At this stage in the game, even the most unexpected source likely recognizes, at least on a subconscious level, the iconic "W" insignia. Such is the impact of the Wu-Tang legacy, which spawned in the early nineties through the shared vision of nine. At the helm on a creative level was the Bobby Digital, better known as the RZA. Producer and curator of the Clan's aesthetic, deftly blending Eastern mysticism, Martial Arts culture, and the gritty reality of their respective New York environments. Suffice it to say, their debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) made a lasting impact upon its initial 1993 release - one that is still felt to this day.
Wu-Tang Clan's "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame" Inclusion">Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
Now, Rolling Stone reports that the RZA is eying an American musical institution: the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Despite being eligible for inclusion since 2017, the Clan has been overlooked for reasons unknown. It cannot be down to genre, as artists like NWA, Beastie Boys, Tupac, Run DMC, and Public Enemy have all been inducted. The RZA spoke about his desire to be remembered, explaining the impact of the decision.
“I think we should [get in], and I do care,” says RZA. “It may take some time to get in there. I think it’s good for us and I think it’s good for rock &roll, because hip-hop is a form of music that grabs from every genre, but definitely grabs from rock & roll.” He continues, citing a shared spirit between hip-hop and rock. "Lyrical, stories, music, unorthodox, dissonant sometimes, energetic, all the things that rock is and was, hip-hop embodies.”
He also likens the construction of "Bring Da Ruckus" to the work of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. "Listening to a song like ‘Bring da Ruckus,’ I thought I was making hip-hop, but shit, it has a motherfuckin’ rock & roll groove like a motherfucker," he states. "I don’t know how the fuck I did that. I go back and listen to some of the Beatles progressions and some of [Led] Zeppelin’s progressions and movements, like, okay, I was on some shit, though.”
For more from RZA's thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, be sure to check out the full piece over at Rolling Stone.
