wu tang brothers

words Jiro Kohl
photos by Isabella Rozendaal

“It’s Wu motherfuckers, Wu-Tang, motherfuckers.” As the menacing strings of “Reunited” fade, silence falls over the crowd as a man known as Meth Tical paces slowly across the stage. Cloaked in a gold jacket, black jeans, dark shades and a swinging gold chain, Meth is somber. “There is too much trouble here on the streets,” he exclaims, throwing up his hands. The crowd responds with cheers of agreement. “The drugs are flowing on the streets, even here in Rotterdam,” he continues, addressing the packed crowd of Dutch Wu-Tang fans. “We’re keeping the grave diggers busy!” he yells. With that, the rest of his crew join him at the front of the stage, Ghost rocking a stocking over his face, while a familiar piano riff begins, paying tribute to the fallen Ol’ Dirty Bastard by performing his classic song, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” as the audience throw their peace signs in the air.

This isn’t the Method Man from the Killa Hills, also known as Clifford Smith or Cheese Wagstaff, but rather Styrmir Örn Gu ðmundsson, a member of The Netherlands-based Wu-Tang Clan tribute group simply known as The Wu-Tang Brothers. As the definitive hip hop supergroup, the Wu-Tang Clan captivated audiences both domestically and internationally, gaining fans through dingy beats, raw lyricism, expert marketing, video games and clothing lines. However, their most recent album, 8 Diagrams [Loud/SRC/Universal] was released amidst internal squabbling and met with criticisms of lack of cohesion and ultimately sold 69,000 copies in their first week, a meager showing for a group of their stature. But, for the European contingency of die-hard Wu fans, it couldn’t matter less. For them, the 9-3 continues, RZA’s blades are as sharp as ever, and the Wu-Tang Brothers make sure nobody forgets that.

After the cover group formed in the Fall of 2007, they have been putting on shows throughout Holland, drawing crowds of up to 300 eager Dutchmen. These seven swordsmen aren’t trying to imitate the Wu, or trying to adopt the Staten Island persona that the group embodies. Instead, they channel the Wu through their Nordic roots, and strike a match to the underground with their European sensibilities. They don’t claim to be like the real members, but they are dedicated to celebrating the Wu’s catalogue and putting on a show that no one will soon forget. All in their 20s, the oldest at 29, The Brothers are comprised of Arnar Ásgeirsson (Inspectah Deck), Lars Holdhus (Ghostface Killah), Henrik Linnet (RZA), Örn Alexander Ámundason (ODB), Styrmir Örn Gu ðmundsson (Method Man), Matthiijs Diederiks (Raekwon) and Gover Meit (U-God). They are a product of Wu-Tang’s influence overseas as well as their admiration for Wu-Tang. Although the Wu’s impact on the ringtone generation is questionable, for cats across the Atlantic, the Clan stays in the front.

The Brothers met at various points while they were all living in Amsterdam. “Amsterdam is a really small city, [so] you keep seeing the same people all the time,” explains Matthiijs. Through repeat run-ins and friends-in-common, The Brothers all became friends and quickly found out they shared a bond. Aside from Matthiijs and Gover, who are both from Holland, everyone is from Iceland or Norway, nations where there are only a few hours of daylight during the winter. “All the Scandinavian guys have one thing in common; they went to Holland to escape the isolated environment,” explains Styrmir, 24. And if you’re going to escape from somewhere, why not settle in a land full of legal purple and window dwelling prostitutes?

“The starting point was when me and ODB were in a party, and we were just listening to The Wu-Tang and like, ‘Yeah, how would it be to have a cover band of the Wu-Tang Clan? Have you ever heard of that?’” recalls Styrmir. “It was really this funny thing to imagine. That thought was left for some months, and when we were all together, we just brought it up again.” There was no convincing needed, as the five others were down from the start, Henrik even “thought it was destiny.” All members quickly chose their respective favorite MCs for their alter-egos. Although both Lars and Arnar wanted the coveted spot of Ghostface, Arnar saw Deck’s habit of destroying opening verses and seceded the role of Ghostface to Lars. “And from there on, things moved really quickly, everybody got super enthusiastic,” remembers Styrmir. A month and a half later, they had booked their first gig.

Although The Brothers were formed in 2007, the story of The Wu in Europe dates back to 1986, when a Dutch TV channel showed Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver’s seminal 1983 graffiti doc. “After Style Wars, basically graffiti started and also the hip hop scene started,” Mathiijs explains about the fledgling scene in Amsterdam. His relationship with hip hop came from growing up in the southeastern part of Amsterdam, which has a a large Surinamese population. The music of African-Americans reso - Mass Appeal Magazine

words Jiro Kohl
photos by Isabella Rozendaal

“It’s Wu motherfuckers, Wu-Tang, motherfuckers.” As the menacing strings of “Reunited” fade, silence falls over the crowd as a man known as Meth Tical paces slowly across the stage. Cloaked in a gold jacket, black jeans, dark shades and a swinging gold chain, Meth is somber. “There is too much trouble here on the streets,” he exclaims, throwing up his hands. The crowd responds with cheers of agreement. “The drugs are flowing on the streets, even here in Rotterdam,” he continues, addressing the packed crowd of Dutch Wu-Tang fans. “We’re keeping the grave diggers busy!” he yells. With that, the rest of his crew join him at the front of the stage, Ghost rocking a stocking over his face, while a familiar piano riff begins, paying tribute to the fallen Ol’ Dirty Bastard by performing his classic song, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” as the audience throw their peace signs in the air.

This isn’t the Method Man from the Killa Hills, also known as Clifford Smith or Cheese Wagstaff, but rather Styrmir Örn Gu ðmundsson, a member of The Netherlands-based Wu-Tang Clan tribute group simply known as The Wu-Tang Brothers. As the definitive hip hop supergroup, the Wu-Tang Clan captivated audiences both domestically and internationally, gaining fans through dingy beats, raw lyricism, expert marketing, video games and clothing lines. However, their most recent album, 8 Diagrams [Loud/SRC/Universal] was released amidst internal squabbling and met with criticisms of lack of cohesion and ultimately sold 69,000 copies in their first week, a meager showing for a group of their stature. But, for the European contingency of die-hard Wu fans, it couldn’t matter less. For them, the 9-3 continues, RZA’s blades are as sharp as ever, and the Wu-Tang Brothers make sure nobody forgets that.

After the cover group formed in the Fall of 2007, they have been putting on shows throughout Holland, drawing crowds of up to 300 eager Dutchmen. These seven swordsmen aren’t trying to imitate the Wu, or trying to adopt the Staten Island persona that the group embodies. Instead, they channel the Wu through their Nordic roots, and strike a match to the underground with their European sensibilities. They don’t claim to be like the real members, but they are dedicated to celebrating the Wu’s catalogue and putting on a show that no one will soon forget. All in their 20s, the oldest at 29, The Brothers are comprised of Arnar Ásgeirsson (Inspectah Deck), Lars Holdhus (Ghostface Killah), Henrik Linnet (RZA), Örn Alexander Ámundason (ODB), Styrmir Örn Gu ðmundsson (Method Man), Matthiijs Diederiks (Raekwon) and Gover Meit (U-God). They are a product of Wu-Tang’s influence overseas as well as their admiration for Wu-Tang. Although the Wu’s impact on the ringtone generation is questionable, for cats across the Atlantic, the Clan stays in the front.

The Brothers met at various points while they were all living in Amsterdam. “Amsterdam is a really small city, [so] you keep seeing the same people all the time,” explains Matthiijs. Through repeat run-ins and friends-in-common, The Brothers all became friends and quickly found out they shared a bond. Aside from Matthiijs and Gover, who are both from Holland, everyone is from Iceland or Norway, nations where there are only a few hours of daylight during the winter. “All the Scandinavian guys have one thing in common; they went to Holland to escape the isolated environment,” explains Styrmir, 24. And if you’re going to escape from somewhere, why not settle in a land full of legal purple and window dwelling prostitutes?

“The starting point was when me and ODB were in a party, and we were just listening to The Wu-Tang and like, ‘Yeah, how would it be to have a cover band of the Wu-Tang Clan? Have you ever heard of that?’” recalls Styrmir. “It was really this funny thing to imagine. That thought was left for some months, and when we were all together, we just brought it up again.” There was no convincing needed, as the five others were down from the start, Henrik even “thought it was destiny.” All members quickly chose their respective favorite MCs for their alter-egos. Although both Lars and Arnar wanted the coveted spot of Ghostface, Arnar saw Deck’s habit of destroying opening verses and seceded the role of Ghostface to Lars. “And from there on, things moved really quickly, everybody got super enthusiastic,” remembers Styrmir. A month and a half later, they had booked their first gig.

Although The Brothers were formed in 2007, the story of The Wu in Europe dates back to 1986, when a Dutch TV channel showed Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver’s seminal 1983 graffiti doc. “After Style Wars, basically graffiti started and also the hip hop scene started,” Mathiijs explains about the fledgling scene in Amsterdam. His relationship with hip hop came from growing up in the southeastern part of Amsterdam, which has a a large Surinamese population. The music of African-Americans reso - Mass Appeal Magazine