5 Rap Groups Who Recently Played Reunion Shows

It's a story that goes back to the golden days of rock 'n roll, and probably even further—when is the band getting back together? For a number of hip-hop groups, the answer is as complicated as it is calculated, with many egos and paychecks hanging in the balance. But this year has seen a number of classic groups from the "golden era" of hip-hop reuniting for some anniversary performances and new material, leading to a building excitement among fans. Chief atop this list is Wu-Tang, getting back in the studio for the first time since 2007's 8 Diagrams and for just the second time since 2001's Iron Flag. Yet while the 20th anniversary of their East Coast classic Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers was the catalyst for the crew's reunion, other hip-hop groups are similarly rejoining ranks and putting their creative energy together again. Here are 5 hip-hop groups that have performed reunion shows in just the past few months.

Wu-Tang Clan - Coachella Valley Music Festival, April 21, 2013

While the formidable Wu has been together and drifted apart in spurts for the past 20 years, it's been historically uncommon to get a glimpse of the entire crew performing together. However, at this year's Coachella Valley Music Fest, the Wu joined forces for a stellar performance on the festival's final night, in the process sparking rumors that they were working on a new album.

Hieroglyphics - Matador Music Festival 2013, April 27, 2013 

The mysterious Oakland-based Hieroglyphics collective certainly has a tendency of being selective with releasing and performing new music, but at this year's Matador Music Festival, the crew combined forces for a lively set of their biggest songs to date.

Naughty By Nature - The Roots Picnic, June 1, 2013 

While the New Jersey-based Naughty By Nature has been relatively quiet since their 2011 LP Anthem Inc., the ubiquitous success of their singles "O.P.P." and "Hip Hop Hooray" has helped them stay relevant in hip-hop circles for decades. So when they hit the stage at this year's ever-growing Roots Picnic, concert-goers took a nostalgic trip with Naughty to the old-school.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Hot 97 Summer Jam, June 2, 2013

Sure, the groups might seem like polar opposites, but New York's A$AP Mob has repeatedly shown their love for Cleveland heroes Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The Mob took their love up a notch at this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam, when co-headliner A$AP Rocky brought out three of the Bone Thugs for a special guest performance of their hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone."

Souls Of Mischief - S.O.B.'s, July 3, 2013  

As they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their seminal debut album, 93 'Til Infinity, Oakland representers Souls Of Michief took a trip to NYC to put on a special performance for their die-hard fans. In the exciting set, they performed cuts from 93 as well as unreleased tracks from their demo tape.