RZA has claimed the Wu-Tang Clan “pioneered” Hip Hop TV shows thanks to the success of Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
Bobby Digital made the comments in an interview with Consequence on Wednesday (April 5), and said that while N.W.A. innovated the Hip Hop biopic with Straight Outta Compton in 2015, the Wu pushed Hip Hop TV shows into the mainstream.
“[Wu Tang: An American Saga] is what Wu-Tang really represents, which is always moving something forward. This is why you see 30 hours of TV from us, instead of two hours of a movie,” RZA said.
“We got a great movie from N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton. That was a beautiful movie. They pioneered the hip-hop biopic, and we got to thank them for that, but we pioneered the Hip Hop series, a new chapter — the same way, when Wu-Tang came in 1993 into the industry, we pioneered a new wave, a new sound, and a new part of the culture that was unseen.”
Elsewhere in the interview, RZA spoke about the trials and tribulations that came with getting the entire Wu-Tang Clan on board with his instrumental-based production, which was covered in the season finale of the Hulu series.
“It’s kind of like seeing is believing,” RZA said. “When there’s something you don’t know or something you haven’t experienced, sometimes you’re scared to dive in. Sometimes you need somebody else to dive in first. That’s how Columbus was able to get to America.”
He continued: “People thought he was gonna fall off the world, it was flat. He’s going to fall off, but somebody had to keep pushing through. Then once he pushed through, then you could get Henry Hudson and the rest of the boys to come hang out.”
The show’s final episode, “Triumph,” premieres on Hulu on Wednesday (April 5). In an exclusive clip obtained by HipHopDX, the friction between RZA and Raekwon can be seen coming to a boiling point.
“Where’s the Hip Hop? Come on, son. Why you changing our shit up, man?” Rae (played by Shameik Moore) asks RZA (Ashton Sanders) while on their biggest tour to date at the time. “How is this gonna get us the No. 1?
“We should stick to our brand and make it even bigger, even grittier, you know what I mean? Like some real movie shit. You went to L.A. and came back on this Hollywood shit.”
The Abbott replies: “I hear you. Let me ask you, though: what does the Wu in Wu-Tang stand for? Witty, Unpredictable. I’m always moving forward… An evolution. We do this right and this tree planted will stand for 100 years.”
Wu-Tang: An American Saga debuted in September 2019, followed by Season 2 in September 2021. The acclaimed series has won a pair of Golden Reel Awards, while RZA notched a nomination for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category.
Man that show is GARBAGE. Wake up. You’re not Prince. Remember when Wu Tang made raw, innovative, real music??? That was a LONG time ago. Now Rza spends his time on his knees suking Hollywood dik……badly… Mofo wants to do everything: direct, act, do the soundtrack, write,…. Tthe whole clan fell apart and he only makes bad television…. Now he’s a “pioneer” again….. For doing what, a crap show like THAT???
was gza even portrayed in the show? maybe I missed it bu didnt noice or remember anyone playing the part
He had a whole stand alone episode 🤦🏻♂️
Those standalone episodes were so corny. Inspectah deck actors walking around looking like a sex offender in a toy store
Show turned into garbage immediately. The clan was mostly street guys and none of these actors captured that essence. Actor playing Rza just annoying how he talks which is nothing like Rza. Ghost and Rae actors just don’t come across as street at all and whoever played Inspectah Deck is a Cornball the way he always rubbing his hands together and licking his lips walking like a sex offender in a toy store. Dave East is a horrible actor and even though he did capture Meth’s breath control and flow pretty well its for the best that he’s not really in the show a lot. Worst of all was how none of these actors could rap so all the songs in the show sound terrible. They give ODB this character arc like he didnt just start smoking rock and end up dead in real life. Divine was a street dude they made look like an Uncle Tom babysoft wannabe executive. The show was on Hulu so they could make it as raw as possible and ended up with something that could’ve been on network TV with how watered down it was. 10/10 do not watch.
Really as a native New Yorker that took me back 1990 being a Brother of A DJ carrying around Turn tables And crates of records I remember when all of those albums came out especially the 1st 2 from the Rza and the Gza the music and style that show was brilliant I guess me being 48 now and die. Hard hip-hop fan from 82 (I was 7 then) I looked at it from a different perspective. Peace my brother
The level of asinine disrespect in these comments is terrible and wack as fuck. They did a great job with the show, get the fuck outta here. Y’all sound like you watched one fucking episode and then decided to troll. Fuck you.