Desert Daze festival is known for boasting an eclectic line-up of acts from surf rock to hip-hop. This year was no different, with headliners like Devo and Flying Lotus. But because the lineup was wide-ranging, it made way for some pretty unexpected collaborations. One unforeseen collaboration was between veteran hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and indie psychedelia trio Khruangbin.
Khruangbin, known for their eccentric stage presence, offered a thumping beat for Wu-Tang clan to rap over during Desert Daze’s closing set. Though Ghostface Killah and Method Man weren’t present on stage, Wu-Tang clan continues to embark on a 25th-anniversary tour of their iconic record Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). According to Stereogum, Wu-Tang Clan invited Khruanbgin to the stage to perform a mostly faithful rendition of “Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)” that disintegrated into a freestyle showcase.
Earlier on in their set, Wu-Tang clan brought out all the classics like “Da Mystery Of Chessboxinβ” and “Clan In Da Front.” The set incorporated solo explorations from GZA, Cappadonna, and Olβ Dirty Bastard, who passed away in 2004. The high-energy group even tried remixing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and incited a mosh pit in the dusty desert crowd.
Watch fan-captured footage of the collaboration below.
Desert Daze closing ceremony: @WuTangClan x @Khruangbin ππ΅π½ pic.twitter.com/zWqSarLQNv
— ππππππππ (@scottgum) October 14, 2019