Wu-Tang Clan are set to be honored with their own day in New York City, and will mark the occasion by taking over the Empire State Building.
On Thursday (November 9), the iconic landmark will be lit up in Wu-Tang’s black and yellow colors to celebrate 30 years since the release of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
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New York City mayor Eric Adams will also declare November 9 Wu-Tang Day, honoring the Staten Island group.
Last year, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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Of the Wu’s seven albums, it is still considered by many as their greatest and stands as one of Hip Hop’s finest accomplishments.
UPDATE: Check out footage of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Empire State Building tribute below.
In addition to New York’s celebration of the group, the Wu are re-releasing Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in a number of limited editions to commemorate its anniversary.
In partnership with Get On Down, a division of Sony, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is being reissued as a limited box set which features a seven-inch vinyl collection, custom artwork, the original album on vinyl, a 60-page book and an exclusive pack of trading cards.
The album is also being re-released on a color vinyl and cassette.
RZA is also putting on a series of unique concerts to celebrate the anniversary. Back in September, the rapper and producer announced a live orchestra performance of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) at Manhattan’s Gramercy Theatre, the final date of which takes place on November 9.
The concept of the show is to reimagine the classic album through a live orchestra.
RZA had previously dabbled with classical music with his 36 Chambers of Shaolin and a Ballet Through Mud show which he performed in Denver earlier this year.
In the past, RZA has spoken about the success of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), saying he knew they were “making something special” during its creation.
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“I won’t say I was surprised, I was thankful,” he told the Library of Congress. “Look — this part will sound egocentric — but during the creation, I knew we were making something special. And that there would be an audience for it.
“For me, it [the album] didn’t exist and it needed to exist. It felt like we were capturing New York life and youth in a way that had never been exposed before, not the way that 36 Chambers and Wu were doing it.”
Revisit Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) below.
