Producer, rapper and original member of the Wu-Tang Clan RZA is more than just the quintessential Hip Hop legend. He’s an actor, a film producer, a soundtrack architect and a respected member of the Hip Hop political community, no matter how controversial his views on certain issues may be. All in all, the New York native has diversified his portfolio, and when he isn’t crafting state-of-the-art Wu-Tang albums that sell for millions of dollars, he’s creating Hollywood moments, like his work with Paul Walker, and stepping into a new role, one the RZA might not be expected to take on, like his role as Shotgun Steve in Mr. Right, which dropped to digital and physical retailers this past Friday, April 8.
In a brief conversation with RZA–born Robert Diggs–ahead of the film’s release, we wanted to get an idea of what makes one of the most gritty and aggressive Hip Hop artists of his generation decide to play a somewhat derailed goofball like Shotgun Steve in Mr. Right, a hilarious film about an assassin plot gone horribly wrong, RZA explained that sometimes, it’s all about toying with an alternate universe, which sometimes helps you find out more things about yourself than you’d anticipate.
“I strive to use acting, as part of my own therapy. You know? My own little way of escapism, you know? Shotgun Steve seemed like the perfect escape for what I was going through at that time,” starts RZA as he describes what inspired him to take on the role. “When I jump in front of the camera, it’s my chance to play, and not face the realities that I gotta face when the camera is turned off.”
When we suggest that this scenario is similar to music, however, RZA rights the ship. “It took years for me to understand that I was ‘playing’ with the music. I came out into music with the “keep it real” concept. So, you know it took years–I obviously developed the Bobby Digital character–but the music was taken much more seriously, because it was a way to express real life and share it with the world.
RZA also weighed in on the #RealRecognizesReel and #OscarsSoWhite controversy, which comes down to a matter of “opportunity” for him.
“I think when it comes to diversity, we in America have to recognize that we have a diverse population. Therefore, everything has to be fed…It would be wise to be more conscious of it.”
He continues to say: “The opportunity for us to be in a position to win like that has to be given to us so we can rise to the occasion. The Asian actors will rise to the occasion. Mexican actors will rise to the occasion…as long as the opportunity is given we will rise to the occasion.”
You can purchase Mr. Right, right here on iTunes.
