To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Hot 97 hosted a concert in Madison Square Garden on September 15, 2023 with some of the biggest names in hip-hop history, such as Funk Flex, Mr. Magic, DJ Marley Marl, Sean Paul, and Method Man to name a few. Not to mention the queen of hip-hop, Mary J. Blige, which fans know her very well for her songs “You’re All I Need” with Method Man and “Family Affair”. Headlining this impressive line-up was the legendary Wu-Tang. It was awesome to see these artists again under the lights, some for the first time in years.

After releasing their first album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), it was a hit back in the 90s, soon followed by Wu-Tang Forever. The group is most known for their single, “Protect Ya Neck”, hence why they started with the song during the concert.

Maxwell was the one to excite the crowd for the entrance of Wu-Tang and it was perfect as the music kicked in right after: “When they debuted in 1993, with 36 chambers, they changed the game! From the slang to their business skills, these lyrical assassins [made] nothing but an everlasting mark on the global hip-hop culture. Wu-Tang is for the children, hip hop will continue forever and for generations and generations!”

The many members of Wu-Tang all had different beginnings in the industry. RZA started to collaborate with Ghostface Killah and another from Staten Island (where the group started out), RZA and another member got the name after a film called Shaolin and Wu Tang. There were 9 members to start with but in 2004, the death of an original member came right before his 35th birthday, and another person, Cappadonna, took his place the same year.

Wu-Tang has made an impact throughout history and still put on one incredible performance. Even after all this time, Wu-Tang is still a prevalent influence in the hip-hop industry.