RZA

RZA (pronounced the rizza, born Robert Diggs, July 5, 1969 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an African American producer, rapper and the leader of the hip hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. He was also a member of the group Gravediggaz. As well as producing almost all of the Wu-Tang's albums, he has also produced many of their solo and affiliate projects, as well as releasing a succession of solo albums (two under the alter-ego Bobby Digital) and composing the scores for several movies.

Recent work

More recently he has moved into composing film scores, earning praise for his hip-hop score to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai, and appearing for a brief cameo in the film itself. He also created and produced the original music for the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill, as well as ' and Soul Plane. RZA also appeared alongside fellow Wu-Tang member GZA in one segment of Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes opposite Bill Murray. He and the GZA have also made several appearances on Chappelle's Show, in one appearance pitching a financial services firm called Wu-Tang Financial.

Related Topics:
Jim Jarmusch - Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai - Quentin Tarantino - Kill Bill - Soul Plane - Coffee and Cigarettes - Bill Murray - Chappelle's Show

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His first solo album as simply the RZA, Birth Of A Prince, was released in 2003 (see 2003 in music and spawned the single We Pop. The album itself featured a mix of lighthearted Bobby Digital tracks and more lyrically high-browed RZA tracks. In 2003 he also released an album of collaborations with international rap and R&B musicians (including the UK's Skinnyman, France's Saïan Supa Crew and Germany's Xavier Naidoo) entitled The World According to RZA, which was successful in many countries, despite not being sold in the USA.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2003 in music - R&B - UK - Skinnyman - France - Saïan Supa Crew - Germany - Xavier Naidoo - The World According to RZA - USA

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RZA has been promising for many years to release The Cure, said to be an epic concept album containing collaborations with high-profile artists such as Stevie Wonder, to be mostly in the wordy, Five Percent Nation-influenced style of Wu-Tang tracks such as Sunshower. There appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel in mid-2004 for increasingly impatient Wu-Tang fans awaiting this release with the limited release of the mixtape Formula For The Cure which was intended to build anticipation for the finished article.

Related Topics:
Stevie Wonder - Five Percent Nation

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In 2005, RZA served as the Artist in Residence for the LA Film Festival and released the long-gestating book Wu-Tang Manual, a in-depth discussion of the Wu-Tang's virtues, vices and philosophies. RZA has also announced that he and Method Man are in the studio working on a follow-up to Meth's poorly received ' album, due in late 2005/early 2006. The album will be totally produced by RZA. Cormega has stated on his website that he has visited RZA & Meth in their studio sessions, and that the new album is living up to its high expectations.

Related Topics:
2005 - LA Film Festival - Cormega

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Following a poll on the official Wu-Tang Clan site (www.wutangcorp.com), it appears that RZA's next album will be titled Return of the Prince. There is no word yet on features, release dates or production credits, yet Wu-Tang Corp stated that RZA has recently been working in the studio with the likes of John Frusciante, Raekwon, Method Man & Masta Killa.

Related Topics:
Return of the Prince - John Frusciante - Raekwon - Method Man - Masta Killa

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