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| The RZA Hits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | June 22, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1993–1998 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 61:22 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| RZA chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  link |
| Robert Christgau | A− [1] |
The RZA Hits is a compilation produced by The RZA. It contains songs featured on the first Wu-Tang Clan album and its first round of solo albums. All songs, apart from "Brooklyn Zoo", are produced by RZA.
| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer | Performer | Original Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Narration By The RZA" | RZA | RZA | 1:03 | ||
| 2 | "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit" | L. Hawkins, R. Jones, J. Hunter, D. Coles, R. Diggs Jr., C. Woods, G. Grice, C. Smith | RZA | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 3:36 |
| 3 | "Protect Ya Neck" | L. Hawkins, R. Jones, J. Hunter, D. Coles, R. Diggs Jr., C. Woods, G. Grice, C. Smith | RZA | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 4:52 |
| 4 | "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" | R. Jones, R. Diggs | RZA | Ol' Dirty Bastard | Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version | 2:41 |
| 5 | "Liquid Swords" | G. Grice, R. Diggs, J. Zawinul, F. Cavaliere, E. Brigati | RZA | GZA | Liquid Swords | 3:01 |
| 6 | "Narration By The RZA" | RZA | RZA | 1:20 | ||
| 7 | "Method Man" | L. Hawkins, R. Jones, J. Hunter, D. Coles, R. Diggs Jr., C. Woods, G. Grice, C. Smith | RZA | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 4:55 |
| 8 | "Incarcerated Scarfaces" | C. Woods, R. Diggs | RZA | Raekwon | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | 4:30 |
| 9 | "Ice Cream" | C. Woods, R. Diggs | RZA | Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | 4:16 |
| 10 | "Narration By The RZA" | RZA | RZA | 1:31 | ||
| 11 | "Bring the Pain" | C. Smith, R. Diggs | RZA | Method Man | Tical | 3:15 |
| 12 | "Winter Warz" | D. Coles, L. Hawkins, C. Woods, E. Turner, D. Hill, R. Diggs Jr. | RZA | Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Raekwon, U-God | Ironman | 4:41 |
| 13 | "Brooklyn Zoo" | R. Jones | True Master & Ol' Dirty Bastard | Ol' Dirty Bastard | Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version | 3:40 |
| 14 | "All I Need" | C. Smith, R. Diggs | RZA | Method Man | Tical | 3:16 |
| 15 | "C.R.E.A.M." | L. Hawkins, R. Jones, J. Hunter, D. Coles, R. Diggs Jr., C. Woods, G. Grice, C. Smith, I. Hayes, D. Porter | RZA | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 4:12 |
| 16 | "All That I Got Is You" | D. Coles, M.J. Blige, R. Diggs Jr., B. Gordy, D. Richards, A. Mizell, F. Perren | RZA | Ghostface Killah, Mary J. Blige, Popa Wu | Ironman | 5:00 |
| 17 | "Narration By The RZA About Wu Wear" | RZA | RZA | 1:40 | ||
| 18 | "Wu Wear The Garment Renaissance" | R. Diggs | RZA | Cappadonna, Method Man, RZA | High School High (soundtrack) | 3:53 |
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1999 | The RZA Hits | #61 | #30 |
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop musical collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard. Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. They are credited for revitalizing East Coast hip hop and are considered one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time.
Corey Woods, better known by his stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang , in 1993. Raekwon would subsequently pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo album, entitled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., in 1995. The album received critical acclaim, and is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as a staple of 1990s rap.
Russell Tyrone Jones, better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily from Staten Island, New York City, which rose to mainstream prominence with its 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang .
Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records and RCA Records. The recording sessions took place during late 1992 to early 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and the album was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA. Its title originates from the martial arts films Enter the Dragon (1973) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).
Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by the American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film Shogun Assassin and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout, incorporating lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy. Liquid Swords features numerous guest appearances from the other eight members of Wu-Tang Clan along with Wu-Tang affiliate Killah Priest.
Tical is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man. It was released November 15, 1994, by Def Jam Recordings. It was the first Wu-Tang solo album released after the group's debut, Enter the Wu-Tang . Similar to all first generation solo Wu-Tang projects, Tical was mainly produced by group member RZA, who provided a dark, murky and rugged sound. The album features guest appearances from RZA, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, as well as several affiliates, who would later appear on future group projects. On October 5, 2017, Method Man revealed on the Viceland talk show Desus & Mero that the album's title is an acronym for "taking into consideration all lives."
Iron Flag is the fourth studio album by American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released on December 18, 2001, on Loud Records. It was certified gold in sales by the RIAA. Iron Flag served as the group's second lowest-selling album, as their record label, Loud, was on the verge of shutting down at the time. The album debuted at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 with 153,000 copies sold in its first week of release. It has sold over half a million copies in the United States and certified Gold by the RIAA. Rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard is completely absent from the album.
"Protect Ya Neck" is the debut single by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, originally released on December 14, 1992, through Wu-Tang Records and later re-released May 3, 1993 through Loud Records. The song appears on the group's debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang . It was produced by RZA and features eight of the original nine Wu-Tang members.
"C.R.E.A.M." is a song by the American hardcore hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on January 31, 1994 by Loud Records, as the second single from their debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (1993). The song was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA, and contains a sample of the Charmels' 1967 song "As Long As I've Got You" throughout. It features two verses from members Raekwon and Inspectah Deck, who discuss their upbringings while living in New York City, and Method Man, who sings its hook. Its music video, featuring all Wu-Tang Clan members in New York City, was released in 1994.
"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is a duet song by American rapper Method Man, featuring American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The song is a remix of Method Man's "All I Need", which appears on his debut studio album Tical (1994). The song, a hip hop soul record, was released as a single by Def Jam Recordings and PolyGram Records on April 25, 1995.
8 Diagrams is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released December 11, 2007, on SRC/Universal Motown Records. The album was released three years after the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag.
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is the fifth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan-member Raekwon, released March 8, 2011, on Ice H2O and EMI Records. Guests for the album include Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Lloyd Banks, Method Man, Nas, and Rick Ross, among others.
A Better Tomorrow is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. The album was released on December 2, 2014, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was supported by the singles "Keep Watch", "Ron O'Neal" and "Ruckus in B Minor". A Better Tomorrow received generally mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 24,386 copies in its first week of release.
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA or The RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is the de facto leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums for the group and its respective members. He is a cousin of two other original Wu-Tang Clan members: GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. After forming the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA was a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz, since 1992, where he went by the name The RZArector.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released on August 1, 1995, by Loud Records and RCA Records. The album was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the "star", fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star", and producer RZA as the "director". It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album also features debut appearances from affiliates Cappadonna and Blue Raspberry, and an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas, which marked the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album.
Bobby Digital in Stereo is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer RZA. It was released on November 24, 1998, and was certified Gold on February 5, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is an experimental album that is based on a story featuring him rhyming as a hedonistic, fun-loving alter-ego named Bobby Digital and showcasing a unique keyboard-driven sound that RZA called digital orchestra, receiving mostly positive, though somewhat mixed, reviews.
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997, by Loud and RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up to their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang . Forever features several guest appearances from Wu-Tang affiliates Cappadonna, Streetlife, 4th Disciple, True Master, and Tekitha. The original run of compact discs featured an enhanced CD which allowed users to walk around the "Wu Mansion" and access additional content.
Ironman is the debut studio album by American rapper Ghostface Killah, released on October 29, 1996, by Epic Records. It was produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA. The album's music draws prominently on blaxploitation films and soul samples. More so than on other solo debuts from the group's members, Ironman contains references to the Nation of Gods and Earths.
Supreme Clientele is the second studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released on February 8, 2000, by Epic Records. The album showcases Ghostface's signature up-tempo, stream-of-consciousness rhyme style, and features guest appearances from Cappadonna, GZA, Masta Killa, Method Man, Raekwon, Redman, RZA, U-God, and others. It features affiliates of what would become members of Theodore Unit and T.M.F. Supreme Clientele contains a large amount of production from group member RZA, who also re-worked and remixed beats from other producers involved, as a means to create a unified and cohesive sound for the album.
