Real Name: Robert Diggs
Others: Prince Rakeem, Rzarector, Bobby Steels, The Abbot
Albums: Bobby Digtal In Stereo, The RZA Hits & Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai
Record Lable: Gee Street
Offical Site: www.peeps.com/rza
To most people, espcially his fellow members of the Clan, RZA is considered to be, "The man." If it weren't for Rza himself, would Wu-Tang be the same? Many people many wonder were they would be with out him. Just listen to anyone from the Wu, and in their music they thank Rza or say something about his beats. In 1991, RZA, back then know as Prince Raekeem, released a small LP called Oh We Love You Prince Raekeem. But at this time he was just trying to get his own popularity, and the Wu wasn't even know yet. He was one of the oringrial 3 Wu-Tang members. GZA, ODB, and himself are all cousins and were in the group All In Together Now, which later on became the Wu-Tang Clan, as you know today. The three are also all cousins, and GZA was a great influence on RZA. Up until the full nine members came about, and RZA got to be the rich producer/song writer he is now, he use to sell record out of the back trunk of his car. Then he got big when loud signed a contract with them. Because the deal they had with loud, it let them sign to a different record company, to release any solo work. This was the time when no one knew anything about the clan or RZA, but now he is razor sharp. He came a long distance......
He became to be the producer for mostly all the Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang related albums. He has a collection of hits he's produced from such artist as; Method Man. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, GZA, Gravediggaz, Bjork, and the Bulworth soundtrack. He has a solo album which came out in late 1998 called "RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo." (buy it) The whole concept of Bobby Digital is all of his artistic talents. BOBBY is the brainchild, and is RZA's invention. There is a whole story behind of how Bobby came about. BOBBY is really a computer and a self-indulgent creature of flesh who loves to womanize, party, spend money and wear the latest fashions. RZA also made a movie called 'Bobby Digital' and his first solo album has meant to be the soundtrack for the movie.
He also put out a hits album of classic Wu-songs titled, "The RZA Hits." if you never liked Wu from the start, I advise you to get this album. With such hits as; "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit", "Protect Ya Neck", "C.R.E.A.M.", "Method Man", "All I Need", and "All that I got is You," it's a classic. On top of all this, RZA was in the film, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai. A nation-wide film about martial arts and other self endurance. He produced the whole soundtrack for it, which features Method Man, Masta Killa, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God, himself, LA the Darkman, 12 O' Clock, Blue Raspberry, North Star, Black Nights, Kool G Rap, Tekitha, Superb, Royal Fam, Melodie, Jeru, Afu Ra, and Suga Bang Bang. It is a very good album, and has a different twist to many other albums. It is different that the Swarm vol. 1, and Bobby Digital, but this is a new chamber, and a good chamber at that.
Rza (along with Ghostface Killah) was featured in the March 2000 Issue of Source Magazine. This was a very good issue which covered very important topic about the wu, like why have the past couple releases been so bad, ect. He says how he assigned different producers to the different members, like; Powere to Rae a & Deck, Divine to Meth & CappaDonna, and he took U-God and Ghostface, and Dirty...he's just Dirt. He said he is going to keep it with Masta Killa. They go on to questions like why didn't you Drop the Cure in '98, and What he plans for the Wu in the future. It's really a good article, and if you can find it somewhere you should read it. But the thing that best sums it up is this quote by him, "We 'bout to form voltron AGAIN. AFTER THE NEXT Wu-Tang Album, I think it closes the book, If we live out how I Got This S**T Planned, It's gonna be another MileStone. You can measure Hip-Hop by it." This man is a wonder to Wu-Tang and hip-hop itself, people just have to realize.
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