To mark the 25th anniversary of the Wu-Tang Clan Dunk High’s 1999 release, Nike enlisted Wu-Tang founder and producer RZA to star in a new Nike ad, narrated by group member Raekwon, celebrating the kicks’ official comeback.
“The Hive” sees RZA performing his beekeeper duties as Raekwon talks about the significance of the bee in our natural habitat.
“Ancient Egyptians believed that bees were the Servants of the Gods and carved beekeeping instructions inside the chambers of the pyramids,” Raekwon says after announcing the killer bee in Latin. “An individual bee could not survive without the hive just as humanity could not survive without the bees.”
“We all links to the same chain,” Raekwon continues. “The black and yellow patterns serve as a warning to any predator that they ain’t nothing to f*** with.”
As RZA unveils the new reimagined sneakers, New York Knicks starters Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges also appear, watching the hip-hop legend through binoculars from afar. RZA then takes off his beekeeper hat to look directly into the camera and remind the world that it’s “Wu-Tang Forever” as the bees form the group’s signature yellow and black logo in the sky.
The ad draws inspiration from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Killa Bees” moniker and the group’s many nods to killer bees in their music. Nike’s senior global creative director, Kimou Meyer, developed the idea to incorporate this iconic theme into the spot, and director Ben Solomon brought the vision to life with the final concept, titled “The Hive.”
“We all knew that we wanted to make something that felt true to the language, energy, and culture of both Nike and Wu-Tang Clan without it feeling retro,” Solomon told ADWEEK.
The original sneakers paid homage to Wu-Tang’s 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by only releasing 36 pairs that were gifted to the group members, their family members, and a few Nike employees. Now, the rerelease is available on Nike’s SNKRS app and retails for $150.
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