Wu-Tang Clan and Nas Are Going on Tour Together
The Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are two of the most respected names in hip-hop. Now, Nas is teaming up with the supergroup consisting of hitmakers like Method Man and Ghostface Killah for a cross-country tour celebrating all things New York hip-hop.
Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are hip-hop icons
Nas first started rapping in the early 1990s as a teenager in New York. In 1994, he released his debut album Illmatic, regarded by many to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He continued his reign throughout the ’90s with albums like It Was Written, I Am…, and Nastradamus.
The Wu-Tang Clan, meanwhile, rose to fame at the same time in the same city. The group brought together RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna and has since become one of rap’s most recognizable groups.
Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are going on tour together
Now, two of the biggest names in hip-hop are hitting the road together. Wu-Tang Clan and Nas will embark on the “NY State of Mind” tour across the United States in summer 2022. The tour’s name is pulled from the iconic track off Nas’ debut LP Illmatic.
The tour will take the group to 25 cities, but notably won’t be making a stop in the city of New York proper; instead, they’ll be performing in Newark, New Jersey in September. The group will also be crossing the border to perform a show in Toronto in September.
Tickets go on sale starting Tuesday, April 26th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.
Their careers today
In addition to being New York rap icons, the Wu-Tang Clan and Nas also have something else in common: their music will be recorded for future generations to learn from. In 2021, Nas’ seminal album Illmatic was entered into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, which marks music and other audio recordings “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” In 2022, Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) received the same honor.
“Illmatic is one of my best albums ever,” Ghostface Killah once said respectfully in an interview. Raekwon echoed a similar sentiment and showed love for his friend. “My n**** Nas is one of my favorite friends,” he said. “Real strong bond right there.”
Yet despite their status as honored icons of hip-hop’s golden age, both groups continue to enjoy success today. Wu-Tang Clan, for example, continues to perform together regularly. And after over two decades of receiving nominations, Nas earned his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2021 for his album King’s Disease. He’s released two albums since then: King’s Disease II and Magic.
