Martin Shkreli bought the only copy of their album “Paddle8” for two million dollars. (Photo courtesy of Medium)

Jessica Berry
Connector Contributor

The Wu-Tang Clan are a large group that have made a huge impact in the hip-hop community across several decades. Their debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” was released in 1993 and is considered to be one of the best albums in hip-hop history. The Wu-Tang Clan has released seven gold and platinum studio albums and have collaborated with other hip-hop legends such as The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Mobb Deep, Redman, Busta Rhymes, DJ Muggs and many others.

The Wu-Tang Clan will be coming to UMass Lowell, with all of its original members besides the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, on Friday November 2, 2018 at the Tsongas Center. The event is at 8 p.m. and the tickets range from $49 to $99.

Some of their most well-known songs from “Enter the Wu-Tang” include hits like “C.R.E.A.M,” “Protect Ya Neck” and “Bring Da Ruckus.” Their lyrics are heavily influenced by martial arts and the pros and cons of being an African-American male in 1990’s New York.

The Wu-Tang Clan has nine official members, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killia and Cappadonna. It’s a rare occasion when all of the band members actually make it to a show to perform as the original group, so November 2nd is going to be a special event.

“There is availability left. Every day we’re selling more and more so you want to get your tickets sooner rather than later because it is going to be a popular show,” Jessie Santer, the marketing manager for the Tsongas Center, said.

The “36 Chambers” 25th anniversary show is sure to have a large age demographic, seeing as the album debuted in the early 90’s, and Wu-Tang still holds their popularity with a younger generation that have an appreciation for all hip-hop.

“I don’t have a lot of friends I can talk about Wu-Tang with. I try to put my friends on to Wu-Tang all the time,” UMass Lowell student Joshua Greely, who is attending the show, said. “But personally, I find a connection with Wu-Tang because hip-hop today doesn’t really hit the raw storytelling and voice inflections that Wu-Tang does. I grew up watching the music videos of the whole clan performing ‘36 Chambers.’ It’ll definitely be different from concerts I’m usually seeing regarding hip-hop nowadays.”

Many of the members have had their own solo careers, including founding members Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who passed away in 2004 of a drug overdose. ODB collaborated with artists ranging from Mariah Carey to Insane Clown Posse. Many of the current members have also gone on to work with modern hip-hop artists.

“I identify with RZA a lot and I like some of the beats he produces and work he does with other artists,” Greely said. “I’m curious to see who plays and what they play at the show, seeing as it’s the anniversary of ‘36 Chambers.’ I wonder how many people who are attending this concert, especially UMass Lowell kids, will identify with that.”