The Wu-Tang Clan have always been different. In 1993, the nine-man rap collective dropped their groundbreaking debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and flooded hip-hop's airwaves with dusty soul loops and crashing kung-fu sound bites.
It was as a unique a sound at the time, and on the Clan's upcoming reunion LP, A Better Tomorrow, fans can expect to hear more of their one-of-a-kind sonic signature.
"It's very unique and you can't buy it nowhere else," the RZA told on Monday at Fox's upfront event in New York. "You gotta go to Whole Foods for certain foods, right? Well, there are certain things you have to come to Wu-Tang for."
Coachella Fans Brave Sandstorms For Wu-Tang Reunion.
RZA hit the carpet at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to promote his upcoming television drama "Gang Related." The series, which tells the story of a gang member who infiltrates the San Francisco Police Department, stars Terry O'Quinn and, of course, RZA. The rapper/producer/actor was just as excited to talk about his music as he was his acting.
"I was deep in the middle of it, deep in the recording, deep in the writing, and my assistant told me to read this screenplay, 'Gang Related,' " he recalled. "I read it, and I kinda hurried up and finished my music, and I jumped on this. But the music is really unique."
This year is a huge one for RZA and the Wu. Last month, the group — which has been fractured for the past few years — performed at Coachella, and on June 2, they will perform at Hot 97's annual Summer Jam concert in New Jersey. The group performed at the very first Summer Jam in 1994.
"Summer Jam is so important to New York. We're all New Yorkers, we started out on Hot 97, and to have Hot 97 bring us back ... I'm looking extra forward to that," RZA said. "So come prepared, get ready to sweat and have some fun."