If hip-hop has aged like tremendous wine, the Wu Tang Clan and Nas are two of the style’s most well-versed sommeliers. The daring, one-of-a-kind taste of RZA, Technique Man, Ghostface Killa, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa and Cappadonna mixed with the sluggish, easy, and irresistible move of Nas created a pairing as germane to the style as rhymes themselves. And with the backdrop of Seminole Arduous Rock Resort & On line casino Tampa, a real celebration of hip-hop’s place in music folklore took type for a particular efficiency that put everybody in a “New York State of Thoughts.”
The artists are on their “New York State of Thoughts” tour.
However it’s essential to know the true roots of a second like this for rappers who seamlessly matriculated by means of what was arguably probably the most vicious interval of hip-hop and lived to maintain telling their tales unscathed. As two of the style’s pioneering marque acts, Wu-Tang and Nas symbolize not solely the roots of hip-hop however the dream of it.
“We’re actually on the Arduous Rock all due to this hip hop s***,” Technique Man mentioned to the gang, who braved the final days of a Florida summer season to see the acts carry out alongside legendary rap group De La Soul.
“Are you able to consider this, man?” he added.
Whereas reflecting on the essence of rap, Queensbridge’s best couldn’t assist however comment on the gravity of nonetheless rocking crowds almost three a long time after the discharge of his debut album Illmatic.
“My story could possibly be utterly completely different, a lot completely different. I’m right here due to a microphone,” Nas mentioned.
Very similar to hip-hop itself, each Wu-Tang and Nas have crossed over to turn out to be greater than their music. From TV reveals to clothes traces and funding portfolios, the New York emcees have expanded alongside the style with out shifting away from its origins. A feat achieved by only a few pioneers of rap, however extensively loved by a lot of hip-hop’s newcomers.
For Arduous Rock, celebrating hip hop will not be an important day however relatively a necessity to understanding the attain, energy, and historical past of music. In 2021, when the Senate handed a decision marking November as Hip-Hop Historical past Month, Arduous Rock was the one lodge to rejoice the style’s world affect by way of particular occasions, merchandise, and performances.
“At Arduous Rock, we consider music is a language that brings the world nearer collectively. It’s a part of our DNA,” mentioned Keith Sheldon, president of Leisure at Arduous Rock Worldwide. “As Arduous Rock continues to evolve, simply as music does, it’s unmistakable how hip-hop has impacted our model over time.”
Over 70 items of the style’s most beloved memorabilia, from a few of hip hop’s most cherished acts, could be discovered all through Arduous Rock cafes, inns, and casinos across the nation.
However on the core of the Seminole Arduous Rock Resort & On line casino Tampa is a narrative that brings the experiences of two of probably the most misunderstood communities on this nation collectively.
The acquisition of the Arduous Rock model by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2007 marked a narrative of resilience and resistance that would resonate with each hip-hop fan. As the one tribe in America to by no means signal a peace treaty, they shaped a tradition and group all their very own, regardless of unthinkable violence and injustice.
“Our tradition, our residence, and our lifestyle joined us collectively,” an announcement on their web site reads. “We defended our houses and our folks, and we turned a refuge for many who sought freedom from conquest and slavery. For this, we had been seen as a risk.”
From the Seminole Tribe of Florida, to the streets of Staten Island the place the members of Wu-Tang related, right down to the cracked pavement of Queens the place Nas painted footage with prose, the spirit of hip-hop — that simple, unrelenting, daring refusal to be outlined by the fears and biases of others — permeates.
“We for the individuals who love actual hip-hop,” RZA mentioned.
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