The Saga Continues Worldwide: Wu-Tang Clan And Nas Announce 2023 Australian Tour Dates

Today, Hip Hop icons Wu-Tang Clan and Nas have announced Australian dates on their upcoming, legendary co-headlined NY State of Mind tour, which will be hitting multiple continents this year.

The 2023 tour comes on the heels of the sold out 2022 N.Y. State of Mind Tour run that hit 25+ cities last year, including an iconic show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The tour was also recently nominated for Pollstar’s 2022 Hip Hop Tour of The Year – watch the 2022 N.Y.

Produced by Live Nation and presented in partnership with CADA the tour will commence at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on May 12, followed by Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on May 13 and concluding at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne on May 14.

Live Nation pre-sale commences at 11am on Friday March 3, running for 72 hours. General public tickets go on sale Monday March 6 at 12pm. All times are local.

Founded in New York City’s Staten Island in the early 1990s, the Wu-Tang Clan is comprised of members RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and the deceased Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB). Their name is a reference to a 1983 martial arts film.

Led by the production of RZA, samples from martial arts films have thematically appeared throughout the group’s music, as have samples of classic funk and soul tracks from artists like Rick James, James Brown, and Syl Johnson. As a group, Wu-Tang Clan have three platinum albums among their eight LPs, and the group’s complete anthology (including solo albums) has more than 85 full-length releases. More than just rappers, Wu-Tang Clan are entrepreneurs and successful cultural influencers, with an empire that features everything from clothing lines and video games to books and acting credits.

Considered by many to be the greatest hip-hop group of all time, Wu-Tang Clan have been touring as a unit since their debut record — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — came out in 1993. The now triple-platinum release vaulted the New York City group with songs like C.R.E.A.M (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) and Protect Ya Neck that are about as recognisable as anything in the rap canon.

Their live sets are a family affair, with every member of the crew representing their lyrical contributions to the Wu’s eight studio albums, as well as notable cuts from the Wu-Tang solo discography. With the omnipresent Wu-Tang “W” flanking all angles of the stage, there’s a familiarity to Wu-Tang Clan’s music that gives their shows unique mass appeal.

Whether they’re delivering the 36 Chambers record front to back on the album’s 25th Anniversary Tour, or tracks from GZA’s seminal Liquid Swords and Raekwon’s mafioso-minded Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, or honoring the legacy of their departed brother, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, every Wu-Tang Clan show is a celebration of prolific careers as individuals and especially as the most storied group in hip-hop history.

Nas (Nasir Jones) first reached an international audience when his track Halftime was tapped by producer MC Serch as the opening cut on 1992’s Zebrahead movie soundtrack. Signed to Columbia Records, the first full-length album by poet and rhyme-master Nas arrived in 1994, Illmatic. The RIAA platinum hip-hop landmark featured It Ain’t Hard To Tell, The World Is Yours, and One. 1996 brought the breakthrough double-platinum It Was Written (#1 R&B for 7 weeks, #1 pop for 4 weeks), with his first major crossover singles Street Dreams and If I Ruled the World (Imagine That). Success continued with the double-platinum I Am in 1999 (again #1 pop and #1 R&B), with the chart singles Nas Is Like, Hate Me Now (featuring Puff Daddy), and You Won’t See Me Tonight (featuring Aaliyah).

Subsequent albums by Nas included: the RIAA platinum Nastradamus (1999, #2 R&B, #7 pop, with Nastradamus and You Owe Me, featuring Ginuwine); the platinum Stillmatic (2001, #1 R&B, #5 pop, with Got Ur Self A…, One Mic, and Rule); the platinum God’s Son (2002, #1 R&B, with huge R&B/pop crossover hits Made You Look and I Can); and the platinum double-CD Street’s Disciple (2004, #2 R&B, #5 pop, with Bridging the Gap and Just a Moment). And his 2012 album, Life Is Good earned him 4 Grammy nominations including Rap Album of the Year and is certified RIAA gold.

Live Nation pre-sale commences at 11am on Friday March 3, running for 72 hours. General public tickets go on sale Monday March 6 at 12pm. All times are local.

For complete tour, ticket and VIP Experience information, go to www.livenation.com.au