Footage From Wu-Tang’s NYC Performance
(Pictures, Video & Recap via Nacho Broadway)
“I hate these damn Ringtone Rappers!”, unexpectedly shouts an 18 year-old in line 2 hours before the doors open. The perfect target market for today’s hip hop appears as a shining light for the dying breed. A cipher on Hip Hop discussion seems to be the perfect distraction to the light rain sprinkling an always bright Midtown Manhattan on a cold January night. Hammerstein Ballroom is the location, one of the few music/art venues left in this pricey city. This brief unity sparked solely on the love of music, clones the unbelievable bond that Wu-Tang Clan is still performing together as a band after 15+ years.
Pictures, video and the rest of the recap from Nacho Broadway are below…
Whistles & loud cheer welcome Mister Cee to the set wearing a “I Wu New York” white t-shirt. The NYC DJ, best known for his work with The Notorious B.I.G., comes on fierce, almost vehemently. “You ready to hear some real Hip Hop tonight?!” Crowd’s energy shows early as they sing word for word thru some legendary 90s Hip Hop as; Shook Ones, Warm It Up, Who Shot Ya, Sound Bwoy Buriell, & The World Is Yours. Even the stage security guard if nodding his head throwing his hands in the air. He orders to salute the great DJ Premier, gives regards to a soon imprisoned Prodigy and wishes he could bring back Biggie, Tupac and Pun. The self-proclaimed, “Strongest Finisher In The Game” holds true. No Wu-Tang show is complete without a blow to the one-hit wonders, Mister Cee starts it early, “No disrespect to the Dirty South, all that is @#$ is cute(as he mimics a snap dance), but tonight it’s about that true Hip Hop, no Ringtone Rappers tonight” before asking the crowd “Who’s the worst rapper out right now?”, quick responses are mixed between 50-Cent & Soulja Boy. After defrosting for almost 3 hours, rumors spread throughout the anxious crowd on a prior show that started 4 hours late. Passing the duties to resident Wu DJ, Mathematics, the floor chants “Wu-Tang!, Wu-Tang!”
The clan pours onto the stage like a Swat team to Wu-Tang Clan ain’t Nuthing ta F’Wit. I am front “row” separated by a chest-leveled steel gate in the large standing area of the ballroom, with at least 250 people behind me all vying for a closer view. Thoughts of a European soccer game fence crush are brief, but returned w/ jumps & benevolent pushes cooked into a miniscule mosh pit. A renowned energetic Method Man amps the crowd further as he enters & runs across the stage while performing his verse. Method’s stage skills are leaps above the other members, whom are contempt with nodding in the cut pulling from the various blunts.
The show might leave some with an empty feeling, something might be missing. A fan-favorite Raekwon brings meaning to his Immobilarity titled album, uplifted up by a reminiscent 1995 OB4CL sound. Ghostface makes his rounds donned in a bright red bubble coat showing absolutely no facial expression, could have been unhappy, tired or highly blazed. Vocal in media outlets, Ghostface blesses the mic only for his rhymes tonight. GZA and a fresh lawsuit filing U-God filled in the blanks. The sound was barely distinguished at times and the ballroom’s top tier seating area was completely empty. The overall package outside of Method Man gets stale, the strongest distinction between members were their wardrobe. Given that no Wu show is coordinated or on-time, the members fill in the verse to whatever song Mathematics votes on. It’s raw, authentic, refreshing and true to the fans.
Standouts were Cappadonna’s Winter Warz accapella uptempoed 5x. Inspectah Deck makes you wonder why he’s trailing Ghostface in the solo album category. C.R.E.A.M, Triumph rocked the Ballroom. A brief cameo by Redman to finish Rockwilder. Enough praise can’t be given to the M.E.T.H.O.D. Either jumping on or walking thru the crowd, Method makes it known he loves the music and the fans, it’s what has kept them relevant in this veteran hating genre.
Pictures, Video & Recap via Nacho Broadway
January 18th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
fuck wu tang clan they are all wash up rapper except for method man n ghost face.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
WHITE BREAD is obviously a white boy…
That I WE NY tee is iLL
January 18th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
lmao @ all tha ppl that think these niggas can make a comeback….niggas careers is dead and its gonna stay that way 4 ever sorry lol and fuck who ever doesnt like my comment
January 18th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
magic jones is right lol
January 18th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
EWWW,OLD SCHOOL RAPPERS
January 18th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
[...] Talk NY has some extensive coverage on the last Wu show The clan pours onto the stage like a Swat team to Wu-Tang Clan ain’t Nuthing ta F’Wit. I am [...]
January 18th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
yahhh trick yahhh, wutang clan had there time over 10 freaking years ago, time to let it go.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
yall young kids are so hurting. your world is small. look across the pond, wu are worldwide legends. they will never die. go listen to your plies, rick ross, young jock and flo rida bullshit. you wont hear a song from those pussies within a year guaranteed. these mutherfuckers been rocking 15+
stoopid
January 18th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
U can’t be a fan of Hip-hop and not respect the Wu, they legends, Hip-hop fan, change ur name cuz u can’t be a fan and not pay homage to the Clan, I ain’t hatin on the new generation,and I ain’t one of these dudes ridin how ill the early 90’s, that’s just the era I grew up in, but do ur homework, Wu-Tang is forever, and it just ain’t a slogan, check the catalog, rather library of work..suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh
January 18th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
FUK DA WORLD..WUTANG SOME LEGENDS FUK U AINT GANGSTA IF U DISAGRRE.GZA JUST TALKIN HORSEY SMACK..BUT 4 REAL THO SOLJA TOY CANT FUK WIF DA WU..
YAHH BITCH ,BTCH YAHHH..DIS NIGGA A CLOWN
January 18th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Number 9, “Complex” Shut up my negro. I do have respect for them, they inspired and layted foundation for some new artists BUT theres time for everything, and I think its obvious to anybody that WU time is over in terms of making a comeback
January 18th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
but tonight it’s about that true Hip Hop, no Ringtone Rappers tonight” before asking the crowd “Who’s the worst rapper out right now?”, quick responses are mixed between 50-Cent & Soulja Boy.—- 50 and soulja boy does not belong in the same sentence… 50’s name is always on the toungue of niggas mouths, shittin on him, knowing damn well they burn all his shit and listen to everything he says. Yall need to start giving 50 some respect, the nigga is nice.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
@8,9,10,
its over!!!! lmao yall nigga really think these old ass hightops can make a comeback??yall really think tha commodores can make a comeback??lmao what was that last soundscan??
@10 soulja toy as u put it is at 700,000 thats why he got u mad lmao
January 18th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
thanks realtalk – wish I was there
Clan In da front
January 18th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Who said they are trying to make a come back? Come back from what!? They are one of the ill est crew in history. They’re doing this for the love of hip-hop. Why are y’all defending trash ass artist like 50 cent and solider girl.
real recognize real
January 18th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
YO seriously a dude born after 89 has no respect for hip hop cuz by the time the started listenin to it it was slow fallin off i may be 18 but im a hip hop fan since age of 3 months i mena how yall say all these bullshit about wutang i mean fifty was a good but most niggas kno mainstream bullshit he drop i mean in the gunit hayday all i was really listenin to was guint radios but those dayshave long passed but serious i do feel that wu cant make a comeback because their too real u have rap like everybody else to sell record and still comeup with and electric slide type dance (soulja,d4l,dfb,etc.) and sell out ur artistry for money (50,jayz (yeah i said it yall hype up to a level i dont believe he will or ever was),etc. yo until yall dudes realize that it takes more than a beat and an ill hook and dance old ladies could do like styles said all u need is a beat and an hook no talent ask soulja boy
January 18th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
SUUUUUUUE
January 18th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
WU-TANG CLAN AINT NOTHING TO FUCK WIT.
January 19th, 2008 at 12:52 am
this is what i think about the wu honestly wu is classic compare to singers(and i say singers cause there isn’t really that many real hip hop artist and rapper these days)that are out now. they are one of the pioneers of hip hop. they took what was given to them by others that pay the way im a 80’s baby and growing up i heard the lyrics of slick rick run dmc and eric b and rakim if these young pussy clot even say that they wash up and wack then you talking foolish cause if it wasn’t for them you wouldn’t even have a young jeezy or a ric ross now and dayz all people go by is the hype and the hottest song for the min and then what nothing you go on to the next song but the wu talk about some real shit they were about the struggle and the pain they had to face when they was growing up and alot of us can relate they use words to paint a picture of what it was like living in the ghetto alot of these rich snobs and pissy baby fuckers won’t know a thing about struggle but yet in their lil corner they be trying to be a minority and bump a lil wayne or a 50 cent thinking they hard well as far as them coming back i don’t know cause i haven’t heard their new album and from ghostface mouth nigga said shit was wack so if he said it then i would believe it cause rza can’t be trying to get all the money cause he is a producer the wu should have had timbo or pharell make a beat but they are classic like nas jay big pac pun they pay the way for what hip hop was cause hip hop now is it to a degree dead cause all you got now is superman hoe and one hit wonders that ain’t about the essence of hip hop they about the money and using hip hop to exploit and that isn’t what hip hop is or was about it was about the tales of the struggle of urban America i guess people forgot about that and let these white market exec use our art to make money off of and now it isn’t what it use to be
i see why artist like clipse and nas don’t be producing albums every year cause they don’t want the art to die out like that
wu tang forever
another thing it won’t be the same wu without odb he was like the hype man of the group
r.i.p odb pay respect to that dude for real
lost but never forgotten
January 19th, 2008 at 12:54 am
wuwuw!!!! HELL YEH REAL RAP!!!
January 19th, 2008 at 1:09 am
damn the wu-tang still alive lol
January 19th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Co-sign #12 broadway.I couldn’t have said it better myself.
As for the clan, they are legends but they need to stick together next time they wanna drop an album if they expect people to connect to the music.
January 19th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Wu tang 4 life…
January 19th, 2008 at 8:45 am
fuck everybody hatin on the wu,… 8 diagrams is a great album but i think they had to bring that muthafuckin ruckus again!!!!!
January 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am
you young wack fake hip hop head!!!!!! kill me, to fix your nasty wack mouth to dis wu-tang is fucking crazy, DO US REAL HIP HOP HEADs A FAVOR and DIE SLOW FUCKING LITTLE WANNA BE’S SUCK MY DI-K!!!. WU 4 EVER FAGGOTS!!!!!!!!!!