As the headliner of the EXIT festival, leading the grand celebration of hip-hop’s 50th birthday, the band that regenerated the hip-hop scene and elevated the entire culture from underground to mainstream arrives on Sunday, July 9.
Many prominent musicians, journalists, athletes, actors, and public figures have shared their excitement about this performance at EXIT. Among them are Mimi Mercedez, Fox, Bege Fank, Sajsi MC, Ikac, Ajs Nigrutin, Dragan Ambrozić, Micka Lifa, Rođeni, Kene Beri, Tam, and many others.
The influence of the Wu-Tang Clan is all-encompassing. It has not bypassed even the most famous musicians like Jay Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Eminem, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, or the pioneers of the local and regional hip-hop scene who brought this sound to the neighborhood. Their influence is so significant that musical icon Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky named their first child RZA after the leader of the legendary hip-hop group. Fans of the band are not only numerous musicians on whom the Wu-Tang Clan had a direct impact but also many famous people and pop-culture icons like Leonardo DiCaprio, Quentin Tarantino, Mike Tyson, Shaquille O’Neal, Zoe Kravitz, and many others.
One of the loudest in expressing her enthusiasm was rapper Mimi Mercedez. “I’m the happiest ever! This is my favorite group of all time, the group that inspired me the most to start rapping and to love rap music. I can’t wait!” she stated.
Representative of the regional rap scene, Fox, stressed that he believes all generations listen to Wu-Tang Clan, as one must start somewhere. “There is no more influential hip-hop band; such has never appeared on the globe. Wu-Tang is an eternal classic,” he highlighted.
“They are a part of history, they are still here, they have paved the way for everyone else who wants to get into rap,” added rapper Kene Beri.
DJ and hip-hop culture chronicler Bege Fank highlighted the colossal significance of Wu-Tang Clan for hip-hop. “Wu-Tang is, first and foremost, the last great band from New York, the cradle of hip-hop, the last band that had their own sound and spread that sound worldwide.” He added that they are widely accepted as the band that redefined the genre. “They reinvented true hip-hop, making it dirtier, funkier, with more bass, and more amazing samples.” He couldn’t contain his smile, speaking of how much he was looking forward to their performance at Exit because, as he said, “it’s a holiday for all hip-hop lovers.”
Entire generations have grown up with the gods of rap. Wu-Tang Clan has marked the childhood of rapper Sajsi MC who kept her explanation of her love for the band simple: “I have their music on cassette tape, and that says it all.” The hits they’ve been producing for 30 years were best described by personal trainer Nemanja Milović, emphasizing: “All those songs are immortal, evergreen.”
The influence of the Wu-Tang Clan is evident in all aspects of a subculture. They have shaped the sound, the genre, the slang, the fashion, the street art, and the entire lifestyle; they have made hip-hop synonymous with themselves. Throughout their thirty-year career, the Wu-Tang Clan have released eight albums, sold over 40 million copies, and thus created a musical opus that is a unique curriculum for all rap fans. From their first album to today, they have positioned themselves on the scene as the standard of hip-hop and the blueprint by which musical careers are shaped.
From July 6 to 9, the EXIT Universe, supported by Gorki List, will welcome leaders of the world’s most in-demand tour, The Prodigy, rap gods Wu-Tang Clan, Grammy record-holder Skrillex, as well as the #1 act on the global electronic music scene Eric Prydz, along with Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens, Indira Paganotto, Alesso, Viagra Boys, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Claptone, Keinemusik, Hot Since 82, CamelPhat, Ben Böhmer live, Agents Of Time live, Mind Against, Chase & Status, Sofi Tukker, LF System, Mahmut Orhan, Burak Yeter, Ignite, Wolfbrigade, Midnight, Cockney Rejects, Exciter, Massacre, The Toasters, Dry Cleaning, Rudeboy, and many others.
Tickets are available here.
