Wu-Tang Clan's farewell tour mesmerizes TD Garden
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The crowd cheers as Wu-Tang Clan takes the stage for Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber at TD Garden on Friday.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Famous for transcending their collective upbringing in the housing projects and on the mean streets of Staten Island by envisioning an alternate universe based on the feudal Japanese warrior class, RZA and Wu-Tang recreated much of that onstage. A huge video screen overhead flashed with animated visions of ancient samurais and pagodas while the group members took turns commanding the stage below.
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After Cappadonna roared through 'Run,' from his 1998 solo debut, RZA took the opportunity to deplore gun violence.
'Sometimes you don't get a chance to run,' he said. Noting that the government 'is trying to regulate women, but won't regulate guns,' and education but not guns, he paid tribute to several of hip-hop's fallen heroes — Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, Nipsey Hussle, A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg ('Can I kick it?,' RZA chanted) — as huge black-and-white images of each appeared overhead. The 'in memoriam' segment emphasized what was already a clear bid for posterity.
With their justice-seeking tirades, openers Run the Jewels were an apt table-setter. 'Boston shows up on time!' El-P noted appreciatively. They were honored, he said, to open for 'the greatest rap group of all time. It's really not a debate.'
Method Man performs during "Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber" at TD Garden.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
After RZA's introduction, Ghost and Raekwon led Wu-Tang onstage, prowling like tigers as they took the first two verses of 'Bring da Ruckus,' the lead track on '36 Chambers.' The crowd enthusiastically chanted along to the repeated phrase in the title of 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit.'
The Wu-Tang Clan is New York City to its core, but the Boston audience exulted in their presence. And the rappers reciprocated. Several wore custom kelly-green Celtics jerseys with the number 25 on the front and their stage names across the back. As he's been doing throughout the tour, Inspectah Deck led a tribute to Gang Starr, the vintage New York rap duo led by the late Boston native Keith Elam (a.k.a. Guru), with that group's song 'Above the Clouds,' which featured a guest vocal by Deck.
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RZA of Wu-Tang Clan during the hip-hop collective's farewell tour show at TD Garden.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The final segment of the show began with the band's electric violinist ripping a soundtrack interlude spiced with a snippet of another hip-hop classic, OutKast's 'So Fresh, So Clean.' Young Dirty Bastard ably took the fore during his father's 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya' and 'Got Your Money,' while a collage image of the old man loomed overhead.
The band wrapped with their best-loved track, 'C.R.E.A.M.' — Cash Rules Everything Around Me — and 'Triumph,' the latter from their second album, 1997's 'Wu-Tang Forever.' Each member took a verse.
RZA sent the wrung-out crowd into the night by imploring them to raise their Wu-Tang 'flags.' A sea of hands went up, thumbs crossed. If this was in fact the group's last time in town, the shadow of those Ws will linger.
WU-TANG CLAN
With Run The Jewels. At TD Garden, Friday.
James Sullivan can be reached at
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