Though many Wu-Tang disciples have come to appreciate the wise bars of RZA, aka Bobby Digital, the crew's fearless leader has always been keen on the importance of ideology. Be it the importance of numerology or creativity, RZA painstakingly crafted the Wu-Tang manual with mindfulness on the brain. In that sense, the fact that his latest project Guided Exploration is far from a conventional release shouldn't be surprising.
Rather than coming through with bars and grimy instrumentals, RZA has opted to play the role of a guru with a six-track deep collection of "guided meditation." Produced in collaboration with Tazoa Tea, Guided Exploration places RZA's wisdom front and center, his spoken-word delivery making each message land effectively. Given all he's contributed to hip-hop and music as a whole, the man stands among the game's most respected authorities.
Consider this a microbrewed Ted Talk of sorts, gems meant to be consumed in a state of relaxing. Even if you're not into the premise of guided meditation, perhaps the Wu-Tang stamp of approval will be enough to pique your interest. Unconventional, perhaps. But this is an artist you might find playing chess, studying math, signing 7 and a sun: BOBBY.