2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking Wu-Tang Clan debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). With that in mind, the group’s de facto leader RZA has something special planned to celebrate the anniversary: A run of shows at New York’s Gramercy Theatre turning the kung-fu-obsessed rap recording into a straight-up symphony.
Considering the original’s orchestral components, which were drawn from a variety of sources including ’70s soul records and actual classical compositions, it’s a reworking that makes a lot of sense. Other rappers, such as Nas, have done similar things with some of their most pioneering works, and RZA himself even produced a ballet earlier this year called 36 Chambers Of Shaolin And A Ballet Through Mud.
The shows will take place November 7th, 8th, and 9th, with tickets going on sale Friday, September 8th at 10 am. You can get more info here. Meanwhile, the Wu-Tang Clan as a crew kick off the next part of their North American tour alongside De La Soul and Nas next Friday, September 15th at Madison Square Garden. See below for the full schedule.
09/15 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/20 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena *
09/22 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live *
09/23 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place *
09/24 – Tampa, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino *^
09/26 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena *
09/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
09/29 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall *
10/01 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
10/02 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell *
10/04 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
10/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
10/08 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
10/10 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre *
10/13 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place *
10/14 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
10/16 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
10/17 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center *
10/18 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
10/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena *
10/22 – Highland, CA @ Yaamava Theatre *
^ = Daytime Pool Party Performance
* = w/ De La Soul
Hip-hop legend and Wu-Tang Clan mastermind Robert Diggs, famously known as RZA, is set to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the iconic album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) with a special event at Gramercy Theatre in New York City. The celebration will take place on November 7, 8, and 9, 2023, promising an unforgettable experience for fans of the groundbreaking album.
36 Chambers marked a pivotal moment in hip-hop history, as RZA’s innovative production style, characterized by stark beats and haunting samples from soul records and kung fu films, became the foundation of Wu-Tang Clan’s gritty narratives. The album’s influence continues to resonate in the world of music.
Tickets for this exclusive event will be available via presale on Thursday, September 7, starting at 10 a.m. ET, with the general on-sale beginning on Friday, September 8, also at 10 a.m. ET, through Ticketmaster.com.
Throughout his career, RZA’s talents extended beyond music, including film scores, acting, and directing. His contributions to projects like “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” and “Kill Bill” have been highly acclaimed. He has also authored books and executive produced the Hulu series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.”
Currently on tour with Wu-Tang Clan and Nas for the “NY State of Mind” tour, RZA remains an influential figure in both hip-hop and entertainment. In 2022, he collaborated with DJ Scratch on the album “Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater,” demonstrating his ongoing commitment to pushing artistic boundaries.
As fans eagerly await this milestone celebration, RZA’s enduring impact on the culture of hip-hop is unquestionable, and the 30th anniversary of 36 Chambers promises to be a remarkable tribute to his remarkable career. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of this historic event.
Burna Boy wants to bring afrobeats to the world. Well, afro-fusion that is at least, as he emphatically claims as not only his genre, but one he also created. Afro-fusion blends elements of afrobeat (different from afrobeats), hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, reggae, and more – elements that are at the foundation of what many know as the afrobeats genre as a whole. In Burna’s mind, this mixture is supposed to be universally palatable as it brings African elements in and outside of the music to the masses. Afro-fusion has been present to varying degrees among Burna’s past projects, but following the release of his beloved African Giant project in 2019, Burna sought to make afro-fusion appear grander and more encompassing altogether.
That brings us to his seventh album I Told Them…. Released 14 months after his sixth LP Love, Damini, Burna Boy pushes his “afro-fusion to the world” agenda more than ever. The album’s lead single, “Sittin’ On Top The World” with 21 Savage, aims to re-emulate the success of “Last Last” as it samples and interpolates Brandy and Mase’s “Top Of The World” to boast about his star status. In the end, what comes out of it is a record that sounds like a product of ‘90s hip-hop more than anything in the afrobeats world. The next single, “Big 7,” though without a sample, is made in a similar vein while erring for a lighter pop feel. In both cases, the “afro” part of the songs exist through Burna Boy’s lyrics as his mannerisms remain while also flashing a line or two in pidgin.
Other examples appear throughout I Told Them… “City Boys” supplies a sample from Jeremih’s “Birthday Sex” classic, “If I’m Lying” shoots for a stripped-down R&B record, and rap legends RZA and GZA contribute interludes on the album. Altogether, Burna’s display of afro-fusion seems to be more equally distributed across the incorporated genres, rather than afrobeats having more of a dominating presence as exhibited on past projects. One could even argue that afrobeats has taken a backseat role through the album’s 15 songs. Even though records like “Normal,” “Giza” with Seyi Vibez, “On Form,” and “Dey Play” more into the afrobeats world, it does nothing more than to balance the scale that holds the more universal records on the other side. Though the approach altogether does make for a palatable body of work to push out into the world, it also leaves his longtime fans to grapple with the reality of their star moving further and further away from his home base — sonically that is — over the years.
That all goes to say that I Told Them… is a solid body of work at the end of the day. Though it pales in comparison to his earlier albums like Outside and African Giant, it still makes for a fun and spirited listen that supplies worthy contributions to your summer playlist in the season’s final weeks. I’ll even go further to say that from a strictly musical point of view, it appears that his “afro-fusion to the world” goals were somewhat successful. The project became the first African album in history to debut at No. 1 on the UK album charts while the album is set to be his second top-40 release on the US album charts in his career. Yet, all of that gets pushed to the side as Burna spent the week leading up to the album’s release criticizing the afrobeats genre in a simultaneous attempt to elevate his status and position in the genre through conversations in American media.
For anyone who follows afrobeats and has love for it, watching Burna Boy tell Zane Lowe that afrobeats lacks substance is incredibly frustrating. Watching Burna Boy tell Wallo & Gillie that he doesn’t know what “afrobeats” is can only make one laugh at the sudden cluelessness. Burna Boy’s claims in multiple interviews that he created afro-fusion are very debatable, and at best you can say it was not a solo effort as Davido and Wizkid – names who achieved African success before him – as well as others also contributed to the afro-fusion genre as it currently stands. Though Burna preaches unity and dreams of a bridge between Africa and the world, it’s as if the bridge must lead to him, or go through him at the very least, for it to be validated in his eyes. Furthermore, the unity that’s spoken of seems to be constructed backward as Burna stands with outsiders and calls on those from home to follow his philosophy and cross the bridge to join him. When instead, Burna could invite outsiders to his home and build that bridge in collaboration with his peers in order to create an honest narrative that will most likely be beneficial to himself, and most importantly, the genre that allowed him to be the superstar he is today.
I Told Them… is supposed to sound like a triumphant celebration of victory over critics and detractors, all of whom have been proven wrong about Burna Boy’s career trajectory. Instead, we received an album that sits in the center of Burna’s latest era where he pushes narratives that are more false than true and damaging to the afrobeats genre which is highlighted by contributors who worked tirelessly to elevate it to the worldwide success that it has now. Look no further than “Thanks” which is upended by his frustration at the collective world’s refusal to blindly hail as the most supreme king. Altogether, it’s a contradiction that ultimately affects the album’s experience. Yes, the music can be enjoyed, but with the message behind it that Burna Boy has been preaching, it also can be frustrating. Burna Boy’s I Told Them… is a bold proclamation that ultimately depends on the listener’s experience, and time will tell if the gamble pays off.
I Told Them… is out now via Spaceship Records & Atlantic Records. Find out more information here.
Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
From everything we’ve heard her say about motherhood so far, Rihanna can’t get enough of spending time with her one-year-old baby, RZA. It’s unclear if the Fenty Beauty founder intended to get pregnant with her and ASAP Rocky’s secondborn so soon after, but she’s likely due to welcome that little one within the coming weeks. Before any big announcements are made, RZA is revelling in the spotlight as an only child. On Tuesday (August 8), Rih’s lingerie brand shared some adorable photos of him laying in the Bad Gal’s arms.
“Not ur mama’s maternity bras… Designed by @badgalriri, approved by baby RZA,” Savage X Fenty‘s Instagram wrote in the caption of their post. The Instagram carousel began with a smiling snapshot of the 35-year-old modelling one of her new designs. Her baby boy waves one arm in the air while feeding from Rihanna’s breast, wearing some tiny SXF boxers of his own.
Since RZA’s birth, we’ve rarely seen the young boy outside of his parent’s arms. He always looks to have a smile on his face, and these new images are no exception. “Pregnant with one while breastfeeding another. Women are amazing,” one person wrote in the comments. “And this is why I will always buy everything from Rih! She understands EVERY assignment ,” another person chimed in, obviously impressed with the new maternity bras.
It’s unclear when the Navy will next hear new music from Rihanna, though they’re certainly glad for her contributions to the Black Panther 2 soundtrack, as well as her various performances over the past year. Thankfully, it seems another recording artist is taking inspiration from the Barbadian beauty’s discography, and will reportedly release an album similar to her Good Girl Gone Bad project in the near future. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky aren’t the only rap-adjacent stars who have honored the great RZA. Moreover, the Wu-Tang Clan legend sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone on Monday (August 7) and revealed quite the interesting story. Apparently, fellow New York hip-hop titan Jay-Z once told him that he was the inspiration for his classic album The Blueprint. Furthermore, the 54-year-old was answering a question about whether he would do anything different when looking back at his career. While this is a commendable and important point of inspiration, it’s also a small part of his massive artistic legacy; what could he have changed?
“I think that what I did was necessary,” RZA expressed, “I think that it was ordained. One day, Jay-Z told me, ‘Yo, I got [the idea for] The Blueprint from you.’ At that time, I was headed to Hollywood already. Now, here’s a path, here’s a way it can work. And it continued to work in different regions of the country and with different crews.” The Brownsville-born MC and producer certainly isn’t wrong in having paved a way for future rappers. After all, 36 Chambers alone was impactful and boundary-pushing enough to cement the Wu as one of the all-time groups in the genre.
Jay-Z and Ghostface Killah during Ne-Yo Album Pre-Release Party – February 27, 2006 at Hiro in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
In addition, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Hov feels inspired by RZA, either as a music mogul in his own right or as an avid Wu-Tang Clan listener. For example, earlier this year at the Grammys, Jay-Z passionately rapped along to Method Man’s performance of his self-titled track. That was for the celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary that took place at the awards ceremony, and it made for an incredible moment. Whenever you see MCs become fans again, it’s always a wholesome treat.
Meanwhile, many would argue that the Roc Nation billionaire would be nothing without the Wu’s contributions. Even though they’re decidedly different strains of East Coast rap, there’s a hardcore and street-oriented lineage that can’t fall under the radar. Regardless, they’re both incredibly important, and will probably inspire each other for years to come. For more news and the latest updates on the RZA and Jay-Z, log back into HNHH.
Rihanna may be a mother, but we certainly haven’t heard ASAP Rocky complaining about her often-risque fashion statements. While Keke Palmer was publicly shamed by her baby daddy for stepping out to see Usher in a sheer dress, the Barbadian baddie has had her curvaceous body on full display throughout two pregnancies now. She’s quickly approaching the due date for her and the Testing rapper’s second child. We’ve definitely seen Rihanna slow down as a result. Still, she continues to find the energy to put together the perfect outfit and hit up her favourite restaurant for dinner.
As DailyMail reports, the 35-year-old was spotted on Saturday (July 22), taking her firstborn, RZA, to eat at Giorgio Baldi. Her long, black hair was worn in braided pigtails on top of her head. She rocked mid-wash jeans under a kimono covered in $100 bills. Rihanna’s one-year-old boy looked equally as stylish. He wore a denim jacket and jeans of his own while being cradled in his mother’s arms.
Rocky wasn’t spotted with his family for their night out on the town. However, it’s not entirely surprising as Rih has proven herself to be independent on more than one occasion. She’s kept the details of her second pregnancy as lowkey as her first. This suggests it’ll be some time before we find out what moniker the recording artists bestow upon their new addition. Seeing as all of their names start with R, we wouldn’t be surprised if that tradition continues with the latest Mayers-Fenty baby.
While Rihanna is enjoying her last few weeks with RZA as an only child, ASAP Rocky has been hitting up festival stages as he awaits the birth of his second child. On Sunday (July 23) night, the New Yorker headlined Rolling Loud Miami, where he appeared to diss Travis Scott while referring to Rih as his “b**ch,” leaving a bad taste in some people’s mouths. Read more about that at the link below, and find paparazzi photos of Bad Gal RiRi and her son here.
After keeping a low profile, RZA, the iconic leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, has re-emerged to discuss his creativity, music, and a special honor bestowed upon him by the iconic songstress Rihanna. In a recent interview with CNN, the rapper, actor, filmmaker, and producer shared his thoughts on Rihanna choosing his name to bestow upon […]
In May, it was reported that Rihanna and ASAP Rocky‘s baby’s name is RZA, after the Wu-Tang Clan member. RZA has finally responded to this news — and of course, it’s with excitement.
The rapper told CNN that it’s “a great honor to know that there’s another generation that’s not even of my own household that feels the strength and the inspiration of that name.”
He continued, “RZA [isn’t] only a name, it’s a title. So it’s an honor and I salute her and ASAP and their family. All the blessings in the world from me.”
Rumors are still circulating that the pair are married, especially after ASAP Rocky dedicated his performance of “DMB” to Rihanna during a performance in Paris, describing her as “my beautiful wife in the motherf**king building! I love her.”
She recently revealed that she has stepped down from her position as the Savage X Fenty CEO. “It’s been beautiful to see our vision for Savage X Fenty impact the industry at such an incredible magnitude over the last five years. This is just the beginning for us, and we’re going to continue to expand in ways that always connect with the consumer,” she said.
On this day in Hip Hop history, one of the culture’s most influential musical masterminds was born. Wu-Tang Clan frontman Robert Fitzgerald Diggs a.k.a. RZA was born today (July 5) in Brooklyn, New York, 49 years ago. Since stepping on the scene in 1989, RZA has done more than just create an outrageously successful career for himself and his affiliates but has also forever shaped and changed the way a lot of things are handled in the music industry. From branding to merchandising to mastery of one’s craft, RZA stands as a pillar example of how someone given nothing but their own mind can rise to be a titan in the entertainment industry.
In honor of his birthday, we’ve compiled a list of five of RZA’s most important power moves that helped to build and strengthen his empire. Spanning from music to video games, RZA’s influence can be felt across culture, color lines and international borders.
-Signing With Tommy Boy Records
RZA signed with the famous Tommy Boy Records in 1991 under the moniker Prince Rakeem and released one EP, Ooh I Love You Rakeem. Although this may not have been the most eventful or productive period of RZA’s career, his tumultuous relationship with Tommy Boy is what helped RZA to formulate his own plan to monopolize Hip Hop. His time at Tommy Boy allowed him to build vital connections with artists and executives that can been seen lasting throughout the remainder of his career. Tommy Boy gave RZA a necessary first glimpse of how the music industry works as a whole, which helped him to finesse it into something that worked for him.
-The Five-Year-Plan
In his autobiography The Tao of Wu, RZA detailed a majority of the events surrounding the ridiculous success of Wu-Tang Clan, the most prominent of these being his “Five Year Plan.” This plan, enacted in 1992 following the success of the RZA-produced Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, was RZA’s scheme for his group to become the most powerful figures in Hip Hop as a whole and individually. In an analogy, RZA explains, “I want all of y’all [Wu-Tang] to get on this bus. And be passengers. And I’m the driver. And nobody can ask me where we going. I’m taking us to No. 1. Give me five years, and I promise that I’ll get us there.”
At the end of the five year period, Wu-Tang Clan had released the Grammy Award-winning, number one Wu-Tang Forever LP (which sold four million copies in its first six months on shelves), GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, ODB and Ghostface Killah all had Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and Wu-Tang Clan had a successful comic book, clothing line and video game under their belt.
-Wu-Tang Clan Record Deals
As Wu-Tang’s popularity continued to grow exponentially, major labels were breaking down the door to get a piece of the action. For a short while there was a question of where the group and its members would sign. In an attempt to divide and conquer the corporate music world, RZA came up with the idea to have the majority of the members sign with competing record labels. Although from the outside this plan may seem risky and convoluted, RZA was again right on the money with this decision. Having Method Man sign with Def Jam, Raekwon sign with Loud, Ghostface Killah sign with Sony, ODB sign with Elektra and GZA sign with Geffen/MCA allowed for maximum promotion of each artist. No one company had to divvy out the funds to try and support the promo of each of these rap icon’s solo work. This also allowed record labels to work together like never before when pushing Wu-Tang Clan (who remained under Razor Sharp Records) albums because of the number of companies involved with its production. Never before or since has there been a group to sign a deal of this nature.
-Wu-Wear
In 1995 Wu-Tang released their clothing line Wu Wear, which quickly became one of Hip Hop’s most coveted streetwear brands. The brand’s importance, however, doesn’t come from its popularity but its pioneering. With Wu Wear, Wu-Tang became the first rap group to be laced from head to toe in their own gear. This again gave the group another step ahead of their competition. Even today, Wu Wear is international worn and recognized as a prominent Hip Hop streetwear brand and can be found in stores across the globe and online on various outlets.
-Hollywood Takeover
RZA’s most recent and ambitious endeavor to date is his dabbling in acting and filmmaking. As an actor, RZA has appeared in 21 films and has written and directed three. His popular The Man With The Iron Fists Kung-Fu series has proven he can successfully take his love for traditional Asian martial arts films and put his own spin on them to create something of his own. His partnership with famed director Quentin Tarantino only further validates his abilities and potential as a filmmaker and opens the door to the possibility of future projects.
RZA has yet to stop shaping Hip Hop’s culture and sound over the years, although he may not be as visibly active as he once was. His prominence in this culture is known and felt by anyone with knowledge of Hip Hop, its origins and its success as a genre. From everyone here at The Source, happy born day RZA, thank you for building such a godly culture.
If you look up “power couple” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky being “fashion killas” with the word “adorable” as its synonym. Moreover, RiRi just posted a wholesome and sweet picture of Rocky lifting their son RZA up in the air in what looks to be a pool. Of course, the image evokes The Lion King vibes, with Rafiki lifting the future King of the Pride Lands, Simba, up to his kingdom’s citizens. More than that, though, it’s just a very cute picture, which the Barbadian singer captioned with: “my Bajan boyz” and the Barbadian flag emoji and a heart emoji. Recently, the family went for a vacation at the superstar’s home, and it’s nice to see that they had a good time.
Furthermore, many fans can’t wait to see the family grow given Rihanna’s current pregnancy. Still, it’s caused some odd debate online given other high-profile celebrity baby bumps. For example, many compared her carrying her second child (for some reason) to Chrisean Rock’s current pregnancy. Social media users drew similarities between both their actions in their situations to interesting and sometimes hilarious results.
Regardless, both artists in this beloved romantic pairing are enjoying a lot of success right now. On one hand, ASAP Rocky took advantage of their escapades to film a music video along with a whole lot of gold chains around his neck. With this recent spotting, hype for his next album Don’t Be D*mb continues to increase, and many fans begged for a single. The New York mogul will hopefully capitalize on this soon, although it’s been so long that we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s just really working hard on making it the best project possible, no matter how much longer it takes. The same goes for Rihanna, actually.
,” another person chimed in, obviously impressed with the new maternity bras.
