Rza is doing an AMA on reddit right now

[mortuus est]

Many critics believe double albums usually contain filler and do not hold them as in high of regard as they could and should be. What would you say were the main reasons "Wu-Tang Forever" was made into a Double album instead of 2 different albums with a later release date for songs not used on first album? Was some of the inspiration for making it a double album taken from the success of "All Eyez on Me" or more that you wanted to get more music out?

authenticRZA
Actually, a double-album was part creative, and part business. If i can recall, we hadn't done an album as Wu-Tang Clan for four years. And so we wanted to give Steve Rifkin an abundant amount of material. But also we demanded a budget so high that to appease it, they said "how about a double album?"

 

[mortuus est]

If you could suggest, let's say one to three books, that you think everybody NEEDS to read, what would they be?

authenticRZA
I think we should all read the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita.

 

[mortuus est]

Can you describe what the reaction was from everyone was after Inspectah deck first laid down his verse in Triumph?

authenticRZA
He slayed it. And everybody knew it. And everybody else tried to slay. But he slayed it.

 

[Nino Brown]

If it hasn't been said before one a you redditers tell that nugga to try that shyt on the coli

 

[mortuus est]

BONG BONG! Been a fan for 20+ years.
2 questions:
Whats your all time favorite Martial Arts flick?
What is your favorite ODB verse/line/metaphor/song?

authenticRZA
I'll tell you the 3 that inspired me the most. Shaolin versus Wu-Tang. 8 Diagram Pole Fighter. And the Five Deadly Venoms.
For ODB "I be the answer to your why, the tear to your cry." It's off a song he did with Killer Priest.

 

[mortuus est]

RZA - you now have one of the most recognized sounds in the industry is there anyone that you want to collaborate with? Either music or acting...

authenticRZA
On the acting level there are so many people I would like to work with. Because I have such an acting bug in me right now. Musically, I never got a chance to work with Stevie Wonder. Or Lauren Hill.

 

[mortuus est]

peace brotha
Rae came out and said that you haven't been as involved in the hip hop game recently like ghost and rae have, which isnt that out there of a statement. Flipside, you've been handeling film scores and the films themselves. but Similar shyt was being said during the 8 diagrams sessions, with ghost and rae not being down with the beats and thinkin they were outside the hip hop climate so to speak. with the same sorta issues rising up now, and with 8 diagrams not being the wu comeback album to shake the ages we all know yall cats can make, what are you doing or planning to do different with A Better Tomorrow to make sure it hits that pinacle?
wu changed my life b, thank you for all the jewels you've given. one love.

authenticRZA
Actually, I'm not trying to hit no pinnacles. The thing is, when an artist makes a painting, or a song, he makes it. The way the world responds to it is secondary. If they respond to it, and say it's great, then he's going to say great. If they don't respond to it, does that take away its greatness? No, because he's already satisfied in his creation. When Wu-Tang first made our first album, I knew it was great. But many people in the industry slept on it. But after it had success, it changed the direction of the industry. So be it. This may be possible now. Or maybe not.
Regardless, we should always be ourselves.

 

[mortuus est]

I have some beat production related questions:
What's your usual setup? All digital? Any analog instruments? Vinyl sampling? What DAW do you prefer?
Do you make beats, then send the finished product to rappers to write lyrics to it or do you usually write the song together?
Do you have a specific process for finding samples, or is it all gut feeling?
Thanks.

authenticRZA
Well, that's a lot, but: not being egotistic about this, but I have a dozen set ups. And my home studio I use different rooms for setups. So one room is just turntables and a sampler, another would be just keyboards, another will be a digital room, there's one room where everything is analog (live drums, guitars, etc). As a composer, you always need different sounds, so after working with Hans Zimmer, I've learned to use different rooms to write different things or different scenes.
I prefer writing songs together. In fact one of the problems with making a Wu-Tang album is my refusal to send beats, because I believe that great music is created when people are in a room together.
I dig and I dig, and if something strikes my ear, I sample it. Then I twist it.

 

[mortuus est]

OH shyt GUYS LOOK THE RZA ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Will you ever release a real true solo wu sounding album just like the others did in the 90's??? not discrediting the bobby digital stuff, i like that but a lot of wu fans felt it wasn't a true representation of the 90's rza, hard body lyrics and dusty beats, will that ever happen or does everything need to move forward? i jst wish i had a rza album full of songs like Tragedy

authenticRZA
Hmm. Maybe brother, maybe.

 

[mortuus est]

What's good RZA. First shoutout to /r/hiphopheads. How do you stay creative as you do lyrically and production wise?

authenticRZA
I use life as inspiration. And being that I travel a lot, and see a lot of different things, and meet a lot of great people, I stay inspired. Shoutout to /r/hiphopheads.

 

[mortuus est]

How did you like your time on Californication? Samurai Apocalypse was a great foil to Hank Moody.

authenticRZA
It was very fun. Funny. And something was very sexy about that show. Maybe it was Meagan. LOL.

 

[mortuus est]

How was the flood caused?

authenticRZA
Heavy rains and sewage backup, and I was out of town, and so I came home to it.

 

[mortuus est]

Have you tried getting them to an expert?

authenticRZA
I've taken them to an expert, and they declared them unrepairable. One expert did say that maybe one day after drying out and all this crap that it would work. But I think that being that it was not only water, but mud, dirt and sewage, that the disk became permanently damaged.

 

[mortuus est]

Hey RZA! You seem to be a very calculated, meditative and, for lack of a better word, spiritual person. Was there a certain event in your life that led you to be this way or is this the way you've always been?
Peace & thanks for the AMA

authenticRZA
Yes, certain events led me to this, which is hard for me to describe to this, which are hard to describe. But I can say that it was a growth process. Would you believe I was once obnoxious.

 

[mortuus est]

Have you considered being on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast? I can't remember if it was a tweet or during his own AMA, but Rogan said he would love to have you on as a guest.

authenticRZA
Yes, I would love to be on as a guest someday. I'll wait for the time for him to invite me.