Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, otherwise known in the rap and hip hop world as RZA, grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but live for a while in Pennsylvania, and then in North Carolina.  He started his music career in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a member of the Force of the Imperial Master.

RZA

I do not discriminate music. I make my music how I want to make it and that's my expression of myself.

Getting Started

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, otherwise known in the rap and hip hop world as RZA, grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but live for a while in Pennsylvania, and then in North Carolina.  He started his music career in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a member of the Force of the Imperial Master.  They saw some success locally, performed, and released some singles.  Eventually, they disbanded.

With Force of the Imperial Master, RZA pursued a solo career.  He signed a contract with Tommy Boy Records, but only released an extended play record (Ooh I Love You Rakeem) with this label.  In 1992, RZA formed the Wu-Tang Clan, with his cousin, GZA, along with Ol’ Dirty Bastard and six other rappers.  They released a single, Protect Ya Neck, which was met with wild success, and they followed it with their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).  The album cost about $36k to make and release, but it ultimately went platinum, with over a million sales.  

Managing a Career

As members of the Wu-Tang Clan worked on their solo careers, the RZA produced almost everything coming out of the Clan’s members.  All of the group’s efforts are critically acclaimed in their genres, due in part to the styles and passions of RZA.  In 1997, the group released the album, Wu-Tang Forever, which saw 600,000 sales in just its first week.  

In 1998, RZA released a solo album, titled RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo, in which he rapped from the perspective of a fun-loving alter-ego named Bobby Digital.  Bobby was to appear on subsequent albums in the future.  The album met with mixed reviews.   Bobby showed up again in 2003, on several of the tracks on the album, Birth of a Prince.  

More than just Rap

RZA’s career became extremely diversified.  In 1999, he began composing music for films, including Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and Afro Samurai.  He has also appeared in several films, including Derailed in 2005, and his biggest role in American Gangster in 2007.  He is currently working on Due Date with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.

Additionally, RZA is interested in directing film, and has created a trailer for Bobby Digital, which is available on YouTube.  He appears to be somehow related also to the upcoming movie, The Man with the Iron Fist, which is under the direction of Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth.  Add to all of this the book he wrote and published in 2005, The Wu-Tang Manual.

Did you know . . .

1. In 2007, RZA attended a rally for Hillary Clinton and donated money to her campaign.  She was criticized for accepting the money because RZA had a felony record and potential ties to organized crime.

2. RZA is currently collaborating with rap artists Ghostface Killah, Dani Harrison, Erykah Badu, and others to cover the Beatles tune, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

3. RZA is Director of Development, and champion of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation.

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