RZAView (Live on WFMU 2008)

Lyrics

(Rza, pronounced riz'-uh, is a composer for film and TV He began as a rapper. Career had a growth spurt From flowed words to producer, Wu-Tang Clan founder and father Rza is also an actor and author.) We met in New York after he drove his kids to the airport He held court in his hotel room, exhausted, a rare good sport "I'm a composer," Rza rose his voice. He knows the choice Stay in hip-hop ghetto or let go of noise "Stand still and stagnate in a bad state." Weakness is revealed by brags, hate Rza's first soundtrack was for Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog" Perhaps that was Rza at his most prog. Created a sound Elated, he'd found "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev Assign instrument to each character–borrowed the concept As long as you move, you can't make a wrong step Needle-dropped "Kill Bill", and stood behind cameraguy Scored whole range, Soul Plane, Unleashed, Afro Samurai Working off animatics was a challenge for Abbot Music has movement while drawings are static "Fifty piece orchestra can be $250 G's a week." That's more than getting treats from Miss Freek-a-leek "So I got my digital orchestra Over forty keyboards recording free chords Sessioners' pay may never be restored Rza is talkative. Keyboard reps all octaves Mancini's sample scores have a lot to give Early eighties -- flashback to Times Square He and Ol Dirty Bastard stood in line there To see triple-bill Chinese crime fare Blown away by discipline and ferocity Walked away with new styles and philosophy Sparred raps with each other, practicing constantly It was ODB, Ghostface, Raekwon, Deck, Rza Masta Killa, U-God, and Genius AKA Gza (jiz'-uh) Rza based his urban young crew on verbal kung fu Though they sold crack on the curb and toted guns too Quoted Sun Tzu, "Strike at their gaps. Attack when they're lax Never let the enemy figure out how to act." [unsound, one pound of fruit at the front takes twenty to check chariot?] Rza became Abbot. Stat Isle became Shaolin Crew renamed Wu-Tang. New plans empowerin' Come strong as a group then sign solo with dif labels Spend money on mansions, and not just on cables Talking darts, rocking parties, won flock of hearts like Calista Edutainment from KRS-1. KRS came from KRiShna. Finish the mishna Rza forsaken like bacon had to take ten From classic records that he made in the basement Around 2000 Rza visited the real Shaolin Mountain With Sifu Shi Yan-Ming who teach what chi and Chan* can bring They met the real Wudan abbot. they saw General Wu as the black Asiatic An American saw snake and terrapin/turtle in Temple of Purple Cloud From which Zhen Wu hurtled out, higher in sky than the seraphim, take care of 'em The case that god is a human ain't new to a true fan Ain't that right, Noah Uman He changed lots of lives when he stotted the Wu Clan Which came first? The chicken or egg? Man made god. Ain't that a kick in the head? He got sticked and he bled. Rza then said That "Jesus said, 'Take me off the pedESTal And polish your vessel.'" What makes you Different is what makes you special "What have you achieved that didn't begin as a vision?" I asked him "Good question," he said. "Some of my children." He now writes "Wu-Tang Manual Volume 2: The Wisdom." First chapter, "Universal Changer," he wrote as "lonely" teenager By "lonely" I think he meant prison. From psycho slums To microphones to Triton taiko drums, Rza has risen (Tomorrow's not a given. Make each moment count Over and out. Thanks for listenin ta Talkin Journalism.) *Zen Buddhism