Wu-Tang Clan on 50 years of hip-hop and Hong Kong kung fu cinema: RZA and co weigh in on John Woo, the movies that inspired Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) – and the OG MCs they really respect
- Why are Wu-Tang Clan named after the obscure 1983 Hong Kong martial arts film Shaolin and Wu Tang, anyway? We asked leader RZA on the group’s first visit to the city
- Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna also weigh in on hip-hop’s ‘birthday’, practising martial arts, and the importance of listening to the youth and pursuing knowledge
Which means the world’s most popular music genre is having an almighty 50th birthday moment this year.
“That’s what Hong Kong means – homecoming,” quipped Cappadonna, as we sat down to chat. But it was MC, producer, filmmaker and de facto leader RZA who had the most to say.
Here’s what we learned from 15 frantic minutes in the company of five-ninths of the one and only Wu-tang Clan, before they stormed the stage, closed the festival, and finally brought “da ruckus” home to Hong Kong.
Celebrating hip-hop’s 50th birthday
Cappadonna: Hip-hop is a way of living, we live hip-hop, you look at everything we do, it’s natural.
RZA: It’s every expression – to the way we dress, the way we talk, the way we live – it’s the chi.
Cappadonna: This is what keeps us together, this is what keeps us grounded and keeps us wanting to do more for our culture. Wu-Tang is for the children and we hope there’s a lot of children out there [on whose lives] we can make a big impact.
Masta Killa: Hip-hop is a vibration like an earthquake that shook the entire world, everything.
Inspectah Deck: We’re trying to take it to hip-hop [at] 100.