Sales Figures Are In

Unfortunately, the Clan only managed to sell just under 69k in their first week, which landed them at the #25 spot. Of course, the days of huge album sales are over for pretty much everybody, but the telling number is that low rank: in the past, when a Wu album dropped, it was going to land at the top of the chart, no questions asked. The somewhat disappointing numbers can be attached to several things, from all the public infighting perpetrated by Rae & Ghost that I think turned a lot of people off--either from listening in the first place or otherwise giving the record a fair enough shot when it landed from out of left field. Also, where is the video? Supposedly a dual vid for The Heart Gently Weeps & Take it Back was about to be filmed several weeks ago--but then again it seems so unlikely that the RZA could manage to get Rae, Ghost, & everyone else involved to show up for a video shoot in the first place, who knows if it even happened. But recently Inspectah Deck's comments seem to show that the Clan is swaying away from the RZA & that the (RZAless) Shaolin vs Wu-Tang project might actually materialize after all [even though both Inspectah Deck & the GZA have very recently discussed plans for fully-RZA-produced solo projects]. Add to this growing list the fact that the Wu tour just kicked off in Chicago a few days back with everyone in attendance except for the Abbot, & that according to people at those first shows, not a single 8 Diagrams track was performed.

Originally I had thought the first week's sales figures might make a natural stopping point for this blog project, but obviously there is still more & more relevant information to chronicle even after the release of the 8 Diagrams.

Village Voice: More, More, More + Kotori

The Village Voice keeps bringing the heat in terms of the recent assortment of Ghost/RZA/Wu shit that's sprung up in the leadup to 8 Diagrams & Big Doe Rehab. This time Rob Harvilla reports from a recent chat with the Ghost. I think readers & fans understand what Ghostface is trying to get at here--certainly those turned off by the sound of the new album--but Harvilla is right to point out the potential hypocrisy of Ironman's stances. It's not that I consider RZA infallible or even really innocent of never being shady--but then we get into talking about Divine & a bunch of business things nobody really knows about. Regardless, Harvilla's article takes the standard line of commencing with the just-arrived Big Doe Rehab before leading into the reason everyone really wants to talk to Ghost all of a sudden: his status with the Wu-Tang Clan. Earlier in the article Ghost discusses how he identified with Jay-Z's Kingdom Come album, how Jay attempted a more mature record, only to be lambasted by the populace. Ghost said, "The people want you to stay a certain way for the rest of your life...People don't want change, man. But you're becoming a grown man. You can't be 45 years old talking about how many bricks, how many kilos you turned over, how many you sold, at 45. People have to start talkin' grown-man shit. I respected Jay-Z on that shit, you know what I mean?" The excerpt below picks up with a recap of the history of the rift between Ghost & RZA:

First came a public spat over scheduling—briefly, both records were set to come out the same day until Ghost balked and Wu mastermind RZA politely (and publicly, and somewhat grumpily) agreed to push Diagrams back a week. But in addition to loudly complaining of financial mismanagement, Ghostface is also joining Raekwon (on record, at least, his closest Wu ally) in attacking Diagrams itself.

"RZA is fumbling the ball," Ghost says. "You know what I mean? Fumblin' the ball. He wanna do what he do, when we trying to tell him, like, 'Yo, man, do this or do that.' His music wasn't sounding like how it was when we first came in. And it's hurting us. People want that old Wu-Tang shit, but you tryin' to make new shit—tryin' to play live instruments, instead of just goin' to the crates and just do what you do best. You still a master at what you do, but right now you ain't lookin' like that master, 'cause you tryin' to do other stuff. We were just upset with the way things was comin' out."

To be fair, Diagrams is a dense, abstract, deliberately nauseating, deeply disturbing piece of work—you'd think extensively biting "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" would make a song more accessible, not dramatically less—unlikely to halt the Wu's slide in the public consciousness, losing ground to fresher entities (Southern rap, primarily), a calamity that Ghostface's recent success has valiantly battled against. But it's unfair that the main thing we know about this record, a week before its official release, is that two of its biggest rappers seem to hate it. And even if after five listens you find it repulsive, that's still five hours or so of deep, bewildered fascination. Diagrams deserves better than I fear it's going to get.

And furthermore, isn't RZA just trying to do what Jay-Z tried to do, what Ghostface says you must do: evolve? Grow and develop and experiment, even at the risk of pissing off your fans? "We just need to go back to what we been doin'," Ghostface insists. "If we not gonna go back to what the people—if you tryin' to get somethin' new, then do it right . . . Not just a beat with a bunch of rhymes goin' different types of ways, and the beat's not even all that, but you want everyone to sing on it."

Diagrams could undoubtedly benefit from some warmth, some familiarity, some semblance of sanity. But a drop or two of its wide-eyed, half-crazed eccentricity wouldn't have killed The Big Doe Rehab, either. As the tiff gets uglier and more public, interviewers lately have inundated Ghostface with Wu questions, to his understandable frustration: "I don't care if you ask me about it, but let's not just sit there and go for 40 minutes on it," he says. But a reconciliation is crucial here: It could reinvigorate what remains one of East Coast rap's most beloved franchises, and boost to new heights Ghostface, its star attraction, highly evolved relative to his competition but battling a whiff of staleness within his own outstanding catalog. But is it possible to make peace? "I'm not sure," Ghost says. "I can't tell you that, because it's serious with Wu-Tang Clan right now. It's serious. So I don't know." What would have to happen for everyone to reconcile? "I can't even tell you. I can't even tell you. I can't even tell you."

* * *


INS, U-God, Ghostface Killah

A much needed change of pace is now available in video form from KotoriMag.com. We've seen pieces of this long video interview before (specifically where RZA, sitting in a red booth, discusses The Heart Gently Weeps) but this more substantial cut is definitely worth your time. Unfortunately, only three members end up in front of the camera, but the good news is that two of these, U-God & Inspectah Deck, are fresh faces to the 8 Diagrams hype game. After 12 rounds of Ghost said this, RZA said that, hearing an extended, wholly positive description of the album along with some new faces is quite refreshing.

& The Winner Is...

Voila more Ghostspeak, this follow up clip to a previous Ghost interview from the other day, specifically addressing his absence on the Life Changes track. Ironman insists the true fault lies with the RZA--didn't see that one coming--saying that the beat was never delivered to him. One could go on & on trying to hash out what all this means or who is telling the truth & who is not--I lack the energy to keep breaking it down. & in the end it has become too painful as the back & forth has sped up instead of dissipating. One thing that comes to mind is that the way Ghost goes on & on about how something wasn't delivered to him & all of the other shitty little reasons why he isn't on the song, it makes you wonder why he never asked about the track, as he'd known about it for two years & after all they were playing it at several shows along the Rock the Bells tour. Oh yeah, Ghost didn't show for most of those dates...

The initial intention of this blog project was to celebrate the arrival of the album, not chronicle the demise of the Clan. Come on guys, can you stop going to the media as your middle-persons, & call each other!

Rawkus & RZA

The somewhat reinvigorated Rawkus has put up a new, lengthy interview with the RZA. Virtually the entire interview applies to the very-nearly-here 8 Diagrams, so pardon the long excerpts. Even with GZA's contribution the other day, the times of group press conferences in anticipation of a new Wu album are sorely missed--emphasis on group. Pardoning the Ghost/Rae thing for a moment, why can't we hear more from Ins, U-God, Masta Killa, or Method Man? Nevertheless, some of RZA's responses here are the closest we've been allowed within the mechanics of the group as they recorded 8 Diagrams. The read is undoubtedly worth it. Notice that when RZA is first asked about Raekwon, he doesn't even directly address the situation. Not that he's avoiding anything, but it's yet another example of RZA handling himself very well in the public spotlight, as opposed to some others. At this point it's fair to say that the comments from Ghost & Rae have given fuel to those listeners put off by 8 Diagrams upon first listen--how much damage will their outbursts do against this album & the long term status of Wu-Tang? After all, RZA has directly stated that the reception of this album may dictate whether it's the last or not. If Ghost & Rae have taken future Wu music away from us, well, that's not great, to say the least.

FL: Is there a guiding theme for the new LP?

RZA: Yes, in my opinion. The first song on the album is called ‘Campfire’ and that sets the tone for the guiding theme. It’s called ‘8 Diagrams’ and straight away you hear the 8 precepts that he’s saying. What the intro is saying is what I feel we need in the world for men. It’s saying, ‘how can I be a good man?’

FL: Is it difficult to bring that into the Wu, with there being so many different competing elements?

RZA: It is kinda difficult sometimes. But as the producer of the group, and The Abbot – I didn’t make myself The Abbot, this was a title that was given to me by the other Wu-Tang members. So you gave me the title, you gave me the power, I’ll use it. But I’ll use it not just for my personal benefit, not just for their personal benefit, but for the benefit of what the Wu-Tang stands for. Wu-Tang is not just about us, it’s about the world. Somebody asked me the other day, ‘when you make solo albums and soundtracks and the Wu-Tang album, what’s the difference?’ On my solo album, it’s my duty to make sure I convey the solo artist’s feelings to the world. Doing movie scores or a soundtrack, I have to take that film and the director’s vision and make sure I satisfy their vision. But on a Wu-Tang album, that belongs to the world. That’s something I’ve learned myself and I didn’t learn that until 1998 and that’s when I went and did an album called ‘The World According to RZA’. In 1993, if you’d have asked me about hip-hop, it belonged to me. I didn’t care about anybody else – ‘Bring Da Ruckus’, ‘Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ to Fuck With’, ‘Protect Ya Neck’ – I wasn’t playing! But as I grew up, and I’m seeing black kids, white kids, Mexican kids, Indian kids, I’m seeing a rainbow coalition and realising it’s bigger than me. Some kids came up to me recently and they weren’t even around in 1997 for ‘Wu-Tang Forever’ but they got it and the guy was like, ‘Yo, I learned so much knowledge from that record. Just the references you make, that I cross-referenced.’ It helped enhance his own spirit and knowledge. That’s what it’s all about – Wu-Tang has become a source of information and not just about our ghetto and our roughness and our toughness and our personal entities, but a source of information for people to get their own thing and move on. So when I do Wu-Tang I don’t it for myself, I do it for the world.

FL: So do you think someone like Raekwon needs to remember that he’s only 1/8^th of the group?

RZA: I just read a little book of interviews that the GZA did in Germany, and when I read it, he just says so many things that make sense. He says that when he does his own projects, he gets to go into his own world, but when he’s with the Wu, he’s 1 piece, and that’s better because no 1 member is stronger than the whole group. I was happy to hear that not just come from me.

FL: Are those tensions harder to control now, given that all the members have their own fanbases and degrees of stardom?

RZA: In a way it does but, really, Wu-Tang started with tension. Some of the guys were not as close to each other as they have become. Ghostface and Raekwon are considered to be Batman and Robin, but they were enemies in the neighbourhood. Ghost was my man and Rae was my man. There’s another guy, Oli ‘Power’ Grant who runs Wu-Wear, him and Rae were partners, and Ghost was the enemy. I’m talking about mortal enemies. But they were always real tight with me. My house was neutral – people would always put their guns on the table, to use a metaphor. And when they left, there’s no telling what would happen. Now recently Power was telling me I had to do something, as he was pretty upset about the Ghost comment. Me, I don’t like to get into it like that, but he said that it wasn’t time for the Uncle shit I’d been doing through the years, it’s time to say something and it’s important for people to know what’s been going on and where I stand at. And he told me, ‘14 years ago when you told me to swallow all that beef with me and Rae and Ghostface, I swallowed it, but the day you arranged a meeting between us, I had my gun’. He was ready not to swallow it until he saw me. I didn’t even know it was that close. Mind you, Ghost is a superhero – you’re not gonna catch Ghost. Ghost will beat 5 or 6 niggas by himself, I’ve seen him do it. He ain’t scared of nobody, never has been, never will be. The point I’m making is, it’s not like we started out without tension. People don’t know that U-God and Method Man had hand-to-hand fights until we had to throw them off the bus. You know, there was a lot of shit. Me and Ol’ Dirty fighting because he wanted to go to Def Jam but I’d done the deal with Elektra. I had the plan for what I saw was right.

FL: Well, in the early years, Wu-Tang was described as a dictatorship with a five year plan. After that, you took your hands off the reins. Do you regret doing that?

RZA: Well, I won’t say I regret it, because you can’t regret life, but I do see the difference. Right now I guess I’m putting the reins back on by having the final word on the Wu, and now I’ve got to face what Raekwon’s saying about not getting to voice an opinion. Well, you did have a chance to voice your opinion, you just had a time limit to voice your opinion. I’ll listen to what people have to say, but after a certain time the vote is in.

FL: What did you make of Raekwon calling you a ‘hip-hop hippie’?

RZA: Now I don’t like the word hippie. When he said it, I thought, ‘Hippie? I’m the most Hip-Hoppest nigger in the world!’ I stay hip-hop, I never even changed over to the other side of hip-hop, the bling side. I kept it hoodie and a pair of boots – you always see me like this, and I could throw on the best of the best. It offended me a little but, at the same time, Raekwon’s the slang master, so I ain’t taking it like he meant to shit on me because I know he’s so rich with his words.

FL: Does the glare of the internet, where there’s always a camera pointed at you and a way of disseminating it, make it harder to keep the Clan together?

RZA: It’s harder, I would say, because you can say something on film, and then change your mind 20 minutes later. That’s why you’ve got to be careful. Me and Raekwon had a conversation about the record – he gave me his opinion, gave me his vote. He didn’t give me a bad vote, he gave me a 7. I’ll take a 7 from Rae, because his 7 might mean the fans give me an 8 or 9, but I’ll go back and try to get an 8 from you. So I went back and I changed a few things. I put the song ‘Unpredictable’ back on there. I’d taken it off as it was a bit Bobby Digital and I didn’t think we needed a Wu song with me talking about my dick. So I had to go back in and make it more amicable. So I sent that version out and people said they liked it more. GZA gave it an 8. When I first asked him, I knew he was being kinda sarcastic, but he said, ‘I give it a 5 and a half’. I was like, ‘Whoa’, but I never argue with him ‘cause he’s my teacher. So I had to humble myself to that. I tried to tell everyone, ‘Don’t take one day on this shit, take two weeks. Listen to it, this is not a quick fix. This is not a hamburger, this is vegetables. I know you don’t like to eat your vegetables, but you’ve got to, to get the nutrients.’ So then he came back to me with an 8 after I re-did things.

FL: Do you feel the pressure of a ‘comeback’ album?

RZA: It’s a continuation. The Wu-Tang saga continues. It’s not a comeback because we’ve all been active in all forms of entertainment. Also, we did tours without records being out, and I’ve seen bigger crowds the last two years than I’ve seen in my life. When we toured with Rage Against the Machine this year – and they haven’t had an album out – you’re seeing 70,000 kids each night in New York. In San Francisco, it got so crazy the police had to come. We’re bigger than ever, with no record out. That shows how important we are, how it’s about more than us telling our drug stories, our life stories, our turmoils. It’s about us adding a little wisdom, a little spirituality, a little consciousness, a little brotherhood. We’ve always had brotherhood, with all our other crews. And sometimes the Clan members are mad about that, maybe it’s because of having 8 famous guys, you’ve got 100 famous guys. But one thing I explain to them is that we saved our neighbourhood. More than that. We saved our neighbourhood in Staten Island, we saved parts of Brooklyn where Dirty, Prodigal Sun and Killah Priest lived, we saved Ohio with Killarmy, we saved a lot of families. It all comes back down to that one kid who walked around Staten Island for months – and people thought I was crazy because I used to walk and think and talk. I always say walk. Jesus walked across the Middle East teaching people. You get so much inspiration and knowledge from walking and thinking. So I walked around Staten Island until I got an epiphany. It took me a while to get it, but once I got it, I had it. I knew what I wanted to do. I went to Ghost first and said ‘Wu-Tang Clan’. Then it started to spread and other neighbourhoods were hearing about us. Some people were acting like they weren’t with it, because they didn’t like the Chinese shit. Guys like Pop the Brown Hornet wanted to make it GP Wu, because they were the Gladiator Posse from Stapleton and Park Hill was called DED Posse – Dick ‘Em Down. I combined ‘em both to Wu-Tang but those two neighbourhoods stay at war, although I had ‘em at peace. There were some guys who were on that ghetto shit and weren’t fucking with the Wu. And then when we blew up, they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re Wu’. And they were, I was bringing everybody. But they went separate. Even Shyhiem. Shyhiem was my student, but he went with GP, and GP wasn’t pure in the heart like that so they disintegrated. Had they been pure, and realised I had a vision, they would have got further. That’s what I was trying to tell the Clan on this album – trust me. Right after the ‘American Gangster’ premiere, we had this meeting, and I think it’s the meeting that triggered Raekwon’s comments. This meeting felt pretty deep for me. I invited everybody to the premiere, the only ones that showed up were Method Man and Inspektah Deck. That hurt me. They gave me 20 tickets – they didn’t gave anybody else 20 tickets – because I wanted to bring the Wu. I felt disappointed because I felt it would be a real good look for all of us to come together. So we had a meeting, and everybody starts voicing their opinions. And I wanted their opinions, because I wanted to see if I could satisfy the crew. I said, ‘If y’all ain’t satisfied, it’s gonna fuck me up.’ Harsh words were going back and forth. I had to come hard. I said, ‘Y’all have been making records without me for 6 years, and the shit ain’t go nowhere. The shit didn’t sell nothing.’ And then they’re saying, ‘Your shit has been weak’. My shit has been weak? ‘Kill Bill’? I’ve been involved in a lot of good things. But I wasn’t gonna front, I said, ‘Without connecting with you, my stuff has never had the high standard that it’s been with Wu-Tang.’ But it’s not that they’re not dope MC’s, and I’m not a dope producer. When we’re apart, it’s cool, but when we’re together it’s great. We don’t know why it’s great. Who knows why peanut butter and jelly taste so good together? They weren’t made for each other, but put them together and kids go crazy. We have a special chemistry that we don’t even know, but the people accept it for what it is. I was telling Meth, come back and rock with the Wu. I checked out his solo shows, 2000 people here, 1500 people there. Raekwon show, 700 people, maybe a1000 there. I know they don’t need me and I don’t need them, but wouldn’t they rather be seeing 10,000 motherfuckers in front of them when they’re rapping? After all these years, you want to rap in front of 500 motherfuckers? When you do Wu, you get the opportunity to rap to the world. You might only get 5 lyrics out, but they’ll be remembered by the whole world. All of the solo albums we’ve got out, nobody knows the lyrics like that. I don’t even know their lyrics. This new album got me listening to their lyrics again, and I realise how dope they all are. I was trying to explain to them, sometimes we don’t realise what it is we’ve got, but we’ve got it and we should never, ever doubt it. But Raekwon walked out not convinced, I guess.

FL: How was it recording without ODB? Did you miss his spirit?

RZA: Oh, we definitely missed his spirit. I saw Meth got asked the same question in an interview, and he was like – I only ever saw him in the studio one time anyway. It was hard for me. When Dirty first came home from jail, after all the shit he’d been through, and I was working on the Masta Killa album, ‘No Said Date’, making a few beats, he heard that album and said, ‘Out of everybody in the crew, Masta Killa is the only one that’s still Wu-Tang’. He wasn’t tainted. And I told Masta Killa. He got his name because Masta Killa is the guy who wasn’t part of Shaolin, he came to Shaolin and went through all the training in 36 Chambers, and became the Masta Killa. He saw us as his teachers. So I said to him that he’d become the best student. And then Raekwon’s mouth was healing, and right about the time he did ‘State of Grace’, he was back. If you ask me, Rae’s the illest MC. To my ears, Rae is fucking up any rapper out there, but he went through a transitional phase because his voice had gone. Having Genius on a track like ‘Starters’, talking about women – he doesn’t usually do that – he got a little ODB in him.

FL: There must have been a lot of emotion in the studio recording ‘Life Changes’.

RZA: Oh yeah. A lot. Meth was the first to do his verse. But I never got a verse from Ghost, which I think would have been deep because he knew Dirty for years. Me, Dirty and Ghost was running around from 1989 to 1993. That was the team…

Yet More From the RZA

Pyro Radio recently reported a new interview between the RZA & SK Vibemakers. The entire thing can be downloaded in mp3 format here, though the file is huge. As usual I will excerpt the pertinent pieces of information below.

S: So why now with this album because many of us thought that there would never be another Wu Tang album?

R: First of all it was on me really I felt like it should be done, I felt like I needed to come back and do something about the situation, I`m doing well with things, with films, scores and life is looking better for me I ain’t gonna front but I walked away from Hip Hop but I walked away without closing the book and with Wu Tang it was the same, even if guys put there solo albums out every year, life Ghostface puts an album out, Method Man but you still don`t get that collaborative spirit and I knew I had to come back and do it one more time for the people because we ain’t making a lot of money from this, there`s money there don`t get me twisted but it`s not like the sort of money with what I`m doing already but this a sacrifice, a worthwhile sacrifice because I`m doing it for my crew and for the fans that want another dose of this

S: A couple weeks back we spoke to Steve Rifkind and obviously your first 4 albums were released through Loud Records and Loud was shut in 2001, but now your back with him again opening up Loud records for just one record, what`s it like being back with Steve Rifkind?

R: I think Steve Rifkind is the only Record Executive that would be able to put out a Wu Tang Album, because most executives are just putting the what I call cookie cutter type of hip hop, just throwing it out there and not even caring about the purity of the sound or the purity of the people, I`m not saying the 8 Diagrams album is the same as the 36 Chambers, but the purity of us makes like it regardless so even with `My Heart Gently Weeps` which is well produced you got John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dhani Harrsion the son of George Harrsion playing acoustic guitar, you got Erykah Badu singing the hook this sounds like a BIG song but once Ghostface and Raekwon start rapping the pop of it leaves, it`s not only the spirit of the music, it`s the spirit of the mc`s there voices. But with Steve Rifkind I think that he is the only executive that can deliver with his job, the reason I say that is that most executives want to tell you what to do, he`s the type of executive that trusts his artists, he came to me like yo I want to do it how we done it in 93, in 1993 you asked me what you wanted and I said yes and that`s how we gonna do it tell me what you want from this campaign

S: My Heart Gently Weeps is that the first single

R: Yeah that`s the first official single, you know Wu Tang always got an underground single then we got an official single, the underground single was at first `Watch Your Mouth` but we had a little sample problem with that and if you got that song already you got lucky (laughs) you know Sk Vibemakers got it though, but the rough single now is `Take It Back` for any that wants to hear us air it out with no remorse and `My Guitar Gently Weeps` is a Song that you can hear us air it out but in a song format, the videos are being filmed in a weeks time I`m co directing it with Malik Sayeed.

S: Are there any external features on the 8 Diagram album?

R: Not really any mc`s, Streetlife is the only other mc on there that`s not signed on as a legal member and for the fans that ever wondered if Cappadonna is an official member, he is now officially and legally signed on as a member of Wu Tang we sorted that out this year, George Clinton’s on there, most people think he`s from the west coast but he`s from the East Coast his house is actually only a few miles from my house and George Clinton and ODB were really tight, they spent a lot of personal time together and cos ODB`s spirit is not here physically on this record you remember on Iron Flag when I had Flava Flav who`s just as wild, but to me George Clinton gave me some of that ODB flavour that you wouldn’t be able to get.

S: Are there any ODB vocals on the album?

R: I think there’s one or two vocals on there’s, there’s one which is a performance ODB did back in 1992, before any of the albums, it was a demo we had in my crib, the 16th chamber and that`s the bonus track.

S: I`m hearing about all the internal conflicts with Wu Tang, after all the delays the album is meant to come 4th of December and Ghostface was gonna bring out his album the same day, and then were hearing that he was upset that there both coming out on the same day and he tried to get it pushed back, what`s the story with that?

R: That’s a true story, what happened was that the Wu Tang album was scheduled to be released in September, but we went on tour so it took longer to finish the record, then we thought October but there was more touring (laughs), the time I put aside for the record wasn`t enough time for everyone to do what they gotta do, so the record kept getting pushed, then the record was meant to get pushed and was meant to be released November, but there were sample issues, making a record is different from the old days, nowadays they got the producer to sign 50 pieces of paper, which I don`t even understand yo, but you gotta go through with this but then we finally got to December the 4th nobody was aware, well I wasn’t aware, Steve Rifkind wasn`t aware I think half of the Wu Tang Clan were aware that Ghostface was doing a new album, he just put out an album .

S: We would of thought there was such a cohesion in the crew

R: Na, na it`s like everybody`s solo life, is there solo life, we all keep our solo life to our selves, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, if you asked Ghostface why most of Wu Tang never knew he wasn’t bringing out an album he wouldn`t give you a good reason cos he`d be like I thought they knew, because that`s how Ghost is, if you call him a hundred times you aint gonna get to talk to him, he even says how Ol Dirty Bastard became Ol Dirty Bastard because of his name he feels like he became Ghost, his moms can`t find him sometimes you know what I mean (laughs). But to cut a long story short the dates did collide and at one point Steve Rifkind as executive was like yo I`m moving it , Ghost has to move his date because he felt that the solo members is never as important as the group.

S: So there`s no arguments over money or anything?

R: Na let me finish I aint gonna air it out cos I`m doing a special interview with Funkmaster Flex to air it out but I`ll give you something you can work with, so when Steve Rifkind got involved it got the point were the people in the building were making it a tug of war whether to move Ghostfaces record because the Wu Tang is a bigger campaign, so Ghost really got twist off about that, I mean really twist off to the point he went out and verbally expressed himself, so once he done that I didn`t think it was a big deal we`ll come December it aint a big deal we don`t want it to be a problem, cos it`s not a problem for us, the wise thing to do is that Ghost should have held his record till next year because he put out an album last year and it didn`t really have the same kind of success it usually does so therefore you need to take a chill pill and get your stocks back up, get this Guitar Gently Weeps video which is a big big thing for you and come back like yo it`s Ghost

S: Is there any conflicts with direction of sound though?

R: Right now it`s hard to put the finger on the conflict, right now I think it`s delusion going on, have you guys got the album?

S: Na we just got it, we aint had a chance to listen to it though.

R: Go and listen to it and let me know how you feel cos like I was telling Raekwon, it really aint about how we feeling about the album we put out albums every year, like Raekwon put an album out August 28th right called `Ice Water`, it was put out on Babygrande, he put that record out with full control of the sound, full control of what he wanted to do and he put it out, have you heard it, have you heard about it, did it make a dent to this hip hop world no, there`s many records that come out from the crew, but now it`s time for us to do this, it`s time to let the Rza be the Rza too, don`t let me not be who I am, because I let you be who you are, it`s time for everyone to play there part, but I think right now everyone’s used to playing there own part, even myself I`m used to waking up everyday and not having to do interviews and come to the UK but for the cause I`m here and if you look at it from a stand point why is only Rza here, I should be the last person here cos i already put my work in, but this is how much dedication I’ve got to Wu Tang Clan and the cause, so as far as all them rumours your hearing were gonna clear that up with a live interview cos i know what`s being said i`ve seen the youtube shit and all that(laughs). I can curse?

S: Yeah you can curse man (laughs)

R: (laughs) I didn`t know that shit motherfucker, shit motherfucker, shit(laughs)

RZA goes on to discuss the forthcoming 3rd volume from Bobby Digital, called DigiSnacks, happily featuring Baretta 9 & Reverend William Burk. The interview is lengthy & typo-laden but worth the effort. It's a couple days old--it was actually released a few days before Ghost's latest round of insanity (at this point, what could it be but publicity?). But then again it's hard to get ahold of where everyone is, if things are getting resolved or not, if the video for Heart Gently Weeps will actually get done or not, given that Rae & Ghost are two of the three major participants on that track. It's a strange time to be following the Wu this closely.

* * *

On Wutang-corp.com there is a hopeful rumor for fans of the original version of Wolves, as previewed recently on The Wake Up Show--that the original version is the one included on US copies of 8 Diagrams. It would be something of a consolation to the 2 European bonus tracks ("Tar Pit" & "16th Chamber") which we will not be able to enjoy on our copies.

* * *

There are now some YouTube links available of another interview with the RZA, this one performed by DJ Semtex. The feature is split into three parts, with the 2nd pertaining most to the 8 Diagrams. The other portions are available from YouTube. RZA directly addresses both Ghost & Rae, interestingly mentioning that Ghost initially chose 10 beats from 8 Diagrams to record on. & then given the sheer number of Raekwon performances on the album--how could the final product be a denouncable surprise to them? The saga continues...

Don't Speak Much...Deluxe Plus Imagination

Ghostface has a new response for the RZA. The Rhapsody interviewed Ghost recently in advance of his approaching solo album Big Doe Rehab. The report begins with the standard prealbum fare, but soon becomes interesting as Ghost addresses/denounces both Tony Yayo & prior collaborrator Lord Superb [Lord "If you don't bring me some motherfuckin' cognac I'll kill you" Superb]. Then Ghost turns to 8 Diagrams & the RZA.

Shifting to the upcoming Wu album, how would you say the music on 8 Diagrams measures up to classics like "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'"?

Could never match up. You crazy?!

Raekwon recently had voiced his displeasure with 8 Diagrams’ musical direction. Are you happy with how the album came out?

That shit is wack. I heard RZA was changing some of the beats around the last minute. I didn’t hear that. I don’t know what y’all listening to out there. I never heard it. I’m with Raekwon.

Both you and Rae had spoken about being owed money by the Wu hierarchy. RZA stated in an interview with Tim Westwood that he doesn’t owe anyone money.

I just won my court case from them niggas. The suit been in there for three years. So put that out there. They just lost their fuckin’ case. So who don’t owe who money? Let’s get it straight, RZA. That’s all I’m sayin’, baby. It was a loss, they lost. L-O-S-T. That’s really it.

How you and RZA’s relationship now?

I don’t see RZA, man. That nigga’s real sneaky. I love him, though. Ain’t no bad blood. Ain’t nobody doing no bad to him. It’s just that you can’t get money with a nigga.

Meanwhile, Big Dough Rehab drops Dec 4th, a week before 8 Diagrams. Like the Rhapsody writer mentions in his/her intro: there used to be a time when the world would be excited to get a new solo one week & a new Clan album the next. Perhaps the time to return to that sort of mindstate has arrived.

* * *

& now SOHH has their own interview with Ghostface, where he continues his separation tactic. But Kanye & Pharell? Ghost & Rae might have more credence if they didn't continually have bad ideas & questionable projects.

"RZA ain't listening," Ghost revealed. "He wanted to make [8 Diagrams] how he wanted it and it ain't come out right. He wanna always do the whole thing himself, produce the whole album. We're like, let's bring in some other producers too. Bring in Kanye, bring in Pharell. You ain't gotta do the whole thing yourself. He wanna make his own instruments and shit and it sounded real horrible."

"So now it's like when fans come up to me like, 'Ghost, why you let them put that out,' it's like nah, we ain't taking the blame for that," Ghost continued. "That's what Rae was saying. We ain't co-signing that. It's like, the game is different. It's not how it was 10 years ago. We're trying to tell him, you can't just put a Wu-Tang album out and just think it's gonna sell just because. We been gone for what, six years? It's hard to win new niggas. A lot of the fans now was in fucking diapers when we first started doing this. That's why a nigga like me drop every year. I stay relevant."

* * *

& now even more from Ghost, this one from MTV, in which he calls the album "bullshit" over & over... is anyone else starting to get tired of all of this?

Someone Finally Gets How Good The Beats Are

That someone is Tom Breihan writing for the Village Voice, in an article called "8 Diagrams: RZA's Drug-rap Masterwork." After beginning with an apt point in regards to the vocal sample that precedes Campfire, Breihan soon arrives at

The fact that 8 Diagrams even exists is some kind of miracle, and it's even more amazing when you consider that not one song on the entire album has the faintest chance of becoming a crossover hit. 8 Diagrams is a deeply weird album, a total immersion in weed-fried mythology and willfully obscure tangled-up black psychedelia. It's clearly the album that RZA wanted to make, and recent developments show that he may have burned up all his goodwill with the rest of the group in the process.

The one thing here that I might disagree with is his sense that nothing on the album could blow up--either version of Wolves, given the right treatment, could be huge, ditto Stick Me For My Riches, perhaps even Starter. Another questionable Breihan take is his statement against the RZA as a rapper, saying that while he enjoys him on Sunshine, "I've never much liked RZA as a rapper because he always sounded totally content to ignore his own beats." This is an oft repeated opinion--at least distaste for RZA on the mic, if not for that precise reason--that continually makes no sense to me. Bobby Digital is one thing, but RZA's mid-nineties performances on tracks such as 4th Chamber, Assassination Day, After the Smoke Is Clear, Windpipe, '96 Recreation, Mr Sandman, Diesel & Wu-Gambinos are as forcefully interesting as anything in Wu history. But then Breihan does correctly note Method Man's incredible performance on the album, & then continues to praise the record as a whole:

The things that Raekwon doesn't like about 8 Diagrams are the things that make it something like a masterpiece. At least during the recording of the album, all the Wu guys seemed to realize how great they sound over RZA's bent orchestral beats, and they stepped it up accordingly. And even if RZA never manages to get these guys back under his spell, the end result may be worth it. It's going to take a long, long time to untangle 8 Diagrams, but even a few days after it leaked, it's pretty evident that we won't be hearing another rap record this bent and fascinating anytime soon.

Video of RZA on Tim Westwood

Check out the above video featuring RZA's recent conversation with Tim Westwood on UK Radio. The interview proves very insightful into the Abbot's current mindstate in regards to the impending 8 Diagrams, & he directly responds to Raekwon's recent negative comments. The quotables from the RZA are too numerous & he becomes quite animated a few minutes in, finishing with a flourish in which he forcefully insists that he neither owes nor has owed money to anyone. Interesting bits are all over the video, one of the most interesting being the fact that it took GZA a few weeks to really appreciate the album, but he now loves it. RZA's comment about how his Wu-Tang presence differs from his Bobby Digital persona (vis a vis his original Thug World verse) is noteworthy as well. When RZA begins naming himself "a master producer" (especially now that the album has leaked) you can't help but want to agree, perhaps begrudgingly for some. The production on the album is, if nothing else, extravagant & forceful.

Meanwhile, an overall look at the Wu's discord heading into the release of the album can be found on MTV's website. The article is pretty thorough & has some good insights into all aspects of the construction of the album, from the tension within the Clan to RZA's production techniques to some reviews of tracks. Pretty much the best overall article on the state of all things 8 Diagrams that can be found in a single friendly dose. The following section is particularly interesting:

"When you read on the Internet that Ghostface is upset that his album is coming out the same day as the Wu-Tang's album, that's because after the tour, Ghost was gone for two or three months into his own world [and] we went back into our own world," RZA added. "So nobody was in synergy of what's really happening and that's what makes the problem. You've got to build every day. ... I can honestly say, though, we did come together to do this record, and it was recorded without money. Nobody got any money in the beginning to do this record — we worked the deal out later — but to sit down and do it, we were still negotiating, but every MC came to the table. Method Man came to that studio, his lawyer called him up [and said], 'Meth, don't go to the studio.' But he came. I think Method Man gave one of his most vicious, most hungriest performances in years on this album. U-God was the first one to come to the studio and said to me, 'You know brothers are trying to say that your production is on left. Let me hear what you got, brother.' I start playing the music and he was like, 'Man, we're going to be on fire. This is beautiful.' When he said that he loved the music I was producing, I knew I was on the right track, because he's the one that that really will say, 'Fuck you.' I took it on face value that we all came because this is what we believe in. Now I think it's a little different, because all this flak is popping up, and it's like, 'Wow, I thought we were all on the same page.' "

Also, if you listened closely to 16th Chamber, the last track from the album leak, perhaps you picked up on the detail RZA reveals about the former Wu names.

That unified sentiment was the inspiration for the album's title, 8 Diagrams. RZA was watching a kung-fu movie almost 15 years ago, and the light bulb turned on. "There was a movie called 'Eight Diagram Pole Fighter,' which features a group of brothers all fighting for their country," he explained. "Their loyalty to their country and their loyalty to each other really struck a nerve to me, and when we first formed Wu-Tang Clan, we actually was called Brother Number One, Two ... Brother Number Five — that's originally how we did it. As time went on, we just took different names and abandoned that idea. For me, it's time to bring that idea back in effect, and that's what the 8 Diagrams is helping to do."

But perhaps the biggest thing to question from this video/article update is do you believe RZA when he says the differences between he & Rae have been resolved?

8 Diagrams has leaked!

What is presumably the Euro version--since by all reports the US tracklist numbers 14, the UK 16--has leaked to the internet. I wish I could put a link up here, but I don't want to step on any toes, & anyway the album shouldn't be too hard to find. I will drop my impressions after the album has had time to sink in, but one thing is clear, that the RZA delivered in a major way. Some further changes have been made to some of the leaked tracks--perhaps most notably to Wolves, so it will be interesting to catalog & keep track of these. Track it down everyone, & enjoy.

Windmill HQ + RZA Speaks on UK Radio

Though definitely not CDQ, this is the best version of Windmill yet to be released. The track is from a RZA interview on the Choice FM radio station in the UK--what follows is a loose recap of what the RZA spoke about during the conversation. If we are lucky perhaps the full feature was recorded & it will make its way 'round the internet soon...

"No platinum Wu-Tang records have come out since they stopped coming to me. Meth is a 2x plat artist guaranteed, until he stopped messing with me. ONLY ONE GOLD WU TANG RECORD CAME AFTER 2001"

"[in 1994] Busta Rhymes was the only artist who kept it real with me, other rappers wouldnt tell me how much they were making off a platinum album when 36 chambers went platinum and i wanted to know how much people are getting for selling a million"

"I got $4 million just to hand in Wu Tang Forever [not counting royalties]"

"I signed away all of their contracts with me in 2001, $23 million for free, as long as I kept the Wu Tang name"

"I paid for Wu Tang's solo managers at $70,000 a year, for each of them"

"I was at the club dancin to Soulja Boy with the ladies, but I'm not buying his album, I dont want to own it..."

"I pretty much left hip hop in 2003, I was pretty much retired, I went hollywood"

"I used to think.. yo Ghost and Meth are on Def Jam? Rae is on Universal? everything is good, I could leave..."

"The only rap albums I've bought are Jay Z (Kingdom Come and American Gangster)"

on 8 Diagrams...

"Ghostface is the only one who didn't rap on the ODB Life Changes tribute song... I was really disappointed he wouldnt give me a verse for it... aside from Gza, Ghost used to be closest to Dirty.... me and Ghost and Dirty were running partners in the streets from 89 to 92...maybe he'll do one on his album"

"U-God and Inspectah Deck said they would do it if the music is good, they didnt mention money. I was impressed by their responses compared to some of the other ones."

"Our 2007 European tour and Rock The Bells tour are some of our most successful ever"

"If you ad up Meth's 5 million sold, Wu-Tang's 10 million sold, Ghost's millions sold, Rae's million sold, Dirty's millions sold, add it up and it's easily over $300 million off raw hip hop, it only takes maybe $1 million to make a Wu-Tang member album.."

"My agents hate it when I make hip hop again, because Cali is making us rich"

Wake Up Show: New Tracks!

Check out this mp3 of yesterday's Wake Up Show debuts from the forthcoming 8 Diagrams. This is a single 12 minute 30 second file containing all 3 tracks. The first is a longer version of Stick Me For My Riches--containing a verse from INS (tho he doesn't sound entirely like himself) after Meth's now-familiar leadoff. 2nd comes an amazing track--probably the best produced song we've yet heard--that starts with Rae, follows with the GZA, Masta Killa & INS. There are elements of everything in this, western sounds, guitars, even a few Gravediggaz throwback touches, beautifully rhythmic drums--it is an utter hit.

The 3rd track has me about to take back what I just said about the previous song, because this is insane. Presumably this is Wolves, as it features U-God leading off & the production is utter beauty drenched in funk. Meth follows U-ey, then the beat changes up for Masta Killa's verse--the track is nothing short of wonderful.

Ghostface: Disgustin' + New Track "Campfire"

* * *

Ghost recently participated in a radio interview with Peter Parker, where he continued his recent campaign against the RZA. Ghost reiterated that he originally didn't plan to be on the album, he cosigned Rae's recent comments against the production on the album, & the word is that some beats may be replaced causing a delay in the release of 8 Diagrams. Until we hear this from RZA or Rifkind I wouldn't take this as gospel or even close to being true--but overall Ghost's ego seems overblown. His upcoming album Big Doe Rehab does seem promising in the fledgling stages, as it will heavily feautre Raekwon, though the single is the standard Ghost first single fare, a halfhearted stab at a radio-friendly track that is somewhat enjoyable. It will be interesting to see if the two release dates hold firm--Ghost's on Dec 4, 8 Diagrams on the 11th--without a doubt the two albums will be heavily compared both sales & quality-wise, which may give a bit of finality to the dispute between Ghost & Rae vs RZA.

* * *

* * *

Billboard recently published an article on Raekwon's recent denounciations, with a short comment from RZA at the end:

Although he declined to address specific gripes, RZA talked to Billboard yesterday about the inherent difficulties of blending his sensibilities with those of his group mates.

"My idea with this album was to have an hour of your day be different -- you go into this other world of beats, hardcore lyrics and imagery of hip-hop," he said. "I wanted the listener to be stimulated by the music. I don't know if everybody agreed with it. Everybody has their own opinion. This is in my vision at the end of the day."

* * *


* * *

RZA very recently appeared on The Wake Up Show, & debuted a portion of Campfire, which is, in short, incredible upon first listen. It features Meth & Ghost preceded by a long, quintessential sample from an old kung fu flick, the contents of which are pretty ironic given the current tension within the Clan. Meth can't resist referencing Justin Timberlake along with other stars, & his verse ends, then Ghost's begins, referencing their loyalty to the RZA. If we were to simply judge from the music alone, hype for 8 Diagrams would be reaching peak status--all of the tracks sound great, the chemistry within the Clan seems decent enough on record--but of course we all know better. RZA's interview on the Wake Up Show is excellent, recapping the history of the Clan, from the demo eras, to 36 Chambers, Forever, & beyond. He has a finished copy of 8 Diagrams in hand, & plays part of the first track, Campfire, which is linked by itself above. Then, Take it Back is played &, interestingly, is referred to as the first single. RZA goes on to answer some random questions about current events & general hip hop--& he even goes on to say that Ghostface is the illest current MC.

Definitely looks like Ghost & Rae's hope for some beats to be replaced is pretty futile, since The Abbot had a copy of the finished product in hand.

At the very end of the Wake Up Show interview, they go to play Stick Me For My Riches, & though the track gets cut off for lack of editing, RZA mentions that the full track features Meth, INS, RZA & GZA--which is unequivocally great news.

Diagrams Details

After the longish, more exciting news of the past couple days, some small details from an interview between BET & the RZA are revealed.

Initial reports said the Wu-Tang album had more outside production than usual…

The original album, we had a song from Marley, a song from DJ Scratch, a beat that was produced by Q-Tip, Easy Moe Bee. At the end of the day though, we only ended up with the Easy Moe Bee track, a Mathematics produced track and that’s it, mostly because of samples. Marley’s track, the sample wasn’t gon' clear in time. DJ Scratch, who had a crazy ill fucking song, he had a couple of songs he brought in. But the one that we finally got lyrics on, we couldn’t clear the sample. So the sample clearances kinda threw off my rhythm of plannin’ the album. At the end of the day too, the Clan didn’t verbally attack every song. Even the Q-Tip song, which I thought is a unique production, we collaborated on. We kinda wanted Ghost to spit on it, but he didn’t really set it off and shit, so we kinda put it to the side.

What’s going on with your solo joint, The Cure?

To be honest with you, I wrote The Cure. The way this world is, it kinda discouraged me. Even on the new Wu album, I tried to give you a little taste of what my heart be at as far as lyrically. And I’ve had to take some of those songs off, because sometimes the brothers just feel that sometimes the God is going in too deep. The world ain’t with the deep shit. To me, this whole album 8 Diagrams, is vegetable, son. It ain’t hamburger, it ain’t french fries either. You can’t get it at Mickey D’s. You gotta go to the health food store to get this shit. That’s what we need. It’s time for that balance. Even us as an artist, it’s hard to accept balance in my life. I know I love some ghetto, Cuban Linx shit. That’s the epitome of the Wu. At the same time, we got enough niggas, I’ll still kill and all this other shit. Who gives a fuck if you killed, how much money you got and all this other shit, yo? It’s about the heart and the mind.

It's pretty amusing that people are still asking about The Cure at all. Furthermore, I could kick whoever it is (probably Raekwon, judging from past reports) giving the veto to some of RZA's more metaphysical stylizations. After all, his lyrical prime, in some ways, was in '97, with his performances on Forever and the second Gravediggaz album, The Pick, The Sickle & The Shovel. A plethora of RZA verses would do nothing but benefit 8 Diagrams.

These tidbits are also interesting because it shows that RZA is not entirely obstinate in the making of this album, as Rae seemed to indicate in his most recent video interview. Watch Your Mouth will be missed, & I think everyone really wanted to hear the Q-Tip collab. This perhaps indicates that Thug World is also gone, which would be unfortunate.

* * *

The following appears in a new MTV article about the Ghost & Rae situations. For the most part, the article recaps the growing fued between the participants. It ends thus:

In a 2003 reader-generated interview with Blender magazine, Method Man designated RZA's business partner, Divine, as the #1 person on his "shit list" when presented with the question. Meth claimed the Wu-Tang Management associate "took something major from me that he had no intention of giving back."

A representative for the RZA, when reached by MTV News, said the RZA's only comment in regards to the financial dispute Ghostface and Raekwon are claiming was that, "It's all his fault, and he'll take the responsibility."

So RZA continues to play the role of peacemaker while Ghost & Rae rely on complaining publicly. Regardless of the facts of the situation at hand, RZA remains the only participant acting appropriately. If only this were simply for the publicity...

The Ghostface Situation...

...has just become (fittingly) the Ghostface & Raekwon situation.


I've been meaning to recap all of the difficulties Ghost has created for the Clan & 8 Diagrams since before this blog began. Today, Raekwon added himself to the mix with these two youtube interviews with Miss Info.





When Ghost first voiced his problems, the biggest concern for the Wu fan was that the disharmony might hamper Clan chemistry, & cause the album to suck. The fact that they weren't exactly getting along wasn't especially troublesome, because to all long-time fans of the Wu they are known as one of the most discordant collectives in all of music (which is saying a lot). The word they've always used is family, & this applies nicely, as they've had their many quarrels but always managed to come back together.

But Ghost's recent denunciation of (presumably) RZA & Divine was the most public Clan beef perhaps ever, & rightfully caused nervousness in the fanbase. While at this point it seems that the album surely won't suck, it's important to recap & examine the details of the developing dissent within the Clan. Also, when it was only Ghost who was denouncing the RZA publicly, that could be chalked up to his growing distance from the group combined with his growing ego, & somewhat easily cast aside. With Rae adding himself to the mix, this becomes somewhat more difficult.

Word of Ghost's issues with RZA coincided with the announcement of 8 Diagrams. The first reports of the fledgling project featured RZA talking about the reunited Clan minus one glaring member--Ghostface. Surely, no one should be excluded, but Ghost has been perhaps the most (musically) visible member in the past few years, & has risen from a mid-level if underappreciated member to a media & fan favorite.

The cited reason over Ghost's absense was a disagreement over money, specifically payment for the Rock the Bells tour. Incidentally, at the New York show I attended, Ghost was MIA. All of this lead to a fair amount of dubious attention & apprehension from the media & fan sectors over the 8 Diagrams project as a whole. Anxiety was soon quelled, however, as announcement came that Ghost was finally on board, & then as the first three songs leaked, wham, Ghostface was on each of them. End of story.

But of course that would be too easy, & as the 8 Diagrams release date slid back through October, through November (briefly landing on November 13th, which will be the 3rd anniversary of Dirty's death), onto December 4th, the Ghostface situation reappeared, this time much more serious. This report came from MTV's Mixtape Monday:

You'd think all would be well in the land of the Wu-Tang Clan right now. The Shaolin set finally settled on a date for their long-delayed The 8 Diagrams comeback. But if you ask Ghostface Killah, things actually aren't that sweet with the Wu. Ghost is fuming that the group's album is set to drop on the same date as his next solo album, The Big Dough Rehab. According to him, he had that date already secured, but setbacks with the Wu project planted The 8 Diagrams on the same day. And now he's not budging, he said. At all.

"I had December 4 for the longest," he explained. "But the Wu album, brothers was kinda late on doing whatever they were doing and pushed it back ... on my date. You can put this in there, I'm not [mad at] all the members. It's not based on the members, but the hierarchy at Wu-Tang Clan is on some bullshit. They trying to fuck around and make me push my album back and doing all this. But niggas ain't fucking around or give us money when we did them Wu-Tang tours. The first one, they paid us after a while, but this last one, niggas is holding onto a lot of money. And [they're] upset based on that. It's a battle right now." Ghost did not specify exactly which Wu members are the "hierarchy."

"The Big Dough Rehab is my album," he continued. "8 Diagrams is their album. But it ain't got nothing to do with the regular members. 'Cause I love Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Genius, all them. But it's on right now."

Ghost said he's frustrated because his album would have been finished by now had he not chosen to be loyal and go on tour with the Clan over the summer as part of the Rock the Bells ticket with Rage Against the Machine. He even claimed Steve Rifkin, who signed the group to Loud and is releasing their latest album, put calls in to execs in hopes of stopping Ghost's album from seeing the light of day. (Inquiries made to Rifkin's office had not been returned as of press time.) In the meantime, Ghost is moving ahead with his album. The first single, "Celebrate" — featuring Kid Capri and produced by Sean C. — should be leaking soon, he said. Others set to contribute to The Big Dough Rehab are Scram Jones, Raekwon and Method Man.

Ghost is also set to drop a book, "The World According to Pretty Toney," on December 4. The book — based on skits from MTV2 — will feature Ghost dishing out his particular brand of advice on a number of topics, from gambling to education. As far as Ghost's participation on The 8 Diagrams, though, so far he's only jumped on a handful of tracks.

"I got on some of them," he said. "A few of them. ... Niggas better pay my fucking money. Matter of fact, they can keep the money — just get me out of their life right now. They can keep that money, it's all good now. I don't even wanna talk about it no more."

Such a report was public & serious enough to trouble any serious Wu fan. At this time, also, we'd only heard a few tracks, & the fate of the album was surely in doubt. This report was quickly followed by a response from RZA, also on Mixtape Monday, which revealed the current 8 Diagrams release date, December 11th, video of which follows.



The hope among Wu fans was that with the release date duel settled, Ghost might calm down again. But after a few quiet weeks, yesterday we received this report, from a show on NYC radio station Hot97:

Cipher Sounds just played Take It Back.. But before that he was talking about the drama with Ghostface & Wu... He said Ghost left him a voicemail saying, "Yo play my new record [Celebrate] ... make sure it's MY shit... not that WU-TANG shit."

Then Cipher Sounds was just saying how this hurts him, because he grew up listening to Wu, etc...

& then, almost as if it is too much at once, we get the Raekwon interviews which further elucidate the rift between RZA & the Clan.

But several facts go against Raekwon's points in these videos. He argues for quality control, saying the entire Clan is not on board with what RZA is doing musically, while the latest project Rae has helmed, the Ice Water record, is barely worth listening to. Furthermore, while Ghost's two 2006 albums had plenty of quality material on them, there were some serious mistakes, especially with personnel. I mean, how are you going to put Shawn Wiggs on a track with Redman? Also, Rae's performance on the tracks we've heard from 8 Diagrams is decidedly understated--occasionally just lazy. There are times in this interview when he acts more animated than during his verses on the album. & all of this coming from someone who can't even get a label to release the supposedly-classic followup, Cuban Linx II, to 1995's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. & how have Raekwon's RZA-less projects been in the intervening years? Ice Cream pt 2, anyone? & what about the fact that the music we've heard so far from 8 Diagrams is pretty much undeniably dope? I could go on.

Raekwon does bring up a very interesting concept--a Clan album without the RZA. Of course, the chances of a project such as this actually happening are pretty slim at this point, given the fact that for one, most projects announced by the Wu never materialize and two, RZA is the organizer of the Clan. Without him, they wouldn't be anywhere. It seems that Raekwon remains aware of this fact, at least moreso than Ghostface, but given some of the utter shit that has appeared on Rae's recent projects, it is certainly his ears that are broken, not the RZA's. His report is troubling, but if Rae becomes the new leader of the Clan, then I am truly concerned for the welfare of the group.

Yes, the Wu-Hierarchy, especially Divine, has been notoriously shady about money owed, but such are internal issues. The music is external, & right now the music is good.

Bobby Got the Juice Now

There is a long, insightful RZA interview now available from Juice Magazine. The rag is German but a translation has been put up at The Wu-Tang Mountain blog. RZA comments a lot on the making of 8 Diagrams along with varieties of Wu-Tang history, including past disagreements with fellow Clansmen & his plan for ODB when he was released from jail. It is probably the most candid RZA has been perhaps ever, but at least for the 8 Diagrams media push.

Q: How could you persuade the other members to record another Wu album?

A: In january I called all of them and asked if they were ready to do another album. They all said yes, but of course that didn’t mean that they were really doing it. But maybe the others were waiting for me to be ready to do another album. Anyway, when I was ready I did make the calls, and there was no resistance. Ghost was the last. I couldn’t find him untill I heard he’s doing a show in New York. I was in the studio, because I had already started without him. I went to the show, surprised him on stage and we did a song together. Backstage I asked him: “I’m already in the studio. are you in or not?”, and he answered: “Yo, I’ll be in the studio tomorrow”. So like that we were reunited again.

Q: How did you get through the starting phase? There were rumors about money and ego’s, the usual stuff.

A: To be honest: nobody has seen a dollar, there was no advance. Of course we had to take care of our business too, and that really cause me headaches. But we had already recorded quite a bit when it came to that. Since 36 Chambers we never did an album without advance money. For Wu Forever everybody got 200,000$, just to get them in the studio. For 8 Diagrams nobody got one cent in advance, instead we talked about it later. I’m very proud that it went down that way, because our managers and lawyers had warned us not to do it. Nevertheless everybody came to the studio and support the project - against the managers’ advice. If somebody complained it was at least not about money. All they cared about was the music. And that was the right way.

Q: How did it feel to work together after all these years? How would you describe the atmosphere?

A: In the beginning it was like a big birthday party. But soon it came to a point where it was impossible to ignore the tension. There are many open wounds, many things that were never discussed openly. Especially the rumors that we had heard about each other, e.g. things that one member has had supposedly said about another one. This tension could be felt in the studio, that is undeniable. So sometimes we got into arguments that didnt have anything to do with music. But then someone always said: “Fuck that shit, put the beat back on”.

Q: One of the many positive surprises on the album is U-God - the General you have had the biggest personal conflicts with…

A: U-God has surprised me as well. He had agreed on doing the album, when I called him. But during the first two weeks he didnt show up in the studio. I tried to call him to see what’s up. when he finally came… Okay, I gotta go back a little bit to explain that. The brothers had heard my beats during the last couple of years, and the kind of beats that I am doing nowadays. Some liked them whereas others didnt. As is usually the case within the Wu, people were talking shit. Some liked my beats, but others said “Fuck RZA, he’s on some hollywood orchestra shit”. Ok, back to U-God… I hadn’t seen him in a while, and the last time we had had a very loud argument. So he comes in the door, we hug each other half-heartedly and he’s asking me right away “What do you got for me?”. I told him to relax and roll up a blunt first. Then I dropped the beats and watched his reaction. After a while I started to realize that he was excited about my shit: “You’re on fire, nigga! the others said you’re doin’ something else now, but thats not true. this shit is dope!” And this from the guy that hardly ever speaks to me. He’s really the last guy to kiss my ass. U-God is the kind of guy who tells me and you straight to your face: “Go and fuck your mother”. So when he said that to me I realize: It’s a wrap!

Q: Also his work on the album is remarkable!

A: True! His voice, his flow, everything has improved. Many of us have probably had their best days or at least been up to full potential, but U-God is still getting a lot better. His rhymes are not complex, but simple and straight to the point. In combination with his voice this is just the right thing for now. During the recording I noticed that he told others to relax and not be so stiff in the booth. As they were discussing these things, I realized that we are on the right way. U-God really woke up during the last two years. He has recognized his mistakes and understands all that now.

Q: There were two things that struck me when I heard the new tracks. For one it’s the raw sound that is highly reminiscent of 36 Chambers. The other thing is the intensity of the raps. It seems like everybody is really hungry again. How did you make sure that - after all these years - they are still taking it that serious?

A: I’m really happy that you feel that way. I think it’s the result of a combination of reasons. We had to understand who we are and what we can do best. Wu-Tang has made many millions over the years, all of us have earned a lot of money, and this comes with a different lifestyle. The problems I have had as an adolescent have vanished. But the fact that I have made a lot of money, doesn’t mean I’m not hungry anymore. This year we have all earned a lot less than we did in our prime time. And right here is where hunger comes in again. The talent was always there, but now this hunger is back in effect.

Q: But I do have the impression that there is more to it than justmoney…

A: True indeed. There are other rappers who live off the stuff that we created. Listen to the radio: Pop songs are termed hip hop. You look at these rappers that look like clowns. They are not even part of this culture and try to tell me what’s right or wrong for hip hop? Fuck them, we got to step up. And this is exactly what we did.

Q: How do you notice this? You mentioned U-God has motivated others in the booth by his critical remarks…

A: Exactly, people are arguing again. Don’t say this, don’t say that, change that line - the communication is working much better. That didnt happen on the last few albums. On the first two albums I had full control. I told them what to change, what could be improved, because I oversaw everything. Then something happened that I can’t really understand to this day: The Wu-Tang clan turned into some kind of democracy. We didn’t criticize or insult each other again. Everybody was so soft and sensitive that nobody opened his mouth anymore. Luckily, that was different with 8 Diagrams.

Q: Method Man is another example. He seems to be having fun on the mic again!

A: Look at him! Meth is rhymin’ again. Why didn’t he do that on his album? To really understand Meth you should have seen him back in the days. He was a 100 kg giant, and he made people wet their pants: Everybody was afraid of him! When we were still hustling, it was him who had the biggest gun that I had ever seen in my life. We were doing our thing on the block, grindin’, you know how it goes. Everybody had their little gun, and sometimes would draw the gun, show it around thinking we are cool. So Meth is pulling his gat out, and the thing was seriously half a meter long. Man, this guy was crazy. Those are the kind of people you have to love. He was a hard dude, always in fights because nobody could push him around. Back then they were afraid of him. Now, he’s loved by everybody. Fuck that. On the album Meth is like he’s best: his voice, his flow, his delivery - everything sounds very intimidating.

Q: Is Cappadonna now an official member of The Clan?

A: Yes, Cappadonna is now an integral part of The Clan. He’s with us for many years now, but he has missed the beginning of The Clan because he was in jail. So he never signed a contract that would have made him an official member of The Clan. So back when I was still running Razor Sharp Records, I gave him a contract to give him a home. However, he never saw Wu-Tang Clan royalties. Now he’s an official member, even in legal terms. But for our fans he was part of the clan for the longest time anyway.

Q: What do the others think about another member joining The Clan at this stage?

A: I don’t know. I really don’t know. I do not have to ask the others for their opinion, because it was a business decision that did not affect their income. So we have never talked about it. Maybe this is a good thing, because it would have seriously hurt me if somebody had said no to him. I don’t want to hear if somebody does not love somebody that I love. What would anybody have against him anyways? He’s close to us for a long time, and he never said a bad word about any of the others.

Q: Apart from you. He blamed it on you that he had to drive a cab in baltimore for half a year because he allegedly never got his royalties.

A: Yes, he did do that. But even though this bullshit has been between us, he has apologized by now and admitted that it had been a lie. He was talking out of anger and that was wrong. Because he had never disrespected me like that before, I have accepted his apology. I could have decided otherwise, but an instinct told me to turn the other cheek. And this was the right decision.

Q: This kind of confirms my impression that you are still controlling The Clan, after you had drawn back more and more after from the careers of the individual members after the first wave of solo albums.

A: True. In the early days, the business was completely in my hand. I woned everything, even the names of the different mc’s. But it was the right way like that. I made sure everybody became a millionaire, that everybody can eat and has a good start into his solo career. Exactly like it was planned from the beginning. Then, in 2000, I did something that many people didn’t understand. Nevertheless it was still a right decision as well. I gave all the members their names and contracts back. They were allowed to use the Wu logo, and got back their publishing rights. The only thing that has remained under my control is the Wu-Tang Clan (brand). This will be forever mine, because it’s my baby, my idea. After that Meth signed a 500,000 dollar contract without me, and I didn’t go there and ask for my 25 percent. Ghost signed to Def Jam, Masta Killa did his thing, all the members have continued their solo careers. I haven’t seen any money, and that was my conscious decision. I am an honorable man.

Q: How much were you hurt by the allegations during the last couple of years? Apart from U-God and Cappadonna there were a few more coming from the extended Wu family. Moreover, the disputes are often publicly discussed, instead of keeping them internal. Even though in previous interviews all members have claimed that this is a usual thing happening in families, that it is normal to quarrel and that this is not a big problem, does it still hurt?

A: It still hurts me a lot. People from your family are the only ones that can really hurt you. But still they can say whatever they want, because that doesn’t mean its automatically true. How do you think it feels if your wife and children ask you “Did you hear what U-God said about you? What’s up with Reakwon? Does he really mean this or that?” I cannot really understand it. I mean, you visit me at home, hold my child in your arms, and then you hear a shitty rumor and you turn your back on me immediately, instead of just calling me? Stuff like this is always so unnecessary.

Q: And what do you think about the things that ODB’s mum said about you? That you don’t care for her, that she can’t reach neither you nor GZA and that both of you never call back? That ODB never really got his money from you? Due to the family relation this must hurt a lot!

A: I was very angry, but at the same time devastated, when she said that. I don’t understand why she is saying this. From all the people in the clan I was the one she could rely on the most, even more than her own son. It was me who created ODB in the first place. When I hear her talking like that, it really disappoints me a lot. You know, his mom raised me too. ODB’s family was the only family I knew in which both mum and dad were at home. I have learned from ODB’s dad what it means to be a father. His parents made breakfast for their children every morning and then send them to school. At my home there was only my mother and ten brothers and sisters. That’s why it hurts me a lot to hear her talk like that. But I still believe that she’s got love for me. I think when you got money problems you always need someone to blame it on. My brother Divine and me control our business, and we just can’t comply with every financial request if it’s completely out of proportions/unrelated to our business (…this is a bit unclear in the interview). I don’t wanna drag Cherry in the mud, so please dont get me wrong. But Dirty was Dirty. He told me specifically: “Don’t give my mother any money.”

Q: This seems to be really touching you. But I can’t change the topic right now, because I want to continue talking about ODB…

A: Of course this touches me. But we don’t have to change the topic, because nobody is asking me stuff like this. So since were at it, let me tell you what really went down there. We had a plan for Dirty. A plan to bring him back to his old shape and form after his release from jail. Nobody knows how close me and dirty really were. I have visited him a few times, a couple fo times actually, once Meth was with me too. And that was very hard. The journey to upstate new york takes eight hours, then you go to the procedure, make your visit, and then you go back for another eight hours - constanly thinking about what you just saw. That was always very heart-wrenching. It really is not a thing that you want to do in life. But I did it nevertheless, repeatedly. There was this one day where it hurt me so much that I decided to get ODB out of jail - at any cost. This may sound silly, but I was dead serious. I went there with my homies and a few cars and I was determines to risk my family, my life and my carrer to free ODB.

Q: What did the plan look like that you had for Dirty?

A: When Dirty got released from jail, I was in europe. The plan was to send him to my crib in Manhattan right from jail. It was a big apartment, with a studio, and I even got him weights and stuff like that, so that he could work out and recover. He should have stayed 60 to 100 days in the apartment, without talking to anybody and definitely not do any tracks until he’s back in full effect. He promised me to stick to that plan. So I come back from europe and what do I see? Press conference: ODB just signed to Roc-A-Fella. come on, man. I was so mad. His family and friends were happy, but I was hurt. I had looked out for him for the last couple of years, and then this? He knew he would have gotten everything he needs. For his second album he should have gotten an advance of 500,000$, but I had negotiated again, and got 500,000 for him, 500,000 for me and another 500,000 for the album. This should make clear that when I promised him to look out for him, this does include his family as well. Just call his widow and ask her who from The Clan looks out for her the most? My name is gonna be the first. I took his son to the Rock The Bells tour. He had his fun, got a lot of pussy, and money that he could bring back home.

Q: You told me a few months back that you would love to have ODB on the album. Did that work out?

A: No, that didn’t work out. I had thought it would be a great idea. However, I’m still working on his career as an artist. there are still a few things coming.

Q: How much did you miss Dirty during the recordings? Even though he hasn’t really been present during the recording of the last two albums, this time it probably felt quite different.

A: For me it was probably the worst. When we have studio time for 100 days, Meth is gonna be there around 40 days. Raekwon 60 and Ghost maybe 30. But i got all 100. Dirty came and went anyways, whatever he felt like. So I guess for the others it’s a little bit different than for me. But Dirty is only missing physically. His spirit is so strong that it will be captured on the album.

Q: During the last 13 years you have gone through a remarkable change as a producer: From the raw 36 Chambers sound to the first wave of solo albums, from your experimental Bobby Digital projects to soundtracks to movies like Ghost Dog, Blade Trinity and Kill Bill.

A: I have really changed a lot. In my early days I was more of a dj than a producer. I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing. I didn’t have any idea of music theory. In 1996, I went to an equipment store to buy a new device. The clerk didn’t like me a lot. He told me I’m not a musician but only a electronic producer. I told him that is nonsense because a sampler or turntables are instruments too. But I could have said whatever I wanted, this guy wouldn’t have taken me serious and looked down on me. So I left the store angry and made it my goal to prove it to this guy. That I want to learn to understand and write music, so that eventually I can be called a real musician. And this is exaclty what has happened. Today I play piano and the guitar. I can write songs. Nowadays I’m more than a producer, I am a real musician.

Q: Did you translate this motivation already for Wu Forever?

A: Yes, because I didn’t want to wait with it. On Mystery Of Chessboxin’ I play the keys. But if you ask me, why I played it like that and not any other way, then I can’t asnwer you. Then I was approaching music intuitively, because I lacked the formal knowledge. But if you listen to songs like Triumph or It’s Yourz, I produced those songs exactly like a musician would. So even then I was progressing.

Q: How did moving to L.A. influence you in this aspect?

A: I came to L.A. in 2000 and soon got introduced to a lot of composers, like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, and went with them to the studio. Through the scoring, I got the chance to work with orchestras. This helped me a lot to comprehend what I am doing, and completed my transformation from producer to musician. There is producers that don’t even know their own music. Some say Diddy is a great producer, but Diddy is not the one who is pressing buttons in the studio. He produces with his ear. Nowadays I can work with every software, every keyboard and every sampler. I’m an electronic genius (laughs).

Q: How much did these experiences help you to reinvent the old Wu sound? After all these years and experiences that you have made outside of the world of hip hop, how hard is it to create something that is raw enough for the fans and mc’s yet still musically complex enough to be a personal challenge?

A: There have been a lot of problems actually. Sometimes a rapper would say that’s “hollywood shit”, while another rapper just thought it was just right. If this happens you got a problem of course. But I got hip hop in my blood, so 8 Diagrams won’t be overproduced! It will be raw, but will still make sense musically. This project is about the consolidation of our musical experiences, our personal experiences, as well as our good and bat times. In combination all this will be symbolized by the Wu-Tang Clan, come together in the form of 8 Diagrams and blow up.

Q: How much artisitcal freedom do you have for this project, from SRC/Universal and Steve Rifkind personally?

A: Steve is perfect for this. I cannot imagine to have done this album with anyone else. He is a friend, but also the right person for this record. He has Akon, one of the top artists right now. But when we met to discuss the album, he only said “Keep it raw”. Hip hop needs more execs like Steve, who allow the music to breathe and let the artists really be artists. Only this way music can grow. Take the song Money by Pink Floyd. It was a single but here has never been a video. It wasn’t played on the radio either, and I think it was weak in the charts. Nevertheless, over the years it became a cult song. Everyone knows it, but it was never a hit. Just like our song Bring Da Ruckus, which became very popular over the years but was never played on the radio. Without an exec like Steve that song would never have been possible. On Loud he did not have us, but also Mobb Deep, Xzibit, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat… Steve believed in all these acts and kept it real. Big Pun was the first Latino who would platinum with his debut. He was not easy to market, but you just couldnt ignore his lyrics. And Steve pushed him.

Q: Btw, lyrics. What happened? Especially with respect to The Clan, that is not only raw but lyrically outstanding….

A: The people stopped listening. The clubs have taken over the radio. There has been a time where everything was (more or less) strictly separated. Nowadays many artitst have club singles that are also played on the radio. (Sings) “To The Window, To The Wall…” When hip hop became more popular, around 88/89, the mc was deemed “cooler” than the dj. Before that you didn’t have the Furious Five, but Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five. The dj was the most important element. In the early 90’s something happened that changed everything: now there was a dat player. Suddenly the mc only needed a mic, and the dj was superfluous. But at the end of the 90’s dj’s took over again. They were controlling the clubs and radio stations. Now you had albums by Kay Slay, Funkmaster Flex or Dj Khaled. Nowadays its the dj who gets the record deal. This is bad for lyricists, because they are now in the background. But the Wu-Tang Clan brought back lyrics once before, in the early 90’s. And the people still want to hear lyrics.

Q: In the long run, are you planning to stay in Hollywood or come back to the east coast?

A: I didn’t come to L.A. because of the scoring, but to study movies in general. And Hollywood is the Mecca for that. I became a student of Quentin Tarantino, and with the movie Grindhouse I think my studies are completed. I have worked with Hollywoods elite, and in a few years I want to make a hip hop movie. 8 Mile was already pretty good, but personally I was missing a bit more pure hip hop. I want to bring the culture to the big screen. But my time in L.A. is really over now. I think that I will come back to the east coast already next year. When I have finished the movies, I can also imagine to spend some time in Europe.

Q: Why would you want to go to Europe and where would you go?

A: I would continue my medical studies, and therefore go to Geneva, Switzerland. But before it comes to that, I would like to earn my recognition in the chess world. I’m planning to become a grandmaster. It takes years and many people think it’s just a Wu-Tang gimmick. But for me it’s no gimmick. Based on my current standings it will not take more than two years to get this title. A few weeks ago I have played a real grandmaster in a tournament in Hawaii. I lost, but something is telling me that it was set up (laughs). But I will do it anyways. Then I would be a grandmaster in chess, a master of music and an educated man, who has travelled the world. And I am proud to be able to say that as a black man. I want tO prove that all people are equal and can achieve everything they want. All I want to be is a good man.