After previewing its RZA interview with his discussion about Martin Shkreli, the man who purchased Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, Bloomberg aired the full “With All Due Respect” interview yesterday (January 6).
In the conversation, the Wu-Tang Clan rapper is asked for this thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Of course Black lives matter,” RZA says. “All lives matter. I stopped eating meat because their lives matter to me. I don’t think it’s necessary for us to grow a cow to kill it.”
RZA, a vegan, was honored by PETA at the organization’s anniversary banquet last year.
Elsewhere in his interview with Bloomberg, RZA details how he believes that those who feel victimized by police brutality should take responsibility for the fear that police feel from Black people.
“When you think about some of the brothers who are being brutalized by the police, you also gotta have them take a look and us take a look in the mirror at the image we portray,” RZA says. “If I’m a cop and every time I see a young Black youth whether I watch him on TV, movies or just see them hanging out and they not looking properly dressed, properly refined, carrying themselves, conducting themselves at proper hours of the day, things that a man does. You’re gonna have a certain fear or stereotype of them. I tell my sons…I say, ‘If you’re going somewhere, you don’t have to wear a hoodie.’ We live in New York, so hoodies and that is all good, but sometimes button up your shirt, clean up. Look like a young man. You’re not a little kid. I think that’s another big issue we’ve got to pay attention to is the image that we portray that could invoke a fear into a White officer or to any officer.”
For additional RZA coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
DIS NIGGA CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!!! AIN’T HE THE SAME MUTHAFUCKA IN WU TANG CLAN PORTRAYING ALL DAT GANGSTA SHIT BUT IM PORTRAYING A NEGATIVE IMAGE BECUZ I WEAR A FUCKIN HOODIE I SEE WHY DA REST OF DA WU DON’T FUCK WIT U
calling this nigga a snake would be a disgrace to serpents
Seriously??? So it’s our job to change others outlook on our race? Fuck outta here.
RZA please stop it. Im a fan of yours for many years and after you had made it big, doing movies now you wanna tell the streets that they need to change how they look. Sounds good but super unrealistic.
These dudes always disappoint me now we portray a image that gets us killed is he out of his rabbit ass mind? To say that bullshit makes me livid thats whats wrong with our community lack of leadership we have to stop depending on these fools to be our voice and be our own
He dressed like that til he was like 40.
fuck these washed up sell out hasbin wutang niggas.
Appearance Appearance Appearance! They way you present you self has a HUGE impact on the way you are perceived and treated. That’s not a race issue; Rather a natural Human response. RZA speaking facts and each of these posts on this thread disregard his message.
“Seriously??? So it’s our job to change others outlook on our race”? – Bye Rza
Duh Bro. Who else is going to? You think its another groups responsibility to improve your image? Smarten up.
“To say that bullshit makes me livid; thats whats wrong with our community lack of leadership” -Leaf
– He is saying to present yourself in a manner that will keep you safer! His words are words of an actual leader, hes giving you real world knowledge. Smarten up.
Its disappointing to see someone provide information that can truly help and and turn see that same man be disrespected for those same words.
You sound misinformed. Malcolm and Martin were killed wearing suits and Martin by the government! So please white America, tell us more about how it’s our fault. If I said victims of rape should dress different y’all would lose it, but when it comes to black people we gotta walk out the house in a jos. A bank suit to play a pick up game or hit the corner store. Business casual is the attire everyday at my job, but trust me I’m still getting pulled over. Kill that noise.
First off if you scared don’t get into that profession then so back in the day when wu-tang was at their peak he was dressing the same way I’m not trying to hear that bullshit our appearance has nothing to do with it I’ve seen black men in suits get harassed as well so your point
Peace to the RZA for speaking the truth when it would be just as easy to avoid the topic. All these blacks who are being killed by the police have one thing in common – they’re all lower-income blacks. Like it or not, there a people in this country who can’t stand lower-income blacks. It is what it is. We’ve been arguing against and strategizing against racism for two centuries; yet, some black people seem to think racism just started yesterday. If you know there are racist cops who hate lower-income blacks, you can’t complain when you foster negative stereotypes. And if black lives matter, they just can’t matter when it comes to law enforcement; it also has to matter with the daily black-on-black killings which represent the majority of black males being killed.
White supremacy can buy anyone.
oh and what did your you and your generation dress like/still do? And i bet you were real cop-friendly as a young black male in ny???………….HYPOCRITE, FOH NIGGA.
Doesn’t matter, he gives a valid point that will help solve the problem
Okay Uncle Tom
Has nothing to to do with the way you dress, its all about skin color. Cops aren’t out here bothering white kids that have purple and green tats and 10 piercings. Rza sounds stupid as hell as usual, so now I should dress a certain way to make hem fell less threatened that means every black man will be walking around looking the same. Cops need to be held accountable for killing innocent people period that’s the main issue.
What about groups of motor cycle riders(no matter color or ethnicity) who portray a certain image and judged, by law enforcement (or society in general) to be criminals because they look like the hell’s angels-like image so often associated with motor cycle gangs? The same can be said for Italian’s who looked/acted a certain way and the assumption of Mafia association.
Point being, that everyone is judge for there appearance and it sometimes a requirement, since it is often the only information available. The judgment is not solely skin color, wardrobe, posture, tone, vocabulary, or any specific factor. It is instead an aggregate of theses (and more), in addition to the context they are in.
Are cops killing motorcyclist, italians heck no its young black kids and black men.
Uncle RZA
Rza…please shut the hell up!
hundreds of years blacks been getting killed cuz of the color of they skin and now u tell us we need to be more conscious of are image like thats going to lighten up there trigga finger smh.. your ideology is flawed and white washed i am no longer a fan .
He says the truth and you all are in denial. What a shame… You all know it’s true!
Spit truth? Black youth have no control over the images portrayed on television networks for starters.
And more alarming is that RZA was the mastermind for the wu tang clan the most grimy looking fucked up braids wearing gold grillz wearing giving beat downs across the rap industry drug pushing and promoting group of all time. How can he tell the youth to dress accordingly when he never did at that age?
He’s in denial. RZA wants to believe he lives in a post-racism society where he can be treated as equal. Never going to happen, and you can play to what they wanna hear as much as you like, you still ain’t worth a damn to middle-class white folk. They’ll just quote you to explain why their views aren’t racist, but if they see you in the street they’ll still cross the road, even if you’re wearing your buttoned shirt.
Instead of saying stupid shit, how about remembering who you are, what you mean to a lot of people in the community, and the responsibility you have to stand with us instead of chasing your new friends.
Emmitt Till was killed wearing a suit, too.
Fuck out of here with that bullshit, RZA.
in 1955
Jeeez….that was a different era.
This doesn’t apply just to Black youth, but all youth. Unfortunately, too many black folks tend to embrace stupidity with open arms. Being impoverished doesn’t mean that you have to have your pants siting below your ass. That’s a choice. Being impoverished doesn’t mean that you have to have poor grammar. That’s a choice. Niggas will spend 200 dollars on sneakers, when you could buy 10 decent button up shirts for 200 dollars. That’s a choice. There’s no excuse for walking around like a neanderthal, that’s a choice. It’s 2016. Act like men, not like zombie crackheads wearing pj’s.
Being a law abiding citizen does not mean you have to wear a suit and tie everyday either! I agree with some of what RZA is saying but to say that black youth should do more so cops don’t fear them is ridiculous. I think we need to stop judging people based on their appearances. It’s very difficult to do. I do it but it is something I’m working to correct.
What if you just don’t want to wear a button-down? What if you’re comfortable in jeans and a T? The article is implying we should dress in a certain way to protect ourselves from unprovoked violence. If image is the problem, maybe that’s about other people’s perceptions rather than my style choices and I’m not going to walk around looking like Carlton Banks just so white people don’t feel the need to reach for their guns.
I swear if I get pulled over wearing a suit they’ll just think I stole the suit and the car
RZA the WuTangCoon!
I guess Rakim, GFK, and Method Man should change up to huhuhuh RZA Come on man….
I find this article very amusing. Sorry fellas, but in many cases it does not matter what clothes you’re wearing or how much money you have. Certain authority figures will fu*k with you anyway. How many news articles have you seen with regards to law abiding black males who have been pulled over and verbally or physically abused by police? GTFOH with that change your clothes garbage.
RZAs right, if you look like a thug, youll be treated as a thug, and when majority of you are acting and looking like thugs, its just gonna be how they begin to see all of you and how they approach you, because theyre scared and dont want to lose their lives. The racism is NOT the same as the civil rights era, so people bringing that shit up are just ignoring the actual problems, and now youre spitting on actual solutions. Cops arent evil. Theyre afraid. And yea, there are some cops who just hate black people. Just like there are some black people who just hate cops. But the rest of you need to lose the hate in your heart so you can try to understand whats really going on, with both the police and the black youth. Because both are in the wrong. And when that happens, real solutions will come up and we may finally take steps towards solving the issues.
Also, white “thugs” get the same shit as the black ones, it just doesnt make as interesting of a story. Race issues get a lot of media attention cuz you all eat that shit up.
Who kills more black youth? White cops or black youth?
Who’s more entitled to protect us from crime?
Officer Johnson or 12 year old Tamir Rice
If black youth are known killers and only getting worse, can you blame the cops for having a negative disposition towards the black youth?
Serious? Whenever someone says women shouldn’t dress in a certain way so they can reduce their chances of getting raped there is outcry. But now we’re going to say that the beatings and murders of black men is self-inflicted because the poor police officer doesn’t feel safe with that gun on his hip?
So what made cops shoot and kill blacks back during Jim Crow and in the 80’s and early to mid 90’s? Blacks dressed in suits to Afrocentric clothing and was STILL shot and killed. Black men and women STILL ended up strange fruit in three piece suits. Clothing don’t matter and shouldn’t justify anyone to fear them to the point of murder.
Because during the Jim Crow era…the KKK was in full force and the country had not turned one corner on racism. The 80’s and 90’s brought the crack epidemic and during that time there was a lot more violence then there is now in the streets.
Today….you have idiots walking up on cops with hatchets and guns, such as the incident in Philly today.
Its a fact, you up you chances of being respected a little bit more when you show respect. Dressing like your somebody goes along way, but for some reason my people do not want to hear that. Sad.
Trayvon was killed.bc he wore a hoodie and had skittles in his.pocket. are hoodies offensive now? These are the same people that are against the hijab. You cant have a beard nowadays without being accused of.being a terrorist.
tamer rice was 12 yrs old. if the the cops could feel threatened by a 12 yr old boy it won’t matter what tf you’re wearing.
The sad thing is that there are 12 yr olds running around with guns. Maybe if the music didnt tell them they need to do that to be cool and be a man, then they wouldnt do that, and theyd have a better chance at survival.
Hes not talking about just clothes…. you llisten to rap black ppl glorify gangs and shootings over nothing. Killing eachother & police. Black ppl like to act like this is ok. Its not. They know that though..
Thats the Industry signing black imbecile wanna be rappers. Its all part of the agenda. If you ask older black folks what they think of rap, they will tell you they dont understand this jibberish. Hip Hop died long time ago
He has a point. But he should of also noted that it goes much deeper than what you’re wearing. Just because you’re wearing a suit driving around in the nice part of town doesn’t mean you won’t get pulled over for DWB. James Blake (tennis guy) wasn’t looking like a thug! You can change clothes but will never be able to change skin color.
He’s speaking nothing but the truth. Quit looking like a damn trashy ass hoodlum thug and you’d be surprised how shit changes. Don’t bring up a few here and there that get messed with that dress appropiate. You damn well know that is like 1 percent compared to the way these hoodlums carry themselves. Grow the fuck up. Nothing cool about you looking like ghetto trash.
RZA may not have chosen a good example, but he does have a point. I don’t know why us black people are scare of looking at ourselves in the mirror and taking some responsibility. We like blaming white people for all our problems. Its stupid. We need to wake up and lift ourselves up instead of whining and crying year after year. We’ve been crying for 400 years. it’s time to stop.
It’s not really about us crying, unless you’re talking about crying to be treated fairly!! If a white kid can wear a hoodie in his neighborhood then my son should be able to wear one in his. I can’t believe this is coming from a cat like RZA. If that’s how he really feels give back all the money he’s made from those type of kids he’s talking about!
So a white guy in a hoodie look less suspect than a black kid in a hoodie rza u a clown for this statement
Yes, that is 100% true. That’s not racism, that’s human nature. You’re the ones that portray yourselves as violent tough guys, what do you expect?
i work a professional job, in SOCIAL SERVICES and am a colored male. even though i work for the government i am always getting pulled over or harassed. why is that??? how much conformity can a human intake. I work for a oppressive profession and still suffer from racism. Racism is nothing to do with class, profession, clothing attire and speech…it is caused by colonialism, white privilege and media created – color-phobia….what im really trying to say is…GO FUCK YOURSELF RZA. how many black actors did you put in your shitty movies? RZA is benefiting from white privilege atm so he is blind as fuck. but just remember when shit goes down RZA …your just another black man
Wooooooooooooooow I’m very surprised by this. I didn’t know RZA was a respectability politicking c0on. I guess I’m done with his music.
Wooooooooooooooow I’m very surprised by this. I didn’t know RZA was a respectability politicking coon. I guess I’m done with his music.
he’s speaking the truth though, but it’s politically incorrect to say these type of things in 201, so people like you won’t admit it
If you wanna talk politics, the way I dress is an expression of myself, which means it is protected by the First Amendment. So I’m going to get shot for exercising my rights?
Are we really saying that it’s ok to shoot someone because of how they are dressed? A hoodie gives the police the right to end my life? No trial, no appeals, not even a charge, it’s just cool because I had my hood up? Anyone who truly believes that is an idiot. Whether I want to wear a hoodie, a suit or a pink ballerina’s tutu shouldn’t make a difference.
As for RZA, I hope one day he’ll realize how many people he’s hurt here. I feel betrayed.
Wow…anyone who speaks the truth about acting right, doing better and staying away from causing trouble is a “Coon”, but those who act the opposite are the true brothers.
And with this thought process, its easy to see why black people cannot get ahead.
Oh you mean the stuff RZA used to wrap about, LOL!!
RZA is right dress proper and treat people with respect. Look at all these hiphop clowns like 50 cent The Game etc. they are 38 years old and acting and dressing like they are 16 years old. Grow the fuck up! And dont get me started about the racial issues of course there are cops who hate blacks, there are also cops who hate whites and jewes.
Are you kidding me? 50 cent has been photographed dressing appropriately on many, many occasions. Dude wears suits, dress clothes, whatever. You’re a clown!
Bobby warum bist du in unseren leben gekommen? Meine kinder sind verruckt von dir.
This nigga vegan diet got his estrogen level real high.
Lmao
Real shit. Black men specifically used to be knickered down every fucking day. My gPops in north philly stayed fresh. Now I’m apart of the generation X and when they started making laws about how low my pants can be thats when I realized what my mama was saying. What’s RZA is saying we’re the only ones that cops seem to be scared of. No one else, probably in south texas with them orejones other than that…
most of yall commenting are kids. it don’t matter if you’re black, white, brown, or purple. if you dress like you’re 15 and gangbanging, you’re gonna be a fucking target. whats so hard to understand about that? i grew up, stopped saggin my pants, stopped wearing hoodies every day, and started dressing proper. proper doesn’t mean “white”. proper means you look respectable and you look like you’re not about to roll out to a Kevin Gates concert. that’s all this man is saying. if you’re trying to turn this into a race debate, or villify him because he’s speaking the truth, odds are you are a fucktard
didnt expect this from RZA. Love this dude but we can dress anyway we want.
You can dress and act any way you choose, but bear in mind, certain actions result in certain reactions.
He’s not telling you how to dress. He’s saying you will be treated accordingly.
Much respect to the RZA for calling it like it is rather than fearing what some might think of such statements. Real wisdom right here. If you want people to treat you with respect, present yourself with some respect.
The biggest scumbags in this earth wear suits and look well dressed .. Black or White , well dressed or not , if ur a peacefull human being noone should b afraid of u for the way u look….The world is so sad these days , they judge everyone by image , clothes and forget that anyone that will bring significant change to this world wont give a fuck about how he dresses and looks cause there are millions more important things to spend ur time on
Exactly!
Nope you need to scare cops out of the hood so they dont mess with it
Yeah so some hood types can run the streets and mess with all of the good law abiding folks who are
just trying to get by…..right. You make a lot of sense.
I dunno Meng fuck the police
So if I don’t prescribe to the Anglo-Saxon/Puritan way of life, I deserve to be killed?!? If you’re that scared to be a cop, find another job.
Come on is RZA serious? No mention of institutional racism or that the police are trained to view certain segments of society as threats no matter how they’re dressed. Henry Gates was harassed by police. The young man at the college a few years ago who is an honor student was beaten by police. I could go on and on with examples of how absurd and idiotic RZA sounds but what else angers me are how some African-Americans are defending this nonsense. African-Americans during the civil rights protests of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s wore suits and were peaceful, that did not stop dogs, the firehose, and the overall brutality they faced. RZA is victim blaming and sounds stupid. Do the police view white youth who dress like The Crow with the same suspicious view? Do they suspect them possibly committing a mass shooting? NO
1) the brutality involved during the civil rights era pertained to a civil struggle based on race; not the way blacks dressed, nor any response that a certain style of dress and behavior can trigger. 2) Why would a white racist be concerned much for another white person? White racists hate blacks, not to mention Jews; and black racists hate whites. Any behavior triggered by racism will be directed toward the people that you don’t like. There are plenty of cops in this country who hate lower-income blacks. It is what it is and it’s not going to change any time soon. So, you can either play right into the suspicions of racist white cops, or you can know when to pull your damn pants up and drop your hoodie.
As I said earlier, Emmitt Till was killed while wearing a suit. Just because you dress like someone fresh from the cover of GQ, doesn’t mean that the Police won’t merk your ass without a second thought.
Fuxk you
Im with you heat now come buss this asshole wide open
Hello guys, I suggest to visit travellerview to get more information about tourist places in world.
I’m with RZA on this. I understand he comes from a group that was exactly what he’s describing not to be. However, as people mature and grow you understand that appearance is how people judge other people at first. It is the most significant source of information one has to go by when judging a strangers character. I’m a white man that has listened to hip hop since 1989, slick rick, kool g, geto boys, etc., and come from poverty. I dress in hip hop style when I’m not at work. For work I wear a suit. The difference between people’s initial reaction to me is night and day. I’ve been carded for no apparent reason on several occasions. As an adult, I still dress in hip hop style just not as grimy, my pants are on my waist, and my clothes fit relatively well. I no longer feel like people negatively judge me on the street. I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, or that dressing appropriately is going to stop racism, but it’s a huge step forward. Carry yourself with respect and dignity and you’ll see the difference.