And I was building up an extensive record collection. You know, at the age of 11, I got my first pair of turntables - straight-arm Technics - you know what I mean? - the hardest ones that you could scratch on. RZA: Well, my musical knowledge really came from being a DJ. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, composing and sampling the music backing for the records, what your approach is to that? GROSS: Now, you know, in addition to being, you know, an MC and to being one of the rappers with Wu-Tang Clan, you were also the chief producer and arranger. RZA: Well, thanks for having me on the show, y'all. No question, I would flow off and try to get the dough. No question, I would speed for cracks and weed. But it was just a dream for the teen who was a fiend, started smokin' woolies at 16 and runnin' up in gates and doin' hits for high stakes, makin' my way on fire escapes. And let's start it like this, son, rollin' with this one and that one, pullin' out gats for fun. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot. A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'lo goose. Had second hands, Mom's bounced on old man. WU-TANG CLAN: (Rapping) I grew up on the crime side, The New York Times side. Terry Gross spoke with RZA in 2005 after the release of his book, "The Wu-Tang Manual." We start with the single "C.R.E.A.M." from the Wu-Tang's 1993 debut album. The third and final season wrapped up in April. Recently, RZA was one of the executive producers of the Hulu series "Wu-Tang: An American Saga," which chronicled the rise of the group. RZA also composed music for several films, including Jim Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog," as well as "Kill Bill" and its sequel, directed by Quentin Tarantino. The name Wu-Tang Clan was inspired by kung fu movies and a mythical martial sword technique. Martial arts movies had a big influence on RZA growing up. He joined his cousins GZA The Genius and Ol' Dirty Bastard in 1992 to form the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA is also known as Prince Rakeem, Bobby Digital, the RZArector and Robert Diggs, which is his birth name. They turned the concept of a hip-hop crew inside out by creating a collective of nine MCs who also created their own music under different pseudonyms. Our first interview is with RZA, the chief composer and producer of the Wu-Tang Clan, which has often been called one of the most revolutionary rap groups of the mid-'90s. We're wrapping up the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by looking back at some of our most memorable interviews with performers who hold a significant place in history. But this is Quentin Tarantino’s movie.This is FRESH AIR. If it was my movie, I would have taken a chance. I wanted to take a chance, but in the movie business you can’t take those kind of chances. We rocked with it and it was one of the first things we did. We lost a sample, I made one Hip Hop beat. There’s only one piece of music that I didn’t feel comfortable with when we were done. "Crane and White Lightning" is a piece of music that Quentin wanted on the soundtrack, but was originally set for a Metallica track. A lot of that stuff is what I use to keep the vibe going between songs. There was one situation where you see, "Crane and White Lightning." That’s part of the original score, so it’s not really a song. So when he saw it, he was like, this is cake. Now, am I going to take it out in forty five minutes or am I going to fall asleep? I made sure it got out and if I saw something wrong with it, I fixed it. Put this in the oven, watch it, take it out in forty-five minutes. He was like, here go the eggs, the milk, the cake, the sugar, everything, and I’m going to stir it up. I think I was more of somebody that kept it in the guidelines of what he wanted. He had an idea and a vision when he wrote the script. Enjoy! Information about the creation process It is insanely well produced and its very athmospheric. I've always loved the Soundtrack to Kill Bill, i didn't even know that it was the RZA from Wu Tang Clan who produced it up until recently.
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