RZA
Encyclopedia
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA (icon; born July 5, 1969), is an American
Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist
, author
, emcee, and occasional actor
, director
, and screenwriter
. A prominent figure in Hip Hop
, RZA is the de facto
leader of the Wu-Tang Clan
. He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan's albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He is widely considered one of the most influential and landmark hip-hop producers of all time. He subsequently gained attention for his work scoring and acting in films.
He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore
Hip Hop group Gravediggaz
where he used the name The Rzarector. Furthermore, he has acted in several movies, including Coffee and Cigarettes
, American Gangster, Gospel Hill
, Life Is Hot in Cracktown
, Ghost Dog, Funny People
, Derailed, Due Date and Repo Men.
In 2008, RZA was ranked #4 on About.com
's list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source
placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history. He also made the "Elite 8" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.
, Brooklyn
, New York
, RZA spent time in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
as a child, where his father had a convenience store
in the Hill District
. From the ages of three to seven, RZA lived in North Carolina
with his uncle, who always encouraged him to read and study.
He is named after Robert Kennedy and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
(then known as the Genius) and Ol' Dirty Bastard
(then known as Ason Unique, the Specialist, and the Professor).
Once this local band dissolved, both he and the GZA attempted to kick start solo careers. With the help of GZA's friend (then owner of Jamaica Records) they both secured single deals with album options at successful labels, GZA going to Cold Chillin and RZA to Tommy Boy. GZA ultimately released the Words from the Genius
album, but RZA's stint at Tommy Boy ended with only the EP
Ooh I Love You Rakeem
to show for it when he went to jail soon after its release. GZA's album flopped, and the two cousins became determined to conquer the hip hop industry on their own terms. Throughout most of his youth he enjoyed watching various kung-fu movies and purchasing countless albums which he would later sample in most of his music.
, a kung fu movie), formed with GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard as well as with six other rappers (Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Method Man, Masta Killa, U-God and Ghostface Killah). With the Clan, Prince Rakeem started going by the name RZA (Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah).
After the single "Protect Ya Neck," which was driven by a raucous RZA-produced beat, made the group into underground sensations, the group released their debut LP Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
. The album, which only cost $36K to produce, eventually went platinum, and was heralded by hip-hop fans as a classic. Enter the Wu-Tang revolutionized hip hop
and helped bring the East Coast back into the spotlight after Dr. Dre
's G-funk
had come to dominate the rap scene, the resurgence in large part thanks to RZA's lean, gritty and very distinctive production style.
soundtrack, and was released to coincide with the Wu-Tang clothing brand. It peaked at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and #6 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
His sound was to develop from the raw, minimalist sounds of Method Man
's Tical
and Ol' Dirty Bastard
's Return to the 36 Chambers to more cinematic and expansive soundscapes driven by string sections or thick layers of synthesizer on Ghostface Killah
's Ironman
, GZA
's Liquid Swords
, and Raekwon
's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
.
During this time, RZA also took part in the creation of a hip hop subgenre called horrorcore
with the Gravediggaz
, an off-and-on hip-hop supergroup including Frukwan
of Stetsasonic
, Too Poetic of The Brothers Grym, and Prince Paul who released the album 6 Feet Deep
in 1994. As part of the Gravediggaz, he went by the name The RZArecta. In reference to RZA's start with the group he mentions:
, which hit number one on the charts after selling 600,000 in its first week, also marked the end of RZA's "five year plan"; at the group's inception, he promised the group if he had total dictatorial control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip hop world within five years.
After Forevers success, RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs, and giving each Clan member more individual control. This move was designed to enable the Wu-Tang empire to expand further and further into the fabric of the hip hop industry, and in accordance with this an extremely large amount of Wu-Tang music was to be released over the next two years.
This had already to some extent begun on Wu-Tang Forever
, which for the first time featured RZA delegating a small number of beatmaking duties to other producers in the Wu-Tang camp, such as his proteges True Master
and 4th Disciple
who are known as the Wu-Elements
, and Clan member Inspectah Deck
.
RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo was an experimental concept album
featuring him rapping as his hedonistic, fun-loving alter-ego Bobby Digital and showcasing a unique keyboard-driven sound RZA called "digital orchestra", receiving mixed reviews at best.
The Cure album currently remains unreleased and incomplete, due to further work and development being continued into the new millennium. It is now said to be RZA's final solo album. Within the same year, a mixtape known as Formula For The Cure was compiled and released by Dreddy Kruger, without RZA's approval and consent. The mixtape was meant to be as a prequel
of some sorts to the final solo album.
(his production on which received much praise) and providing narration to a Clan greatest hits album titled The RZA Hits
, RZA released another Bobby Digital album, 2001's Digital Bullet
. Digital Bullet was an attempt to develop Bobby Digital further, and the album followed a loose story arc which saw the character becoming more "enlightened" and more disillusioned with hedonism as the album went on.
's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
(1999), earned praise; he also had brief cameo in the film itself, as a fellow samurai wearing camouflage. The experience was positive and, as he noted during an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air
, the work with traditional musicians gave him the desire to learn how to read and write music.
The critical success of the Ghost Dog soundtrack
led to further work. RZA created and produced the original music for Quentin Tarantino
's Kill Bill
series, as well as Blade: Trinity
, and Soul Plane
. RZA was nominated for four different awards for the work he did on the Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2 soundtracks, winning one.
In the beginning of 2003 he also produced a few tracks for The Mindscape of Alan Moore
.
His third solo album is titled, Birth of a Prince
, which was released in 2003 under the name RZA, and spawned the single "We Pop". The album itself featured a mix of lighthearted Bobby Digital tracks and more lyrically highbrow RZA tracks. In 2003 he also released an album of collaborations with international rap and R&B
musicians (including the UK
's Skinnyman
, France
's Saïan Supa Crew
, Germany
's Xavier Naidoo
and Italy
's Frankie Hi-NRG MC
) entitled The World According to RZA
.
, an in-depth discussion of the Wu-Tang terms, Wu-Tang members, merchandise, movies and inspirations. RZA continued to act in and score movies such as Derailed, Blood of a Champion
and Miami Vice
. He also contributed two bonus tracks for the reissued soundtrack to the Luc Besson
film Unleashed
, starring Jet Li
. In 2006, as a producer, he contributed to five tracks on Method Man's latest album 4:21... The Day After and also executive produced the project.
In late January 2007 he announced that he was working on a fourth album titled, Digi Snacks
, which continues the further adventures of Bobby Digital. The album was released on June 24, 2008. The albums first single, "You Can't Stop Me Now", featuring Inspectah Deck
, was released in March 2008 in preparation for a planned release in Summer 2008.
He has also stated that the long-delayed The Cure album will now be his final solo album, for he will end his career as MC and move on with his movie directing career. The album will feature deeper lyrics and guests ranging from Zack de la Rocha
to Isaac Hayes
.
Before signing with SRC Records
in early 2007, RZA was flooded with offers from Bad Boy Records
, Aftermath Records, Interscope and Def Jam among others for the Wu-Tang Clan super-group.
In 2007, he did the score
of the Japanese anime Afro Samurai
starring Samuel L. Jackson
. He recently and quietly released an instrumental album entitled, The RZA-Instrumental Experience
, and worked with Raekwon on his highly anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
. Talks are on between System of a Down
bassist Shavo Odadjian
and RZA regarding a collaboration between the two artists called Achozen
. RZA has stated in an interview that he is involved in the project. A self-titled album, Achozen, was set to be finished in mid-January 2009 but as of late 2010 had not yet been released. The first single is "Dueces".
RZA announced on September 10, 2008 that a partnership with global digital music group The Orchard
will market Wu's extensive catalogue worldwide in digital and physical formats. The deal includes new material and 13 previous Clan releases that have been unavailable digitally from the Wu-Tang Clan, Killarmy
, Wu-Syndicate
, Shyheim, U-God
, Black Knights, and West Coast Killa Beez
. Wu-Tang's viral marketing began as a study of promoting an artist online globally. RZA explained that the deal was a natural progression needed to make sure that fans will have continued access to Wu's catalogue in the ever-changing music industry. Also being launched is the online video channel Wu Music Tube, a forum focused on allowing the artists to speak directly with their fans. In the ensuing months, Wu’s music and video catalogue will also be featured by various brands and ad agencies in marketing and promotion programs around the world. Wu Music Group’s catalogue will be available worldwide for downloads on September 23. RZA told AllHipHop.com:
He has also confirmed that he will be solely-producing Liquid Swords II with GZA, which is tentatively due in Fall 2010. Also, RZA worked with Kanye West
on the latter's fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. & Watch The Throne
.
's Shavo Odadjian
, Kinetic 9
and the Reverend William Burke from Chicago for the band Achozen
. Music from Achozen also appears on the major motion picture, Babylon A.D., on which Achozen song "Deuces" is heard blaring at the introduction of the film. The four principal members feel that their unique sound is not only spiritual in nature, but a new genre of "heavy hip hop", not "rap-metal". Achozen's first live show was at the Key Club in LA on December 1, 2006. On Friday, November 13, 2009 the second Achozen track "Salute/Sacrifice" was released exclusively as a free download on Odadjian's online art district and networking site, Ursession from the upcoming Achozen debut album. The Achozen album was anticipated to be released in mid-2010 but no firm release date had been scheduled by the end of 2010.
' were established. The earlier labels are believed to be dissolved. The connection that RZA had to these labels were unknown.
Other record labels were later founded in the early 2000s, and are still active in the present. Very little is known about these labels, other that the fact that RZA produces music on them. It is unknown if RZA is CEO, or has high position within these labels, considering that he was never known to have a CEO position of any recording label.
. Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet". According to himself, RZA tries to have no more than 20 to 25% of the latter type of sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He played much of the piano himself, with Bill Evans
and Thelonious Monk
as major influences.
RZA has stated Ennio Morricone
, Mark E. Smith
, Syl Johnson
, Marley Marl
, Augustus Pablo
and Danny Elfman
as musicians he is fond of and has taken influence from. During the Enter the Wu-Tang period, RZA's production consisted mainly of stripped-down, frenetic piano loops and finger-snaps with heavy bass and drums, though he experimented with more melodic sounds on the album's "Method Man" and "C.R.E.A.M." He also began incorporating skits consisting of clips of old kung fu movies.
The next two solo albums from the Wu, Method Man's Tical and Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, featured versions of the same style of production from the RZA; the former delved somewhat into old soul records and became somewhat bouncy rather than quite as gritty, while the latter was at times even more simplistic than the group's debut.
On Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA's Liquid Swords
, RZA would immerse his beats in dark, sinister soul sampling, pioneering the technique of speeding up or slowing down samples to fit the beat. He also fully realized the potential of the skit, using samples from John Woo's film The Killer to string the Cuban Linx album together into a loose storyline.
In 1997, Icelandic avant-pop star Björk
commissioned RZA a remix for her song "Bachelorette". In addition, RZA was later featured on a TV biography about Björk called Inside Björk
.
RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples to fit his beats, has been picked up by currently popular producers — most notably Kanye West
and Just Blaze
, the two main producers behind Roc-A-Fella Records
. West's own take on RZA's style briefly flooded the rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul," the speeding of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by the RZA's production,
Said by Kanye West:
In response, RZA himself has spoken quite positively of the comparisons:
Subsequent Wu group albums saw RZA become even more experimental, usually with soul samples as well as the layers added his beats. Around 1997 he began tutoring 4th Disciple
, True Master
and Mathematics
in production. The early-mid 2000's have seen him move more toward smoother and more tightly-assembled productions, where the melody, drums, bass and other elements play more off each other than they previously had in his beats.
His Bobby Digital albums introduced tweaked-out new age
elements to his sound; these have incorporated themselves more fully into his beats on newer albums such as Method Man's 4:21... The Day After.
The Beatles song being covered is "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
" for the album 8 Diagrams
. It was titled "The Heart Gently Weeps
" and features Erykah Badu
, John Frusciante
, Dhani Harrison
, Ghostface Killah
, Method Man
and Raekwon
.
In a recent 2010 radio interview with UK hip hop station Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, RZA spoke in great detail about the homemade, candid ethos of much of his classic work, including the organic creation process behind ODB's debut album.
, at the group's inception, RZA started what he called the "5 Year Plan" in which he asked the other 8 members of the Clan for 5 years of life, hard work and good lyrics. He promised the members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, he would "take them to the top", and conquer the hip-hop world within a dynastic cycle. Afterwards, he would then relinquish his total control. He described this five year period "as a dictatorship". RZA's five year "dictatorship" was completed after the successful release of Wu-Tang Forever
.
As each of the group's members embarked on solo careers, RZA continued to produce nearly everything Wu-Tang released during the period 1994–1996. He was in control of producing composing, arranging, overseeing, directing, and possibly naming songs. He oversaw the creative process as well as devising song concepts and structure, in addition to being responsible for a recording’s final sound. All of this was the majority of his "dictatorship". He began doing this on a reduced extent around the time that he relinquished his dictatorship, thus taking complete control of fewer solo projects between group releases.
He has stated in several interviews that the challenges of maintaining the group are not egos, but rather timing and scheduling due to the fact that the members have families and side projects.
He has shown little or no concern about illegal downloading, for he feels that it has little impact on the music industry:
In several interviews, in response to the phrase "hip hop is dead", he said, "How can hip hop be dead if Wu-Tang is forever?" In regards of the southern dominance, rather than criticize the music, he instead spoke on the look and image of the southern artists themselves. He went on to say:
In the 1990s, the Wu-Tang Clan was one of the first hip hop acts to have a clothing line. However, throughout the following years to the 2000s, nearly every hip hop act has followed suit and created their own clothing line. In response, RZA spoke on his views on the oversaturation of the hip hop clothing market:
, for different lyrical styles and personalities: Prince Rakeem, The Abbot, Bobby Digital, Bobby Steels, the Scientist, Prince Delight, Prince Dynamite, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah. During his time with the Gravediggaz
, he went by the name the Rzarector, which is for waking up the mentally dead.
, Scary Movie 3
, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
. RZA has also made various cameo appearances in the films Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
and Rhyme & Reason.
His acting career began to rise in the mid 2000s alongside fellow Wu-Tang member and cousin GZA
in one segment of Jim Jarmusch
's Coffee and Cigarettes
opposite Bill Murray
. He and GZA have also made appearances on Chappelle's Show
and Upright Citizens Brigade
.
He followed up with a big role in the hit 2005 film Derailed. The same year, he served as the Artist in Residence for the Los Angeles Film Festival
.
Rza was also given the duties of producing the soundtrack to the Afro Samurai
series and movie.
Originally, he was offered the role of "Brown" in The Departed
(2006), but turned it down because of scheduling conflicts.
His biggest acting role to date, is in American Gangster by Ridley Scott
, as "Moses Jones" whose real-life name is "Edward V. Jones."
He performed cameo
roles in Funny People
, Gospel Hill
, and Life Is Hot in Cracktown
. He was also said to be attached to friend Quentin Tarantino
's Kill Bill
project in one way or another, featuring as a solo artist on the soundtrack to Kill Bill 1 and selecting some other songs for the soundtrack too. In 2010, RZA appeared in the science fiction action film Repo Men.
In 2010, he appeared in the comedy film Due Date
alongside Robert Downey Jr.
and Jamie Foxx
, and directed by Todd Phillips
.
RZA also appeared in the 2010 movie "The Next Three Days
," starring Russell Crowe.
RZA appeared as a wrongly convicted felon in the pilot episode of NBC's Outlaw
.
RZA is set to appear in G.I. Joe: Retaliation
as the character Blind Master.
RZA appeared in 2011's A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas and is set to appear as rapper Samurai Apocalypse on Showtimes' Californication
. He was recently cast in Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti-western film Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio
, slated for release Christmas 2012.
He was once asked about directing:
Directors Quentin Tarantino
and Eli Roth
are involved in the production of
The Man with the Iron Fists, according to several movie Web sites. In regards to the movie, Eli said:
He is also co-producing a movie remake of The Last Dragon
, with Samuel L. Jackson
assuming the role of Sho'nuff. John Davis of Davis Entertainment
and Gordy's son Kerry Gordy, along with RZA are set to produce. Penning the screenplay as well as producing is Dallas Jackson, who heads up the urban family label DJ Classicz with Davis. Rihanna
is rumored to appear in the movie as Laura Charles.
but has stated that he is no longer a member of any particular group. However, he usually wears the Five Percenter Universal Flag as a necklace, and still follows Five Percenter aspects, which include the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet
. He also has taken on various aspects of Buddhism
, Taoism
, Confucianism
, Islam
, and Christianity
as stated in his book The Wu-Tang Manual
as well as Hinduism
which he talks about thoroughly in The Tao of Wu
in order to expand his spiritual growth. He has gone on to state that Qur'an
, The Bible, and Lotus Sutra
are three of his favorite books stating that each of the three contain enlightenment
. One of his favorite hobbies consists of watching martial arts films, and he is considered to be an "encyclopedia of martial arts films", due to his vast knowledge of the genre. His second well-known hobby is chess
, for he is a director of development, and champion of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. He was once married, and believed to have children:
Along with a number of members in the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA is vegetarian.
and Cappadonna
. Several other members of the group did not like Caruso, however his ties with Ghostface Killah
and Cappadonna
got him into the inner circles of the Wu. Due to Caruso's criminal past he was prohibited by law to associate with felons (which many members of the Clan are) or leave the state of New York, however these restrictions were lifted in return for providing information on the group. The federal government turned their head and allowed Caruso to tour around the country with Wu-Tang as long as he was kicking back info on their involvement in gunrunning
and the Gambino crime family
.
Caruso was subsequently fired from all duties regarding The Wu-Tang Clan's business when these allegations came to light. RZA forced Cappadonna to fire him as his manager, however Caruso still works with Ghostface and is on his new poker team. The report rules out the majority of Wu-Tang affiliated performers and focuses on those running the business aspect of the Wu empire, Oli "Power" Grant and Mitchell "Divine" Diggs (RZA's brother) and RZA himself.
Fox News reported that in mid-2007 RZA attended one of Hillary Clinton's parties and donated money to her 2008 campaign. Fox News criticized the fact that Clinton took money from RZA, claiming it was contradictory due to RZA's felony record, FBI investigation, ties to the Gambino family and his music lyrics. RZA referred to the investigation in one of his lyrics, "Plus, feds had one ad saying I gun traff' / I sold 20 million records bitch, some laugh."
In a recent interview with MTV he stated, in response to the beliefs that the group would dissolve:
Recently he was accused by several members that he mishandled money. While in the UK, when questioned by radio DJ Tim Westwood
, concerning the group situation, RZA said, "It's really all good, it's just different directions... Everything is back peace already". RZA also rebutted claims that he owes group members any money. He yelled:
In a June 2008 interview with L.A. Record
, RZA elaborated on the $20,000 bullet-proof suit, car and briefcase he mentions in the Wu-Tang Manual.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, emcee, and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. A prominent figure in Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, RZA is the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
. He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan's albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He is widely considered one of the most influential and landmark hip-hop producers of all time. He subsequently gained attention for his work scoring and acting in films.
He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. While the style is rarely popular, some performers have sold well in the mainstream scene.-Origins:...
Hip Hop group Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
where he used the name The Rzarector. Furthermore, he has acted in several movies, including Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes is the title of three short films and a 2003 feature film by independent director Jim Jarmusch. The 2003 film consists of 11 short stories which share coffee and cigarettes as a common thread, and includes the earlier three films....
, American Gangster, Gospel Hill
Gospel Hill
Gospel Hill is a 2008 film directed and produced by Giancarlo Esposito, who also stars in the film. The film was released on February 10, 2009 on DVD in the United States after being at numerous film festivals.-Plot:...
, Life Is Hot in Cracktown
Life Is Hot in Cracktown
Life Is Hot in Cracktown is a 2009 crime drama film based on Buddy Giovinazzo's eponymous 1993 collection of short stories. Giovinazzo directed and wrote the film.-Plot:...
, Ghost Dog, Funny People
Funny People
Funny People is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann. The film was released on 31 July 2009 in North America, and on 28 August 2009 in the United Kingdom. Funny People uses considerably more...
, Derailed, Due Date and Repo Men.
In 2008, RZA was ranked #4 on About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history. He also made the "Elite 8" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.
Early life
Born in BrownsvilleBrownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, RZA spent time in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
as a child, where his father had a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
in the Hill District
Hill District (Pittsburgh)
The Hill District is a collection of neighborhoods that is considered by many to be the cultural center of African-American life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an American city. Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay once called the district "the crossroads of the world," referring to the...
. From the ages of three to seven, RZA lived in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with his uncle, who always encouraged him to read and study.
He is named after Robert Kennedy and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
1989-1991
RZA began his Hip Hop music career in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as a member of the trio Force of the Imperial Master (which subsequently became known as the All in Together Now Crew after they had a successful underground single of that name). The group consisted of future Wu-Tang members and his cousins GZAGZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
(then known as the Genius) and Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
(then known as Ason Unique, the Specialist, and the Professor).
Once this local band dissolved, both he and the GZA attempted to kick start solo careers. With the help of GZA's friend (then owner of Jamaica Records) they both secured single deals with album options at successful labels, GZA going to Cold Chillin and RZA to Tommy Boy. GZA ultimately released the Words from the Genius
Words from the Genius
Words from the Genius is the debut album by the emcee GZA as the Genius, under his previous stage name. It is historically significant as the only album any Wu-Tang Clan member released before the founding of the group in 1992 Words from the Genius is the debut album by the emcee GZA as the Genius,...
album, but RZA's stint at Tommy Boy ended with only the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Ooh I Love You Rakeem
Ooh I Love You Rakeem
Ooh, I Love You, Rakeem is an EP that Robert Diggs released on Tommy Boy Records in 1991 under the name Prince Rakeem. Diggs is best known as RZA, producer for the Wu-Tang Clan.- Track listing :...
to show for it when he went to jail soon after its release. GZA's album flopped, and the two cousins became determined to conquer the hip hop industry on their own terms. Throughout most of his youth he enjoyed watching various kung-fu movies and purchasing countless albums which he would later sample in most of his music.
1992-1993: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
From this determination came the Wu-Tang Clan (named after Shaolin and Wu TangShaolin and Wu Tang
Shaolin and Wu Tang is a 1981 film directed by Hong Kong martial artist Gordon Liu. The film is about the rivalry between the martial arts schools Shaolin and Wudangquan...
, a kung fu movie), formed with GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard as well as with six other rappers (Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Method Man, Masta Killa, U-God and Ghostface Killah). With the Clan, Prince Rakeem started going by the name RZA (Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah).
After the single "Protect Ya Neck," which was driven by a raucous RZA-produced beat, made the group into underground sensations, the group released their debut LP Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut album of American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 9, 1993, on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and it was mastered at The Hit Factory...
. The album, which only cost $36K to produce, eventually went platinum, and was heralded by hip-hop fans as a classic. Enter the Wu-Tang revolutionized hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and helped bring the East Coast back into the spotlight after Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's G-funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
had come to dominate the rap scene, the resurgence in large part thanks to RZA's lean, gritty and very distinctive production style.
1994–1996: Gravediggaz and Wu-Tang solo projects: Round one
As each of the group's members embarked on solo careers, RZA continued to produce nearly everything Wu-Tang released during the period 1994–1996, producing in both the hip-hop producer sense (composing and arranging the instrumental tracks) and in the wider music producer sense (overseeing and directing the creative process as well as devising song concepts and structure in addition to being responsible for a recording's final sound). RZA's rule over the Clan at this time is described in 2004's Wu-Tang Manual book as "a dictatorship". Yet he still released a hit single of his own, in the form of Wu-Wear: The Garment Renaissance. The song was featured on the High School HighHigh School High
High School High is a 1996 comedy film about an inner city high school in the Los Angeles, California area, starring Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Mekhi Phifer, Louise Fletcher, Malinda Williams and Brian Hooks...
soundtrack, and was released to coincide with the Wu-Tang clothing brand. It peaked at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and #6 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
His sound was to develop from the raw, minimalist sounds of Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
's Tical
Tical (album)
Tical is the debut solo album of American rapper, and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man, released November 15, 1994, on Def Jam Records. It was the first Wu-Tang solo album released after the group's debut, Enter the Wu-Tang ...
and Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
's Return to the 36 Chambers to more cinematic and expansive soundscapes driven by string sections or thick layers of synthesizer on Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
's Ironman
Ironman (album)
Ironman is the solo debut album by American hip hop artist and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released October 29, 1996, on Epic Records...
, GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
's Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released November 7, 1995, on Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began mid-way through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in Staten Island New York...
, and Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the solo debut album of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released August 1, 1995, on Loud Records in the United States...
.
During this time, RZA also took part in the creation of a hip hop subgenre called horrorcore
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. While the style is rarely popular, some performers have sold well in the mainstream scene.-Origins:...
with the Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
, an off-and-on hip-hop supergroup including Frukwan
Frukwan
Frukwan Sun-Star Allah-Bey is a Moorish American hip hop musician. He is best known as The Gatekeeper from the hip hop group Gravediggaz and was a member of the pioneering hip hop band Stetsasonic.- Early life :...
of Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and the group's positive, uplifting lyrics made it forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz hip...
, Too Poetic of The Brothers Grym, and Prince Paul who released the album 6 Feet Deep
6 Feet Deep
6 Feet Deep is the debut album of the horrorcore supergroup Gravediggaz. It was released August 9, 1994, by Gee Street Records. The album was re-issued in 1997.- Album information :...
in 1994. As part of the Gravediggaz, he went by the name The RZArecta. In reference to RZA's start with the group he mentions:
1997: Wu-Tang Forever
The success of Wu-Tang ForeverWu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album of American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997 on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up...
, which hit number one on the charts after selling 600,000 in its first week, also marked the end of RZA's "five year plan"; at the group's inception, he promised the group if he had total dictatorial control of the Wu-Tang empire, it would conquer the hip hop world within five years.
After Forevers success, RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oli "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs, and giving each Clan member more individual control. This move was designed to enable the Wu-Tang empire to expand further and further into the fabric of the hip hop industry, and in accordance with this an extremely large amount of Wu-Tang music was to be released over the next two years.
This had already to some extent begun on Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album of American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997 on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up...
, which for the first time featured RZA delegating a small number of beatmaking duties to other producers in the Wu-Tang camp, such as his proteges True Master
True Master
True Master is an American hip-hop producer and very occasional rapper. He is closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and an original member of its production team, sometimes referred to as Wu-Elements. He derives his rap nom de plume from the martial arts movie of the same name...
and 4th Disciple
4th Disciple
Selwin Bougard, now known as El-Divine Amir Bey, better known by his stage name 4th Disciple, is a hip hop producer and engineer who was one of the founding members of Killarmy and one of the best-known Wu-Tang-affiliated producers.- Biography :...
who are known as the Wu-Elements
Wu-Elements
-Conception :The Wu-Elements are a production team closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. A loosely-knit group, it consists of five producers who typically support main producer RZA in handling production duties for Wu-Tang group, solo and affiliate releases...
, and Clan member Inspectah Deck
Inspectah Deck
Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
.
1998-1999: Gravediggaz and Wu-Tang solo projects: Round two
During the 1998–2000 period RZA ceased to produce every Wu-Tang solo album as he had done previously, but continued to contribute usually one or two songs on average to each record as well as receiving an Executive Producer credit.RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo was an experimental concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
featuring him rapping as his hedonistic, fun-loving alter-ego Bobby Digital and showcasing a unique keyboard-driven sound RZA called "digital orchestra", receiving mixed reviews at best.
The Cure album currently remains unreleased and incomplete, due to further work and development being continued into the new millennium. It is now said to be RZA's final solo album. Within the same year, a mixtape known as Formula For The Cure was compiled and released by Dreddy Kruger, without RZA's approval and consent. The mixtape was meant to be as a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
of some sorts to the final solo album.
2000: The W
After helming another Wu-Tang group album titled The WThe W
The W is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 21, 2000 on Loud/Columbia Records. It was released several years after their previous album Wu-Tang Forever, to which many group members released solo projects between the two albums...
(his production on which received much praise) and providing narration to a Clan greatest hits album titled The RZA Hits
The RZA Hits
The RZA Hits is a compilation produced by The RZA. It contains songs featured on the first Wu-Tang Clan album and its first round of solo albums...
, RZA released another Bobby Digital album, 2001's Digital Bullet
Digital Bullet
Digital Bullet is the second solo studio album by the American hip hop artist RZA under his pseudonym Bobby Digital, which was released on August 28, 2001...
. Digital Bullet was an attempt to develop Bobby Digital further, and the album followed a loose story arc which saw the character becoming more "enlightened" and more disillusioned with hedonism as the album went on.
2001-2004: Post The W solo projects
In 1999 the RZA moved into composing film scores. His first work, Jim JarmuschJim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American crime action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", a hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto...
(1999), earned praise; he also had brief cameo in the film itself, as a fellow samurai wearing camouflage. The experience was positive and, as he noted during an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Fresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
, the work with traditional musicians gave him the desire to learn how to read and write music.
The critical success of the Ghost Dog soundtrack
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (soundtrack)
The soundtrack of the 1999 Jim Jarmusch film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai features an original score by RZA and also features hip-hop songs by such artists as Wu-Tang Clan, Killah Priest, and Public Enemy. Two soundtrack albums were released, one internationally and another in Japan, each with...
led to further work. RZA created and produced the original music for Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
series, as well as Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
, and Soul Plane
Soul Plane
Soul Plane is a 2004 comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, D.L. Hughley, Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, Godfrey, and Snoop Dogg.-Plot:...
. RZA was nominated for four different awards for the work he did on the Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2 soundtracks, winning one.
In the beginning of 2003 he also produced a few tracks for The Mindscape of Alan Moore
The Mindscape of Alan Moore
The Mindscape of Alan Moore is a 2003 feature documentary which chronicles the life and work of Alan Moore, author of several acclaimed graphic novels, including From Hell, Watchmen and V for Vendetta....
.
His third solo album is titled, Birth of a Prince
Birth of a Prince
Birth of a Prince is the third solo studio album by American hip hop musician RZA, the main producer of the Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on October 7, 2003...
, which was released in 2003 under the name RZA, and spawned the single "We Pop". The album itself featured a mix of lighthearted Bobby Digital tracks and more lyrically highbrow RZA tracks. In 2003 he also released an album of collaborations with international rap and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
musicians (including the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Skinnyman
Skinnyman
Skinnyman is an English rapper who was born in Leeds, Yorkshire and moved to Finsbury Park, London at a young age. He grew up on the Six Acres Estate next to Andover Estate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Saïan Supa Crew
Saïan Supa Crew
Saïan Supa Crew is a French rap collective composed of three groups: Explicit Samouraï, OFX and Simple Spirit. The name 'Saïan Supa' is a reference to the Super Saiyan from the manga and anime Dragon Ball Z/GT....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Kurt Naidoo is a German singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actor. Born and raised in Mannheim, Naidoo worked in several jobs in the gastronomy and the musical industry before relocating to the United States in the early 1990s, where he released his first full-length English...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Frankie Hi-NRG MC
Frankie Hi-NRG MC
Frankie HI-NRG MC, born Francesco Di Gesù , is an Italian rapper of Sicilian origins. Frankie HI-NRG has been active since the early stages of the Italian hip hop movement in the early 1990s, and predominantly discusses Politics and Society in his music.- Biography :Born in Turin, Italy, he...
) entitled The World According to RZA
The World According to RZA
The World According to RZA is a compilation album featuring the production of Wu-Tang Clan member RZA that features his tracks for emcees from a variety of European countries...
.
2005-Present: Solo projects: Round three
In 2005 RZA released the long-gestating book The Wu-Tang ManualThe Wu-Tang Manual
The Wu-Tang Manual is a guide to the Wu-Tang Clan written by prominent member and principal producer, RZA. The manual explains Wu-Tang terms, Wu-Tang members, merchandise, movies and inspirations.-Book's Content:...
, an in-depth discussion of the Wu-Tang terms, Wu-Tang members, merchandise, movies and inspirations. RZA continued to act in and score movies such as Derailed, Blood of a Champion
Blood of a Champion
Blood of a Champion is a 2006 film that was released directly to DVD. The film was written, produced, and directed by Lawrence Page. It stars Bokeem Woodbine and R&B star Deborah Cox.-Plot:...
and Miami Vice
Miami Vice (film)
Miami Vice is a 2006 American crime drama film about two Miami police detectives, Crockett and Tubbs, who go undercover to fight drug trafficking operations. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, written, produced, and directed by Michael Mann...
. He also contributed two bonus tracks for the reissued soundtrack to the Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
film Unleashed
Unleashed (film)
Unleashed , is a 2005 American-British-French martial arts action thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Luc Besson. Film stars Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon...
, starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
. In 2006, as a producer, he contributed to five tracks on Method Man's latest album 4:21... The Day After and also executive produced the project.
In late January 2007 he announced that he was working on a fourth album titled, Digi Snacks
Digi Snacks
Digi Snacks is the fourth solo studio album by rapper and producer RZA, the third under his Bobby Digital alias. Continuing the story from Digital Bullet, the album was released, on 24 June 2008 on Koch Records...
, which continues the further adventures of Bobby Digital. The album was released on June 24, 2008. The albums first single, "You Can't Stop Me Now", featuring Inspectah Deck
Inspectah Deck
Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
, was released in March 2008 in preparation for a planned release in Summer 2008.
He has also stated that the long-delayed The Cure album will now be his final solo album, for he will end his career as MC and move on with his movie directing career. The album will feature deeper lyrics and guests ranging from Zack de la Rocha
Zack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
to Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
.
Before signing with SRC Records
SRC Records
SRC Records is an American record label created by former Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is distributed through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
in early 2007, RZA was flooded with offers from Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
, Aftermath Records, Interscope and Def Jam among others for the Wu-Tang Clan super-group.
In 2007, he did the score
The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai OST
Afro Samurai OST is the soundtrack of the television series Afro Samurai. The album was produced by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan, and features big names such as Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and GZA...
of the Japanese anime Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai
, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
starring Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
. He recently and quietly released an instrumental album entitled, The RZA-Instrumental Experience
The RZA-Instrumental Experience
The Instrumental Experience is an instrumental album by the RZA, leader and producer of the Wu-Tang Clan. It contains a set of his well-known tracks, alongside several lesser-known ones from various projects...
, and worked with Raekwon on his highly anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist, and Wu-Tang Clan-member Raekwon, released September 8, 2009, on Ice H2O/EMI Records in the United States. The album experienced numerous delays to its release due to Raekwon's approach of continual re-writing...
. Talks are on between System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
bassist Shavo Odadjian
Shavo Odadjian
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/editor, music producer, and artist/painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down...
and RZA regarding a collaboration between the two artists called Achozen
Achozen
Achozen [pronounced: UH-choh-zen] is a project by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Killarmy member Kinetic 9, and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Reverend William Burke...
. RZA has stated in an interview that he is involved in the project. A self-titled album, Achozen, was set to be finished in mid-January 2009 but as of late 2010 had not yet been released. The first single is "Dueces".
RZA announced on September 10, 2008 that a partnership with global digital music group The Orchard
The Orchard (music label)
The Orchard is a New York City based digital distribution and entertainment services company that works with independent artists and labels, and content providers...
will market Wu's extensive catalogue worldwide in digital and physical formats. The deal includes new material and 13 previous Clan releases that have been unavailable digitally from the Wu-Tang Clan, Killarmy
Killarmy
Killarmy is a hip hop group, also known through its affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan It is one of the earliest and most successful of the many Wu-Tang affiliates along with Sunz of Man....
, Wu-Syndicate
Wu-Syndicate
Wu-Syndicate is a group from Virginia consisting of Joe Mafia, Myalansky . They were originally called Crime Syndicate but changed their name to Wu-Syndicate when they signed to Wu-Tang Records and became Wu-Tang Clan affiliates...
, Shyheim, U-God
U-God
Lamont Hawkins , better known as U-God , is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan. He has been with the group since its inception, and is known for having a deep, rhythmic flow that can alternate between being gruff or smooth...
, Black Knights, and West Coast Killa Beez
West Coast Killa Beez
West Coast Killa Beez is the second album that was released by Wu Tang Clan affiliates Northstar in 2005.-Track listing:#"Rise Above Emotions"#"Coming Up, Coming Up"#"Killer Beez" #"Sunny"#"Drama"...
. Wu-Tang's viral marketing began as a study of promoting an artist online globally. RZA explained that the deal was a natural progression needed to make sure that fans will have continued access to Wu's catalogue in the ever-changing music industry. Also being launched is the online video channel Wu Music Tube, a forum focused on allowing the artists to speak directly with their fans. In the ensuing months, Wu’s music and video catalogue will also be featured by various brands and ad agencies in marketing and promotion programs around the world. Wu Music Group’s catalogue will be available worldwide for downloads on September 23. RZA told AllHipHop.com:
He has also confirmed that he will be solely-producing Liquid Swords II with GZA, which is tentatively due in Fall 2010. Also, RZA worked with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
on the latter's fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. & Watch The Throne
Watch the Throne
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. It was...
.
Achozen
RZA has also formed a musical alliance with System of a DownSystem of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
's Shavo Odadjian
Shavo Odadjian
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/editor, music producer, and artist/painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down...
, Kinetic 9
Kinetic 9
Kinetic 9 or Beretta 9 is a member of the hip-hop group Killarmy, an affiliation of the group Wu-Tang Clan. He is a originally from Steubenville, Ohio. 4th Disciple, another Ohio native & the group producer of Killarmy introduced Kinetic 9 along with ShoGun Assasson to the group...
and the Reverend William Burke from Chicago for the band Achozen
Achozen
Achozen [pronounced: UH-choh-zen] is a project by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Killarmy member Kinetic 9, and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Reverend William Burke...
. Music from Achozen also appears on the major motion picture, Babylon A.D., on which Achozen song "Deuces" is heard blaring at the introduction of the film. The four principal members feel that their unique sound is not only spiritual in nature, but a new genre of "heavy hip hop", not "rap-metal". Achozen's first live show was at the Key Club in LA on December 1, 2006. On Friday, November 13, 2009 the second Achozen track "Salute/Sacrifice" was released exclusively as a free download on Odadjian's online art district and networking site, Ursession from the upcoming Achozen debut album. The Achozen album was anticipated to be released in mid-2010 but no firm release date had been scheduled by the end of 2010.
Various Wu-recording labels
Since the early 1990s, several 'various Wu recording labelsVarious Wu-Recording Labels
-Wu-Tang Records:A label that existed in the middle 1990s. Although never publicly stated, it is believed that RZA was the CEO. The only known acts on the label were Shyheim, Wu-Syndicate, Killarmy, and Sunz of Man. The current situation of the label is unknown...
' were established. The earlier labels are believed to be dissolved. The connection that RZA had to these labels were unknown.
Other record labels were later founded in the early 2000s, and are still active in the present. Very little is known about these labels, other that the fact that RZA produces music on them. It is unknown if RZA is CEO, or has high position within these labels, considering that he was never known to have a CEO position of any recording label.
- Wu-Tang Records
- Razor Sharp Records
- 36 Chambers Records and Wu Music Group
- Wu-Tang International
Production style and influence
He has stated that he uses "the sampler more like a painter's palette than a XeroxXerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
. Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet". According to himself, RZA tries to have no more than 20 to 25% of the latter type of sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He played much of the piano himself, with Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
and Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
as major influences.
RZA has stated Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
, Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
, Syl Johnson
Syl Johnson
Syl Johnson is an American blues and soul singer and record producer.-Biography:Born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf in the 1950s, before recording with Jimmy Reed...
, Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, Augustus Pablo
Augustus Pablo
Horace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...
and Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
as musicians he is fond of and has taken influence from. During the Enter the Wu-Tang period, RZA's production consisted mainly of stripped-down, frenetic piano loops and finger-snaps with heavy bass and drums, though he experimented with more melodic sounds on the album's "Method Man" and "C.R.E.A.M." He also began incorporating skits consisting of clips of old kung fu movies.
The next two solo albums from the Wu, Method Man's Tical and Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, featured versions of the same style of production from the RZA; the former delved somewhat into old soul records and became somewhat bouncy rather than quite as gritty, while the latter was at times even more simplistic than the group's debut.
On Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA's Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released November 7, 1995, on Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began mid-way through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in Staten Island New York...
, RZA would immerse his beats in dark, sinister soul sampling, pioneering the technique of speeding up or slowing down samples to fit the beat. He also fully realized the potential of the skit, using samples from John Woo's film The Killer to string the Cuban Linx album together into a loose storyline.
In 1997, Icelandic avant-pop star Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
commissioned RZA a remix for her song "Bachelorette". In addition, RZA was later featured on a TV biography about Björk called Inside Björk
Inside Björk
Inside Björk is an official DVD released by Björk on August 23, 2003. The DVD contains a 2002 documentary outlining the career of Björk, from her early work in Icelandic bands, to joining The Sugarcubes to her solo work up to 2002. The documentary gives viewers a personal view into her private...
.
RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples to fit his beats, has been picked up by currently popular producers — most notably Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, the two main producers behind Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
. West's own take on RZA's style briefly flooded the rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul," the speeding of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by the RZA's production,
Said by Kanye West:
In response, RZA himself has spoken quite positively of the comparisons:
Subsequent Wu group albums saw RZA become even more experimental, usually with soul samples as well as the layers added his beats. Around 1997 he began tutoring 4th Disciple
4th Disciple
Selwin Bougard, now known as El-Divine Amir Bey, better known by his stage name 4th Disciple, is a hip hop producer and engineer who was one of the founding members of Killarmy and one of the best-known Wu-Tang-affiliated producers.- Biography :...
, True Master
True Master
True Master is an American hip-hop producer and very occasional rapper. He is closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and an original member of its production team, sometimes referred to as Wu-Elements. He derives his rap nom de plume from the martial arts movie of the same name...
and Mathematics
Mathematics (producer)
Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was...
in production. The early-mid 2000's have seen him move more toward smoother and more tightly-assembled productions, where the melody, drums, bass and other elements play more off each other than they previously had in his beats.
His Bobby Digital albums introduced tweaked-out new age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
elements to his sound; these have incorporated themselves more fully into his beats on newer albums such as Method Man's 4:21... The Day After.
The Beatles song being covered is "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album...
" for the album 8 Diagrams
8 Diagrams
8 Diagrams is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released December 11, 2007 on SRC/Universal Motown Records. The album was released three years after the passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag, for which many group members...
. It was titled "The Heart Gently Weeps
The Heart Gently Weeps
"The Heart Gently Weeps" is the first single from the 2007 album 8 Diagrams by the Wu-Tang Clan. The song features an interpolation of The Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" The vocals are sung by R&B singer Erykah Badu...
" and features Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
, Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
, Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
and Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
.
In a recent 2010 radio interview with UK hip hop station Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, RZA spoke in great detail about the homemade, candid ethos of much of his classic work, including the organic creation process behind ODB's debut album.
Mentality and leadership
According to The Wu-Tang ManualThe Wu-Tang Manual
The Wu-Tang Manual is a guide to the Wu-Tang Clan written by prominent member and principal producer, RZA. The manual explains Wu-Tang terms, Wu-Tang members, merchandise, movies and inspirations.-Book's Content:...
, at the group's inception, RZA started what he called the "5 Year Plan" in which he asked the other 8 members of the Clan for 5 years of life, hard work and good lyrics. He promised the members that if he had total control of the Wu-Tang empire, he would "take them to the top", and conquer the hip-hop world within a dynastic cycle. Afterwards, he would then relinquish his total control. He described this five year period "as a dictatorship". RZA's five year "dictatorship" was completed after the successful release of Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album of American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997 on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up...
.
As each of the group's members embarked on solo careers, RZA continued to produce nearly everything Wu-Tang released during the period 1994–1996. He was in control of producing composing, arranging, overseeing, directing, and possibly naming songs. He oversaw the creative process as well as devising song concepts and structure, in addition to being responsible for a recording’s final sound. All of this was the majority of his "dictatorship". He began doing this on a reduced extent around the time that he relinquished his dictatorship, thus taking complete control of fewer solo projects between group releases.
He has stated in several interviews that the challenges of maintaining the group are not egos, but rather timing and scheduling due to the fact that the members have families and side projects.
He has shown little or no concern about illegal downloading, for he feels that it has little impact on the music industry:
In several interviews, in response to the phrase "hip hop is dead", he said, "How can hip hop be dead if Wu-Tang is forever?" In regards of the southern dominance, rather than criticize the music, he instead spoke on the look and image of the southern artists themselves. He went on to say:
In the 1990s, the Wu-Tang Clan was one of the first hip hop acts to have a clothing line. However, throughout the following years to the 2000s, nearly every hip hop act has followed suit and created their own clothing line. In response, RZA spoke on his views on the oversaturation of the hip hop clothing market:
Various names and aliases
RZA is known for having multiple aliasesPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, for different lyrical styles and personalities: Prince Rakeem, The Abbot, Bobby Digital, Bobby Steels, the Scientist, Prince Delight, Prince Dynamite, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah. During his time with the Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
, he went by the name the Rzarector, which is for waking up the mentally dead.
Acting
In addition to working behind the scenes on movie scores, RZA has been active on-screen as well. He has made cameo appearances as himself in numerous major motion pictures throughout the course of his career such as Be CoolBe Cool
Be Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...
, Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film, which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres, directed by David Zucker. It is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise, as well as the first to have no involvement from the Wayans family...
, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood is a 1996 parody film by Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Similarly to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, the film spoofs a number of black, coming-of-age, 'hood films' such as Juice, Jungle Fever, South Central, Higher Learning, Do the Right...
. RZA has also made various cameo appearances in the films Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American crime action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", a hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto...
and Rhyme & Reason.
His acting career began to rise in the mid 2000s alongside fellow Wu-Tang member and cousin GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
in one segment of Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
's Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes is the title of three short films and a 2003 feature film by independent director Jim Jarmusch. The 2003 film consists of 11 short stories which share coffee and cigarettes as a common thread, and includes the earlier three films....
opposite Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
. He and GZA have also made appearances on Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
and Upright Citizens Brigade
Upright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
.
He followed up with a big role in the hit 2005 film Derailed. The same year, he served as the Artist in Residence for the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
.
Rza was also given the duties of producing the soundtrack to the Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai
, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
series and movie.
Originally, he was offered the role of "Brown" in The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
(2006), but turned it down because of scheduling conflicts.
His biggest acting role to date, is in American Gangster by Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
, as "Moses Jones" whose real-life name is "Edward V. Jones."
He performed cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
roles in Funny People
Funny People
Funny People is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann. The film was released on 31 July 2009 in North America, and on 28 August 2009 in the United Kingdom. Funny People uses considerably more...
, Gospel Hill
Gospel Hill
Gospel Hill is a 2008 film directed and produced by Giancarlo Esposito, who also stars in the film. The film was released on February 10, 2009 on DVD in the United States after being at numerous film festivals.-Plot:...
, and Life Is Hot in Cracktown
Life Is Hot in Cracktown
Life Is Hot in Cracktown is a 2009 crime drama film based on Buddy Giovinazzo's eponymous 1993 collection of short stories. Giovinazzo directed and wrote the film.-Plot:...
. He was also said to be attached to friend Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
project in one way or another, featuring as a solo artist on the soundtrack to Kill Bill 1 and selecting some other songs for the soundtrack too. In 2010, RZA appeared in the science fiction action film Repo Men.
In 2010, he appeared in the comedy film Due Date
Due Date
Due Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010...
alongside Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
and Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, and directed by Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...
.
RZA also appeared in the 2010 movie "The Next Three Days
The Next Three Days
The Next Three Days is a 2010 thriller film directed by Paul Haggis and starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. It was released in the United States on November 19, 2010 and was filmed on location in Pittsburgh...
," starring Russell Crowe.
RZA appeared as a wrongly convicted felon in the pilot episode of NBC's Outlaw
Outlaw (TV series)
Outlaw is an American television series that was aired on the NBC network. The one-hour courtroom drama stars Jimmy Smits as a Supreme Court Justice who resigns from the bench to start his own law firm, as a way to more directly promote the ends of justice...
.
RZA is set to appear in G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is an upcoming science fiction action film directed by Jon Chu. It is a sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.-Plot:...
as the character Blind Master.
RZA appeared in 2011's A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas and is set to appear as rapper Samurai Apocalypse on Showtimes' Californication
Californication
Californication is a portmanteau of the words California and fornication, appearing in Time on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. states of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington...
. He was recently cast in Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti-western film Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, slated for release Christmas 2012.
Directing
RZA directed and starred in an unreleased Bobby Digital movie, saying of it:He was once asked about directing:
Directors Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
and Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
are involved in the production of
The Man with the Iron Fists, according to several movie Web sites. In regards to the movie, Eli said:
He is also co-producing a movie remake of The Last Dragon
The Last Dragon
The Last Dragon is a 1985 martial arts musical film produced by Rupert Hitzig for Berry Gordy and directed by Michael Schultz. The film was a critical disappointment but a financial success, The Last Dragon is now considered a cult classic. The film stars Taimak, Vanity, Julius Carry, Christopher...
, with Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
assuming the role of Sho'nuff. John Davis of Davis Entertainment
Davis Entertainment
Davis Entertainment is an American independent film production company, founded by John Davis in 1985.-Selected filmography:* Brewster's Millions * "Crocodile" Dundee * Predator * Superman IV: The Quest for Peace...
and Gordy's son Kerry Gordy, along with RZA are set to produce. Penning the screenplay as well as producing is Dallas Jackson, who heads up the urban family label DJ Classicz with Davis. Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
is rumored to appear in the movie as Laura Charles.
Personal life
He was once affiliated with the Nation of Gods and EarthsThe Nation of Gods and Earths
The Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE or NOGE, the Five-Percent Nation, or the Five Percenters is an American organization founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, a former student of Malcolm X, who left his mosque...
but has stated that he is no longer a member of any particular group. However, he usually wears the Five Percenter Universal Flag as a necklace, and still follows Five Percenter aspects, which include the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet
Supreme Alphabet
The Supreme Alphabet is, in the Nation of Gods and Earths, a system of interpreting text and finding deeper meaning in the original 120 Questions written by Elijah Muhammad and Wallace Fard Muhammad by assigning meanings to the letters of the Roman alphabet...
. He also has taken on various aspects of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
as stated in his book The Wu-Tang Manual
The Wu-Tang Manual
The Wu-Tang Manual is a guide to the Wu-Tang Clan written by prominent member and principal producer, RZA. The manual explains Wu-Tang terms, Wu-Tang members, merchandise, movies and inspirations.-Book's Content:...
as well as Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
which he talks about thoroughly in The Tao of Wu
The Tao of Wu
The Tao of Wu is the second philosophical book written by prominent Wu-Tang Clan member and principal producer, RZA. It is a sequel to The Wu-Tang Manual.-Content:The book details RZA's own personal path towards enlightenment...
in order to expand his spiritual growth. He has gone on to state that Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, The Bible, and Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
are three of his favorite books stating that each of the three contain enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
. One of his favorite hobbies consists of watching martial arts films, and he is considered to be an "encyclopedia of martial arts films", due to his vast knowledge of the genre. His second well-known hobby is chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, for he is a director of development, and champion of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. He was once married, and believed to have children:
Along with a number of members in the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA is vegetarian.
Controversies
In 2000 the Village Voice ran a story about the FBI infiltrating the Wu-Tang Clan through a criminal-turned-informant named Michael Caruso, who got a job as the personal manager for Ghostface KillahGhostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
and Cappadonna
Cappadonna
Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
. Several other members of the group did not like Caruso, however his ties with Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
and Cappadonna
Cappadonna
Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
got him into the inner circles of the Wu. Due to Caruso's criminal past he was prohibited by law to associate with felons (which many members of the Clan are) or leave the state of New York, however these restrictions were lifted in return for providing information on the group. The federal government turned their head and allowed Caruso to tour around the country with Wu-Tang as long as he was kicking back info on their involvement in gunrunning
Gunrunning
Arms trafficking, also known as gunrunning, is the illegal trafficking or smuggling of contraband weapons or ammunition.The 1997 Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms provides a more refined and precise definition, which has become internationally accepted...
and the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
.
Caruso was subsequently fired from all duties regarding The Wu-Tang Clan's business when these allegations came to light. RZA forced Cappadonna to fire him as his manager, however Caruso still works with Ghostface and is on his new poker team. The report rules out the majority of Wu-Tang affiliated performers and focuses on those running the business aspect of the Wu empire, Oli "Power" Grant and Mitchell "Divine" Diggs (RZA's brother) and RZA himself.
Fox News reported that in mid-2007 RZA attended one of Hillary Clinton's parties and donated money to her 2008 campaign. Fox News criticized the fact that Clinton took money from RZA, claiming it was contradictory due to RZA's felony record, FBI investigation, ties to the Gambino family and his music lyrics. RZA referred to the investigation in one of his lyrics, "Plus, feds had one ad saying I gun traff' / I sold 20 million records bitch, some laugh."
In a recent interview with MTV he stated, in response to the beliefs that the group would dissolve:
Recently he was accused by several members that he mishandled money. While in the UK, when questioned by radio DJ Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
, concerning the group situation, RZA said, "It's really all good, it's just different directions... Everything is back peace already". RZA also rebutted claims that he owes group members any money. He yelled:
In a June 2008 interview with L.A. Record
L.A. Record
L.A. Record is an independent music magazine originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a...
, RZA elaborated on the $20,000 bullet-proof suit, car and briefcase he mentions in the Wu-Tang Manual.
Discography
- Bobby Digital in StereoBobby Digital in StereoBobby Digital in Stereo is the solo debut album by the American hip hop artist RZA, a member of Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on November 24, 1998, and was certified Gold on February 5, 1999, by the RIAA...
(1998) - Digital BulletDigital BulletDigital Bullet is the second solo studio album by the American hip hop artist RZA under his pseudonym Bobby Digital, which was released on August 28, 2001...
(2001) - Birth of a PrinceBirth of a PrinceBirth of a Prince is the third solo studio album by American hip hop musician RZA, the main producer of the Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on October 7, 2003...
(2003) - Digi SnacksDigi SnacksDigi Snacks is the fourth solo studio album by rapper and producer RZA, the third under his Bobby Digital alias. Continuing the story from Digital Bullet, the album was released, on 24 June 2008 on Koch Records...
(2008)
External links
- RZA and Don Hyun
- RZA at Beatbuggy