Wu-Tang Clan:

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Wu-Tang Clan:

AVA Amphitheatre, Tucson, Ariz., USA, November 2, 2019

Article and photos by Mary Andrews

The members of the Wu-Tang Clan were global superstars in the early to mid-90s, but their popularity warned toward the millennium. The ‘Clan’ is seeing a resurgence these days, but if you asked a fan at this show, Wu-Tang Clan has always been on top.

Wu-Tang Clan celebrates the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) with a world tour and a critically acclaimed Showtime four-part docuseries. The band popularized the 1990s East Coast hip-hop and shaped the parameters of rap music and pop culture. They were a unique phenomenon with ten artists with a name pulled from martial arts films and rhymes that ranged from emotional to strange. They were hugely successful as a group and as solo artists.

Together they created what is often referred to as the golden era of hip-hop and their first album is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. RZA formed the group on Statin Island and created its music on old beat machines. He crafted dark compositions that sampled obscure soul, funk, and gospel records from the 1970s. The music was prophetic to those who had experienced the utter poverty of New York City in the 1990s.

Here is how the evening unfolded. The air in the outside arena was filled with the fumes of reefer early on in the evening. There were two opening acts that the fans had to patiently endure. Once DJ Freebase introduced the band of performers, the Tucson crowd got to see and experience core members: RZA, Method Man, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Cappadonna, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa in the flesh. They got things kicked off with “Bring on the Rukas.” What followed was the entire Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) record. In addition to solo music careers, some of the members have become actors and producers.

“C.R.E.A.M.,” Wu’s biggest single to date, featured Deck and Raekwon rapping in searing detail. Other crowd favorites were “Protect Ya Neck,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’Wit,” and “Can It Be So Simple.” “Come Together” separated the first and second half of the show. Part two contained songs from other Clan albums as well as material from the solo careers of the members.

This is definitely a gathering of the best performers in hip-hop and rap music. That alone is a huge undertaking for a present-day tour. It would be staggering to try to put the same caliber of rock singers on the same stage at the same time. If you could do that, who would they be?

One could call this a nostalgia show, but they would be so wrong. The music still feels current, gritty, and relevant after 26 years. They have endured racism and poverty to get where they are now. Today there certainly seems to be a resurgence for Wu-Tang clan. Maybe that is due to a political climate that demands that we have some Wu-Tang truth and idealism.