Wu-Tang Clan: ‘It’s the era of the female rapper’

The stony-faced fashion crowd of New York are notoriously hard to get a rise out of, but when Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Raekwon the Chef, and Method Man leapt out of their seats at the end of Tommy Hilfiger’s SS25 show, the boat it was held on – a decommissioned ferry owned by everyone’s ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson – literally rocked. As the Clan trio made their way down the runway and out onto the deck, editors, influencers, and house ambassadors lost all sense of decorum to clamber on to the benches or leg it along the gangway to get a better look.

With Wu-Tang forging watertight bonds with the NY-based brand back in the 90s – appearing in countless music videos wearing the label and giving it a shoutout on yet more tracks – the move made total sense. At a time when fashion was largely shunning rap music, Hilfiger instead embraced some of the scene’s biggest stars, and essentially helped pave the way for the fashion landscape as we now know it.

It’s this mutual respect that helped seal the deal when it came to getting Wu-Tang to appear at the show. The group rarely performs together, despite being offered massive amounts of cash to do so regularly, but when Tommy called, Raekwon and Ghostface revealed pre-show there was no chance of them saying no. “Back in the 80s and early 90s, if you had Hilfiger on, it meant something,” says Ghostface. “When I got the call, I was like ‘Hell yeah, I’m gonna go wreck’.”

Taking them one step closer to signing on the dotted line was the fact the ship itself used to run the line between Manhattan and Staten Island, where most of Wu-Tang grew up and found each other – bonding over obscure Kung-Fu movies and a vast expanse of musical references. It was a bit of a full circle moment in that respect, says Raekwon. “It’s so epic to be doing this on the ferry – I remember as a kid getting on the boat and I’d be so excited, and now we’re performing on it, I feel like a kid again,” he says. “It feels like a celebration of our success and how far we’ve come.”

Just before three of the nine members of the incomparable group step out at Tommy SS25, Raekwon and Ghostface sit down with Dazed on a set of pristine white sofas to talk early fashion memories, resurrecting their label Wu Wear, and which current rappers at the top of their game they’d be keen to recruit into the Clan. Read the interview below and click through the gallery above.

So, I’m guessing there was a fat paycheck attached to performing at a Tommy Hilfiger show, but I imagine you’re offered fat paychecks to perform at a lot of things, and rarely do. What was it about working with Tommy on this project that made you want to sign on the dotted line?

Ghostface Killah: Tommy’s legendary, you know. When you go back to our early material, that’s what we were screaming, it’s what we were wearing. He was one of the top-ass brands, he had me running about in this big-ass warehouse going crazy in his clothes. If you go back and listen, we were shouting his name out on mad tracks. So many tracks.

Back in the 80s and early 90s, his name was attached to the streets. If you had Hilfiger on, it meant something. That’s how fashion was back in the day. So it’s an honour right now to be on the boat, back where it all started. It’s legendary. When I got the call, I was like ‘Hell yeah, I’m gonna go wreck.’

Raekwon: Tommy was just everything back in the day. We used to call him Hilfinger then though [both laugh], it just ran off our tongues like that. We used to shout him out on the music, then we’d hunt out his clothes. It’s so epic to be doing this on the Staten Island ferry. I remember as a kid getting on the boat and I’d be so excited – coming to Manhattan was a big trip. And now we’re performing on it, I feel like a kid again.

Being here today feels like a big celebration of our success and how far we’ve come – we get to reflect on all that. And we know how big fashion is, how big music is, and it’s two brothers that are now united to celebrate all that. So shout out to Tommy, and shout out to all the people that brought this amazing thing together.

“Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand… making music, we knew we had to have style, we knew we had to have taste” – Raekwon

You’re almost as revered for your style as you are for your music, and a lot of Gen Z are starting to discover you right now – I saw someone posting about trying to get their hands on your old Wu Wear stuff just recently. What do you think it is about your style that still resonates with kids across the world?

Raekwon: Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand – you know, you go back to the early music, everything was about appearance. For us making music, we knew we had to have style, we knew we had to have taste. People will come to you for the music, but next thing you know they’ll be watching what kind of stuff you wear, and [they’ll] want to wear it, too. It opens up the door for many people to be inspired, and you know, fashion also inspired our music in the first place.

I think those things are just connected to the culture, and there’s no real way to separate them. Music and clothing have always been one to me – even when Michael Jackson was on we were paying attention to what he wore. The jacket, the shoes. all of it. 

Ghostface Killah: Yeah, and it’s art, you know? Music, money, clothes, girls… All that goes together in one pot. All the good stuff [laughs].

Would you ever think about resurrecting Wu Wear? Or working with Tommy on a collaboration maybe?

Ghostface Killah: Well, Wu Wear right now is sort of out of business, that’s a situation that we can’t lean into and talk about because we never had control of that. We were just wearing it to try to get people to pay attention to us and give back to the fans in a weird kind of way.

But we were always up for doing a collaboration, and still are if the right thing came along. You never know what might happen in the future. It would be dope to do it, but this time it would have to be done in a way that we all feel is right. The whole Clan loves clothing, so it would definitely have to be a hands-on situation. It would have to be even bigger. You never know.

What’s your ‘holy grail’ wardrobe item?

Ghostface Killah: We’ve been through so much. You know, clothes, jewellery, coats, furs, accessories. I want all of it, you know what I mean? How could I choose [laughs].

Raekwon: We love all that stuff as a collective, but for me it would definitely be more like… my favourite rugby shirts, and probably a lot of coats. We love coats, and when you’re in New York it gets so cold – you’ve always got to have a good coat. Something fly.

What’s the last song you got obsessed with and played on repeat?

Ghostface Killah: I mean, if you know me, you know I’m old school. I just go back and listen to a lot of old music. I do listen to a lot of new records, but I don’t really get stuck on them like that. I’m more of an R&B dude, so I listen to a lot of old R&B, throw in some Hip-Hop from something like 20 plus years ago. Your Rakim and your Nas and stuff like that, plus some of Raekwon’s albums too. They just remind me of something. Good times. Bad times. Whatever.

Raekwon: I feel the same way. I love the Commodores, the Isley Brothers. We grew up at a time when our parents were big on disco and stuff like that so it’s always there in the back of our minds. I guess that when we started to make our music, the hip-hop, that old stuff became powerful. Even stuff like Aretha Franklin, Kool & The Gang, Al Green – in his big mink hats and his Cuban chains – Frankie Beverly, all of that. They paved the way. That music has a lot of good energy, and they could really dress too.

Ghostface Killah: You could put any of that stuff on right now and it would hit right – have a drink on it, and you’ll feel like the smoothest person in town. And damn, yo, they were fly too, they dressed their asses off. That mix of clothing and music is all about saying ‘Let me show you who I am’, and it was always the same for us. The gear, as we called it, always played its part. It was as important as having an arm, or a leg.

Raekwon: They called ‘em threads back then. Silk suits, fur coats. Threads [laughs]

“The chicks right now are running the game. The women are winning. I love Latto. Nicki. Get Cardi on our team” – Ghostface Killah

Where did you buy clothes before you were making big money? 

Ghostface Killah: We used to go down to Delancey [Street, NY] a lot. British Walkers for the shoes, as well as Playboys, and we had the original Wallabees from Clarks. We’d go to Canal Street for goose down jackets.

Raekwon: And we’d even go out and pick up slacks. Just imagine being 13 years old and you’re waking up excited to iron your pants or a shirt, you’re learning how to do it as you go. You’d go outside and someone would spot a crease in your shirt and you’d be like, ‘I’ll be right back’ and run in the house, take it off and get the wrinkle out. Making sure it was nice to come out onto the block to sit and do nothing but listen to music. 

That’s what made this culture powerful, and ever since then it’s been a thing that’s brought us together. I still think about stuff like that a lot. No matter how much success you have, you have to remember where you came from, and I think that’s why there’s such a connection between Wu-Tang and Tommy.

Musically, who would you love to collab with? 

Raekwon: There’s a lot. Stevie [Wonder]. Lauryn Hill. Mary [J Blige]… Although Ghostface has already done a record with Mary. And it ain’t just hip-hop. Maybe one day we’ll do a record with Lionel Ritchie, you know? Keep it interesting.

Say Wu-Tang was recruiting for a new member today. Who’s on your hitlist?

Ghostface Killah: It’s gotta be one of these chicks. The chicks right now are running the game. The women are winning. I love Latto. Nicki. Get Cardi on our team. But all these women, they have their crews, so I don’t know how it would work.

Raekwon: I’d definitely have to agree with Cardi like you said. Megan The Stallion is on it, you know what I mean? The girls are running it these last few years.

Ghostface Killah: It’s the era of the female rapper. They’re coming out and kicking down the door.