One of the most prolific hip-hop groups of all time, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, embarked on some of their last shows as a group in the Final Chamber tour this summer, performing across the country as they sent off their farewell to their fans and die-hard rap fanatics.
Austin was one of the few cities that was lucky enough to be selected for this historic tour, and as hip-hop heads across generations flooded the Moody Center to witness the MCs in all their glory, Off Record was there to capture the greatness that is the Wu.
During the golden age of hip-hop of the 1990s, when lyrical abilities and unique style reigned supreme, and geographic locations across the US crafted their own various groundbreaking sounds that would eventually define a generation, NY was holding it down in a major way not only due to the fact that it was the birthplace of hip-hop, but also due to the raw talent that emerged from the city including some of the most influential MCs of all time such as Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls and of course what would eventually become one of the most recognized names in hip-hop the Wu-Tang Clan.
The Wu, spearheaded by MC/producer the RZA, were groundbreaking and unique for so many different reasons from their kung-fu movie inspired name and slang, to their sheer number of members with nine vastly different and talented MCs, and eventually ten with the addition of Cappadona, to their tactics as a hip-hop collective, nothing like the Wu had ever came before or since.
RZA’s plan was not only to launch one of the rawest hip-hop groups of all time but also to create a legacy in hip-hop with each individual member spawning solo acts of their own, launching the careers of some of the most prolific MCs of all time such as Raekown, Ghostface Killah, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Method Man.
From movies and TV, video games, and one of the largest catalogs of music to emerge from 90s hip-hop, The Wu-Tang Clan’s mark has become deeply embedded in not only hip-hop culture, but American culture. So when the group announced that they were embarking on their final tour, fans across the nation showed out for the hip-hop legends.
All ten members came out for the tour, with the exception of the late Ol’ Dirty, which was replaced by his own son Young Dirty and when hip-hop royalty hits the road, it’s only appropriate that they bring equally great artists on tour with them, which they did with the exceptionally talented and politically charged super duo of Killer Mike and El-P, also known as Run the Jewels.
Run the Jewels has carried the torch for lyrically focused hip-hop since their inception both as solo artists as well as a duo. In the packed stadium of the Moody, the two MCs turned the energy up to ten coming out to their mega hit Legend Has It. While trading verses back and forth and hyping up the crowd the duo showcased their incredible stage presence and lyrical abilities that made them stand out individually while also blending together perfectly. It was a masterclass on what true hip-hop should both look and sound like.
After the incredible RTJ set the anticipation in the room built immensely as the audience awaited for the legends to show out on stage. Suddenly the lights shut down and out came the leader of the Wu the RZA giving the grand introduction to the final tour with an inspiring speech and heroic bars. Then, as the beat dropped, the sample played over the speakers.. “Shaolin shadowboxing and the Wu-Tang Clan sword style”… the audience knew what time it was as they began to chant “BRING THE MOTHER F-CKIN’ RUCKUS”.
Out from behind the stage emerged Ghostface along with Raekwon, GZA and Inspectah Deck. As the set continued each member came on stage with their corresponding songs until finally at the sixth song with the intro of Method Man, the clan was united as one in full effect. It was a beautiful site to see the MCs share the stage together for the last time.
The group ran through their entire catalog of hits, as well as solo hits such as “Ice Cream,” “Above the Clouds,” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” bringing Ol’ Dirty’s spirit back to life, vicariously through his son. The clan indeed did bring the ruckus for this historic hip-hop show and was an absolute must see for any true hip-hop fan.
I’m a photographer currently based in Austin after recently relocating from Denver, CO. I graduated from the University of Colorado, Denver in 2019 with a degree in Business Management. I love music of all genres and have been going to live shows since I was 5 years old. Some of my favorite artist currently include Freddie Gibbs, Lola Young, Ivy Lab and Knocked Loose, but that is always subject to change.
