Razor Sharp RZA

This thread is intended to honor a master:

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs aka RZA.
Born July 5, 1969 (yes, he has a birthday coming up) Robert Fitzgerald Diggs was named after the Kennedys and has lived up to the greatness of his moniker. His age, according to him, is "older than the sun, older than the moon, older than the stars."
www.wutang-corp.com...
RZA is a creative force and has had his hand in producing, rapping, directing, acting, writing-- you name it. RZA is an artist on top of the game.

He started listening to hip hop and writing rhymes of his own when he was nine. Here's RZA talking about hearing Rapper's Delight:

Sugarhill Gang: "Rapper's Delight" When I was 10 years old, I was definitely in tune. When "Rapper's Delight" first came out, I didn't hear it. I was already writing my own little raps and #. It came out when I was about nine. But I remember a kid in the neighborhood knew I was trying to do little raps of my own, and we used to always walk up to each other and rap to each other. He walked up to me, and he was like this: "After school, I take a dip in the pool, which is really off the wall / I got a color TV so I can see the Knicks play basketball." And I was like, "Oh #! The boy's good!" I didn't know he stole it from the song. I guess he heard it before I heard it. Then, when I heard it, I realized that the guy stole the song.

That song was a big song for me-- that song and another song called "The Adventures of Super Rhymes" by an artist named Jimmy Spicer. Oh, "Super Rhymes" man, that song! First of all, me, my brothers and my cousins, we would sing the whole "Rapper's Delight" all the way through. Then, the other song, "The Adventures of Super Rhymes"-- yo, to me, that mother#er killed it. He went through so many different raps through the whole song. It was an adventure, man. I mean, I remember playing that song over and over on my mom's record player, man. Over and over, memorizing the whole song, singing the whole song. I was writing; I had lyrics of my own to help me understand the storytelling of the lyrics. Even "Rapper's Delight", you know, he went to his friend's house to get some food. Or Big Bank Hank talking about he's schooling Superman, coming up to Lois Lane and convincing her to quit Superman. Those lyrics was hard in my head as a little kid. The imagination of those artists helped inspire my imagination.

RZA took the New York rap scene by storm in the early 90's and the world has never been the same.
So, ATS, ready to get grimy?

RZA's first solo song was released in 1991 under the name Prince Rakeem. Check it out here, and we can see the inception of the mastery behind the evolution of the Wu.. that New York Shaolin sound that has never been rivaled. Sounds a biit different here, lol.

In 1993, RZA teamed up with cousins Russell Tyrone Jones (ODB-- Rest in Peace) and Gary Grice (GZA) and a few childhood friends to make history. Enter the Wu.

You all know about the Wu by now. And you know that RZA was the creative driving force behind the Wu. Surely there is no need to expand here.. however, if by chance you have been holed up in a bunker, or perhaps were born recently (last week or so), then allow me to point you in the direction of
C.R.E.A.M.
Just look it up. Trust me.
Well, the RZA has many many talents that I have not mentioned. (And side projects). Please feel free to expand on anything RZA. In the meantime, enjoy a few of my favorite non Wu-Tang (done a few threads on the Wu already) cuts:
This one is freaking amazing.

Brooklyn Babies: love the tempo here, and how RZA raps.

And this is RZA collaborating with Red Hot Chili Pepper's John Fruisciante. This is so dope!! Straight fire from RZA, always!!!


Much respect due to RZA

One of the greatest beat masters and can hold his own on the mic. 36 Chambers is probably one of the Top 5 best hip hop albums of all times...

a reply to: Edumakated

Can't argue with any of that! Also, one thing that really makes RZA special is his love of all music. He always found the deepest cuts and the soul of music, and created his own music with soul.
I did a thread on Blue Raspberry a while back (Wu's first female vocalist- sang on Rainy Days, Heaven and Hell, Mr Sandman, PLO Style)- Wu discovered her singing over a loud speaker at Ballys in New Jersey and I can only imagine it being RZA overhearing her and having the brilliant idea of putting her on their next record! (I could be wrong, but it's cool to imagine).
Here's RZA talking about the making of Rainy Dayz (prob my all time favorite Wu song)

That's a great song. That song really resonated with our struggle-- the music, my production, everything about it. That song is just incredible to me. "Rainy Dayz" and "Glaciers of Ice", those two songs, I mean I just love those songs. I don't want to pat myself on the back, sound stupid and #. But it just shows you could use samples and sounds to make something crazy like that. Back then, we had to use two-inch tapes to make music. I wouldn't take a song off the reel until it was done. And that song, it was on the reel longer than almost any song that I've produced. Usually, I could do a song in one day. That song must have sat on the reel for four days, at least. I was making it, coming back and forth, doing it, adding another line this, or adding a vocal. Somebody would come in and sing something for me. Do this, do that, just in the basement of my #ing crib. Turkey burgers. Forget that, man.

Respect

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: Edumakated

Can't argue with any of that! Also, one thing that really makes RZA special is his love of all music. He always found the deepest cuts and the soul of music, and created his own music with soul.
I did a thread on Blue Raspberry a while back (Wu's first female vocalist- sang on Rainy Days, Heaven and Hell, Mr Sandman, PLO Style)- Wu discovered her singing over a loud speaker at Ballys in New Jersey and I can only imagine it being RZA overhearing her and having the brilliant idea of putting her on their next record! (I could be wrong, but it's cool to imagine).
Respect

This MoFo sampled a god damn doorbell and made that sh*t sound fly as fuzz... his first verse on this song and the doorbell are one of my faves...



By the way... don't get me started on Cappadona.

originally posted by: Edumakated


This MoFo sampled a god damn doorbell and made that sh*t sound fly as fuzz...

lol! That's true!

Great song.

Another great from Bobby Digital:


More recent collab:


some old school gravediggaz:

This thread needs more love, the whole wu tang is just so epic lyricly, im blasting cream heading to work.

Thanks for another good thread Z

a reply to: dukeofjive696969

Hey man, thanks for the love! Can you believe that C.R.E.A.M. all started here:


What a great way to start your work day! Hope the rest of your day is on par, friend

a reply to: zosimov

Rza is the real deal, no doubt. He makes grea5 music. He also has some great movie soundtracks.

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: dukeofjive696969

Hey man, thanks for the love! Can you believe that C.R.E.A.M. all started here:

What a great way to start your work day! Hope the rest of your day is on par, friend

Thanks for that, i had no ideal where the beat came from, going to blast it all night now.

a reply to: nOraKat

Agreed, this whole album is a masterpiece! Thanks for posting!

Good times, reminds me of those, young, jr highish, skateboard, 36 chambers.