Wu-Tang Puts The Clan In The Front For A Taste Of Their 25th Anniversary Party (Videos)
The Wu-Tang Clan are just weeks away from officially marking the 25th anniversary of their classic debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The living members of the Clan have come together for most of 2018, hitting the festival circuit and performing live in select cities for their 25th Anniversary Tour. Last night (October 19), Wu-Tang made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to give late-night TV a taste of what it’s like to see all nine of them on the same stage, at the same time – something that’s been a rare feat over their lengthy career.
For Jimmy Kimmel, this would be the closing of a one-week stint hosting the late night talk show in Brooklyn rather than his usual Hollywood studio. In a week that began with Eminem performing from atop the Empire State Building, it would end with the local legends Wu-Tang knocking it out the park with a gritty performance. Holding a vinyl copy of the 36 Chambers album, Jimmy introduces the Clan and their breakthrough single “Protect Ya Neck,” and Heads could tell what was about to go down.
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All nine living members of the Wu-Tang Clan rush the stage at once, with Masta Killa doing RZA’s adlibs at the beginning of the original track, and Cappadonna joining the rest of the Clan on backup vocals. Inspectah Deck and Raekwon slay the first two verses of the song as expected, and Method Man gets a ton of cheers as he enters on the third verse, getting an unsuspecting gentleman in the front row to give him a “Suuuu!”
U-God briefly touches the stage with his short bridge, and then some Witty-Unpredictable flavor occurs. In place of the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard is his eldest son Young Dirty Bastard covering the fifth verse, running through the audience to get to the stage. While the other members of the group changed some lyrics for censorship purposes, Y.D.B. captures the wild, uncompromising spirit of his late father by making the network work to bleep out his profane bars. With his hair dreaded in the same style O.D.B. had back in 1993, Y.D.B. is a spitting image of his father, jumping and shouting to bring the energy out of the crowd.
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The chaos continues to grow as Ghostface Killah is up next. Rather than hit the front of the stage like everyone else, G.F.K. set up shop inside a newsstand Jimmy used as a stage prop throughout the week. Ripping through his verse, he also tears down some goods from the newsstand, tossing out newspapers and candy as he attacks the mic aggressively. Keeping up that same energy is RZA on the opposite side of the stage, rapping right into the camera. GZA, of course, closes out the track with his quotable-filled verse, spitting it center-stage as the chaos ensues behind him.
While Heads may be familiar with seeing Wu-Tang perform their classic debut single, this was a reminder of how surreal it is to see all of them back together all these years later. It was a highly appropriate way for Jimmy to close out his week in Brooklyn, and a way to get fans excited for Wu-Tang’s 25th Anniversary Tour for 2019.
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Additionally, Wu-Tang performed perhaps their most known song, “C.R.E.A.M.,” another 36 Chambers affair. With Method Man and The Rebel INS sharing a brotherly embrace at the front of the stage, the collective elicited participation from the hometown crowd. With GZA, Masta Killa, RZA, and the late Ol’ Dirty calling Brooklyn home, this is a meaningful TV moment.
