In the early 1990s, there was no debate where the center of the hip-hop universe was located.
NWA and Dr. Dre's cohort that ascended after the release of classic 1992 album "The Chronic" firmly planted the flag for West Coast rap's dominance above all others.
More than any other group or artist, Wu-Tang Clan changed that.
The collective of East Coast rappers exploded on the scene in 1993 with their debut album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," a ferocious offensive in which they literally brought the ruckus.
Based out of Staten Island, the group, comprised of RZA, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah and others, became one of hip-hop's most influential and notorious acts.
Bear Tooth Special Event Coordinator Mike Jipping said he isn't certain which of the group's members will be performing in Anchorage.
The individual members of Wu-Tang soon started to advance their solo careers, with Method Man and ODB leading the way with releases in the mid-90s.
The group reconvened in 1997 to record "Wu-Tang Forever," which sold over 8 million copies and earned the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1998. The members continued to produce individual albums but the original lineup desisted after ODB died of a drug overdose in 2004.
Wu-Tang's infamy was cemented in 2012, as the FBI, after a Freedom of Information Act, released its files on the group. The files detailed allegations against ODB and the group that ranged from gun-running to gang affiliation.
Since then Wu-Tang has managed to stay in the American consciousness, sometimes in strange ways. Controversial "pharmabro" Martin Shkreli outbid all other parties to purchase the only copy of Wu-Tang's "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" for $2 million in 2015.
Wu-Tang Clan: Moose's Tooth 20th Anniversary
When: Doors at 6 p.m., show start at 7 p.m. Saturday at Moose's Tooth
Tickets: $58 at beartooththeatre.net (ages 21 and up only)