ability to deliver complicated rhyme-schemes and switching up his flow multiple times throughout the verse on any given song. He is also a successful producer, providing beats for many artists both in and out of the Wu-Tang family such as Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Big Pun, Prodigy and others.

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Masta Killa (born Elgin Turner, 1969) - He was the only member not already an experienced rapper at the time of the group's formation, and was extensively mentored by GZA during his early days with the group. He was largely absent on the group's first album due to his being incarcerated, though he did contribute the stand-out final verse to the track "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'." He was also the last to release a solo album, though when he finally did release No Said Date, it was generally well received and considered one of the best post-2000 Wu-Tang releases.

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Method Man (born Clifford Smith, 1971) - He was the youngest member of the Wu-Tang Clan and the first to release a Wu-Tang solo album with Tical, his career went on to become the most successful in the group, while maintaining an underground rep. His career is highlighted by platinum sales and a Grammy for I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need with Mary J. Blige. He is recognized by his distinct voice and smooth flow. He has also had a significant acting career with many film and television credits to his name, most notably the comedy film How High and the sitcom Method & Red, both co-starring with Redman, with whom he also made an album in 1999 titled Blackout!. Method Man's friendship with the Notorious B.I.G. is credited for preventing more heat between Biggie, Raekwon and Ghostface.


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RZA (born Robert Diggs, 1969) - The de facto leader of the group. He produced the entirety of Enter the Wu-Tang and the majority of the tracks on subsequent Wu-Tang albums. He has also produced many of the group's solo efforts, especially early on. Considered a producing pioneer, recently his popularity has transcended hip-hop. Thanks to Jim Jarmusch giving him his break with Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, he has gone on to score several Hollywood films such as the first installment of Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed Kill Bill, Tony Jaa 's The Protector and Ridley Scott's "American Gangster". Most recently he scored the music for the anime series Afro Samurai. Before signing with SRC Records in early 2007, RZA was flooded with offers from Bad Boy Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope and Def Jam among others.[50] Rza is currently working with Shavo of System of a Down on an album titled "Achozen" set to release in Mid-January. The first single is "Dueces".


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U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, 1970) - One of the lesser-known members of Wu-Tang, in part due to his limited exposure, from being incarcerated for most of the recording of 36 Chambers, in which he only delivered short verses on "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" and "Protect Ya Neck." He is known for delivering strong verses, his unique "bass-like" voice, and his style of blaxploitation rap.
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