Wu-Tang Clan is set to perform its last concert ever in Philadelphia on Friday night. Hip hop author and journalist Kevin Powell joins CBS News 24/7 to discuss the group's influence in music.

Philadelphia

The Wu-Tang Clan, a pioneering hip-hop collective from Staten Island, is scheduled to perform its last concert in Philadelphia. The group, known for its nine members and unique approach to both group and solo careers, has had a significant influence on the music industry for over three decades.

Hip-hop journalist Kevin Powell highlighted the group's groundbreaking business model and cultural impact, comparing their legacy to that of the Beatles in rock music. Wu-Tang Clan's integration of kung-fu film influences and pop culture references into their music has left a lasting mark on hip-hop, inspiring future generations of artists with their unity and creativity.

Wu-Tang Clan to perform its final concert ever in Philadelphia

Oh man tonight, the Wu Tang clan is entering its final chamber, the iconic hip-hop collective from Staten Island, a K a Shaolin New York is performing its last concert ever this evening in Philadelphia, I want to bring in hip hop author and journalist and my friend Kevin Powell was coming to us straight from Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Zoo this morning, what's Kevin my brother good to see you. Good morning, good morning, but so good to see you thank you so much so what people may not realize about you their fans of you from the real world is that you were a writer and you chronicle hip-hop and you have been chronicling hip-hop since before you ever appeared on television. And so we play that clip from back in 1993 that was the year after the formation of the Wu Tang clan. I want you to set the context for our viewers the kind of impact that this group has had in the more than 3 decades since the old days of protecting neck. First hip-hop super group ever 9 members when you think about it and coming out of the borough, the 5th borough of New York City is often forgotten Staten Island, which I think makes it very significant because we focus on the Bronx focus on Brooklyn focus in Queens other boroughs of hip for hip-hop, but they brought something to the table that's very unique. They also had a deal and a group, but they also had 9 individual deals for each of the 9 members of the group to have single solo careers. No one had ever done anything like that before. And so they were groundbreaking in every way. And as we know masterminded masterminded by the produce reproducer leader group just you know, I mean, yeah, I'm sorry. You can't you can't deny what they created as a entity that has been around for 30 years. Many people can't say that. I mean if you people understand rock roll, I'm a big Beatles fan only the Beatles really think about it for people together and they all had soul careers that were successful Wu Tang clan are our Beatles for hip-hop. That's what they represent to me. I you know had the privilege and opportunity to sit down with RZA a few weeks ago on CBS mornings and you know we bonded not over the fact that I agree with everything you said when it comes to the music that they produce but also the inspiration that they drew from those 1960's 1970's kung-fu flicks and he was shocked that I was like name dropping deep cuts one-armed swordsman, you know Shaolin executioner and and all these other films right and like all those old Shaw brother films and I you know I I it was just so interesting that these young brothers took something that was you know we were going out to you know this we would go to Times Square and watch these movies. This is before like we had access to be vcr's and we watch these movies and you come out of that everybody be like and making the sounds like and then they took that what we thought was just so cool and they and they somehow synthesized it into this incredible musical repertoire. People think that what hip-hop samples just the music we sample pop culture if you listen to the lyrics of met the man all dirty backstage is there is all of them is references to fat Albert is reference to all the TV shows and you're right we would go see those with a couple dollars over that back in a day a couple. But they were the group to send let's make it our identity, I mean they literally comes from a movie called Shaolin and Wu Tang that's where that's where it came from and I mean it was brilliant. I was at by making was the Joneses by bags and so we've got protect your neck, their first single first we like who are these people and how many of them are there was so many people wrapping the chat like 6 to 8 bars each but that was their genes they were literally introducing us to the entire group knowing that they're also going to break apart is older the best is method man and they have so Chris and continue to come back together which makes this the Beatles never got back together so this is significant what they're doing down or let me say you remember db famously said Wu Tang is for the children. What does this mean. I mean that's what he said db we miss you man, what does this mean for the era of next artists, the next generation of artists. Well, I hope that they learn from the Wu Tang that the routine plans about to their back a super team at the sports team, you know they're they're they're like they're they're a brotherhood when you watch the video that you see the bonding the affection is not lost me. We're rich is it and only be your cousin, they all come from or move to at some points that knowledge so they grew up together so they represent a unity that we haven't seen a lot and that we honestly do we need for the future of our our culture and really and our country in these times, you know how can people come together spite of their differences. I love that Kevin powell please come back and talk to us more about pop culture man always love it when you do thank you very much my thank you so much.

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