Wu-Tang Clan’s veteran member and renowned hip-hop producer, Method Man, says he never signed up for an Australia tour in March, and accused promoters of spruiking the shows as including all living members despite knowing he had not agreed.
However, a spokesperson for the tour’s co-promoter, Untitled Group, told this masthead that all living members of the Wu-Tang Clan were confirmed to participate in the Australian leg of the tour, with visas and travel arranged for all members in consultation with the band’s reps.
In late March, fans were left disappointed after a Wu-Tang Clan Australia tour that promised it was the final opportunity to see “all members” was missing four members of the legendary hip-hop group.
This forced Ticketek to offer refunds via email to ticket holders. “We want to make fans aware that due to unforeseen circumstances, a couple of members will be unable to join the remaining tour dates in Melbourne and Sydney,” the email said, according to Rolling Stone.
Method Man, also known as Clifford Smith, was one of the four members missing from the shows, as well as Raekwon, Cappadonna and Young Dirty Bastard. He posted an Instagram live he later shared on YouTube on Monday to address the controversy, telling fans their “beef is not with me”.
“Before we even went on the overseas tour, I wasn’t going. I said I wasn’t going. I said I was booked,” Smith said. “Here’s the problem with all these tours and things that RZA comes up with: nobody takes into consideration my schedule. So again, I was not even going to go overseas and do that tour, but the fact that they will put a spin on it, I was seeing flyers saying all living members going to be there.
“I’m looking at this s— like they know that I haven’t agreed to go on the tour yet. So why they putting – and this is promoters, overzealous promoters and s—, so I told guys before we left, I said, there’s a chance I will do the overseas dates, but there is no chance that I am going to Dubai or Australia because I’m booked … and they knew this before we even left for the tour.”
Smith said that while artists had an obligation to show up to tours they planned, he told fans to also look at the mechanics of show promoters.
“The fact that this is the second time or third time that this has happened … you guys have to somehow know that at the end of the day, while you’re blaming the artists who should show up, by the way, especially if they say they are, you guys have to look at the promoters,” he said.
“Promoters are privy to this information, but don’t want to give out this information … they’ll wait for the ticket sales, and then they’ll make an announcement close to the date, which I don’t think is fair … as far as the schematics of things and how things work in this business, you always give people an option to choose, in my opinion.”
Smith said that while tours for Wu-Tang Clan were being planned, he wanted to explore a separate passion from music.
“I decided that I wanted to spread my wings, so to speak, try to fall into other ways of entertainment, to fulfil myself. And I found it in acting. I really, I really like this s—,” he said.
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