Hip Hop 101 for Baby Boomers

Lesson 1: the RZA [tha RIZZ-ah] This is not how I would've designed the curriculuum but the RZA's as good a place to start as any. This one goes out to the family psychic-therapist, Kurtis*, who saw Mr. RZA on Jon Stewart. Impressed by his verbal skills and mystic aura he came to me looking for mix CDs and information. More importantly he was looking for acceptance, feeling alienated from his fellow boomers who predictably turn up their noses at hip-hop and slang slinging rappers. So while his contemporaries hum along to elevator music and wonder why nobody writes good showtunes any more, Kurtis and I will be unpacking the mysteries of the RZA, the Genius, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and the rest of the Wu Tang Clan.

The RZA is one of those artists that is hugely influential even though nothing on the radio sounds like him. He's a super-producer of the highest rank with a body of work to prolific to sum up. If I were to make a trite inter-genre comparison I'd "dub" him the Lee Scratch Perry of hip-hop. In fact, the golden age early 90's Wu Tang is probably the closest thing hip-hop has ever come to reproducing the density of talent found in Scratch Perry produced Bob Marley and the Wailers. With RZA as Perry, Method Man as Peter Tosh, GZA, Raekwon and Ghostface "formin' like Voltron" to take up Marley's spot, and ODB and Cappadonna wildin' out in the Bunny Wailer position.

Posses have been a part of hip-hop since Afrikka Baambaata formed the Zulu Nation and the Soul Sonic Force. The Clan is by far the most important crew of its era. Coming out of Staten Island (renamed "Shaolin" in Wu-speak) the Wu became the undisputed kings of New York almost overnight right off their first single, Protect Ya Neck. They signed an unprecedented deal which allowed each member of the clan to pursue their own solo projects on their own terms.The sound was scary, dark, grimy and gothic. When I was a kid, Method Man was easily the most piss-your-pants terrifying MC of all time bar none. Motherfucker had a glass eye! He didn't seem to be enjoying himself in his videos. Since then Meth has become something of a stoner disappointment showing up in crap movies and even a TV show with his sidekick Redman, the Chong to Meth's Cheech. But man, back in 1992 they were the scariest black people on MTV. Busta Rhymes pretty much made his post-Leaders of the New School solo career by selling himself as the still-crazy-but-not-gonna-kill-you version of Ol' Dirty Bastard.

The RZA is the undisputed spiritual leader of the Wu Tang Clan. He produced all their records including most of the solo joints and developed the mythology and sonic pallette that is the Clan's signature. Wu-ism draws from four primary sources: classic hip-hop ghetto-realism about drug dealing and poverty, the Nation of Islam spinoff known as the Five Percent Nation, 70's Kung Fu Movies, and Marvel Comic books. Musically, RZA brings the same kind of genius sloppiness that Scratch Perry brought to reggae. He veered away from the slick, jazzy New York new school sound of contemporaries like DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock in favor of a darker, more chaotic sound. His samples never quite seem to fit right and he emphasizes atmosphere over syncopation and precision. His tracks always seem to sound like they're on the verge of falling apart but this belies a seriously disciplined sense of swing that produced some the greatest, most head-banging-est beats of all time.

The Wu never quite matched the unstoppable barrage of dopeness that was their debut album, Enter the 36 Chambers, but the RZA never ever fell of his game. Both Liquid Swords by the GZA the Genius and Raekwon the Chef's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx were era-defining masterpieces. I'm even a fan of his more ridiculous and underappreciated experiments like the Bobby D.I.G.I.T.A.L. pseudonym and the Gravediggaz "horror-core" hip-hop super-group.Even as he got slightly more commercial and upbeat, he never sounded like Puff Daddy or Timbaland. The example the Clan set for indepence, teamwork, and artistic integrity helped spark the entire underground hip-hop movement of the late 90's and early 00's. Crews like Heiroglypics, Living Legends, and the Def Jux kids are all following the example RZA and the Clan set. RZA seems to have settled into semi-retirement, producing soundtracks for kung fu movies like Ghost Dog, Kill Bill and the new Jet Li flick.

Now let's break down a classic RZA track. This is "Verbal Intercourse" off of Raekwon's 1994 release, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx:

Verse One: Nas1 Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe When I'm deceased2, by then the beast arise like yeast to conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets3 Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun4 Trick my Wisdom, with the system that imprisoned my son Smoke a gold leaf5 I hold heat, nonchalantly I'm grungy, but things I do is real it never haunts me while, funny style niggaz roll in the pile Rooster heads profile on a bus to Riker's Isle6 Holdin weed inside they pussy with they minds on the pretty things in life, props7 is a true thug's wife It's like a cycle, niggaz come home, some'll go in Do a bullet8, come back, do the same shit again From the womb to the tomb, presume the unpredictable Guns salute life, rapidly, that's the ritual
Verse Two: Raekwon the Chef Perhaps bullets bust niggaz discuss mad money True lies and white guys, we can see it through the eyes Catch the most on tape, kilos disintegrate9 Pyrex pots, we break, fiends lickin plates In the building niggaz building, like little children starin Them older niggaz aint carin Sirens circlin fiends are lurkin in your baggage oh, one's gone now, what, smack him in his cabbage10 In the woodwork, crack cells bubble like Woolworth's in the projects, richest niggaz rockin all the real worth Police questioning, rooftop cats invested in Tradin in they Lexus' GS's sendin messages Two and two makes four, Cristal's crazily pour Gun wars my crew phantom like swords
Verse Three: Ghostface Killer With the green leathers11, hunded pound snakes and cakes Fiends found in lakes, jeolously Jakes we shake12 What I strive for is what I live for Infatuated by material things, and it's wild like for war like somewhere over the rainbow, I see a big pot of gold Future stacks13 yo I hold Thousands of cracks bagged up inside the shoebox Don't keep jack in my lap, don't wanna see Tupac14 Got two spots, a new lot, flooded with rocks Shoot-outs making me hot, crooked cops Bad Tony and the ball drop In the Now, I'm bangin niggaz for slide time Hurry up Duke I'm next, show em mine15 And what the fuck is you looking at? By the way young blood, hit me off with that Green Bay hat Watch your back inside the hall, new niggaz slide through like doors yo, you're starin in the mess hall Your adrenaline runs, cigarette niggas be swindlin New jacks surrenderin, come home not rememberin Made bail with different size kicks on, a white dress shirt Lookin gay in the yard, and you got hurt Flashbacks, of the day room, mop ringer style Your faggot ass got bashed tryin to turn the dial You told your boo you was whylin16 Once you heard Wu, out of the blue, your family's from Shaolin17 High class cooks, throw on vestes out of phone books Infirmary niggas are screaming, "I got drugs!" Sharpen toothbrushes 190 mixed with baby oil and shit Your man's in the kitchen stashing ice picks Well I'ma end this with a big red cherry on top Me, Nas and Rae got the best product on the block

1. Nas is not a member of the Wu Tang Clan.
2. The term "seeds" is a 5% Nation lingo for children. Nas likes to speak in the prophetic and here he suggests that his offspring will lead a future revolution.
3. Again, the beast imagery, straight out Revelations. Nas can get a little messianic at times but he always relates it to his experiences in the Queensbridge projects. His flow is so disciplined and clear; it's is a nice mix with Raekwon's lispy ghetto-realism and Ghostface's bravado and abstract word play.
4. Referring to gun buyback programs
5. A brand of blunt cigar used to roll marijuana.
6. Riker's Island. Infamous maximum security prison. In East Coast New York hip hop imagery it's the equivalent of hell.
7. Respect
8. I'm pretty sure a "bullet" refers to a stint in prison. Perhaps 1 year or some other standard sentence.
9. Kilos of cocaine. Talking about cooking crack.
10. Head.
11. Shoes.
12. I have no idea. This is what's great about Ghostface Killah. "Fiends found in lakes, jeaolousy Jakes we shake" What does it mean? I have no idea and half the time I'm not sure he does either.
13. Stacks of cash. Money.
14. Referring to Tupac's murder. This might be interpretted as a slight dis of Tupac making this verse a tiny part of the legendary East Coast vs. West Coast beef.
15. "crooked cops Bad Tony and the ball drop/In the Now, I'm bangin niggaz for slide time/Hurry up Duke I'm next, show em mine! - Can't help ya. Sounds great.
16. A pretty gruesome description of prison rape. A "Boo" is a girlfriend.
17. Shaolin is Staten Island.

*Names and identities have been changed to protect the innocent...and just for fun too. Cuz I can. [return]