The Wu-Tang Clan told the world that they were coming from the slums of Shaolin more than three decades ago. This weekend, Staten Island’s professional baseball team will once again make sure everyone knows exactly where Shaolin is.

The Staten Island FerryHawks will temporarily transform into the “Shaolin Hawks” on Saturday, Aug. 29, when they host the York Revolution for their annual “Salute to Shaolin” celebration at SIUH Community Park. This year’s event carries considerably more weight, as the organization will honor hometown heroes Wu-Tang Clan following their selection for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

The Rock Hall officially announced Wu-Tang as a first-ballot inductee in April. RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, Cappadonna and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard will enter the Hall in the Performer category. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. 

Before that happens, however, the celebration is coming home to Staten Island.

For Saturday’s game against York, the FerryHawks will once again embrace the borough’s Hip Hop identity by taking the field as the Shaolin Hawks, complete with their alternate Wu-inspired look. Exclusive Salute to Shaolin merchandise is also expected to be available at the ballpark.

One of the night’s biggest collectibles will honor the Abbott himself.

Fans can purchase a special $25 RZA bobblehead ticket package, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Community Life Society. The celebration will conclude with a postgame fireworks show over New York Harbor.

The connection between Wu-Tang and the FerryHawks is about more than putting a familiar “W” on baseball merchandise. Wu-Tang turned Staten Island into Shaolin, creating a Hip Hop identity for a borough that had traditionally received considerably less attention than Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx.

Their 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), helped shift Hip Hop’s attention back toward New York while introducing a completely new mythology built around Staten Island streets, martial-arts films, Five Percent terminology and RZA’s gritty production. The Rock Hall credits the Clan with redefining the possibilities of a Hip Hop group while creating a business model that allowed its members to pursue individual record deals without abandoning the collective. 

Now Staten Island gets to salute its own.

Baseball may provide the setting Saturday night, but this one is bigger than balls and strikes. It’s a celebration of a group that took an overlooked New York City borough, renamed it Shaolin and made that name recognizable around the world.

For one night, the FerryHawks won’t simply be representing Staten Island.

The Shaolin Hawks will be representing the Wu.