Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / CC by 3.0
Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA has partnered with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group and LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells to ‘expand and expound’ on the hip-hop collective’s music, brand, and lifestyle.
The new partnership encompasses all of Wu-Tang Clan’s music, designed to create more partnership opportunities in television, merchandising, brand partnerships, and film. Wu-Tang Clan has teased a partnership with Nike, which is fruit from the deal. Variety reports that beyond branding partnerships and collaborations, the partnership “seeks to bring together Wu-Tang Clan’s global communities through a singular online destination.”
Wu-Tang Clan released its debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993 and has dropped six studio albums since. Once of those is the fabled Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, which ended up in the hands of convicted felon and Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli. Shkreli paid $2 million for the album in 2015 and surrendered ownership after the government seized it. PleasrDAO purchased the album for $4.75 million at auction in 2021. Shkreli recently received a ban on streaming the legendary album—meaning he kept copies of the musical works.
Wu-Tang Clan has also taken over Las Vegas with its “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues” residency kicking off Super Bowl weekend in February, followed by more dates in March. The group has added two additional shows scheduled for September 27 & 28.
“As we evolve from ‘Legendary Status’ to ‘Iconic Status’ it’s only fitting and serendipitous that we join the team at Iconic Artists Group and Rock the Bells,” says RZA in a statement. “This partnership will help us continue to expound and expand the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy.”
“Wu-Tang Clan’s influence on hip-hop—and the way the world views hip-hop—is undeniable,” adds Susan Genco, Co-President of the Azoff Company. “The partnership with RZA and Iconic is committed to ensuring that the importance of WTC’s music and their message is celebrated now and for generations to come.”
