The Wu-Tang Clan recently made history by becoming the first hip hop act to ever headline Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The venue is dubbed as the Mother Church of Country Music and, in its over a century-long history, never had a hip-hop headline their bill.

“It’s just not intuitive to have necessarily a hip-hop show at the Ryman,” Nashville concert promoter and Belmont University professor Eric Holt told NPR of the venue’s history with the hip-hop genre prior to Wu-Tang’s show. “It’s going to be interesting. I mean, the energy, I think is going to be different.”

Former venue manager, Pam Matthews also stated that the venue’s 2300-person capacity theater would be open to getting more hip hop acts.

“You know, the Ryman has had to grow up too, and had to grow up into what the city is,” Shannon Sanders, a Grammy-winning musician and record producer in Nashville. “You know, the Wu-Tang is ready for the Ryman, but also the Ryman is ready for the Wu-Tang.”

Salute to the Wu!