SPILL LIVE REVIEW: WU-TANG CLAN & NAS w/ DJ SCRATCH @ BUDWEISER STAGE, TORONTO

WU-TANG CLAN & NAS w/ DJ SCRATCH

@ BUDWEISER STAGE, TORONTO

SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

Toronto was treated to a night of classic ‘90s hip-hop nostalgia with two of the decade’s finest: Wu-Tang Clan and Nas. Along with supporting act, DJ Scratch, the hip-hop innovators brought their co-headlining tour, N.Y. State of Mind Tour, to Toronto’s Budweiser Stage for an exciting performance.

Despite Busta Rhymes being recently added to the N.Y. State of Mind Tour as the show opener, Mr. Rhymes was nowhere to be seen at Bud Stage. The unexplained absence was filled in by DJ Scratch (producer; Busta Rhymes, DMX, Q-Tip, Method Man) who delivered an afterparty experience for the pre-show. Hyping up the crowd with an array of classic R&B, dancehall, and a set sprinkled with some of the greatest hip-hop tracks spanning the genre’s history, DJ Scratch brought the artform of DJing back to the game with a performance that brought the energy of a party to a sold-out amphitheatre.

Rather than Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan split their performances into two separate sets, like most concerts, the two chose to rotate between short sets throughout the night. Kicking off this rotation was Wu who opened their set with a set of verses from the leading rappers of the clan, as introduced by RZA: Gza performing “Liquid Swords”, Inspectah Deck with Gang Starr’s “Above The Clouds”, Raekwon with “Incarcerated Scarfaces”, Ghostface Killah performing “Mighty Healthy”, and a surprise verse from Cappadonna with “’97 Mentality”. Backed by a live DJ, the full Clan took the stage – including the addition of U-God, Masta Killa, and Young Dirty Bastard – for a ruthless performance of “Bring Da Ruckus” and “Da Mystery Of Chessboxing”. While the absence of Method Man weighed heavy on the group’s performance, the Wu shines for their natural chemistry together, particularly that between Gza and Ghostface as they hyped one another up, doubling and completing each other’s lines effortlessly. Standing as two of the greatest MC’s of the Clan, Ghostface and Gza’s combined flow remains unparalleled.

WU-TANG CLAN

As the Wu cleared the stage for Nas’ first set of the night, Raekwon stayed on to perform his solo track, “Verbal Intercourse” with Ghostface and Nas – a definite highlight for the night. Supported by a DJ and a live drummer, Nas stomped across the stage with a commanding presence. Over the course of ten songs, Nas proved his worth as a premier MC as he ebbed and flowed with a performance that perhaps won over an audience that, at first, seemed more excited to see the Wu-Tang Clan. Performing tacks, such as “The Message”, “Get Down”, “N.Y. State Of Mind”, and Mobb Deep’s “Eye For An Eye (Your Beef Is Mines) with Raekwon, Nas brought a refined level of finesse along with his raw attitude that was thrilling to watch.

Returning for a brief set, the second Wu-Tang set largely started Raekwon and Ghostface as the two went through a handful of the former’s solo tracks (notably “Ciminology”, and “Ice Cream”), before Gza came out with “Duel Of The Iron Mic” – yet another surprising highlight from the night. While the rest of the Clan emerged to perform a quintessential trio of songs – “C.R.E.A.M.”, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit”, and “Can It Be All So Simple” – the second set from Wu-Tang Clan was a special affair, especially for fans of Gza, Ghostface, and Raekwon.

NAS

Coming back on for a second set, Nas continued to stun the audience with an exceptional performance. From “Hate Me Now” and “Street Dreams” to “Wu For The Children” and “Nas Is Like”, Nas was equally sublime and bombastic with a performance that felt like a victory lap from one of the few ‘90s rappers to still release music at a consistent pace. Ending his final set with “The World Is Yours”, “Made You Look”, and “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)”, Nas put on a stellar performance.

Taking the stage for a final performance, Rza took the stage with a message of love and unity, set over a funky instrumental of The Beatles’ “Come Together”, only for the Clan to come out and absolutely crush it on “Reunited” interluded with a verse from Gza’s “4^th Chamber”. After giving Young Dirty Bastard a chance to shine on “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Got Your Money” – matching the unique timbre and explosive performance of the late Ol’Dirty Bastards – The Wu closed their set with a hard-hitting performance of “Triumph” and “One Mic”, which saw Nas take the lead for the closing number, supported by the Clan.

All in all, the N.Y. State of Mind Tour was an exciting affair that saw Wu-Tang Clan and Nas assert their position as hip-hop royalty. While the overall performance would have benefited from a more traditional format – one consecutive set for Nas, another for the Wu – both artists delivered hard-hitting performances. Despite being largely driven by nostalgia, Nas proved his worth as an MC a cut above most, while Wu-Tang Clan blew the audience away with their tight knit chemistry and organic flow.

Wu-Tang Clan Links

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