The group's earlier tour, which followed the same general shape as the upcoming trek, was postponed after members of the rap collective pushed the release date for the group's forthcoming studio album, "8 Diagrams," back to Dec. 4, the same date Wu-Tang founding member Ghostface Killah's new album, "The Big Dough Rehab," hit stores. The move appeared to anger Ghostface, who spoke out to MTV News on the topic last month.

"I had December 4 for the longest," he told MTV. "But the Wu album, brothers was kinda late on doing whatever they were doing and pushed it back ... on my date. ... I'm not [mad at] all the members. It's not based on the members, but the hierarchy at Wu-Tang Clan is on some bulls---. They trying to f--- around and make me push my album back and doing all this."

Perhaps due to Ghostface's objections, Wu-Tang ultimately pushed back the "8 Diagrams" release date to today (12/11). The just-released set is the group's first new studio album since 2001's Iron Flag, and first since the death of founding member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died of drug-induced heart failure in late 2004.

"This is the perfect time for us to come back; the stars are aligned," Wu-Tang leader RZA said in a press release earlier this year. "It's like when we first started with Steve (Rifkind, owner of the group's current label, SBC, and CEO of Loud Records, which released the group's previous four albums). "We put out real hip-hop at a time when it was turning into pop or R&B. We brought the focus back to the music in its rawest form, without studio polish or radio hooks.

"People want something that gives them an adrenaline rush," he added We're here to supply that fix. How could hip-hop be dead if Wu-Tang is forever?"