Wu-Tang Clan & Nas elevate Tampa to a “N.Y. State of Mind”

On September 21st. the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa was filled with a flock of golden birds, everyone came in rocking Wu-Tang gear. All through the parking lot, you could hear people blasting Busta Rhymes, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan, amped up getting the party started. Once everyone got into the amphitheater, DJ Scratch dropped the beat with bass so loud you can feel it in your chest and playing all the hits that took everyone back to the 90s. Scratch showed everyone where he got his namesake, as the award-winning hip hop disc jockey scratched up the beats, had everyone bobbing their heads and even blew early attendees away as he continued to scratch without hands! 

The rundown was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced…

Headliners Wu-Tang came out first, starting the night off by introducing each member and taking turns showing off everyone’s skills on the mic. This entire show was run without intermissions. After Wu-Tang Clan got the crowd hyped with a few songs, the beat switched to Nas, who kept the crowd going without missing a beat. Nas was dropping all the hits, taking people on a journey through his albums with an amazing performance from beginning to end and leaving arena fans wanting more. But, before you thought you were at the height of it all, Busta Rhymes appeared to “Spliff Star”! If you thought that was the end, think again. Wu-Tang members came back out for more — a lot more.

This show was wild, with nonstop hits from some of greatest rap legends.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son was performing with the rest of the surviving Wu-Tang members; the ensemble even had a video playing for ODB (may he RIP). “Young” Dirty Bastard came out exploding with energy, jumping all over the stage as the crew popped bottles to spray all over the front rows. Florida was clearly ready for this epic night of hip hop royalty, with the crowd singing everything word-for-word throughout all the performances. Fans walking out of the arena were heard saying “we can’t wait for them to come back and do it again”, among other highlights of the night. Wu-Tang Clan’s epic throwback tour ends this fall, so make sure to catch a stop near you!

Photography by Brian Nicholson

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