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<<

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]

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 <<

Raekwon on the Snow Beach Re-Release: "They Shoulda Called Me, I Feel Insulted"

Raekwon is a style icon. Since he broke onto the hip-hop scene in the early '90s, New Yorkers and people around the globe have embraced and tried to copy his rugged style of dress that consisted of Polo Ralph Lauren, Timberland boots, and New Balance sneakers. And he’s still doing it to this day.

At a recent private New Balance event, Raekwon performed in the basement of a SoHo lounge to celebrate both the brand bringing back the 574 and his 48th birthday.

>> READ THE FULL INTERVIEW <<

Martin Shkreli May Have Paid $2 Million for a Wu-Tang Album That Isn't Actually a Wu-Tang Album

Since winning Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin with a $2 million bid in an auction two years ago, Martin Shkreli has done just about everything to remind us that he's the one in possession of the most expensive album ever sold. 

After promising to release the album if Donald Trump won the presidential election last November, Shkreli played a few snippets during a live stream. In one of the clips on a YouTube account called "Best of Martin Shkreli," ten minutes of Shaolin is playingin the background of an interview. But, in a surprising twist, two people linked to the Wu-Tang Clan told Bloomberg through their respective managers that the 31-track double CD in Shkreli's possession may not really be a Wu-Tang album. 

“It’s not an authorized Wu-Tang Clan album,” Domingo Neris, manager of rapper U-God, claimed. "It never was.” Method Man's manager James Ellis also questioned whether Shaolin was a true Wu-Tang album. "When we did the verses, it was for a Cilvaringz album," he said. "How it became a Wu-Tang album from there? We have no knowledge of that."

Killa Sin, a member of Wu-Tang's extended family, recalls recording sessions with producer Cilvaringz in New York, but he never got the impression that he was working on a Wu-Tang album. "The way he presented it was it was going to be basically his album, and he wanted me to do some work for him," Killa Sin said. 

With so many people questioning the validity of the $2 million album, Shkreli must have heard it back to front in order to confirm that what he spent so much money on was the real deal, right? Well, when he put the album on eBay earlier this month, Shkreli wrote in the description, "I have not carefully listened to the album."

[via COMPLEX]

The Story Behind Wu-Tang's Second Album, 'Wu-Tang Forever'

Method Man, Raekwon and More Reflect on 'Wu-Tang Forever' Anniversary. Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 'Wu-Tang Forever'

Raekwon, Wu-Tang's Resident Baseball Expert, Wants Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds Kept Out of the Hall of Fame

[via COMPLEX]

Don't Believe the Hype Featuring Raekwon: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's

Complex's weekly series Don't Believe the Hype takes a look at what's hot and what's just hot air. Sneakers, clothes, tech, food—nothing is safe.

Speedy puts one of the most hyped fast-food favorites to the test: Chick-fil-A's iconic chicken sandwich. But how does it to stack up against fast food giant McDonald's version? We ask special guest Raekwon the Chef and Complex staffers to choose the chicken champ. Find out on this week's episode of Don't Believe the Hype.

[via COMPLEX]

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Talk to Complex at NBA All-Star Weekend

One common theme throughout NBA All-Star Weekend is that there are more stars in the crowd than there are on the court. In fact, we're guessing the ratio of celebrities to players is about 50-to-1. And two of the dudes who made an appearance in New Orleans this week were none other than Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, who were nice enough to sit and talk with Complex before putting their taste buds through sheer agony (more on that in like five seconds).

First they talked about how they stay so close over the years, and how they do things at ASW. If you happen to be there it sounds like they're cool with taking pics.

From there they pivoted to talking about how they were set to pair up for a live episode of Hot Ones soon after this interview. Showcasing the two most common pregame approaches to the increasingly spicy wings, Ghostface expressed some worry, and even said, "As long as it's not hot." Good luck with that.

Meanwhile, Raekwon seemed completely unfazed. Though, as we've seen, everybody's got a plan 'til that sauce punches them in the mouth.

Guess we'll have to see how those contrasting attitudes fare when they're put to the test.

Keep your eye out for Hot Ones featuring Ghostface and Raekwon when it drops.

[via COMPLEX]

Vince Staples and Raekwon Tackle "The Rap Music Generation Gap Debate" in Complex Conversations

Rap culture runs in cycles. Every few years or so there’s a changing of the guard, as a crop of upstart artists emerge on the scene and alter both the face and sound of the music landscape. Whenever these seismic shifts occur, there’s often a divisive conversation between gatekeepers of the old and the new. As the age of mumble rap takes hold of the charts, rising stars like Lil Yachty, Desiigner and Lil Uzi Vert come under fire from hip-hop veterans and critics alike for disregarding lyricism in favor of swag and essentially “killing the culture.”

>> WATCH HERE <<

[via COMPLEX]

U-God Reportedly Bringing $2.5 Million Lawsuit Against Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan might be something to fuck with after all.

Wu member U-God is apparently not too happy with the way the group has been distributing its royalties. Namely that he hasn't been getting any. According to a report from TMZ, U-God is bringing a $2.5 million lawsuit against the group, alleging that he hasn't received his royalty payment on 12 of the Wu-Tang Clan's albums for the past six years. On top of that, he reportedly hasn't been paid the two percent he's owed from merchandise sales either. According to the report, he's particularly angry with RZA, who pulls many of the strings for the group.

He also claims that he hasn't seen a cent of the record-setting $2 million sale of the group's new album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. The one-of-a-kind album was sold to pharma bro Martin Shkreli in 2015. Shkreli actually played snippets of the album for his Periscope followers earlier this month to celebrate the presidential victory of Donald Trump.

Altogether, U-God is reportedly claiming that he's owed at least $2.5 million due to several alleged breaches of contract. He's also looking for a full audit of the Wu-Tang Clan's financials so that everyone can understand exactly where the money comes and goes.

The group has a long and complicated history of financial infighting. U-God left and rejoined the group over issues with RZA before. Ghostface Killah once sued for unpaid royalties, and RZA and Raekwon have also had a very public rivalry. We'll have to wait and see how the latest lawsuit turns out.

[via COMPLEX]

RZA's Manager Talks Meeting the Real Abbot of Wu-Tang and Making "Scenario"

Music industry veteran Sophia Chang, who has managed some of the greatest acts in hip-hop and R&B, tells her story for the first time on the latest episode of NPR’s hip-hop podcast, Microphone Check. You can hear the nearly 90-minute long conversation here.

Chang, who has only ever given one other interview, has guided the careers of one-third of the Wu-Tang Clan (RZA, GZA, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard), Q-Tip, D’Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq, and many others. This talk with her longtime friend Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Frannie Kelley goes through all of that, and a whole lot more.

Chang uses the long-form interview to discuss everything from Paul Simon’s personal shoppers to Red and Meth’s workout plans to taking the RZA, the Abbot of Wu-Tang, to China to meet the actual Abbot of the country’s Wu-Tang temple. She also takes the show into a long discussion on the hip-hop community’s reluctance to deal with issues of depression—something she saw first-hand with her close friend Chris Lighty. Additionally, she shares behind-the-scenes stories about some of hip-hop's greatest records, including the Wu's "Can It Be All So Simple" and A Tribe Called Quest's famous "Scenario" remix.

Chang told Complex that the interview happened during a late April visit to Los Angeles, while she was visiting Raphael Saadiq’s studio.

“Ali and Adrian [Younge] are scoring Luke Cage, which is directed by Cheo Hodari Coker, for Netflix,” she explained. “They’re scoring it at Raphael’s studio. Every time I go to L.A., I barge into the studio and I make Raphael let me come and listen to music. I got there and Frannie Kelley, who’s his partner at NPR, said, ‘We want to interview you.’ I was like, ‘Really? You do? I don’t think I’m that interesting, but alright.’ So we set it up. I went there early one morning, we did it, and it was great.”

Chang has done very few interviews over the years, but is now stepping out into the spotlight in anticipation of her upcoming blog, which will be called Raised by Wu-Tang.

“I’ve always chosen to be really behind the scenes,” she said. “But I am going to launch this blog, and I understand that if I’m going to blog, and if I’m going to draw attention to myself as a voice, I need to prepare myself.”

So far, reaction to the episode among listeners has been extremely positive.

More importantly, though, Chang herself is satisfied.

“I was really happy with how it came out,” she told Complex. “I got to say a lot of the things that are important to me.”

[via COMPLEX]

Raekwon Describes His Superhero Character King Kwon | SUPER

The Chef describes how he'd help needy kids in the hood in the latest episode of Complex/Mass Appeal's animated series.

You’ll Never Hear the New Wu-Tang Clan Album, But This Is What It Sounds Like

If you haven't yet heard Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the final album by the Wu-Tang Clan, it's too late. Last night, the RZA exhibited the album for the first and last time in front of a crowd of about 150 art collectors, dealers, and critics (and four radio contest winners) in an outdoor dome adjacent to the MoMa PS1 in Queens.

The Abott and producer Cilvaringz played 13 minutes of selections from the album and spoke to the crowd about plans to auction off the album to the highest bidder. But before the record could be heard, those hoping to even glimpse at the box had all electronic devices confiscated and were patted down by security to ensure no recordings could be made.

Read more… via COMPLEX

"Wu-Tang Forever" Remix? Wu-Tang Clan Finally Reveals What Happened to the Highly-Anticipated Collaboration

Get More: Wu-Tang Clan, Music News

Chalk another rap mega-remix up to bad timing. During a recent interview with MTV, a few members of Wu-Tang Clan talked about the remix of Drake's Nothing Was the Same cut, "Wu-Tang Forever," and why it never came to be. During the clip, RZA talked about the song and mentioned that a few members of the group jumped on it, but it ultimately never came together because the group was on tour and the timing wasn't right.

U-God then expressed the same sentiments, but also stated that Drizzy wanted the group to rap about women and things pertaining to that subject matter, but he wasn't feeling in that kind of mood in the short time they had to record their verses.

"We was hard body at the time. I was listening to the track, and like later on, I was like, what the hell was I rhyming about? I was like I was rhyming some hardcore shit, and he wanted to talk about some bitches."

Though the remix didn't come to fruition, the members of Wu proclaimed their admiration for Drake, most notably Ghostface Killah, who praised Drizzy for paying homage and his ability to spit.

[via COMPLEX]

The Hip-Hop Flow Chart Ranks Rappers By the Size of Their Vocabulary

Image via Pop Chart Lab

 

It's impossible to come to a consensus on the best rapper of all-time, but this statistical ranking may sway who you think is on top. Based on a study conducted by Matt Daniels, a data scientist in New York, Pop Chart Lab has created a print that ranks rappers by the size of their vocabulary, called The Hip-Hop Flow Chart.

Daniels' study was conducted by analyzing 100 rappers' first 35,000 lyrics, which averages out to the artists' first three to five albums or EP's. AESOP Rock comes in first by a long haul at 7,392 words, over a thousand words more than in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Jay Z, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, and Childish Gambino stand in the middle, around the 4,000 mark, while DMX trails with a vocabulary of only 3,214 words.

Adapting the study into a print, Pop Chart Lab employed artists to create colorful caricatures of the featured rappers. The result is the best hip-hop print since the Grand Taxonomy of Rap Names. You can buy The Hip-Hop Flow Chart for $23 here. Check out a few blown-up images below, and peep the entire full-sized chart here.

[via COMPLEX]

RZA & Faulkner - NY Anthem (Official)

RZA collaborated with the rock band Faulkner for the brand new single, "NY Anthem." Both the song and video pay homage to the great city of New York, capturing amazing aerial footage of the city using drone technology from the company 3D Robotics.

Recorded in Rick Rubin's legendary Shangri LA studio, the song is set to be the new opening track at all upcoming New York Yankees home games, as well as the theme song for this year's US Open airing on ESPN. RZA continues to stay busy with his craft, promoting his new show Gang Related on FOX, and also working on the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album, A Better Tomorrow.

[via COMPLEX]

Interview: Ghostface Killah on Raekwon's Status with Wu-Tang and Finishing the New Wu Album (Video)

While out in Toronto for the launch of the Converse Weapon COMPLEX caught up with Ghostface Killah, who was headlining the event's performances. Ghost crushed it, performing hit after hit from his expansive catalog. During our discussion COMPLEX asked him about the future as opposed to the past. Pretty Tony cleared the air regarding Raekwon's beef with the Wu-Tang, and reassured us that the upcoming single-copy Wu album is almost wrapped up. The cultural impact of the Wu-Tang seems to indeed be forever, and Ghost assured us that that was always the plan. 

[via COMPLEX]

Listen to Bodega BAMZ "F*ck Dat Sh*t" f/ Raekwon

New York City connects on a new track today for Bodega BAMZ latest single, "F*ck Dat Sh*t," featuring Raekwon. This is the latest joint from Bamz, who is gearing up to drop his Sunday Service EP, which is all set to be produced by The Martinez Brothers. As you might imagine, this cut is filled to the brim with straight bars from Bamz and Rae. Take a listen below.

RZA Drops Exclusive EP Through Dr Pepper's One of a Kind Studio Sessions

  "What inspires me to create is life itself," says RZA. And create he certainly does. The Wu-Tang Clan original member has gone on to a solo career that would make any artist envious, not just as a musician, but as a producer, actor, filmmaker, and all-around game changer. "What makes me one of a kind...is what makes all of us one of a kind," he says. "I know that there's no other me. And if you like me, there's only one place to get it: from me." This spirit of individuality, coupled with RZA's uncompromising versatility, is why Complex and Dr Pepper are so thrilled to have him involved in the One of a Kind Studio Sessions. Working as one of three master producers, RZA will lend his experience and guidance to four up-and-coming artists, collaborating on a new track with each one.

[Read more via COMPLEX]