He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the rap group Gravediggaz where he used the name The Rzarector.
He has made cameos in several movies including Coffee and Cigarettes, American Gangster, Gospel Hill, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Ghost Dog, Funny People, Repo Men. About.com named him 3rd on their list of best hip hop producers of all time
Born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, RZA spent time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a child, where his father had a convenience store in the Hill District.[1] A young RZA also spent many years living in North Carolina with his uncle. RZA began his hip hop career in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a member of the trio Force of the Imperial Master (which subsequently became known as the All in Together Now Crew after they had a successful underground single of that name). The group consisted of future Wu-Tang members and his cousins GZA (then known as the Genius) and Ol' Dirty Bastard (then known as Ason Unique, the Specialist, and the Professor).
Once this local band dissolved, both he and the GZA attempted to kick start solo careers. With the help of GZA's friend (then owner of Jamaica Records) they both secured single deals with album options at successful labels, GZA going to Cold Chillin and RZA to Tommy Boy. GZA ultimately released the Words from the Genius album, but RZA's stint at Tommy Boy ended with only the 1991 EP Ooh I Love You Rakeem to show for it when he went to jail soon after its release. GZA's album flopped, and the two cousins became determined to conquer the hip hop industry on their own terms. Throughout most of his youth he enjoyed watching various kung-fu movies and purchasing countless albums which he would later sample in most of his music
Bobby
RZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bobby
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Psssh. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!
Yo. Bobby
Yo, yo, RZA Bobby
B-Bobby, yo
Hit the bodega for a 40 ounce son, Garcia Vega
Two bags of chips, and one pack of Now & Laters
Flame tucked down to my nuts, on my last buck
Only thing keep a nigga calm is a good fuck
Loose-leaf cigarettes be dipped in wet
Chicken of the seas get trapped inside my net
With their clothes off, son when the gun goes off
I'm bound to play Napoleon, and blow a nose off
Your Sphinx; your stumble rap style, your flow's off
Like Kunta, tryin to run with his chopped toes off
Unchallenged sword I yield the storm rider
Clip full of ruffled-tip fast-actin long fire
Four hundred grain cartridge, with steel casin
Those who can't draw the crowd is still tracin
The mic is cast to the floor and shapeshifted
Heavy as the hammer of Thor you can't lift it
So tense, bitch there's no defense
This four-four inch'll make you jump the fence
Right eye squinted; I speak brok-len english
Stumble off the cold four,oh of Olde English Wu brew
Two-two inside the shoe
No describin what this heat, in my jacket could do
I teach, seeds to read, never reach for the weed indeed
Bow down to the great Bob Digi Digi
(Bobby) Yo, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be
I keep rice soaked in coconut milk mixed with tofu
Sit in the sun six hours then I charge up like Goku
Dragonball Z; imagine you're raggin me
That's like walkin through a Blood hood flaggin a C
Not, tryin to tell you how much weight we carry
It may get, every snake in the tri-state buried
Plus, Feds had one add, sayin I gun traffed
I sold twenty million records bitch; some laugh!
Fresh shafts of morning dew on Nancy Drew
Sherlock Holmes crime sleuth couldn't figure the Wu
You loaf of bread head, keep a sober head
One point five million years my overhead
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
(Bobby) Yo, check, yo
I keep MC's puzzled keep my dogs in the muzzle
Ice cold forty ounce drink 'em down with one guzzle
Son might spit a word at a bird, see if she chirp back
Tall chocolate deluxe buttercup, off the meat rack
A chickenhead scratch the yard for worms
And roosters walk around with their heads in the perm
I be spreadin knowledge keepin my third eye polished
Never, chase for dollars to fulfill the black wallet
You must be Bellevue son I walk with twelve jewels
Afford anything this world could sell you
Beats that the change the style'll rearrange ya
BZA-Bobby! I'm strikin you like Beatlemania
Yo, it must be Bobby
Oh, no, it must be Bobby
Yo, son, it must be Bobby
BZA-buh, BZA-wha', BZA-Bobby
(Bobby) Fuckin up the mic is still my hobby
(Bobby) F-fuckin up the mic is still my hobby
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be.. doo doo!
(Bobby) Yeah yeah
In RZA's song "Bobby," he tells a story about his alter ego, Bob Digi, who is a street-smart hustler. He opens the song with a typical trip to the corner store, and we get a sense of his persona from the items he purchases: a 40-ounce beer, chips, and candy. The lyrics then turn into a display of Bob Digi's clever wordplay and tough-guy attitude as he talks about his guns, drug trade, and sexual prowess. He switches back and forth between using slang and broken English to add authenticity to his character. Additionally, the chorus is a repeated line asking, "Yo, it must be Bobby," which reinforces his larger-than-life status.
RZA's use of narration in "Bobby" allows him to explore different sides of his personality through the character of Bob Digi. He presents his alter ego as someone who is streetwise, unafraid of violence, and cunning with his words. While the lyrics may come across as aggressive or confrontational, they are ultimately a way for the artist to illustrate his creative talent and storytelling ability. Overall, "Bobby" is a showcase of RZA's skills as a rapper and his ability to create dynamic personas within his music.
Line by Line Meaning
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Repetition of Bobby's name in excitement and enthusiasm.
Bobby
Acknowledging Bobby once again.
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Continuing the excitement and enthusiasm towards Bobby.
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Repeating Bobby's name with more emphasis and excitement.
Psssh. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!
An adlib sound effect that doesn't hold much meaning.
Yo. Bobby
Addressing Bobby with a greeting.
Yo, yo, RZA Bobby
Acknowledging RZA's presence and calling Bobby again.
Yo, yo, RZA Bobby
Repeating the acknowledgement but switching the order of names.
B-Bobby, yo
Calling Bobby in a more hip-hop and slang way.
Hit the bodega for a 40 ounce son, Garcia Vega
Went to the store for a 40-ounce beer and a Garcia Vega cigar.
Two bags of chips, and one pack of Now & Laters
Purchased two bags of chips and one pack of candy called Now & Laters.
Flame tucked down to my nuts, on my last buck
Having a gun hidden by the waistband of his pants and being broke and down to his last dollar.
Only thing keep a nigga calm is a good fuck
The only thing that can calm him down is sex.
Loose-leaf cigarettes be dipped in wet
Rolling tobacco cigarettes and lightly dipping them in water or liquor.
Chicken of the seas get trapped inside my net
Seafood is captured in his trap or poetic metaphor for women being attracted to him.
With their clothes off, son when the gun goes off
When the gun goes off, the women will have their clothes off, implying a sexual encounter.
I'm bound to play Napoleon, and blow a nose off Your Sphinx;
He'll play a Napoleonic figure and shoot off someone's nose. Metaphorically, a Sphinx may be a woman.
your stumble rap style, your flow's off Like Kunta, tryin to run with his chopped toes off
Critiquing another rapper's stumbling flow like Kunta Kinte trying to run away with his chopped toes from the show Roots.
Unchallenged sword I yield the storm rider Clip full of ruffled-tip fast-actin long fire
He has an unchallenged sword, metaphorically meaning he is a skilled rapper with a gun clip full of bullets that spiral out when shot.
Four hundred grain cartridge, with steel casin Those who can't draw the crowd is still tracin
He has a powerful bullet cartridge with steel casing, criticizing rappers who struggle to gather a crowd or who imitate his style.
The mic is cast to the floor and shapeshifted Heavy as the hammer of Thor you can't lift it
He has a heavyweight flow that can't be imitated, no matter how heavy or capable a competitor may seem.
So tense, bitch there's no defense This four-four inch'll make you jump the fence
His flow is so intense there's no defense, as in jumping over a fence or giving up, with a four-four inch being a gun barrel.
Right eye squinted; I speak brok-len english Stumble off the cold four,oh of Olde English Wu brew
His right eye is squinted while he speaks broken or choppy English, referencing his Wu-Tang Clan beer of choice, Olde English 40 oz.
Two-two inside the shoe No describin what this heat, in my jacket could do
He has a gun hidden in his shoe, and his jacket weapon is too deadly to describe.
I teach, seeds to read, never reach for the weed indeed Bow down to the great Bob Digi Digi
He promotes education and not smoking weed, referring to himself as the great Bob Digi Digi, another one of RZA's many aliases.
(Bobby) Yo, it must be Bobby
Acknowledging that there must be someone else named Bobby present.
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
Realizing the other person must be him.
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
Feeling amused that he was wrong about the other person being Bobby.
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be
Referring to himself without saying Bobby, but still implying the same person.
I keep rice soaked in coconut milk mixed with tofu Sit in the sun six hours then I charge up like Goku
He eats a meal consisting of rice soaked in coconut milk mixed with tofu and absorbs sunlight for six hours, referencing the anime character Goku from Dragon Ball Z who also gains power from the sun.
Dragonball Z; imagine you're raggin me That's like walkin through a Blood hood flaggin a C
Referencing Dragon Ball Z again, he likens the idea of someone disrespecting him to walking through a dangerous Blood gang neighborhood waving a rival Crip gang flag.
Not, tryin to tell you how much weight we carry It may get, every snake in the tri-state buried
He's not trying to boast about the amount of power they carry, but warns that things may turn deadly for those who cross them.
Plus, Feds had one add, sayin I gun traffed I sold twenty million records bitch; some laugh!
Referring to a government claim that he trafficked guns, he reminds listeners that he has also sold twenty million records, dismissing the accusation.
Fresh shafts of morning dew on Nancy Drew Sherlock Holmes crime sleuth couldn't figure the Wu
Referencing female book character Nancy Drew and detective Sherlock Holmes, he brags that no detective could solve the mystery of the Wu-Tang Clan.
You loaf of bread head, keep a sober head One point five million years my overhead
He insults someone for being thick-headed, and notes that he has over a million years of experience or knowledge.
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be Bobby
Acknowledging once more that it must be him present.
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be Bobby
Repeating the acknowledgement while excluding RZA's name this time.
(Bobby) Oh, no, it must be Bobby
Feeling playful that he is the only Bobby present.
BZA-buh, BZA-wha', BZA-Bobby
Playing around with various sounds similar to RZA's name, along with Bobby's name.
(Bobby) Fuckin up the mic is still my hobby
Admitting that he still enjoys rapping and causing havoc on the mic.
(Bobby) F-fuckin up the mic is still my hobby
Repeating the statement with more emphasis on the swear word.
(Bobby) Yo, yo, it must be.. doo doo!
Ending the song with another acknowledgement of his presence, followed by playful sounds.
(Bobby) Yeah yeah
Ending the song with more acknowledgement and enthusiasm.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT F. DIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind