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
Grunge
RZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
37 between 5th and 6th
We got a possible homicide
All cars, all cars, we got a situation down
Ayo, toxi' off the grey goose, vodka, shots of hypnotic
Ya'll bitches want beef, son, you got it
Fresh off the bliz-knock, Bob Diz-noc
Right in your hiz-ead, you'll be diz-ed
Don't front on this nigga, I'mma from New York Ci-zey!
Ya'll butter pec', make my nuts weak
Have me walk around, talkin' backward with stutter speak
Like tuh tuh tuh tuh tuh, buh buh buh buh
Butter pec', make my nutter weak
And ya'll crabs down south, you ain't got a clue
How it feel to slip in that papi chino power you
White Cadillac truck just high beamed us
Mami look like she was Angie Martinez
I don't español, I play imposter
I was like "Mamacita, yah yah, que pasa?"
And slip back to my casa
She was like "Nigga! You sound like rasta!"
I'm the ace in the decks
I'm the ace in the deck, still casin' a Tec
That filled with the taste of the lead, buck buck
The bass and the treb', the space in the back
Where chumps walk by, and they face get slapped
I'm not known to talk a lot
Sit on five whips, son, so I don't walk a lot
Got ten chicks, so I don't hawk a lot
Been around the world, but I love New York a lot
Especially up in Bedstuy, with those crazy Cuffies
Or in Fort Green, with those crazy Cuffies
Ya'll floss like ya'll Jay-Z and Puffy's
You get robbed, bucked down by a crazy Cuffie
Bobby! Fuckin' the mics is my hobby
Fuckin' the mics is my hobby
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
The opening lines of RZA's "The Grunge" pull up like a police scanner dispatch, setting the scene for a violent event on the streets of New York City. The rest of the verses follow RZA's stream-of-consciousness, rhyming with impressive lyrical dexterity as he boasts about his drinking habits, threatens his rivals, and name-drops neighborhoods and celebrities. He raps about how he is the "ace in the deck," a skilled and confident player who can handle any challenge that comes his way.
The vivid imagery and raw energy of RZA's lyrics capture the gritty reality of urban life and the rap culture of the early 2000s. His wordplay is both clever and menacing, showcasing his mastery of the art form. The repetitive chorus of "Bobby" emphasizes RZA's sense of self and his significance in the rap game.
Overall, "The Grunge" is a raw and intense track that showcases RZA's skills as a rapper and his ability to create vivid, cinematic soundscapes with his lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Car 36, 36, we got a situation in progress
Police radio reporting a situation in progress at 37 between 5th and 6th
Ayo, toxi' off the grey goose, vodka, shots of hypnotic
Introducing oneself, having had several alcoholic drinks
Ya'll bitches want beef, son, you got it
Addressing someone looking for a fight
Fresh off the bliz-knock, Bob Diz-noc
Recently arriving from a successful trip or business deal
Plex on the K.B., son, you get shiz-not
Threatening to cause harm if someone disrespects him
Right in your hiz-ead, you'll be diz-ed
Intending to punch someone in the face
Don't front on this nigga, I'mma from New York Ci-zey!
Warning someone not to mess with him because he comes from New York City
Ya'll butter pec', make my nuts weak
Addressing women who make him feel weak
Have me walk around, talkin' backward with stutter speak
Being so affected by these women that he can hardly speak
Like tuh tuh tuh tuh tuh, buh buh buh buh
Imitating a stuttering speech pattern
Butter pec', make my nutter weak
Continuing the theme of women who make him feel weak
And ya'll crabs down south, you ain't got a clue
Disparaging people from the southern United States
How it feel to slip in that papi chino power you
Making a crude reference to having sex with a Latina woman
White Cadillac truck just high beamed us
Describing a car that just flashed its lights at them
Mami look like she was Angie Martinez
Commenting on the appearance of a Latina woman
I don't español, I play imposter
Admitting to not speaking Spanish but pretending to
I was like "Mamacita, yah yah, que pasa?"
Attempting to speak Spanish to the woman
And slip back to my casa
Imagining a scenario where he brings the woman back to his home
She was like "Nigga! You sound like rasta!"
The woman recognizing his fake Spanish accent
I'm the ace in the deck, still casin' a Tec
Boasting about his ability to shoot a gun accurately
That filled with the taste of the lead, buck buck
Describing the gunshot sounds
The bass and the treb', the space in the back
Describing the music he produces
Where chumps walk by, and they face get slapped
Promising to physically harm people who disrespect him
I'm not known to talk a lot
Admitting to being a man of few words
Sit on five whips, son, so I don't walk a lot
Having plenty of luxury cars and not needing to walk
Got ten chicks, so I don't hawk a lot
Being so popular with women that he doesn't need to pursue them
Been around the world, but I love New York a lot
Claiming to have traveled extensively but still having a strong connection to his home city
Especially up in Bedstuy, with those crazy Cuffies
Referring to a neighborhood in Brooklyn and the people who live there
Or in Fort Green, with those crazy Cuffies
Referring to another neighborhood in Brooklyn and its residents
Ya'll floss like ya'll Jay-Z and Puffy's
Mocking people who try to imitate successful rappers like Jay-Z and Puff Daddy
You get robbed, bucked down by a crazy Cuffie
Warning those who try to act tough in these neighborhoods
Bobby! Fuckin' the mics is my hobby
Referring to himself as Bobby and boasting about his ability to rap
Fuckin' the mics is my hobby
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Continuing to refer to himself in the third person
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert F. Diggs, Tom Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind