Wu-Tang at Sundance: An American History

It’s the week of the Sundance Film Festival, and Sacha Jenkins walks into the Entertainment Studios Lounge in Park City, Utah, wearing a Goose Country leather V-Bomber. It’s the same coat made famous by the late New York drug dealer/folk hero Larry Davis. Tucked under his leather-cloaked arm is a record. It’s the first album from The 1865, an all-black rock n’ roll band singing and playing from a viewpoint of post-Civil War emancipated slaves. The album is called Don’t Tread on We. Jenkins is the lead guitarist in the band. Everything Jenkins does has a purpose, a symbol, or a worthwhile means to an end in the name of black culture and American history. Which is exactly why he was tapped as the director of Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, the new four-part episodic documentary that unfurls the (extremely personal, never-before-seen) history of a group of New York natives that redefined a genre and changed the economics of the music industry. Jenkins gets it. To him, Wu-Tang isn’t just about showing an audience the group’s untold story—it’s about understanding history.

“History is our frenemy,” Jenkins says, sitting in the sun on a deck overlooking Main Street. “People struggle with what's in front of them. But if you just look behind you and you look at the shit that happened and how it was resolved, it might give you some tools to help you deal with what's in front of you. It’s easy to think, ‘this president sucks. I'm stuck. He's racist.’ But if you look back, you'll see the same things and you will see people just like you who had to deal with it and found a way to deal with it—and you can do that, too.”

Finding a way to “deal with it” is exactly what the 10 founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan did 25 years ago, when “Protect Ya Neck” hit airwaves and Enter the Wu-Tangdropped. For the first time, a mainstream audience heard what it was like to be poor, to live under the thumb of racism, to sell drugs, to lose family and friends, to watch abuse, and to feel like nothing was going for you unless you were going for them.

>>READ MORE via COMPLEX<<

Wu-Tang’s RZA & Ghostface Killah Team For ‘Angel Of Dust’

The Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and RZA and Shaun Redick of Impossible Dream Entertainment will produce Angel of Dust, a suspense horror thriller that Wu-Tang leader RZA will direct. Pic is inspired by true stories that happened around the hood to members of the global iconic rap group when they were growing up in and around the Staten Island Projects. A series of bizarre and horrifying events shaped their mind-sets to launched the Wu-Tang Clan to become a worldwide music powerhouse. The story was created by Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah (aka Dennis Coles) and longtime manager Caruso. Script is by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith (The Harrowing, Summer of ’84).

>> READ MORE HERE <<

[via Deadline]

Wu-Tang Clan Teams Up With Teyana Taylor & Milk Makeup For Lipstick Collaboration

WU-TANG X MILK MAKEUP 美 AVAILABLE NOW at milkmakeup.com 

We are unleashing a ❗️limited-edition❗️collection of 8 luxe Lip Colors in collaboration with Wu-Tang that balances sacred Chinese ingredients with high-payoff colors. The longwear Lip Colors, each named after the eight earthly elements of the I Ching Trigrams ☯️ are housed in a specially-made component, revealing a custom-sculpted dragon upon opening. 

🐲CHI (high shine red) 

🐲SACRED (rose gold glitter) 

🐲FIRE (matte orange red) 

🐲FLOW (high shine rose beige) 

🐲FREQUENCY (purple glitter) 

🐲SOURCE (high shine burgundy) 

🐲CYPHER (high shine brown) 

🐲RUCKUS (high shine hot pink)

 - Video features Teyana Taylor Original beat produced by RZA from Wu-Tang Campaign video directed by Georgie Greville Jasper, Milk Makeup Co-founder Produced by Whooden Collective

Joey Purp ft. RZA: Godbody Pt. 2

Cops Were Reportedly Called on RZA After He Went Off on Hospital Staff

Image via Getty/Phillip Faraone

Here’s a reminder that even the mellowest individuals have their breaking points.

According to TMZ, RZA reportedly rushed to an emergency room Saturday, seeking medical treatment for his son. Though the details of his child’s condition have not been revealed, it sounds like the situation was pretty severe. The outlet reports the Wu-Tang rapper became increasingly angry over the level of care his son was receiving and eventually started screaming at the hospital staff.

Sources told TMZ that RZA’s temper became so aggressive that a supervisor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ended up calling the police. Authorities are said to have arrived shortly after; however, once they stepped onto the scene, RZA had reportedly calmed down. Los Angeles officers left the hospital without issuing a citation.

According to insiders, RZA and his son are still at the hospital.

[via COMPLEX]

Hulu Enters The Wu-Tang Clan With A Scripted Series About The Iconic Hip-Hop Group

Hulu has given a straight-to-series order to Wu-Tang: An American Saga, a scripted drama about the early days of Wu-Tang Clan, the iconic hip-hop group whose original lineup was composed of RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa.

Based on The Wu-Tang Manual and The Tao of Wu, both of which were written by RZA, the New York in the 1990s-set An American Saga (which should have been called Clan: A Wu-Tang Story) shows “the Clan’s formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs a.k.a. RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young, black men that are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories,” according to a press release.

Method Man called the series a “major win for hip hop,” while Ghostface Killa added, “Ayo u know what it is, Wu-Tang is forever. We’re stepping into new chambers with Hulu and bringing our fans with us.” Producer Brian Grazer claimed he’s been a fan of the group since the mid-’90s, and he “recognized quickly how significant Wu-Tang and The RZA were to the world of hip-hop music and culture… Hulu is the perfect partner to bring this story to a global audience.” Feel free to imagine Grazer playing “As High as Wu-Tang Get” to his Imagine Entertainment co-founder Ron Howard. It’s fun.

[via UPRXX]

Wu-Tang Clan Earns 1st Billboard Charting Single In 16 Years Thanks To Logic

Logic enlisted the surviving members of Wu-Tang Clan — GZA, Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Method Man, Raekwon, RZA and U-God — for the cut “Wu-Tang Forever” from his Young Sinatra IV project. Consequently, the legendary Hip Hop crew has earned their first Billboard charting single in 16 years.

While “Wu-Tang Forever” didn’t chart on Billboard’s Hot 100, it still hit No. 17 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales and No. 44 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales.

The track serves as their first group appearance on any Billboard chart since 2002. “Uzi (Pinky Ring)” made it to No. 16 on Hot Rap Songs in 2002 and claimed No. 93 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

According to Forbes, the Wu has two other singles that reached the Hot 100, which both come from 1993’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” reached No. 60, while “Method Man” peaked at No. 69.

Logic’s Young Sinatra IV debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 this week, trailing behind Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V. 

Revisit the song above. 

[via HipHopDX]

RZA Discusses Losing Hundreds Of Wu-Tang Clan Beats & 2 Albums In Floods

Wu-Tang Clan is celebrating the 25th-anniversary of its legendary debut next month. Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers set the stage for dozens upon dozens of releases to follow, from the nine founding members and more. Just last Friday, Ghostface Killah dropped The Lost Tapes. Method Man’s Meth Lab IIis arriving in November. U-God and Inspectah Deck dropped albums on the same day in the spring. However, hardcore Wu fans may know that defining albums from members were originally intended to sound quite different. Several floods forever affected solo members’ post-36 Chambers rollout, with hundreds of RZA tracks forever washed away.

>> READ MORE HERE <<

A Conversation with The RZA

(October 5), RZA was interviewed before a live audience during Atlanta, Georgia’s A3C Festival. Wu-Tang Clan’s Abbott spoke about his career, personal transformation, and the earliest days of his group to National Public Radio’s Rodney Carmichael. Ambrosia For Heads was in attendance for the revealing conversation featuring one of the architects of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). That monumental Loud/RCA Records LP is celebrating its 25th birthday next month, prompting a “WuTangATL” multi-day event at A3C.

A highlight in the discussion occurs with Rodney Carmichael asking RZA about a period in his life between 1990 and 1993. During this time, the Brooklyn, New York MC/producer/DJ was a struggling Rap artist with label frustrations. He was facing a felony for shooting a man while living in Steubenville, Ohio. It was during this same time that RZA was also expecting a child. Out of these circumstances the Wu-Tang was born.

>> READ MORE via Ambrosia For Heads <<

Logic Talks "Wu Tang Forever", RZA, First Show Ever Opening for Ghostface

Wu-Art Thursday #313 - JUSSCOPE

Robert Diggs aka The RZA and head of the Wu-Tang Clan developed a strategy that would give launch the group's rise to fame, it is referred to as "The 5 Year Plan". It included the 1st 5 solo albums and 2 group albums (the 2nd being a double album) the majority of which were produced by the RZA.

"I used the bus as an analogy, I want all of y'all to get on this bus. And be passengers. And I'm the driver. And nobody can ask me where we going. I'm taking us to No. 1. Give me five years, and I promise that I'll get us there." -RZA

The print Jusscope created is packed with a number of details too numerous to explain in person and pretty intricate for even the the biggest WU-Nerds. The print is available online, just click HERE to view it in the store!

Justin Orr is an illustrator, concept artist and animator from Northern California. He has worked in numerous artistic fields including animation, gaming and advertising. Check out his artwork HERE!

RZA & GZA Support Chicago’s Joey Purp With Some Exceptional Verses (Audio)

Twenty-five-year-old Chicago MC Joey Purp first made waves when he dropped his sophomore mixtape iiiDrops in 2016. His buzz-worthy project balanced socially conscious, often braggy lyricism with gritty Windy City realism with a punchy delivery. The beat selection ranged from addicting dance rhythms to horn-laden production akin to an explosive early-2000s Just Blaze. And appearances by fellow Chi-town artists Chance The Rapper, Mick Jenkins, Vic Mensa, and Saba aided in Purp creating a name synonymous with Chicago. iiiDrops was the type of breakthrough success many rappers could only hope to achieve.

But Joey Purp seems to have solidified his undeniable Chicago charm with his recently-released debut LP, QUARTERTHING. Rather than only dabble with fellow Chi artists for his debut, Purp gathered some helping hands by reaching toward the east and tapping into the Wu-Tang Clan.

QUARTERTHING’s second track, “Godbody – Pt. 2,” features RZA spitting a dizzying set of boastful bars. He serves the song’s intro up before Purp demolishes the beat, rapping: “A billion data, bitcoins and microchips, Intel Pentium, silicon and biochips / Sitting on Oprah’s sofa, my drink is on a solid gold coaster / Cigars with the capio, a Rock & Roll’er, you still rock the Casio / Ace Of Spade, popped on the patio, Aston Martin, powder, Blue and Pistachio.” Purp takes the reigns as he hastily spits into the mic some verbal daggers to prove he’s worthy of some RZA support: “I don’t owe nobody nothing, everything come straight from me / Young ni**a go get your bread, only thing that’s bred in me / Some my ni**as still alive, they already dead to me.”

Perhaps the most surprising feature on QUARTERTHING comes from GZA, who delivers a Spoken Word poem as the album’s closer. The poem, titled “In the Morning,” 30 seconds of GZA delivering an acapella : “I wake to the sound of the alarm clock ringing / Squirrels leave the burrows, early birds are singing / Just coming out of a dream state / Awake, visions fade, I think new thoughts and meditate / I open the curtains and pull back the drapes / A beautiful blue sky reflecting off a lake / Eyes fixated on the amazing view / The windows to my soul I am gazing through / The sun has risen in the east.”

QUARTERTHING is a stellar release in the ’18 landscape, just as iiiDrops was two years prior. This year, we’ve already seen Purp’s Chicago rap contemporary Saba release his solid 2018 effort, CARE FOR ME(included in Ambrosia For Heads‘ mid-year list), while this past weekend saw Noname release her album, Room 25. Joey Purp joins them with his explosive record, shouting from the city’s rooftops: And you say Chi city…

[via Ambrosia For Heads]

Ol' Dirty Bastard Biopic Produced By RZA Officially On Its Way

RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard weren’t just fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan, they were also cousins. So, it’s only appropriate RZA would be instrumental in bringing ODB’s life story to the big screen.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a biopic about ODB is in development at Sony’s Columbia Pictures with RZA in the role of producer. Sources reportedly said the search for a director is currently underway.

>> READ MORE via HipHopDX <<

RZA & Power Release Fall/Winter Wu-Wear Lookbook

NEW YORK, NY – Iconic streetwear brand Wu Wear first made a resurgence as a holiday capsule in winter 2017, followed by a full-scale Spring/Summer (2018) collection. Now, led by RZA, the Fall/Winter collection is here and consists of tees, long sleeve graphic shirts, sweaters, hoodies, pants, and jackets.

Emblazoned with the world-renowned Wu Wear logo, many of the pieces play off of timeless Wu-Tang imagery and lyrics, such as shirts with the lyrics for the intro from “Protect Ya Neck,” as well as new typographical treatments of the wordmark. There’s also a tracksuit that can best be summed up with the Fry “shut up and take my money” meme.

First launched in 1995 by RZA and Oliver Grant (better known as Power), Wu Wear was one of Hip Hop’s first clothing lines and was sold at major retailers like Macy’s. Remarkably, it stayed active until 2008, when it finally closed up shop. Riding the wave of streetwear brands making comebacks, it’s relaunch was brilliantly timed to coincide with the 25th year anniversary of the Clan.

Select items are sold at Barneys NY, Urban Outfitters, Zumiez, and WuWear.com. Check out images from the Fall/Winter lookbook, below.

[via HipHopDX]

Wu-Tang Clan Plots "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" 25th Anniversary Tour

Wu-Tang Clan’s seminal album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was released in November 1993. To celebrate the upcoming 25th anniversary, the bona fide Hip Hop legends have started teasing a tour on their social media group account.

On Saturday (July 28), a video was posted to Wu-Tang’s Instagram account featuring live footage of each member — RZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killah, Inspectah Deck, GZA and Cappadonna — rocking the stage.

Toward the end of the clip, it simply reads, “25th Anniversary Tour.”

While the details are scarce, the collective has already been doing shows in celebration of the album’s milestone.

On Friday (July 27), Wu-Tang performed material from the classic project at the Expo Hall in Los Angeles. The following day, they were in Canada as part of the Center of Gravity 2018 festival.

But that wasn’t all. Wu-Tang also shared another Instagram post announcing a deluxe edition of “Pearl Harbor” featuring the late Sean Price. The post, which shows off the cover art, promises a remix from DJ Mathematics and instrumental versions of the single.

“New LP for Pearl Harbor from Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues goes up on 36chambers.com for pre-sale next Wednesday,” the caption read. “Includes a brand new remix from @mathematicswu featuring Pharoahe Monch and Tek. #wutang.” 

Pre-orders begin on August 3.

[via HipHopDX]

RZA’s New Movie Is A Perfect Storm Of Hip-Hop Film Stars & OG Actors (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan’s Abbott has been a longtime film director. The RZA’s past credits include 2012’s The Man With The Iron Fists, and last year’s Love Beats Rhymes. This past weekend, the accomplished producer, MC, and entertainment mogul premiered the trailer to his third film, Cut Throat City. RZA screened the work at San Diego, California’s Comic-Con. Now that trailer is released to the public.

Cut Throat City, written by P.G. Cuscheri, follows four friends returning to New Orleans, Louisiana’s Lower 9th Ward, following 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. With few ways to earn a living, the friends team up to plot a casino heist.

>>>Read more via Ambrosia For Heads<<<

Prince Paul Explains Why He’s Bothered By 1 Important Gravediggaz Credit

Prince Paul was a founding member of The Gravediggaz. At a time when he was still very active in producing De La Soul records, the Long Island, New Yorker assembled a quartet with Stetsasonic band-mate Frukwan (aka “The Gatekeeper”), as well as onetime Tommy Boy Records label-mate Poetic (aka “The Grym Reaper”) and Wu-Tang Clan’s Abbott, The RZA (aka “The RZArector”). Paul assumed the alias “The Undataker” and would eventually help the horrorcore act land a deal with Gee Street Records and find success.

Members of The Gravediggaz have been off and on for more than 20 years. Sadly, member Poetic passed away in 2001. However, the crew is best known for its original lineup, and 1994 debut 6 Feet Deep. Although it was recorded first, the LP was released less than a year after Wu-Tang’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). It entered in the Top 40 and became a hallmark of the horror-core sub-genre. In its history the group had one song enter the charts, “Diary Of A Madman” (embedded below), with production credited to RZA, Prince Paul, and RNS. In a new interview, Prince Paul corrects history.

[READ MORE via Ambrosia For Heads]

RZA/Mathematics Interview

Joe Forrester hang out with hip hop legends Wu-Tang Clan! Discussing lyricism, culture, and art.

[via What's Up TV]

Wu-Tang Clan Lecture (New York 2012) | Red Bull Music Academy

As part of the Red Bull Music Academy World Tour in 2012, five hip-hop legends – each representing one of the five boroughs of New York, the birthplace of hip-hop – took the couch over five days, and each lecture was followed by a show in their own neighborhood. In this session, hosted by the author Alvin Blanco (The Wu-Tang Clan And RZA), Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, Allah Mathematics and Masta Killa sat down to discuss the making of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Wu slang, and more. TOPICS: 0:44 – The ’80s 4:21 – “Protect Ya Neck” and Staten Island 14:00 – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 40:22 – Collaborations with other rappers 46:11 – RZA and the flood 49:56 – Knowledge of self, Wu slang, and songwriting MUSIC: 19:57 – Raekwon – “Striving for Perfection” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7scK... 22:13 – Raekwon – “Glaciers of Ice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewakm... 28:07 – Raekwon – “Glaciers of Ice intro” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewakm...

[via Red Bull Music Academy]

RZA Says the Martin Shkreli Wu-Tang Fiasco Is Worthy of Being Turned Into a Movie

The Wu-Tang Clan's decision to only sell one copy of their ultra-rare album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, took a bizarre turn when Martin Shkreli bought it for $2 million. Now that Shkreli is in jail, the album is in the hands of the U.S. government, and RZA recently revealed that at one point he tried to buy the album back himself. He wasn't always happy with the outcome of the experiment, but he does say he thinks the whole thing could be turned into a movie.

"He had a pretty wild life, totally Lex Luthor—a bad superhero life," RZA told a camera man for the New York Daily News this week. "I think the whole incident and the whole saga around that is a story. There's a book out about it right now, and that book actually seems worthy of a film." The book he's referring to is Cyrus Bozorgmehr's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: The Untold Story of the Wu-Tang Clan's Million-Dollar Secret Album, the Devaluation of Music, and America's New Public Enemy No. 1.

>> Read More and Watch the Video via COMPLEX <<