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
Diesel
Rza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So yo yo all I want to do is just tell them cats
On the real, keep your game high man, keep it up
Word up, never stop your goals man, yaknowhatI'msayin?
And, yo son, on the real I'ma get a sneaker just like y'all
[Ol Dirty Bastard]
I need help Because the black man is God
The government is after me And the worst is, black man is the Devil
I need help So this is to bring everything in the
Someone help me please universe within the light
Someone help me! Understanding
They already did 2Pac My children, all six billion humans
Biggie Smalls on the planet Earth
Someone help me! Regardless of who or what, I love you
Someone help me please! Word is bond, I love you
Ahh! I'ma groupie for life, about nine wife
All the babies are mine, save a child life
No more doctors deliverin my babies
Stick in pins killing me slowly
To the President you say I'm a welfare fraud
you motherfucking right! Let's burn this dark house white!
Insecure about my ding-dong, married to Babylon
My queen lookin at me like a pawn!
[Raekwon the Chef]
Splash the worst rehearse a verse Flashdance on the universe
Televise the work Network Shop til your neck hurt
Whattup Dirt, nine diagram phoenix on your sweatshirt
Thirty-thousand went bezerk, it's like clockwork
Rockport Mr. Raw God, hold the fort
Collect thoughts, elect sports, sideswipe, by the white horse
French cut, gleamin in the Benz truck, whattup
Tellin my mens what? Ten times platinum and we ends up
draped out, jumpin out a cake, now throw your tape out
Furniture style, holdin the mic we got it laid out
Mind iodine Einstein remind mine
People swam nine didn't know they own kind wrong time
Denim rap, competition quick, handle that
Suckin the jim hat, pervertin on my raps'll get you slidapped
Mix drink Cuban Link lizink, flip a to zinc
Plus, expensive like a roman mink, now think
[Ol Dirty Bastard]
An ugly thirty-six chamber degree, what, you want to rhyme?
Deep bring 600 ABC through the love white hate line
I'm telling you tornado, 42 billion thought travel
The year 90's parallel, controls to the wakes
I dig woman's stomach swell, my borough is dark
Many lights UFO kites, Benjamin Franklin got it right
Abraham I stuck your cherry tree
Your white head came out my black pussy
I ran Rip Van Winkle on all fours
Mountains twinkle twinkle star, Tarzan in a jar
And then came out Jane Flintstone in my gravel pit
[Method Man]
Kill the chatterin, niggaz bust shots, keep em scatterin
Blood splatterin, on point like a javelin
Fuck battlin, you cats is only good for babblin
Imaginin yourself, as the God space travellin
Round the seven rings of Saturn
Got my sword plus the Abbot in the chamber, nine in the clip
At the gatherin, we left you staggerin, yo it had to been
Hot Nickel, who broke bread, at the Vatican
Stick a pin, in a citizen, mental food, got us diggin in
My compliments to the chef
M-E-TH like amphatimens, yes stick it to the veteran
Blaow blaow! Blown to death, take your medicines
I put the sick in your mu-sick with Osirus
Bound to blow like a bad sinus
[Ol Dirty Bastard]
Stay up at night don't sleep on your morn
Rest in the day because it's sunlight
Reverse thought psychology
[Prince Rakeem]
Child wild adventures walk trillions of square inches
Ten percentage try to drain me of my mental strengthage
Heavy wattage knowledge cleans blood clottage, and retardage
I refine the garbage logic exterminate your cottage
[U-God]
Thirty-six anger, dirty language is the stranger
The mangler, the honor roll singer righteous finger
When we shine-a, we always find a never minor major
Hard to spot we dangerous with our behavior
[Prince Rakeem]
Australian Venezuelaen illegal aliens
Chameleons all catch the feelings we revealing
Killer bee keep your mind at ease, lay back like Adam fuckin Eve
Four thousand years in the garden, puffin trees
[U-God]
I aim slang I maintain, through the main vein
The answer came clever, when we do greatness through trial and error
Mile of terror motormouth, let the odor out
Fumin greater, the temper in my spine huminator
The super grass childish blast sleepy eye stash
The hashish masterpiece, Osirus is the virus
This split second splash, severe drop is near pop
There's fallin teardrops, now is it worth your career?
The song Diesel, by RZA and featuring Raekwon the Chef, Ol Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Prince Rakeem and U-God, is a complex rap with different MCs delivering rhythm and introspective lyrics on social commentary, spirituality, and personal struggles. The song's lyrics touch on a variety of themes, from Black empowerment to government surveillance, drug addiction, and personal insecurity.
One of the standout verses in the song is Ol Dirty Bastard's, where he talks about his need for help and his belief that the Black man is God while at the same time, the government sees him as the devil. The lyrics suggest a struggle for identity and self-worth among African Americans, given their perception as lesser beings in a white-dominated society. Similarly, Method Man's lyrics assert his superiority over other MCs, criticizing their babbling and posturing as irrelevant to his intellectual and spiritual growth.
Other themes in the song include the dangers of drug addiction, colonialism, and America's obsession with material wealth. The song also captures the unique style and flow of each MC who delivers their verses with a distinctly different approach and tonality.
Line by Line Meaning
So yo yo all I want to do is just tell them cats
Raekwon wants to give advice to others
On the real, keep your game high man, keep it up
He advises others to keep trying and improving
Word up, never stop your goals man, yaknowhatI'msayin?
He emphasizes to never give up on your goals
I need help Because the black man is God
Ol Dirty Bastard believes that black people are divine
The government is after me And the worst is, black man is the Devil
He feels like the government is against him and tries to portray black people negatively
I need help So this is to bring everything in the
He wants to bring everything in the universal light to help him
Someone help me please universe within the light
He seeks help from the universe to find enlightenment
They already did 2Pac My children, all six billion humans
He acknowledges the deaths of influential artists like Tupac and wants people to understand that all humans are his children
Biggie Smalls on the planet Earth
He recognizes the existence and impact of Biggie Smalls on Earth
Regardless of who or what, I love you
He proclaims his love for all entities
Word is bond, I love you
He emphasizes that his love is genuine and true
Ahh! I'ma groupie for life, about nine wife
He claims to be a loyal fan and have many wives
All the babies are mine, save a child life
He possibly means that he wants to save a child's life by fathering them
No more doctors deliverin my babies
He might mean that he doesn't want any intervention or interference when having babies
Stick in pins killing me slowly
He might be referring to an acupuncture practice and how it's harming him
To the President you say I'm a welfare fraud
He is accused of welfare fraud by the President
you motherfucking right! Let's burn this dark house white!
He agrees with the accusation and wants to take action against oppression
Insecure about my ding-dong, married to Babylon
He feels insecure about his genitalia and metaphorically married to a place associated with hedonism and materialism
My queen lookin at me like a pawn!
He realizes that his partner is disrespecting him and treating him like a pawn in their relationship
Splash the worst rehearse a verse Flashdance on the universe
He wants to make a big impact and shine on the universe
Televise the work Network Shop til your neck hurt
He wants to broadcast his work and be successful until it's exhausting
Whattup Dirt, nine diagram phoenix on your sweatshirt
He greets Dirt and compliments his phoenix symbol on his clothing
Thirty-thousand went bezerk, it's like clockwork
He describes a chaotic event that happened without warning, but seems routine
Rockport Mr. Raw God, hold the fort
He addresses someone named Mr. Raw God and tells them to hold down the fort
Collect thoughts, elect sports, sideswipe, by the white horse
He wants to gather his thoughts, select the best options, and avoid danger from a white horse
French cut, gleamin in the Benz truck, whattup
He's wearing a French cut style and riding in a shiny Benz truck, greeting someone
Tellin my mens what? Ten times platinum and we ends up
He boasts to his friends about achieving ten times platinum and future success
draped out, jumpin out a cake, now throw your tape out
He's dressed to impress and encourages people to get rid of their outdated music
Furniture style, holdin the mic we got it laid out
He's holding the mic and has everything planned out like decorating furniture
Mind iodine Einstein remind mine
He wants to stimulate his mind and be reminded of its potential like Einstein
People swam nine didn't know they own kind wrong time
He laments that people don't know their true identity and that it's not the right time for realization
Denim rap, competition quick, handle that
He's confident in his rap skills and wants to handle any competition
Suckin the jim hat, pervertin on my raps'll get you slidapped
He warns that perverting his raps will get you punished
Mix drink Cuban Link lizink, flip a to zinc
He mixes a drink with a Cuban Link, changing it to Zinc
Plus, expensive like a roman mink, now think
He points out how luxurious and expensive his belongings are and tells people to consider it
An ugly thirty-six chamber degree, what, you want to rhyme?
He references his unattractive level or grade of authority and challenges others to compete with him
Deep bring 600 ABC through the love white hate line
He wants to penetrate deeply through the love and hate that racial divisions create
I'm telling you tornado, 42 billion thought travel
He warns of a metaphorical tornado of thoughts and a huge number of thoughts
The year 90's parallel, controls to the wakes
He draws a connection between the 90's and funerary wakes
I dig woman's stomach swell, my borough is dark
He's sexually attracted to women and his borough is full of darkness and danger
Many lights UFO kites, Benjamin Franklin got it right
He sees unusual lights and UFOs flying like kites and references Benjamin Franklin's experiments with electricity
Abraham I stuck your cherry tree
He references his sexual encounter with someone named Abraham
Your white head came out my black pussy
He claims to have given birth to someone with white hair
I ran Rip Van Winkle on all fours
He imitated Rip Van Winkle while crawling on all fours
Mountains twinkle twinkle star, Tarzan in a jar
He sees twinkling mountains and references Tarzan's confinement in a jar
And then came out Jane Flintstone in my gravel pit
He references the birth of Jane from the Flintstones in his gravel pit
Kill the chatterin, niggaz bust shots, keep em scatterin
Method Man tells others to stop talking, shoot their guns, and disperse
Blood splatterin, on point like a javelin
He's targeting others accurately and violently, with blood flying
Fuck battlin, you cats is only good for babblin
He dismisses the idea of battling and insults those who talk too much
Imaginin yourself, as the God space travellin
He mocks those who imagine themselves as divine and traveling in space
Round the seven rings of Saturn
He references the mythical rings of Saturn
Got my sword plus the Abbot in the chamber, nine in the clip
He has his sword and a person named Abbot with him, and is armed with nine bullets
At the gatherin, we left you staggerin, yo it had to been
He describes a gathering where the opponents were left stunned and
Hot Nickel, who broke bread, at the Vatican
He references a secret meeting at the Vatican to share a fake coin
Stick a pin, in a citizen, mental food, got us diggin in
He's encouraging someone to examine their minds and attitudes and delve deeper
My compliments to the chef
He compliments the chef for creating something good
M-E-TH like amphatimens, yes stick it to the veteran
He compares himself to addictive drugs and wants to defeat a veteran
Blaow blaow! Blown to death, take your medicines
He makes gun noises and tells someone to take medication after killing them
I put the sick in your mu-sick with Osirus
He wants to add unpleasant elements to someone's music with Osirus
Bound to blow like a bad sinus
He predicts that he will be popular like an infection
Stay up at night don't sleep on your morn
He advises to stay awake at night and not waste the morning sleeping
Rest in the day because it's sunlight
He suggests resting during the day when it's sunny
Child wild adventures walk trillions of square inches
He encourages adventurous exploration on a grand scale
Ten percentage try to drain me of my mental strengthage
He accuses some people of trying to mentally weaken him
Heavy wattage knowledge cleans blood clottage, and retardage
Knowledge has a strong healing power and can prevent stagnation in blood and intelligence
I refine the garbage logic exterminate your cottage
He improves illogical thinking and destroys someone's dwelling
Thirty-six anger, dirty language is the stranger
He associates anger and obscenities with unfamiliarity or strangeness
The mangler, the honor roll singer righteous finger
He's both dangerous and successful, using his righteous finger
When we shine-a, we always find a never minor major
He sees every achievement as a big one
Hard to spot we dangerous with our behavior
He's difficult to detect and can be harmful
Australian Venezuelaen illegal aliens
He mentions immigrants from Australia and Venezuela who might be undocumented
Chameleons all catch the feelings we revealing
People who adapt to different surroundings are affected by their true emotions exposed
Killer bee keep your mind at ease, lay back like Adam fuckin Eve
He references Killer Bees and urges people to relax, comparing them to Adam and Eve
Four thousand years in the garden, puffin trees
He imagines spending 4,000 years in a garden and smoking marijuana
I aim slang I maintain, through the main vein
He shoots slang and maintains it as his main source of income
The answer came clever, when we do greatness through trial and error
He realizes that greatness comes from trying and failing, and developing clever answers
Mile of terror motormouth, let the odor out
He describes a scary mile and wants to express himself without holding back
Fumin greater, the temper in my spine huminator
He's more furious and wants to humiliate people with a strong backbone
The super grass childish blast sleepy eye stash
He's smoking marijuana that makes him feel childish and tired
The hashish masterpiece, Osirus is the virus
He creates a great marijuana product and refers to himself as a virus, potentially because of his ability to spread his influence
This split second splash, severe drop is near pop
He predicts a sudden event and a quick decrease in popularity
There's fallin teardrops, now is it worth your career?
He asks if someone's career is worth their emotional distress
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: CLIFFORD SMITH, COREY WOODS, DENNIS DAVID COLES, GARY E. GRICE, JASON HUNTER, LAMONT HAWKINS, ROBERT F. DIGGS, RUSSELL T. JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind