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Wu Tang mastermind RZA has revealed that he is set to retire from rapping after their new album and said he has no ambition to rock the mic aged 50.
RZA, 44, says the Clan’s overdue new album A Better Tomorrow is still six weeks away from completion and the experience of making it made him see he’s got higher priorities now.
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’s 20th anniversary passed last week and the new album, designed to celebrate their milestone anniversary, remains a work in progress.
RZA revealed he journeyed across the US to record the new record, even stopping over in Memphis, Tennesse, where he conducted sessions with players from the revered Stax and Hi record labels.
The Clan leader hopes to have it completed within two months after sending it to a few outside producers for final touches.
The production is mostly complete and the majority of the group: including GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck finished their verses during the summer.
The Wu Tang Abbot says that he sees acting and directing movies becoming more and more his day jog and will retire from the mic.
He said: “Directing and acting is my thing, I’m enjoying it.
“I live in a capitalist country so I respect, ‘Cash rules.’ That might get me back on the mic at 50.
“But I’d prefer not to be on the mic at 50.
“When you’re a young man, you’re just hustling and you can dedicate 12 hours a day to music.
“The energy, that’s what’s important – is constantly pouring out. But when you’ve got to go seek for the energy, it becomes a little more difficult.
“Wu-Tang is forever, I’ll never take back that statement. But we haven’t recorded a lot of studio albums. This is the first album we’ve recorded in seven years. And we can’t wait seven years for another album.
“Everybody has completed their verses for this album except Raekwon.
“He hasn’t turned in his verses yet. I don’t know if he’s still trying to find the vibe of the music. We have to talk about it before it becomes too late. But he hasn’t come to the table yet.”
RZA added that he cannot make the decision over whether the project can be completed without his band mate, saying: “Well, you know what, that’s something that I would take a vote on with the rest of the crew.
“I’m not a dictator about that. Raekwon is a valuable energy to the Wu-Tang, his voice, his lyrics, his approach. Rae is a master lyricist.”
Meanwhile, RZA has plenty to do. Having recently completed the screenplay for what he hopes will be his second feature film alongside acting in the new Fox series Gang Related.