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The RZA is ensuring that Wu-Tang is indeed forever. The Abbot has just partnered with Iconic Artists Group and Rock The Bells to help propel the group’s legacy.
As reported by Variety Magazine, the RZA has a vision for his band’s future. This week it was disclosed he struck a deal with Irving Azoff‘s Iconic Artists Group and LL Cool J‘s Rock the Bells. According to the announcement all three parties will work together to not only preserve Wu-Tang Clan’s name but to expand the brand further into television, film, merchandise and more. Additionally, this cooperative will also leverage their music catalog which includes their game-changing debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Forever and more.
The RZA detailed his enthusiasm regarding the partnership in a press release. “As we evolve from ‘Legendary Status’ to ‘Iconic Status,’ it’s only fitting and serendipitous that we join the team at Iconic Artists Group and Rock The Bells,” the “Tragedy” rapper said. “This partnership will help us continue to expound and expand the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy.”
LL Cool J went on to detail why the deal is important for the culture. “The Wu-Tang Clan’s brand and music have been cornerstones of hip-hop culture,” his formal statement reads. “Our partnership with Iconic Artists Group will enable us to leverage Rock The Bells’ multi-faceted platform — encompassing radio, e-commerce, licensing, content and live events — to unite and engage fans with this iconic brand. Together, we’ll guarantee that the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy and timeless hip-hop remain powerful forces for generations to come.”
As per Billboard Magazine, some of the collective’s recent work includes the “Wu-Tang x MLB Night” at Oracle Park on June 1 and the upcoming rerelease of the Wu-Tang x Nike Dunk sneaker.
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Source: Department of Justice / buzzfeed
An ultra-rare album by the Wu-Tang Clan is now on display for fans—but only in a museum in Australia.
Source: Department of Justice / buzzfeed
According to reports, the rare Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time In Shaolin will be made available to the public for the first time since its creation nine years ago. The catch? It will be on display in a museum in Tasmania, Australia. The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has announced that it will be on display as part of its “Namedropping” exhibition, highlighting some of the world’s most captivating musicians and artists. The exhibition will run from June 15 to June 24, with the Wu-Tang Clan exhibit available twice daily from Friday to Monday.
“Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances,” Jarrod Rawlins, Director of Curatorial Affairs at MONA, said in a press statement. “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status, and what a transcendent namedrop could be, I knew I had to get it into this exhibition.” Visitors will also get to listen to the album in specially curated 30-minute mixes and at private listening parties at the institution’s Frying Pan Studios. There will be a limited amount of free tickets available for visitors.
Once Upon a Time In Shaolin, produced in secrecy, was announced as a one-of-a-kind mission to “put out a piece of art like nobody else has done in the history of [modern] music,” as stated by The RZA in an interview with Forbes in 2014. The album would go up for auction in 2015, where it would be purchased by the controversial Martin Shkreli aka “Pharma Bro” for $2 million, making Once Upon a Time In Shaolin among the most expensive albums ever sold. Shkreli would have the album seized by the Department of Justice as he was convicted of securities fraud. The DOJ would then sell it to the digital art collective Pleasr in 2021. “With this single work of art, the Wu-Tang Clan’s intention was to redefine the meaning of music ownership and value in a world of digital streaming and commodification of music. Pleasr is honored to partner with Mona to support RZA’s vision for Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” the group said in a statement.
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The RZA talked extensively about his meatless lifestyle in an interview, encouraging others to “let your natural body speak for you.”
The RZA has always been a reasoned mind on certain subjects, especially so when it comes to living a vegan lifestyle. The leader of the Wu-Tang Clan first started his meatless journey in the mid-1990s, dropping red meat as he recounted in his memoir The Tao of Wu: “I felt like an idiot — I would surely be able to come up with ideas of what to eat instead of dead meat? I thought to myself ‘I live, my flesh lives. Why would I want to eat something that’s dead?’ Starting from this day, I ate to live.” He would then cut out chicken and fish before dropping eggs and other dairy products from his diet. He spoke about that at length in a recent interview meant to encourage others to follow suit.
When asked about eliminating red meat in light of the current conversations about the environmental concerns about its production, The RZA replied: “For me, it was consciousness. It was just the awareness of life itself. It became almost illogical, almost unethical. Why does the animal have to die for me to live? And then learning that our digestive system really has a hard time digesting red meat. As I became more conscious, it started to make less and less and then no sense to eat a dead bird. To even eat a dead fish.”
Expounding further, The RZA stated that “We’ve been taught a lot of myths” when it comes to eating red meat. The 54-year-old artist also talked about the evolution of the Black community’s position. “For the Black community, health has been a struggle, from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, all these different things that have plagued our community for some years,” he said. “I think as generations kept growing, you start seeing us drop certain things.
The RZA ended his interview with words of encouragement for those looking to take up a meatless lifestyle to help save the planet from the effects of climate change. “Start with one day a week at least. Moderate yourself. I didn’t go cold turkey. It took me years to get to veganism,” he said before adding, Let your natural body speak for you. But if you’re thinking about helping all of us, helping the world, at least knock out a couple of days a week.”
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RZA revealed the real story of how Method Man got his name in a recent interview, stunning fans tuning in as well as the hosts of the show.
The RZA was a guest on the EBROINTHEAM show on HOT97, co-hosted by Ebro and Peter Rosenberg last Thursday (November 9), and Rosenberg played a snippet from the hit “Method Man” off of the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). It prompted him to ask, “Why did Method Man get his own song on the album? And again, did you have a hunch that this one would go off?” The RZA replied, “Method Man was Shakwon until he made that song — Shakwon the Panty Raider. Then, after he made that song, everybody in the hood called him Method Man.”
Rosenberg and co-host Laura Stylez were both surprised. Ebro then asked, “So Method Man was just the chorus, it wasn’t his name or the concept?” “It was the concept because meth is weed. He’s the king of smoking weed. So he’s the method man. A year later, he’s Method Man,” RZA responded. When asked if the streets were the major weight behind the decision, he said it was the Clan’s decision ultimately. “It was a conscious decision by us as a crew, but the streets did push it.”
The revelation caused a shockwave among the hosts. “That makes so much sense! Now that I think about it,” Rosenberg said before continuing: “See, RZA, this is something that to you is so built-in that it’s a nothing burger, whereas to us, it makes so much sense! It was always a little weird that there’s one song on the album named after a member. We thought it was named after the member, but that’s not what it was; it was the name of a song that then became the name of a member!”
Method Man himself talked about the name change in his appearance on the Drink Champs podcast hosted by N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, specifically citing legendary funk artist Bootsy Collins along with John Legend, Masta Ace, and Hall & Oates as inspirations for the song.
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Source: JOHNNY NUNEZ / Johnny Nunez
The Wu-Tan Clan’s debut album is about to be brought to life in historic fashion. RZA has announced a series of 36 Chambers 30th anniversary shows.
As spotted on Hypebeast The Abbot will be treating Wu fans to some distinct celebrations at an iconic venue in New York City. Slated for November 7, November 8 and November 9 the “Tragedy” rapper will be hosting a concert that is slotted to take ticket holders “deeper into the iconic 36 Chambers featuring a live orchestration”. The three date series follows his 36 Chambers of Shaolin and A Ballet Through Mud live production previously done in Denver earlier this year. This set though featured a live orchestra and a ballet.
“With the group’s classic 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), RZA established their widely imitated core sound, consisting of stark, booming beats and chilling samples (heavily drawing from vintage soul records as well as Kung Fu movies), setting the backdrop for the crew’s gritty, violent narratives” a formal press release reads.
The presale for The RZA shows started today. You buy tickets here.
Photo: JOHNNY NUNEZ
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For decades, the Wu-Tang Clan have always stated that they were for the children, but when Rihanna and A$AP Rocky decided to name their baby RZA, that mission statement kind of took on a whole new meaning. The RZA himself couldn’t help but feel honored by their choice.
In an interview with CNN, the OG Ruler Zig Zag Zig Allah touched on the topic and admitted that his music peers taking his moniker and using it to bestow on their firstborn son was something that touched him. And RZA looked forward to their son taking his name into a next generation of Hip-Hoppers.
CNN reports:
The original RZA told CNN it is “a great honor to know that there’s another generation that’s not even of my own household that feels the strength and the inspiration of that name.”
“RZA is only a name, it’s a title,” he said. “So it’s an honor and I salute her and A$AP and their family. All the blessings in the world from me.”
Word is that A$AP and Riri were down to two names: The RZA or Masta Killa, but decided to go with the former as having “Masta Killa Mayers” on official government forms might raise all kinds of red flags in Amerikkka. We kid, we kid.
Now, we’ll just have to wait and see if Rocky and Riri continue to the tradition of having rapper names in the family (A$AP’s real name is Rakim Mayers, he was named after the God MC, Rakim) and which rapper will be chosen to become a part of their growing family. We’re lowkey hoping for Mic Geronimo Mayers. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think A$AP Rocky and Rihanna should name their next baby? Tupac? Kool Keith? Roxanne Shante? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Weather Park was raised in literal Hip-Hop royalty as the son of beloved Wu-Tang Clan rapper, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Now a rapper himself, Weather Park shared in a new interview that RZA, the Abbott himself, offered mentorship and guidance as he grew into his own.
Weather Park sat down with AllHipHop to discuss his burgeoning career as a Drill rapper, how his sound differs from that of his brother, Young Dirty Bastard, working with the 36 Chambers record label, and more.
From AllHipHop:
AllHipHop: Nice. So you started working with RZA, obviously, and this opportunity with 36 Chambers came about. Can you tell me a little bit about what it’s been like linking with 36 Chambers and what that allowed you to do as an artist?
Weather Park: Well, what I could say is it put me in a very focused state just as far as the direction of my sound. I know I’m good, but I’m constantly challenging myself to be better, just to be exposed to the greatness. It allows me to see myself in a higher light than I’ve ever perceived. You know what I mean? So as I create my music, I still have fun, but I’m creating it in a base of, “What can I?” not even like what, “How can I tell my story in a way that it can resonate with everyone just the same way as Wu-Tang Clan did back in the days?” You know what I mean? So that’s the most impactful part for me. I definitely appreciate the opportunity, and I definitely appreciate the time that we’ve had together because it’s definitely helped me grow as an artist. But the most important thing to me is my impact because I understand how impactful what I come from was.
The entire interview is full of gems and showcases that Weather Park definitely benefited from working with RZA both in music and in life. Read the whole piece here.
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Photo: @winter_park/Instagram
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The name of A$AP Rocky and Rihanna’s first-born son‘s name has been revealed to be RZA. Of course, it’s a nod to the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, because the Staten Island super rap group has always been for the children.
The Daily Mail first reported the name of the Hip-Hop power couple’s baby son (another child is currently baking in Rih Rih’s oven), and it is RZA Athelston Mayers.
This really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since the kid’s dad’s actual name is Rakim Athelston Mayers since his paternal grandparents were also Hip-Hop heads. Worth noting is Rocky’s middle name has been widely listed as Athelaston.
Also worth noting, now Rihanna rocking various Wu-Tang Clan and RZA apparel makes all the more sense.
Baby RZA was born nearly a year ago on May 13, 2022 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Needless to say, his future is already bright.
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For more than two decades, the Wu-Tang Clan and Funk Master Flex have had been at odds over an incident that transpired at Hot 97’s Summer Jam in 1997.
Now, 25 years later the iconic rap group and Hip-Hop renowned DJ have finally squashed their beef. Flex even teased a collaboration to let everyone know the feud they had going is now water under the bridge. Two days ago Funk Master Flex took to his Instagram page to let the Hip-Hop world know that he and the Wu are back on good terms as he posed next to The Abbot aka The RZA. In the caption, he apologized to the group for the quarter century old incident.
I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO APOLOGIZE TO THE @RZA AND THE ENTIRE @WUTANGCLAN!!! ALMOST 25YRS AGO THE GROUP, ME AND HOT97 HAD A DISAGREEMENT THAT TO ME NEVER GOT PUT TO BED AND I APOLOGIZE!
LOOKING BACK AT THIS 20 SUMTHIN YEARS LATER.. WE GONNA MAKE UP FOR THE TIME WE MISSED…
THE WORLDS GREATEST RAP GROUP AND THE WORLDS GREATEST RADIO STATIONS ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER BRING U SOMETHING AMAZING!
RZA + FUNKFLEX + WUTANG = ????
For those who aren’t familiar with the situation, the beef began back in 1997 when Hot 97 strong armed the Wu and told them that if they didn’t perform at Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert they’d never have their music played on the radio station again. Keep in mind back then streaming music wasn’t even a thought. And Hot 97 was basically the only station in town to get your Hip-Hop music fix.
Knowing that they needed the station to spin their records, Wu-Tang relented and took the Summer Jam stage, but not without sending a message to the radio station during their set. Ghostface Killah led the crowd in a “F*ck Hot 97” chant.
Now, all these years later, Funk Flex and the Wu have let bygones be bygones and are possibly going to be going into the studio to cook something up for the Hip-Hop heads who can’t get enough of that OG Hip-Hop sound. Lord knows we need some of that these days. Hopefully it’ll come sooner than later.
What do y’all think of Funk Flex and the Wu-Tang finally burying the hatchet? Let us know in the comments section below.
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