Wu-Tang Clan kicked off their farewell tour plans with a surprise performance in Ohio on Friday (May 23) and the debut of the Wu-Tang Forever Time Capsule.
The traveling vault will accompany the group across all 27 dates of their final run, Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, launching on Thursday, June 6, in Baltimore.
The Hip-Hop legends introduced the capsule during an unannounced show at comedian Dave Chappelle’s YS Firehouse venue in Yellow Springs, where Chappelle joined the group on stage and contributed a signed vinyl from his personal collection.
“This band is a miracle of cooperation,” Dave Chappelle said. “What happens when friends can get through the tough times of their friendship and stick together? What could they accomplish? They didn’t do it for the money. They didn’t do it for the fame. But my god, they did it for love and they did it for the culture.”
The intimate performance, part of Chappelle’s “Soundcheck Series,” provided a rare preview of the tour for approximately 250 attendees.
“From the basements of Staten Island, we created something timeless. And now we invite you to be part of that inspiration,” said RZA, the group’s founder. “In every city, we will be putting something new inside this time capsule. Something from your city to connect with all the Wu cities and Wu fans around the world. This Wu-Tang Forever Time Capsule will only be seen in the Shaolin Temple VIP. We invite you to be part of this legacy.”
The Shaolin Temple VIP Experience includes premium seating, limited-edition merchandise and the opportunity for attendees to contribute a personal item to the vault.
Each city will add something new, creating a collective archive of the tour’s journey.
Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber will hit major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle and Chicago. Shows in Boston, Philadelphia and New York have already sold out. The tour will also feature Run the Jewels as special guests.
“Wu-Tang Clan has shown the world many chambers throughout our career; this tour is called The Final Chamber,” RZA said. “This is a special moment for me and all my Wu brothers to run around the globe together one more time and spread the Wu swag, music, and culture. Most importantly to touch our fans and those who have supported us throughout the years. On this tour we’re playing songs we’ve never played before to our audience and me and our production team have designed a Wu-Tang show unlike anything you’ve ever seen. And to top it off we’ve got the amazing Run the Jewels on our side.”
The tour will spotlight tracks from the group’s entire discography, including deep cuts and unreleased live performances, as well as hits from their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and their Grammy-nominated, quadruple-platinum sophomore release Wu-Tang Forever, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Wu-Tang Clan recently wrapped the first-ever Hip-Hop residency in Las Vegas.