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
All That I Got Is You
Rza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three months man
Whatchu doin in here anyway? You oughta be home with your momma
How old are you boy?
Thirteen
Thirteen? Damn, the bastards must be runnin outta niggaz to arrest
Yeah, ohh yeah, this goes out
Yeah, from the heart
It was from the heart, everything was real
All that I got is you
And I'm so thankful I made it through
Yo, dwellin in the past, flashbacks when I was young
Whoever thought that I'd have a baby girl and three sons
I'm goin through this difficult stage I find it hard to believe
Why my old Earth had so many seeds
But she's an old woman, and due to me I respect that
I saw life for what it's really worth and took a step back
Family ain't family no more, we used to play ball
Eggs after school, eat grits cause we was poor
Grab the pliers for the channel, fix the hanger on the TV
Rockin each others pants to school wasn't easy
We survived winters, snotty nosed with no coats
We kept it real, but the older brother still had jokes
Sadly, daddy left me at the age of six
I didn't know nuttin but mommy neatly packed his shit
She cried, and grandma held the family down
I guess mommy wasn't strong enough, she just went down
Check it, fifteen of us in a three bedroom apartment
Roaches everywhere, cousins and aunts was there
Four in the bed, two at the foot, two at the head
I didn't like to sleep with Jon-Jon he peed the bed
Seven o'clock, pluckin roaches out the cereal box
Some shared the same spoon, watchin saturday cartoons
Sugar water was our thing, every meal was no thrill
In the summer, free lunch held us down like steel
And there was days I had to go to Tex house with a note
Stating "Gloria can I borrow some food I'm dead broke"
So embarrasin I couldn't stand to knock on they door
My friends might be laughin, I spent stamps in stores
Mommy where's the toilet paper, use the newspaper
Look Ms. Rose gave us a couch, she's the neighbor
Things was deep, my whole youth was sharper than cleats
Two brothers with muscular dystrophy, it killed me
But I remember this, mom's would lick her finger tips
To wipe the cold out my eye before school wit her spit
Case worker had her runnin back to face to face
I caught a case, housin tried to throw us out of our place
Sometimes I look up at the stars and analyze the sky
And ask myself was I meant to be here... why?
Yeah, yo
All that I got is you
And I'm so thankful I made it through
All that I got is you
And I'm so thankful I made it through
All that I got is you
And I'm so thankful I made it through
All that I got is you
And I'm so thankful I made it through
Word up mommy, I love you
Word up
It was all you, word, you brought me in like this
I sit and think about
All the times we did without, yeah
I always said I woudn't cry
When I saw tears in your eyes
I understand that daddy's not here now
But some way or somehow, I will always be around, yeah
All things that I did from this to them
Oh from drugs to being there
Being down and out and I love you always
Yeah, you say
You see the universe, which consists of the sun moon and star
And them planets, that exist in my space
Like man woman and child
You understand?
We got to keep it real, and what reality and reality will keep it real with us
I remember them good ol days
Because see, that's the child I was
What made me the man I am today
See cause if you forget where you come from, heheh
You're never gonna make it where you're goin, aheh
Because you lost the reality of yourself
So take one stroll through your mind
And see what you will find
And you'll see a whole universe all over again
and again and again and again and again
Heheheh, yeah heheheheh ahaheheheh
The lyrics to RZA’s All That I Got Is You depict the struggle and poverty that the artist and his family faced while growing up. The opening dialogue sets the tone for the song as we hear RZA being questioned by police in his teenage years. The song then goes on to relive RZA’s childhood memories where he describes how his mother, a single parent, struggled to provide for him and his siblings. RZA recounts their living situation which consisted of 15 people living in a three-bedroom apartment, enduring hardships such as lack of food, heating, and basic necessities. From sleeping with roaches to using newspapers as toilet paper, RZA describes the struggles he faced as a poor child. Yet, in the midst of it all, he acknowledges the love and care that his mother showed him and how grateful he is for making it through.
What makes the lyrics to All That I Got Is You so strikingly powerful is the raw honesty with which RZA tells his story. Many people can relate to the struggles RZA faced, but not everyone can put it into words so eloquently, making the song a universal anthem for the struggle of the urban African-American experience. Through his lyrics, RZA paints a poignant yet inspiring picture of the resilience that is born out of struggle and the determination to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
What dey gives you blood?
Questioning why the person is in jail
Three months man
Answering the question with the length of the person's sentence
Whatchu doin in here anyway? You oughta be home with your momma
Critiquing the person's actions and arguing that they should not be in jail
How old are you boy?
Asking the person's age for clarification
Thirteen
Answering the question with the person's age
Thirteen? Damn, the bastards must be runnin outta niggaz to arrest
Expressing disapproval of the person's arrest at such a young age
All that I got is you
Expressing gratitude for the love and support of family
And I'm so thankful I made it through
Acknowledging struggles faced in the past and the importance of survival
Family ain't family no more
Reflecting on the changing dynamics of family relationships
Sadly, daddy left me at the age of six
Expressing sadness over the absence of a father figure
She cried, and grandma held the family down
Recalling the support of family during difficult times
Case worker had her runnin back to face to face
Describing the added hurdles of dealing with government assistance programs
Sometimes I look up at the stars and analyze the sky
Contemplating the mysteries of life
Yeah, yo
Introducing a new verse
Word up mommy, I love you
Expressing love and gratitude to a mother figure
I sit and think about All the times we did without, yeah
Reflecting on past struggles and hardships
I always said I woudn't cry When I saw tears in your eyes
Vowing to be strong and support loved ones despite emotional pain
All things that I did from this to them Oh from drugs to being there Being down and out and I love you always
Acknowledging past mistakes while expressing continued love and commitment
You see the universe, which consists of the sun moon and star
Observing the vastness of the universe
And what reality and reality will keep it real with us
Emphasizing the importance of staying grounded in reality
Because you lost the reality of yourself
Warning against losing touch with one's true self
Heheheh, yeah heheheheh ahaheheheh
An interjection expressing amusement or pleasure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARY J BLIGE, DENNIS COLES, ROBERT F DIGGS, BERRY JR GORDY, BERRY GORDY JR, DENNIS LUSSIER, ALPHONSO MIZELL, ALPHONSO J MIZELL, FREDDIE PERREN, DEKE RICHARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nyfanatik
I don’t care how big, grown or tough u are , if your childhood was rough but your family held it down this songs hits hard.. or I’m i wrong ?
@averyprice9422
Facts
@ej8755
Facts bro
@NJPUNISHER10
FACTS
@alexmosley1513
Dead a$$! 💯✊🏾
@JoseTorres-rs7kj
Factual
@TonyChase
At 54 as of yesterday.....I VIVIDLY remember this very struggle....choked up.... holding back these tears....SALUTE to all who went through this and are still out here....ONE...!!
@nolankaine
happy belated yo. bless you.
peace god!
@toyaking1750
This song is so deep, I know people who knew the struggle
@mercedesharrison5550
Don’t hold back those tears let ‘‘em flow and recover bc we all need that.