With the obvious exception of dear departed Ol Dirty Bastard, the entire Wu-Tang Clan reunited on “The Daily Show” last night to celebrate their 20th anniversary and because nothing brings old band members back together like a new album to promote.
All nine surviving members, including RZA, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, GZA, and longtime hold-out Raekwon, performed “Ron O”Neal” from the November release, “A Better Tomorrow,” as well as Wu-Tang chestnut, “Triumph.” It”s worth watching the video just for the act”s intro and to meet a new surprise member.
Raekwon, who told Rolling Stone in April that he wouldn”t be part of the new project because of business differences (as opposed to the usual creative differences), explained his change of heart-kind of- to Jon Stewart by comparing himself to an athlete:
“I consider this a sport,” Raekwon said. “I think it's important as an athlete of music to make sure that you've got your business together, make sure you feel happy in whatever you want to do. You just want to feel good about it and at the end of the day you've gotta have your i's dotted and your t's crossed in business, because we have families…so if I'm not gonna see my children and I'm out here doing a job, I think it's important for me to go out there and do what I say I'm going to do, get back home to them and then hit up Disneyland.”
Ghostface Killah said any reservations he had about returning were alleviated by RZA . “As soon as [RZA] said we”re coming back to do a 'A Better Tomorrow,” I”m always with it,” he said. Despite having some concerns about making sure all the business affairs and logistics were in order {are you sensing a theme?], he”s a team player once he”s on board. “I”ll take one for the team, I don”t have a problem with that.”
At the end of the day, RZA said the state of the Wu Tang union is solid. “Wu-Tang, we have something in common with each other – a brotherhood, a respect. And when we said 'a better tomorrow,' we're starting to make a better tomorrow for ourselves, but also to inspire a better tomorrow for the world.”
While “A Better Tomorrow” will be available for the world to hear, as we previously reported, Wu-Tang has also been recording a double album, “The Wu -Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” that they will only press one copy of and sell to the highest bidder (and also tour the album in its engraved gift box) to galleries and museums because they're givers.