The audience at the Toyota Center became calm and quiet as the singer Blue Raspberry stood center stage. Dressed in all black, she let the weight of the moment hang in the air. The band behind her swayed gently with the beat as she began to sing “The Way We Were,” a 1970s classic made famous by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Her voice was soulful and steady, carrying the room with a calm intensity.
The crowd, many dressed in Wu Wear and vintage tour tees, watched intently as her vocals filled the arena. As she made her way through the final verse, the tone shifted. When she sang the lyric “can it be that it was all so simple then,” the atmosphere changed. People stood up, recognizing the lyric’s dual meaning: part tribute, part warning. The stadium lights dimmed at once, prompting a wave of cheers. A beat dropped, the lights pulsed back on, and Raekwon stormed the stage. Moments later, RZA and Ghostface joined him, signaling what everyone had come to witness. The Wu Tang Clan’s final chapter was in full swing in Houston.
The Wu Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour was billed as the group’s farewell run across North America, marking more than three decades of groundbreaking music, brotherhood, and cultural influence. From June 6 to July 18, 2025, the tour is spanning 27 cities, including sold out stops in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
The core group consisting of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U God, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, and Young Dirty Bastard reunited onstage to deliver a multi act production that honored their deep discography while pushing into new territory. As a farewell, it was theatrical and ambitious. As a concert, it was a masterclass in stamina, showmanship, and reverence.
As a farewell, it was theatrical and ambitious. As a concert, it was a masterclass in stamina, showmanship, and reverence.
The night’s setlist featured a strategic blend of Wu Tang classics, solo bangers, and a few unexpected curveballs. In addition to staples like “Protect Ya Neck,” “C.R.E.A.M.,” and “Triumph,” fans were treated to deep cuts from albums like Ironman, Liquid Swords, and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Method Man’s charisma was magnetic during “All I Need,” and GZA brought his cerebral cool to “4th Chamber.” Blue Raspberry’s live vocals elevated the night, providing the soulful bridges and melodic structure that framed many of Wu Tang’s most enduring tracks. Her presence reminded the crowd that the Wu sound was always as layered as it was lyrical.
The show was structured in four distinct acts, with RZA taking a conductor’s role both literally and figuratively, guiding the audience through decades of music and memory. Act I revisited the group’s origins, pulling heavily from Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) and interspersing it with grainy home footage and video snippets that played across massive screens. It felt like a time capsule cracked open.
Act II transitioned into the late 1990s, where solo careers began to bloom and side projects extended the Wu Tang brand. This section gave space for Ghostface, Raekwon, and Method Man to shine individually, reminding fans how diverse the crew had always been. Act III was moodier and more introspective, featuring rarities, B sides, and tracks like “Hollow Bones” and “Impossible.” RZA, GZA, U God, Cappadonna, and Masta Killa held it down with precision.
The final act ended with the big hits, led by Barson Unique Jones performing as Young Dirty Bastard. He took center stage and channeled his late father, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, dancing, shouting, and wailing through his father’s most beloved verses.
But the night was not just about music. It also served as a showcase for how the Wu Tang brand has grown into a global entity. Between acts, the audience was shown preview clips of upcoming projects, including a RZA-directed film starring Into the Spider Verse’s Shameik Moore, a Steam exclusive video game led by Ghostface Killah, and a documentary chronicling the making of Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album. These moments highlighted how the group’s legacy now touches film, fashion, gaming, and entrepreneurship, all while staying rooted in the music.
The show celebrated the iconic Hip Hop group but they made sure to shout out the icons of the city as well., RZA paced across the stage slowly, taking in the energy of the crowd before raising the mic. “Houston, you’ve been supporting us for thirty years,” he shouted. “We know the importance of this city, and we’ve always felt the love from the Scarfaces to the UGKs.” The audience erupted again. For many fans, the show was more than a concert. It was a living archive, a history lesson, and a farewell party rolled into one.
If this truly was the last time Wu Tang Clan would tour as a group, they left nothing undone. They honored their past, showcased their present, and hinted at a future that still has stories left to tell, even as the final chamber begins to close.
Setlist
Set 1
Bring da Ruckus
Clan in da Front
Da Mystery of Chessboxin’
Sunlight
Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit
Method Man
Shame on a Nigga
Protect Ya Neck
Set 2
The Way We Were (Gladys Knight & the Pips cover, with Blue Raspberry)
Can It Be All So Simple (with Blue Raspberry)
Holla (Ghostface Killah song)
Rainy Dayz (Ghostface Killah and Raekwon cover, with Blue Raspberry)
Hollow Bones
’97 Mentality (Cappadonna song)
Above the Clouds (Gang Starr cover)
Incarcerated Scarfaces (Raekwon song)
Ice Cream (Raekwon song)
Bring the Pain (Method Man song)
Da Rockwilder (Method Man & Redman cover, with Redman)
Da Goodness (Redman cover, with Redman)
How High (Method Man & Redman cover, with Redman)
All I Need (Method Man song, with Blue Raspberry)
Set 3
Liquid Swords (GZA song)
Duel of the Iron Mic (GZA song)
Severe Punishment
4th Chamber (GZA song)
No Said Date (Masta Killa song)
Gravel Pit
Run (Cappadonna song)
Tearz
Set 4
Reunited
For Heavens Sake
Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Ol’ Dirty Bastard song)
Got Your Money (Ol’ Dirty Bastard song)
C.R.E.A.M.
Triumph
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
