Method Man Is the Life of This Party

Although the nine-member Wu-Tang Clan is packed with popular rappers in their own right, there’s no denying that Method Man is by far the biggest star in the Staten Island-based outfit. So it was no surprise that when the tall rapper rolled onto the stage on a Razor scooter almost an hour into the Clan’s show Friday at the House of Blues, the performance kicked into overdrive.

At that point, an average concert was transformed into a masterful demonstration of the group’s music, history, significance and staying power.

When the Clan emerged in 1993 with its debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” New York rap had fallen out of favor in a field dominated by the easily accessible gangster sounds of such Los Angeles artists as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

The Wu-Tang Clan quickly changed that. With each member rapping in a distinctive style over RZA’s punishing production, they shifted the focus back to New York. With popular and critically acclaimed solo albums by the end of 1995 from Method Man, Raekwon, GZA/Genius and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (the only member not present at the House of Blues, thanks to his well-known legal problems), Wu-Tang Clan became hip-hop’s first supergroup.

The group rarely performs here in its almost-complete form, so the audience was ravenous Friday as Wu-Tang revisited many of its best moments.

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Method Man has two hit albums, the most touring experience in the group and some of its strongest material, and he was animated and excited during his spotlight time. Following Method Man, Inspectah Deck launched commandingly into “Triumph,” a lengthy song that features all the members and associate rapper Cappadonna. With the sexually charged “Ice Cream,” which features Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Cappadonna and Method Man, the show reached yet another high, as Method Man reached a convulsive intensity while delivering the tune’s chorus.

That led into “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” a nod to the absent Ol’ Dirty Bastard, with the crowd alone rapping the first two verses over the instrumental track. It was one of the performance’s strongest moments.

Before Method Man’s eventful arrival, most of the rappers delivered mini solo shows, sometimes joined by other members and affiliate rappers, including Street Life and Shyheim. RZA started the evening with a decent set, but with the exception of “Domestic Violence,” his songs failed to ignite the audience. GZA/Genius’ reclusive tendencies and detailed lyrics have made him a cult favorite among hip-hop fans, and his brief set was energetic and captivating. The others ranged from stellar (Ghostface Killah) to average (Inspectah Deck, Raekwon) to sub-par (U-God, Cappadonna).

It was evident in this rare group performance that the Wu-Tang Clan members draw energy and inspiration from one another. It was also clear that other than Method Man, they perform better as a unit than they do individually, as less is demanded from each rapper when they only have to deliver one verse per song.