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
The Baddest Man Alive
RZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep a super suit like I’m incredible
From the deep, blue sea to the dark, blue sky
I’m the baddest man alive
I’d grab a crocodile by his tail
Handcuff the judge, and throw the cops in jail
Make the meanest woman break down and cry
I’m the baddest man alive
I take no mess, and I take no jive
Sometimes I feel like I can fly
I’m the baddest man alive
I’m the baddest man alive
Not bad meaning bad, but I’m bad meaning good
Say my name three times, and you knock on wood
Candy man walks, I terrorize your hood
Flashing macs on a cop, the way a gangster should
I snatch food from the mouth of a tiger
Take a gasoline bath, and I walk through fire
Bear hug a grizzly, suck milk from her titty
Take the sergeant hat from his head and use it for a Frisbee
Spit in a crocodiles face, have a menage a trois with two female apes
Then sleep in a barrel of butcher knives
I drink honey straight from the beehive
Bungee jumping off the Empire State butt-naked
Rollerblade across the Golden Gate, butt-naked
I’m the baddest man alive, and I don’t ṗlan to die
When the grim reaper come, I look him right in his eye
I bust off in the face of the witch of the East
Tell a great white shark to go and brush his teeth, heh heh heh
I’m the man who stole the golden fleece
And I date rape Beauty right in front of the Beast
The baddest man alive, and I don’t plan to die
I’m the baddest man alive
I take no mess, and I take no jive
Sometimes I feel like I can fly
I’m the baddest man alive
I’m the baddest man alive
RZA and Black Keys's song "The Baddest Man Alive" is a braggadocio-filled anthem that seeks to establish the singers' superior abilities and toughness. The lyrics highlight their dominance over nature and law enforcement and the power to make even the strongest individuals succumb to their will. The song combines elements of hip-hop, rock, and blues to create a unique sound that complements the aggressive tone of the lyrics.
The opening lines, "I could take the pitchfork from the devil / Keep a super suit like I’m incredible," immediately establish the singer's exceptional abilities. The devil is traditionally portrayed as an all-powerful force, and yet the singer claims they could take the devil's weapon with ease. The second line uses a comic book reference to suggest that the singer has a superhuman quality. Throughout the song, the singers express their invincibility by describing different situations in which they exhibit tremendous courage and strength.
The lyrics "Not bad meaning bad, but I’m bad meaning good / Say my name three times, and you knock on wood," reference the slang term "bad" used to describe something that is cool or impressive. This kind of wordplay is typical of hip-hop music, and it shows how the genre has evolved to include other influences like rock and blues. The singers' accomplishments become increasingly ridiculous towards the end of the song, with lines such as "Bungee jumping off the Empire State butt-naked," and "Rollerblade across the Golden Gate, butt-naked." These lines are both humorous and over-the-top, parodying the conventions of boastful hip-hop lyrics.
Overall, "The Baddest Man Alive" is a song that celebrates exaggerated masculinity and toughness in a lighthearted and playful manner. The combination of RZA's rapping and the Black Keys' bluesy rock sound creates an unusual and compelling track that pushes the boundaries of both genres.
Line by Line Meaning
I could take the pitchfork from the devil
I am so fearless and confident that I could even take the most dangerous weapon from Satan himself.
Keep a super suit like I’m incredible
I have incredible powers, like the comic book hero 'The Incredible Hulk' who wears a super suit to protect himself.
From the deep, blue sea to the dark, blue sky
I am the baddest man alive not only on land but also in the sea and the sky.
I’m the baddest man alive
I am the toughest, most confident person alive.
I’d grab a crocodile by his tail
I am so powerful that I could even pick up a dangerous crocodile by its tail.
Handcuff the judge, and throw the cops in jail
I am so strong that I could even arrest the police and judge, who are supposed to arrest others.
Make the meanest woman break down and cry
I am so charismatic that even the most difficult and meanest women break down and cry when they see me.
Not bad meaning bad, but I’m bad meaning good
The word 'bad' has two opposite meanings. I am bad in a good way, meaning I am powerful, impressive, and invincible.
Say my name three times, and you knock on wood
My name is not only a symbol of power and strength but also a good luck charm. If you say my name three times while knocking on wood, you will have good fortune.
Candy man walks, I terrorize your hood
I am so frightening and powerful that I can overthrow 'The Candy Man' who is the local neighborhood boss.
Flashing macs on a cop, the way a gangster should
I am so capable and fearless that I could even aim a gun at a police officer like a classic gangster.
I snatch food from the mouth of a tiger
I am so powerful that I could even steal food from the mouth of a dangerous tiger.
Take a gasoline bath, and I walk through fire
I am so invincible and powerful that I could even bathe in gasoline and walk through fire without getting hurt.
Bear hug a grizzly, suck milk from her titty
I am so strong and fearless that I could even hug and suckle milk from a violent grizzly bear.
Take the sergeant hat from his head and use it for a Frisbee
I am so daring and disrespectful that I could even take the hat off a sergeant, who is a high ranking military officer, and use it as a Frisbee.
Spit in a crocodiles face, have a menage a trois with two female apes
I am so outrageous and powerful that I could even spit in the face of a dangerous crocodile and have a sexual encounter with two female apes.
Then sleep in a barrel of butcher knives
I am so invincible and fearless that I could even sleep in a barrel filled with butcher knives without getting hurt.
I drink honey straight from the beehive
I am so daring and confident that I could even drink honey directly from a beehive, even though bees may attack me.
Bungee jumping off the Empire State butt-naked
I am so daring and rebellious that I could even jump off the Empire State Building, a tall skyscraper in New York City, naked with only a bungee cord to catch me.
Rollerblade across the Golden Gate, butt-naked
I am so fearless that I could even rollerblade on the Golden Gate Bridge, which is a famous suspension bridge in San Francisco, with no clothes on.
When the grim reaper come, I look him right in his eye
I am so courageous and confident that even if death, represented by the grim reaper, comes for me, I will face it fearlessly.
I bust off in the face of the witch of the East
I am so powerful that I could even disrespect the 'Wicked Witch of the East', who is a powerful, evil witch in the story of 'The Wizard of Oz'.
Tell a great white shark to go and brush his teeth
I am so daring that I could even challenge a great white shark, which is one of the deadliest predatory species, to brush his teeth as a display of dominance.
I’m the man who stole the golden fleece
I am so powerful that I could even steal the 'Golden Fleece', which is a symbol of immense power and wealth, from its rightful owner.
And I date rape Beauty right in front of the Beast
I am so villainous and disrespectful that I could rape the beautiful princess in front of the Beast, which is a symbol of good and innocence.
I’m the baddest man alive, and I don’t plan to die
I am the most powerful and invincible person who has ever lived, and I do not fear death.
I’m the baddest man alive
I am so confident and powerful that no one in the world can ever compare to my abilities and strength.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAN AUERBACH, PATRICK CARNEY, ROBERT RZA DIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nightshade5713
[Dan Auerbach]
I can take the pitchfork, from the devil
Keep a super suit like I'm incredible
From the deep blue sea, to the dark blue sky
I'm the baddest man alive
I'll grab a crocodile by it's tail
Handcuff the judge and put the cops in jail
Make the meanest woman break down and cry
I'm the baddest man alive
[Chorus: Dan Auerbach]
I'm the baddest man alive
I'll take no measure, and I'll take no drive
Sometimes I feel like I can fly
I'm the baddest man alive
I'm the baddest man alive
[RZA]
Not bad meaning bad, but I'm bad meaning good
Say my name three times, and you knock on wood
Candyman hooks, I'll terrorize your hood
Flashing macs on a cop, the way a gangster should
@nightshade5713
I snatch food from the mouth of a tiger
Take a gasoline bath, then I'll walk through fire
Bear hug a grizzly, suck milk from a titty
Take the sergeant hat from his head and use it for a Frisbee
Spit in a crocodile's face, have a menage a trois with two female apes
Then sleep in the barrel of butcher knives
I drink honey, straight from the bee hive
Bungee jumping off the Empire State, butt naked
Rollerblade across the Golden Gate, butt naked
With the baddest man alive, and I don't plan to die
When the grim reaper come out, look him right in his eye
I'll bust off in the face in the witch of the east
Tell a great white shark to go and brush his teeth
Hehehe, I'm the man who stole the golden fleece
And I'll date rape Beauty right in front of the Beast
The baddest man alive, and I don't plan to die
Come on, somebody
[Chorus]
@RoboToaster3000
Oh man. This combo is fantastic. I love The Black Keys, and I love Wu Tang, but I never thought that they'd sound THIS fantastic together. This shit's dope as fuck. Probably my favourite song. Hands down.
@empty-pl9yo
Have you heard any Blakroc ? There is more of Rza + The Black Keys.
@vesticiousCowboy9608
@[empty] cool
@Crucis119
The Black Keys are amazing. Their music is the embodiment of cool rock. It's hard to put into words how their music makes me want to wear black leather and cruise across the Badlands on an old school Harley.
@DGDShadowMemoria
Wu-Tang is one of the reason I love old school rapping so much. Hearing RZA singing this song is just too amazing and love The Man with the Iron Fist.😃🎵🎧
@TheJimmyashton
I love this song! The only thing i can complain about is that you need to buy the whole album to get this song! RZA and the Black Keys together are awsome!
@TheVeccor
The Black Keys will never stop to amaze me, whatever music style they go for they rock it. They've got that unique skill to mix differents genres with class. Well done BK and RZA!
@pchiethegreat1
Probably the best entrance song for a boxer or MMA fighter. Imagine walking down to the ring with this song playing.
@kevinkusuma9002
+Chief Wiggum actually this song is the best entrance song for anything. imagine walking down the isle of your own wedding with this song. or imagine entering a class with this song on.
@pchiethegreat1
kevin kusuma
You can take a shit and listen to this song and feel like the baddest ass in the world.