‘We love you, Canada’: Wu-Tang Clan brings final tour back to Toronto

Wu-Tang Clan brought the ruckus, brought Russell Peters, brought Havoc from Mobb Deep, brought some chakra advice and brought plenty of love for Canada at the Toronto stop of their Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour on Tuesday night (Sept. 8).

“I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but I’m going to say it tonight. I love this country,” said Method Man before “All I Need,” about halfway through the set at RBC Amphitheatre. “There’s a lot of people back home that agree with me. We love you, Canada.”

Given the recent verbal attacks and digs from the U.S. president, the sentiment was much appreciated.

Love came again in a more spiritual instruction when RZA helped us how-to on getting rid of negative energy by making a fist in the air and a series of other how-tos before, “all you do is let it go”  — a fitting bit of chakra cleansing from the Wu-Tang member known for his interest in Eastern philosophy.

The show marked the group’s second Toronto appearance in just over a year. Wu-Tang previously played Scotiabank Arena last July as part of their Final Chamber run, following their 2023 appearances at both Scotiabank Arena and RBC Amphitheatre during the NY State of Mind Tour.

For longtime fans — the OGs who first heard the groundbreaking Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) 33 years ago — the show was a chance to see Wu-Tang Clan one last time and perhaps bring along their kids (there were some in the single digits). But there were also young adults there to take in — and, for some, smoke in — an historic group.

That generational crossover was one of the coolest things about the night. Parents stood beside teenagers, longtime hip-hop heads stood beside first-generation Wu fans, and everywhere you looked people were rapping along. For a genre originally brushed off as a fad by the industry, it’s like seeing Mick Jagger still singing “Satisfaction.”

The members came out one by one, often in pairs, gradually building the stage from a series of solo and smaller-group appearances into the full Wu-Tang Clan. By the end of the night, they were all together onstage, turning the concert into the kind of collective spectacle fans had come to see.

Seeing the original Wu-Tang Clan in any decade is something special, even as its members have also gone on to substantial solo careers. The Toronto lineup featured GZA, RZA, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna and U-God. Stepping in for the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard was his son, Young Dirty Bastard, who joined the group for “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Got Your Money.”

The night was packed with classics: “Bring da Ruckus,” of course, along with “Clan in da Front,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit,” “Method Man,” “C.R.E.A.M.” and the closing powerhouse “Triumph.”

Ghostface and Raekwon also brought out Havoc for some Mobb Deep, including “Survival of the Fittest” and “Shook Ones, Pt. II,” a pretty cool surprise for those who never saw the New York duo before Prodigy, the other half of the group, died in 2017.

The city and country shout-outs were sprinkled throughout the night, from Method Man calling Toronto a “great motherfuckin’ city” to Inspectah Deck injecting “T.Dot youth” into “C.R.E.A.M.”

GZA also spoke about gun violence and hip-hop’s ability to bring people together. Canadian comedian Russell Peters then joined him to honour hip-hop artists who have died, as their photos flashed on the screen.

The evening eventually came together with the members reunited for “Reunited” and the massive finale of “Triumph.”

If this truly is Wu-Tang’s final Toronto chapter, the group left the city with exactly what you’d hope for from a Wu show: raucous energy, nostalgia, homage and love.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony had been scheduled to open but cancelled at the last minute. There was no formal announcement from the stage, although speculation and chatter quickly spread across social media about the group’s well-documented internal issues.