RZA on "One Spoon of Chocolate" & Why Filmmaking is the Ultimate Art | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

0:00 Yo, man, that's a clip from the movie I just saw.

0:03 I just declared to last night after the screening at this is my favorite movie.

0:08 And you said it on air already today.

0:09 it this morning on air.

0:10 We talked about it for almost a whole hour.

0:13 I was just so excited about what I've seen, and it's very inspirational.

0:17 The movie is called One Spoon of Chocolate.

0:18 It's premiering May the 1st.

0:20 And it's important that we all, anybody within the sound of our voices,

0:25 go outside to the movie theater and support it while it's in theaters.

0:32 Amen.

0:31 That's extremely important.

0:33 Uh this is a movie uh that is directed,

0:36 written, produced, distributed, uh scored uh by somebody.

0:41 He's all of our brother.

0:42 You know, this man in in the duration of his career has no stains on it.

0:48 And all the moves he's made is to empower, to uplift, and to expand.

0:53 And watching him throughout his career, even knowing him,

0:55 I'm still fascinated when I see him.

0:58 I love watching his interviews as much

1:00 as I like sitting in an interview with him,

1:02 but I love hearing his perspective on life and how he applies those things,

1:06 those qualities, and those fundamentals into his art.

1:09 And One Spoon of Chocolate is definitely

1:13 definitely representative of that energy, of that philosophy.

1:18 Man, I ain't got to say too much about him, man.

1:20 One of the greatest producers of all time,

1:22 one of the greatest filmmakers of all time,

1:24 one of the greatest thinkers of all time,

1:27 and recently inducted into the Rock& Roll Hall of Fame.

1:30 We got the one and only RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan up in here.

1:33 Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to[ __] with.

1:36 Bang bang.

1:39 [laughter] RZA looking at me in a daze right now.

1:41 We was partying last night.

1:43 You had him out too late, Sway.

1:44 Yeah, we went hard body.

1:45 But yo, he's up, I'm up.

1:46 That's what we doing.

1:47 You know what I mean?

1:48 Yeah, that's what I'm doing, bro.

1:49 I got up at 4:00.

1:50 Damn.

1:51 Yeah.

1:53 [laughter] RZA said, "Okay." I'm going, Sway.

1:55 But we we had a great time last night at the screening.

1:59 I've been seeing you, RZA.

2:01 I've seen you on morning TV shows.

2:04 I've heard you on radio stations.

2:06 You, by yourself, out here promoting this movie.

2:10 You're RZA.

2:12 You know, you everything you've done,

2:14 your your your your legacy is sealed and cemented.

2:17 And we had a whole conversation about this type of um attitude.

2:21 You're out doing everything hands-on.

2:24 Why is that so important?

2:26 I mean, with the film to me,

2:27 it's important for people to see it and know about it.

2:30 Um I got that morning voice.

2:32 Damn, bro, I ain't never heard this voice.

2:33 Michael Jackson, bro.

2:34 This is my new[ __] This is [laughter] new[ __] R&B RZA.

2:40 Even I'm surprised by this[ __] with [laughter] my morning voice.

2:43 Well, you look surprised.

2:46 Mic check.

2:46 Yeah, yeah.

2:47 What do you be like?

2:47 [laughter] He start talking, he start looking around like,

2:50 "Who's talking?" He was doing the midnight with RZA.

2:52 He was doing the midnight with RZA.

2:53 He was doing the midnight with RZA.

2:57 [laughter] [laughter] Yo, we need some sparkling water, man.

3:11 [laughter] Anyway, yo.

3:14 We was all up.

3:15 I was like, "What happened?" [laughter]

3:17 It's like I was talking to my wife in bed or some[ __] right?

3:20 That's why Sway, you never heard that voice.

3:21 I was like, "Who is this?" [laughter]

3:25 Wow, but it's important to you though, right?

3:27 Super important.

3:27 And uh the film, I think um it's important,

3:30 you know, the energy of it, what we trying to show.

3:32 Um I create art nowadays just to share.

3:37 Yeah.

3:37 You know what I mean?

3:38 Um and and and when you trying to just share art,

3:41 you want to just make sure that it is shared.

3:43 It ain't something we keep to ourselves.

3:45 I'mma shout out Coast Contra real quick.

3:47 Yes.

3:48 Right?

3:48 And the reason why I'm doing that because the same

3:50 thing I I seen those young men out there representing themselves.

3:54 And so I was like, "Yo, when time when time is right, yo,

3:58 let's just go to the studio and I'm going

4:00 to share some time with them." You know what I mean?

4:02 And we went and shared time, and we created a whole[ __] album, bro.

4:05 And that's because we're just sharing [clears throat] time.

4:09 So, the same thing with this film, me and my wife, we we worked on it.

4:12 Um and now we have it, and I'm not dependent on nobody uh to go

4:16 out there and climb that mountain but myself.

4:19 Yeah.

4:19 So, if you see me out till 4:00 in the morning,

4:22 and you see me pop up on Sway in the morning, I'm living it out.

4:26 You know what I mean?

4:26 go, man.

4:26 I love it.

4:27 [applause] RZA's here, man.

4:28 We talking about One Spoon of Chocolate.

4:30 Some people have seen it already.

4:31 888-742-3345.

4:34 HB.

4:35 Is this the What was the switch?

4:37 Because we had um Country Wayne here the other day.

4:41 And Country Wayne said, and I'll never forget this now,

4:44 he said energy is more valuable than money.

4:50 And he said who I choose to spend my time

4:52 with and who I share with is more important than money.

4:54 It's way more important.

4:56 And to me, and and Sway and I complimented him on that because something

5:00 has to happen for us to get in that mindset, even with our art.

5:04 You know, we started out as full-time recording artists.

5:06 So, everything was I got to get mine.

5:07 I'm better than this[ __] I'm better than that.

5:09 Like, you know, what was the switch for you

5:11 to be able to be in this this place of service, I feel like you're in?

5:17 I don't know why I don't recall when it happened, right?

5:20 But it happened It's been over a decade for me.

5:23 You know what I mean?

5:24 But it's just like it's like, yo, what do you what do you what do you aiming at?

5:28 And why are you aiming at it?

5:30 Now, I've been blessed.

5:31 You know what I mean?

5:32 So, I ain't got to work hard for it.

5:36 But I think you realize that you are a vehicle of it.

5:41 You know what I mean?

5:42 And and you're the instrument of it.

5:43 So, you got to let the music flow through you, meaning the art.

5:46 You can't just be like you're doing it for yourself.

5:50 You know, I was just saying to um one of my brothers, um it was like,

5:53 "Yo, if somebody tells me, 'Yo, you coming over here and do this[ __] right?

5:58 Uh we got 50 Gs for you to do it, whatever,

6:00 100 Gs.' It said cost you 50 Gs just to do that.

6:04 Would you just spend that whole 50 Gs to go get the other 50 Gs?

6:07 Would you even spend 75 Gs to go get that 100 Gs only have 25?

6:12 And the answer is yes.

6:14 Because it's it's accumulating to something else.

6:17 And it ain't about just the the the uh economic reward of it.

6:21 You know what I mean?

6:22 It's the time and space you got to go and share,

6:25 whether it's your knowledge, your love, your music, your art.

6:28 That time becomes even more valuable than the money because money goes.

6:32 Right?

6:34 But and now I'mma take this from my brother Nick Cave.

6:37 Nick Cave.

6:38 No, what up?

6:38 He said uh life is about creating memories.

6:45 And life is really an accumulation of memories.

6:49 And not just the memories that you create for yourself,

6:52 but the memories you create for others.

6:54 So, somebody might see somebody might come in and see my film,

6:56 and that 2 hours in their life could be everything for them.

7:01 Life-changing.

7:02 Yeah, you know what I mean?

7:02 So, so taking that kind of energy in myself, I'm just I'm striving to live it.

7:07 Striving to live it.

7:08 RZA's here.

7:09 We're going to take your calls.

7:09 888-742-3345.

7:12 Tracy G.

7:13 Yes, RZA.

7:13 So good as always to have you on the show.

7:16 Congratulations on this film.

7:18 I cannot wait to see it.

7:20 I will be seeing it immediately.

7:22 Um you know, Sway was talking about

7:24 the conversation that y'all had yesterday, last night.

7:27 And he was saying how you told film fulfills every art form for you, you know?

7:34 And we've seen you conquer music time and time again.

7:37 We've seen you as an actor, now directing.

7:40 I would love to know more about what filmmaking

7:43 allows you to do um that hip-hop kind of doesn't.

7:49 And also, if you feel like this project

7:51 is your most complete creative expression yet.

7:56 But thanks for the question.

7:57 I think that in film, you got to deal with the visuals, right?

8:02 You got to deal with the costumes.

8:03 You got to deal with the dialogue, the music, the set design.

8:08 So, every aspect of creativity that's art

8:11 is all collaborated together to make film.

8:14 It's audio, and it's visual, and it's emotional.

8:18 And it could be social.

8:19 It could be uh love in it, comedy in it, drama, fear.

8:25 So, for me as an artist,

8:27 it's the best outlet of combination of all my art to make that happen.

8:32 And as far as how I feel about it, man,

8:35 I feel like uh well, I'll just quote my quote my once mentor.

8:41 Uh he said, "Yo, the student has become a master." You know what I mean?

8:45 And so I feel like cinema is my way now

8:48 to tell to tell all my hip-hop stories, all my energy,

8:52 cinema is the way for me to to to put it out there

8:54 and uh and hopefully people feel it the way they felt the music.

8:58 Yes, man.

8:59 That men- tor happens to be Quentin Tarantino.

9:02 That's a fact.

9:04 I'm I'm going to go ahead and former mentor, you know.

9:09 [laughter] You know what?

9:09 When Sway was cuz it as you spoke,

9:11 it made me think about something you know, when Tracy asked you that question,

9:15 when Sway was breaking down your resume and just giving you your flowers,

9:19 I would add also visionary for you.

9:23 And did you envision though, cuz when you think about the Wu,

9:27 did you see Method Man at the time

9:30 coming into film and television the way he has?

9:33 Did you envision that?

9:34 For him, he always like for every one of them, I saw their special abilities.

9:40 I thought I saw them as superheroes, as mutants.

9:42 I was like Professor X or some[ __] You know what I mean?

9:45 But I always saw them in in in a great way.

9:50 Like like I'm I'm a fan of them.

9:52 Uh even though I'm the Abbot.

9:54 You know what I mean?

9:54 So, for for Method Man, yes.

9:57 I'm happy that he accepted what what the energy of what it is.

10:02 You know what I mean?

10:02 Cuz sometimes you could be that and you just fight against it.

10:05 You know what I mean?

10:05 You fight against all your glory because you know,

10:09 in the hood it's like maybe no, yo, son, you ain't keeping it real.

10:13 You ain't keeping it real.

10:14 What the[ __] you talking about?

10:14 Every day is real, bro.

10:16 Mhm.

10:16 You know what I mean?

10:17 And and the evolution of a man is everything.

10:19 And for for him, I watched him evolve from from internal

10:25 just thinking about what he going to rap and say

10:27 to external to as he could actually get in front

10:30 of the camera and smile and laugh and be multiple personalities.

10:34 Mhm.

10:35 Yeah, beautiful.

10:36 Man, uh RZA is here.

10:38 Um 888-742-3345.

10:41 I I do before I take these calls.

10:43 It's a I I don't want to talk too much

10:45 about the movie cuz I really want folks to see it.

10:47 And I want I'm not Coming out May 1st.

10:49 May 1st, it's going to be in theaters.

10:50 And um where can they find it though?

10:52 If they want to know where they could find the movie.

10:54 Oh, yeah, it's in theaters, yo.

10:55 You can hit your AMC.

10:57 You know what I mean?

10:57 Get your big bucket of popcorn or whatever.

11:00 Mhm.

11:00 You can hit your Regal theaters, Cinemark.

11:03 So, I think we're going to start off

11:05 I think we're aiming at about 1,000 screens.

11:08 Okay.

11:08 So, that should be Nice.

11:10 nice spread around, you know, spread around.

11:11 So, you should be able to find it.

11:12 What what you going to hear in this movie is a lot of gems.

11:15 Like if you can make a book out for all the gems you hear in the movie.

11:20 And when I talk to you I'm on a horse.

11:22 What is horse over there?

11:24 Is horse?

11:25 What up, horse?

11:26 Horse is coming here.

11:27 Hey.

11:27 That's my voice.

11:28 It's horse.

11:31 [laughter] Horse is coming here.

11:31 So, I'm going to come on this side if you don't mind, horse.

11:34 So, so we could so um I could tell this story, man.

11:38 One time horse and I was just sitting outside building

11:42 and and and we got on the phone with you.

11:48 [laughter] RZA, right?

11:49 You remember this conversation?

11:50 Absolutely.

11:51 And um when you got off the phone,

11:54 horse, you made a comment about the conversation.

11:56 You remember?

11:57 About the music business, where the music was going?

11:59 Or just how he talked to us that day.

12:00 Oh, yeah, yeah.

12:01 He was dropping a lot of gems, man.

12:02 A lot of gems, for real.

12:03 Like when I really never heard the RZA talk a lot,

12:06 but when he was dropping them gems it just was like,

12:08 man, it's about to be a shift.

12:10 Yeah.

12:10 That's what it was.

12:11 He said about to be a shift that's about to go on.

12:13 Yeah.

12:13 And yeah, and that shift.

12:14 And horse, you were saying yo, he didn't say he didn't you didn't waste words.

12:19 Absolutely.

12:20 Right?

12:20 And when you talk you don't waste words.

12:22 You know?

12:23 And um you were talking about a shift of positivity,

12:27 goodness that you see coming in the world in the next 5 years.

12:31 And you told us to get prepared for it.

12:33 Yes.

12:33 You remember this?

12:34 It's Sometimes it's just I'm just living it.

12:37 I I vaguely remember it.

12:38 Okay.

12:38 Okay.

12:39 Do you feel that way though?

12:40 I definitely feel that way.

12:41 Can you can you go into that?

12:43 Um I probably have to come back for that.

12:45 Okay, that's okay, man.

12:46 You know what I mean?

12:48 [laughter] We just watched Hey, yo, I ain't going to front.

12:49 As I'm feeling nice.

12:51 We had uh we had at least about eight bottles of Raylo Tequila.

12:56 Let's go.

12:57 Oh, man, that's all Thank you, RZA.

12:59 Thank you.

13:00 Yeah, yo, you know what?

13:01 I heard I heard [laughter] I heard your cocaine brother call up.

13:06 Cocaine brother.

13:07 This is why he's the abbot.

13:09 Cocaine brother.

13:11 And uh listen, bro.

13:16 [laughter] Take a shot of tequila.

13:17 And live.

13:18 And you don't got to worry about fentanyl, bro.

13:21 What you doing?

13:22 Don't go [laughter] Rick James on this brother.

13:23 Don't go Rick James on this brother.

13:25 All right, I'm going to go to these phone lines.

13:27 888-742-3345.

13:29 We got a Nat in ATL.

13:31 Nat, what up, man?

13:32 How you doing, Nat?

13:33 Nat?

13:33 What up, Nat?

13:35 Hey, how you guys doing?

13:37 Excellent.

13:37 Say what up to the RZA.

13:39 What's up, RZA?

13:40 How you doing, my man?

13:42 Peace.

13:42 I love how your voice changed to[ __] He was like My Oh,

13:45 here's Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

13:47 What's up, listen, man?

13:47 Yo, he got cooler than [laughter] Nat, right?

13:50 He gave me corporate guy.

13:51 He's corporate Nat, right?

13:54 Oh, I wish that that was that[ __] [laughter]

13:57 So, I met you in 90 I met you in 94, 95.

14:01 Um and then it was just like a real brief meeting um in New York at a studio.

14:08 Caras one was there.

14:10 A couple other people that I met was there.

14:12 I think I think it was really quiet.

14:13 I'm not for sure.

14:14 I just shook your hand about.

14:16 Now, I have cancer.

14:18 So, having cancer and I've been having cancer for like the last 3 years.

14:24 I watched the Wu-Tang series while I was in the cancer.

14:28 I mean, Wu-Tang Saga.

14:29 Let me say that right so everybody knows.

14:32 So, the citizens know.

14:34 That I watched it three times.

14:36 I had no questions for you.

14:37 It's just very inspiring.

14:39 And I got love for you.

14:40 Being 54 years old and understanding who you are

14:44 and what you're doing means a lot to me.

14:47 And I want to say thank you very much

14:49 for the people of our age putting it out there like that.

14:52 And also, continue to do to do.

14:55 You actually helped me while I was going through

14:57 radiation and stuff build my own freight dispatch company.

15:01 So, thank you, my brother.

15:03 Wow, thank you, brother.

15:04 Thank you.

15:04 Thank you.

15:05 Thank you.

15:05 Thank you.

15:05 That's peace.

15:06 That's beautiful.

15:06 Thank you.

15:07 Yo, the two of y'all with y'all voices together should do a EP.

15:15 [laughter] Don't even trip.

15:15 Don't even trip.

15:16 Don't even trip.

15:16 Don't even trip.

15:21 [laughter] Go ahead, Nat.

15:22 Don't even trip.

15:23 Don't Don't trip, Sway,

15:24 because um I'm from LA and I'm going to say I met you five or six times.

15:29 I'm going to say one thing, Rhyme Syndicate.

15:33 Oh,[ __] Damn.

15:34 Okay, yeah, you taking me deep.

15:36 Rhyme Syndicate.

15:36 You're taking it back, Sway.

15:37 Now now you're taking it back.

15:38 Rhyme Syndicate, man.

15:40 Are you one of the MCs?

15:42 No, I'm actually I was actually assistant to Ice.

15:46 To Ice-T?

15:47 Oh, man, Rhyme Syndicate, man.

15:49 Oh, those those are the days.

15:51 I always Y'all always had love for me.

15:52 I always show love for you.

15:54 Oh, man, so hey, man, and you in our you in our prayers, man.

15:58 Thank you for tuning in to us.

16:00 We We got nothing but positive vibrations for you, bro.

16:03 All right?

16:04 Can I say one thing to all cancer patients?

16:07 It's 90% mental, 10% physical.

16:10 90% mental, 10% physical.

16:13 City of Hope.

16:15 City of Hope saved my life.

16:17 I had to be the first time I got on Sway in the morning.

16:20 You had to ear You came back to my ear ache.

16:22 I love you, baby.

16:24 And I'm a first time caller on the road.

16:26 Thank you.

16:27 You're the first time caller.

16:28 Give it up for that, man.

16:28 Give it up for that torch.

16:30 Yeah, man.

16:32 You guys take care.

16:33 Have a great day.

16:34 I won't take up your time.

16:35 Thank you, RZA, man.

16:36 You're my man.

16:36 Peace.

16:37 Thank you, fam.

16:38 That's beautiful, man.

16:40 Yeah, man.

16:40 You a citizen, brother.

16:41 Sway in the morning.

16:42 the world and you hear these stories, man, how do how do you even absorb that?

16:47 Well, that was like worth the whole not the whole trip here,

16:53 being groggy voice, battery life.

16:56 It was worth everything.

16:57 That That right That was this trip here to me was for that moment.

17:00 moment.

17:01 And that's what you're saying, like you're just living in it, right?

17:04 You're just staying in present.

17:05 Indeed.

17:06 Being aware of your presence.

17:08 We got Ivan from Florida on the line.

17:10 Ivan, what up?

17:11 What up, Ivan?

17:12 What up, Sway?

17:13 What up?

17:14 What's up, family?

17:14 How you doing?

17:15 Excellent, man.

17:17 Talk to us, brother.

17:18 Yo, RZA, RZA, man, I'm looking forward to talking to you, man.

17:21 I'm a fan of Wu-Tang.

17:22 I love you when you're in Gravediggaz.

17:25 Thanks for what you put out, man.

17:27 Thank you, man.

17:28 Bong bong.

17:29 And I I heard you love Gravediggaz, right?

17:32 Gravediggaz, man.

17:33 They're They're They're I'm even struggling.

17:35 Diary of a Madman, bro.

17:37 You did it, man.

17:38 And I admire your work.

17:40 And you were my soundtrack to my high school.

17:42 And I love you guys, man.

17:44 Um Thank you, bro.

17:46 And uh I heard you were working with Coast Contra.

17:50 Is that album Oh, yeah, the when is it coming out?

17:54 We don't know when it's I don't know what I just did

17:55 it and walked away and let them do what they want with it.

17:58 You know what I mean?

17:59 It's always It was just that.

18:01 You know what I mean?

18:02 But I want to say thank you.

18:04 you did.

18:04 Yeah, man.

18:05 And I and I'm going to I'm going to promote to you real quick.

18:09 May 1st, I got a new film called Once Upon a Chocolate in theaters.

18:13 Uh Of course.

18:14 Go check it out.

18:14 You know what I mean?

18:15 Catch the vibe of my energy and of my art now coming on the big screen.

18:20 And I feel that uh like when you're MC, you know,

18:24 you you could you could be good, but then eventually you become a master at it.

18:28 You know what I mean?

18:29 And I feel that this film is showing

18:31 my my elevation as a director and film and filmmaker.

18:34 And I feel that I'm going to go check it out.

18:37 Yeah, I want I want I want you to see it.

18:39 Yeah.

18:39 Yeah, absolutely.

18:41 I can't wait, RZA, because I watched you uh make that movie.

18:44 I think it was called Ghost Dog a while back.

18:47 Mhm.

18:47 Remember that?

18:49 And I like I loved that movie.

18:51 That was Forest Whitaker.

18:51 Yeah, Forest Whitaker.

18:53 Yeah, Forest Whitaker.

18:53 Yeah.

18:54 I'm going to go check you out, man.

18:55 But thank you for what you put out.

18:57 I always admire you.

18:58 What?

19:00 Bong bong.

19:02 [laughter] Sway in the morning.

19:02 Love you guys.

19:03 Yeah.

19:03 Love you, too, you super citizen.

19:04 Yo, every guy here is trying to match your voice now.

19:07 Everybody Your fans got screwy voices, man.

19:09 You ever notice [laughter] that?

19:10 I don't know, yo.

19:12 Representation matters.

19:14 There [laughter] it is.

19:15 Um this movie is powerful for so many reasons.

19:18 Um outside the screen, here you have somebody who came from our culture

19:22 who who is being autonomous in it.

19:25 You know, we talk about being cultural creators.

19:28 You know, we create all day, man.

19:29 We can We can, you know, make anything.

19:32 We can make We can make a castle out of sand.

19:34 That's what we do coming from our culture.

19:36 But now it's also time to be cultural engineers, right?

19:40 And that's what I feel and it's a difference.

19:42 Like when you're the cultural engineer, you're building the foundation.

19:46 You're collecting the data.

19:47 You're controlling the outcome, right?

19:49 And and I see you as the the next

19:53 iteration of who we should be coming from the culture.

19:57 You might just be being creative,

19:59 but are you thinking about that aspect of it, too?

20:02 Yeah, I'm thinking of having a you know 36 Cinema is striving to be an outlet.

20:07 Yeah.

20:07 You know, we you know we in the we in a place and time where you know,

20:12 the gate is just getting tighter and tighter to get in.

20:15 Mhm.

20:16 Um and the product of what is allowed

20:20 in is uh is getting more and more cookie-cutter.

20:23 Mhm.

20:24 And I'm not saying that, you know, nobody don't like a good cookie.

20:27 You know what I mean?

20:28 But you need some vegetables, bro.

20:30 Mhm.

20:30 In fact.

20:32 And and 36 Cinema is striving to be a outlet of substance.

20:36 You know, the one spoon of chocolate um we we can when you go there,

20:42 you going to be like, "Wow, that was a[ __] action thriller or etc.

20:46 etc." but you going to also have substance.

20:48 Mhm.

20:48 You know what I mean?

20:49 And so I want to do that and be part

20:51 of that and help other people who who got to go

20:55 through 30 40 hurdles to get into this business we

20:58 going to try to cut that down to 10 12.

21:01 10 to 12.

21:01 Something reasonable.

21:02 Yeah, simplify it.

21:03 Where systemic biases aren't keeping you out from your goals, right?

21:07 Yeah, exactly.

21:08 You said it perfectly.

21:09 Yeah.

21:09 Yeah.

21:09 So um but I said it in a regular voice.

21:13 All right.

21:14 [laughter] Ladies and gentlemen [laughter] Yeah.

21:21 I like this rhythm.

21:23 Uh 888-742-3345 uh Shameik Moore,

21:28 Paris Jackson you know, Isaiah Hill It's wild, yeah.

21:32 Isaiah Hill is nice.

21:34 Yo.

21:35 That kid is nice.

21:36 Beautiful beautiful kid.

21:37 Yeah.

21:37 Uh and have a have a good one.

21:40 Have a good one.

21:41 He he stayed out the four, too.

21:42 Harry stayed out the whole night?

21:44 It was he I was he was the second to last person to leave.

21:48 Yo.

21:48 [laughter] I was the last.

21:50 Yo, we did a party after party for RZA.

21:52 DJ Revolution was spinning.

21:55 Uh King Tech the visionary was like

21:57 he probably was putting everybody in position, right?

21:59 Indeed.

21:59 You know what's so crazy, Sway?

22:01 No.

22:02 I was there after Rev left.

22:04 The DJ pulled the plug out once.

22:09 [laughter]

22:08 What?

22:09 I'm serious.

22:09 We was we It was we had another bottle of tequila to give away.

22:13 So we was [laughter] like I'm saying that's what it ain't the cold.

22:17 That's not the move.

22:19 The cold extra cold.

22:22 [laughter] All right, man.

22:22 Safe period.

22:22 I'm not going to promote that.

22:24 If you got to you want to ask RZA a question?

22:27 [laughter] Man, a question for the RZA.

22:28 Uh I mean, honestly, no.

22:30 I I'll say this cuz I watched the movie last night and I was blown away.

22:34 I think, you know, what you're talking about sort of a cultural

22:37 shift to to artists like the RZA becoming cultural curators.

22:43 I've been watching that happen for a minute

22:44 and I feel like I'm excited for what comes next.

22:47 I'm excited to see, you know,

22:48 when his imagination is allowed to operate on multiple levels, what comes next.

22:52 So what I want to know is what are you excited about that you haven't done yet?

22:57 Wow.

22:58 Well, I'm excited really about just sharing this cinema and making more cinema.

23:02 You know, I make and be in a place where others can get that cinema out.

23:06 Because once again in a movie you cover every base of art.

23:12 Mhm.

23:12 Even fashion.

23:13 Mhm.

23:14 Right?

23:15 Uh our hero in the movie he had like a uh like

23:19 a Clint Eastwood poncho but he had a hip-hop hood on that[ __] Yeah.

23:23 Yeah.

23:24 Yeah.

23:24 Yeah.

23:24 I won't be surprised if somebody is walking around

23:27 with that one day like this so chilling smoking on their blunt.

23:30 Right.

23:30 Right.

23:31 So so that's the power of it.

23:33 So Jay, I just want to continue to create that for myself out

23:37 of my outlet but also open the door for others to make it through that outlet.

23:41 That's what's up.

23:42 Appreciate that.

23:43 What what what what what would What when

23:45 you and I asked you part of this question

23:47 yesterday but everybody gets something different when

23:49 they look at a piece of art, right?

23:51 I might see it, Sparkle might see it, Horse will see it.

23:53 We all see slightly different things.

23:56 But if you could step away from, you know,

23:58 being the creator of this art what did you walk away from from this movie with?

24:05 Like just as a spectator.

24:08 Mhm.

24:09 After watching it.

24:10 Cuz I I got mine.

24:11 You got yours.

24:12 You know, for me it's okay.

24:15 I'm going to just This is going to sound I

24:19 don't know I don't know how it's going to sound.

24:20 It's it's the truth.

24:21 Just say it say it say it in a moment.

24:22 There you go.

24:24 When I first listened to 36 Chambers Mhm.

24:26 I knew something.

24:27 I felt something.

24:28 I was like, "Oh[ __] you know you you son, we got some[ __] right here." Yeah.

24:33 That's how I feel when I watch that movie.

24:34 I've seen it hundreds of times, bro.

24:37 I saw it the day yesterday before I showed it to you.

24:41 Oh wow.

24:42 You know what I'm saying?

24:42 Yeah.

24:43 Yeah.

24:43 And I still sat in the[ __] seat and still felt so like you

24:47 know how you get a good album you can just keep playing it and and playing it.

24:50 It's just like So it's like I've seen

24:52 this thing so many times and I still feel it.

24:55 Mhm.

24:56 So that's when I know I like, "Yo, this[ __] just feels

24:59 Yeah.

24:59 But even beyond it ain't it's like it becomes it ain't yours no more.

25:03 It has its own life now.

25:05 Now now now you just observing.

25:07 And it like it's a good thing you said about baby.

25:10 It's like when your child starts doing his own[ __] you go, "Oh this[ __] Proud.

25:14 Yeah, he doing his[ __] [laughter] I didn't jump in and say Yeah, walking.

25:18 Yeah, and that's something it's something there.

25:20 And I and and I'm not saying that because I created it.

25:23 Yeah.

25:24 Right?

25:24 It's almost like I didn't create it.

25:27 Mhm.

25:27 You know what I mean?

25:28 It's almost like I'm just the instrument that it had to come through.

25:31 Mhm.

25:31 And and and and I'm I'm not and I'm not over exaggerating this.

25:36 Hundreds of times that I've seen it it still affects me every time.

25:40 Mhm.

25:41 It's something in it that still like,

25:42 "Shit." When the when the girl walks in to her father's uh shop Mhm.

25:50 and and she walks past all those coffins Mhm.

25:54 yesterday was the day that I was like,

25:56 "Damn." Like the idea that she didn't just walk off the she came off the street.

26:01 You had those missing signs.

26:03 And then when she walked in it was like coffin coffin coffin.

26:06 I was like, "Oh[ __] damn I kind of set that shot up." Yeah.

26:10 [snorts] Kind of crazy cuz it's symbolic.

26:12 Mhm.

26:12 And then she gets past all that then she

26:14 gets to bam the one that's Her love her love.

26:17 yeah.

26:18 Yeah, I was like I said that's kind of That's that's that[ __] is deep.

26:21 And it's deep for us.

26:22 Mhm.

26:23 It's deep for us as people.

26:25 It's deep for us as black men and women.

26:27 It's deep for us as Americans.

26:28 Yeah.

26:29 Because life becomes almost non-valuable.

26:34 Mhm.

26:35 You know what I mean?

26:36 Becomes non-valuable.

26:37 Life becomes oh is you're better off not having life.

26:41 There's more profit in your death.

26:43 Yeah.

26:44 You know what I mean?

26:44 So Yeah, but this is this is this is this is this is one of those.

26:48 This is a very American patriotic movie.

26:54 This is movie is patriotism like we've never seen it.

26:58 Mhm.

26:58 Right?

26:58 This is the other side of what what to be

27:01 a patriot and to have love for your country,

27:03 you know, and and to have love from where you where you from and who you are.

27:08 And and that's a different take than I think everybody would

27:11 see but the broader stroke for me was yo, this is patriotism.

27:15 Mhm.

27:15 You know Right.

27:16 being explained through a lens we have yet to see.

27:20 Mhm.

27:21 You know, and it's relatable to us and there are voices

27:24 that are written in this in this script that will represent people fully.

27:30 Not just half, you know,

27:32 half-baked but fully will represent who you are in this country.

27:36 So man, I you know, I I without giving too much away,

27:40 One Spoon of Chocolate is the name of the movie.

27:42 Oscar and Hall of Fame in the same year, baby.

27:45 Boom boom boom.

27:46 Bong bong.

27:47 I got a bong bong now.

27:47 You got a bong now.

27:48 Tracy, go ahead.

27:49 Yes.

27:50 RZA, earlier in the show Heather had brought out brought up the the power

27:55 of details and how that can take something from good to great,

28:01 you know, just adding sprinkles to whatever project that you have.

28:05 I would love if you're able to share an example

28:08 of a part of this cinematic process that really required a meticulous eye.

28:16 Wow, I mean, to be honest every part of it, you know,

28:19 from the costume from my from my heroes having what they have on.

28:23 There's a scene uh we could talk about this.

28:25 There's a scene where you know,

28:27 the character his name is Unique and he's from New York.

28:31 Right?

28:31 And he goes down to Ohio to his cousin Ramsey.

28:34 And and New Yorkers we wear Timberlands, bro.

28:38 Mhm.

28:38 Now they go to the basketball court to play a game of basketball.

28:41 The dude is playing basketball in his Tims.

28:44 And it was it was not only something I wanted

28:47 to point out but even with his with you know,

28:50 New Yorkers we kind of flap our tongue a certain way.

28:52 You know what I mean?

28:55 [laughter] His his his his his Timberland had a certain flap on it.

28:57 And he thought he was going to bust his cousin's ass

29:00 playing and he he can't he had a few good moves.

29:02 But the point is you shouldn't play basketball in Tims.

29:06 But you know what?

29:07 We do.

29:08 Right.

29:10 [laughter] And and and and the gag when the when

29:11 the audience caught the joke when the guy was like,

29:12 "Yo, you can't[ __] win playing with those[ __] Tims." The audience got it.

29:17 But those type of details all the way to the hairstyle, you know,

29:22 when you see the hairstyles on some of my characters or Shameik

29:24 Moore when he first came out of the out of the system Mhm.

29:28 you know, he To be honest,

29:30 when he first came out of the system cuz I I'm a hip-hop lover and I of course I

29:34 love hip-hop and I also love all of the our culture

29:38 of a lot of artists in this culture.

29:39 Like I love them.

29:41 I don't get a chance to see them or tell them that.

29:42 Yeah.

29:43 But when he came out the system I I to say

29:45 he looks like Kodak Black when he first came out.

29:47 Oh, he does look like Kodak Black.

29:49 And it's just like, you know,

29:50 I love that brother's songs and and and and his his his effort

29:53 to what he was striving in the whole Haitian community.

29:56 And so I was just like, yo, I just wanted to give him give him that one nod.

30:00 Yeah.

30:01 Come home, bro, and be and move move move this way.

30:06 And so so so all the details in the film is is

30:09 very meticulous and I thought about uh every nook and cranny of it.

30:13 Mhm.

30:14 That it is, man.

30:14 Thank you.

30:15 Well, I was going to say I was going to say something.

30:17 No, no, no, I can't no.

30:17 Um RZA, bef- we started off the show this morning talking about

30:22 like start to finish and the feeling that you have when you have

30:26 an idea and it finally you finally get the keys

30:29 to that to your your business or the keys to your home and started that LLC.

30:34 Uh for all the creatives listening right now

30:36 and the millions of people that will see this conversation,

30:39 how long did it take from the time you

30:41 had this idea of this film to getting it out?

30:45 Was it years?

30:46 Was it This particular film I started writing it in 2011.

30:51 What?

30:51 Wow.

30:53 And I kept getting stuck like couldn't

30:57 maybe 40 pages and couldn't move couldn't move.

31:00 And then one day had a writer's strike a couple of years ago.

31:03 Yeah, that's right.

31:03 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

31:04 During the writer's strike I was like, well, I'm going to write.

31:10 [laughter] You know what I mean?

31:11 Strike no, bro, I'm going to work more.

31:13 How about that?

31:14 Um and then um I tried to write something different.

31:17 I was writing something that that I'm pretty proud

31:19 of and eventually it'll come to life, but that got stuck.

31:23 And then I went back to these pages and all

31:25 of a sudden it just started flowing like water.

31:28 So that goes back to sometimes it ain't you.

31:31 It's just the artist self is is is incubating

31:35 before it manifests itself like a seed in the ground.

31:38 Um but to double down with so 13 14 years.

31:41 All right, just for that.

31:43 But to double down what you said about completion.

31:46 Uh preparation is everything and completion is everything.

31:51 One of my biggest joys Mhm.

31:53 and this has been for over a decade now is to complete my goal.

31:57 Amen.

31:58 That's special to me.

32:00 Um I'mma add a lesson to this.

32:03 I wanted to say this to you yesterday.

32:04 Uh so wait, so yesterday was the premiere

32:07 of the film Once Upon a Time in Chocolate, April 22nd.

32:10 Mhm.

32:11 Right?

32:12 And in my life April 22nd is a special day because April 22nd is the day that I

32:18 was acquitted uh from the crime that was going to send me to jail for 8 years.

32:24 Wow.

32:24 So April 22nd I celebrate April 22nd every year cuz

32:28 it's like it's the day that Prince Rakeem became the RZA.

32:34 Woo.

32:34 And and I didn't plan I I didn't like

32:38 the the the premiere date was so many different dates.

32:42 And somebody said, well, the only date available at that theater was April 22nd.

32:47 And then in the opening of the film Wow.

32:49 when our hero gets out the last day he marks on the calendar is April 22nd, bro.

32:57 So Can't make that up.

32:58 Can't make it up.

32:59 You can't make that up.

33:00 You can't even bother explaining it, right?

33:02 Can't How do you know that?

33:03 the confidence.

33:03 But now 22 in our alphabets is the letter V.

33:07 Mhm.

33:08 And that's victory.

33:09 And victory is to achieve your goal.

33:12 Word.

33:12 Complete and achieve your goal.

33:14 Amen.

33:15 RZA, man, I'm glad he got up, man, even though he fell asleep on the way here.

33:19 Still a dope, man.

33:20 I loved it, man.

33:21 Incredible.

33:21 Thank you.

33:22 Yeah, man.

33:24 I'm I'm I We ain't going to hold you too long, man.

33:26 I I had a I had a plan, but I listened to your voice.

33:29 I don't know if that's going to work out, but uh [laughter]

33:34 I'll come back and see you.

33:35 Okay, you already know where I was going with this, man.

33:38 Real quick, for those who want to know,

33:40 uh can you explain what happened in Australia with the tour?

33:44 Oh, no, yeah, Australia we had um some

33:48 members missed the flight didn't get on the flight.

33:50 Some members had um like for my position, you know,

33:55 we in a position as a family that every Wu

33:58 member has a manager and that manager represents their interest.

34:02 And so the managers had said, yo, my client It's you know,

34:07 I hate to say client, but my client is going to be there.

34:10 But we was going through a difficult time,

34:13 of course, with the loss of our brother Power.

34:15 Yeah, man.

34:16 But but that's empowering the power, brother.

34:17 Yeah.

34:18 All praises due.

34:19 Mhm.

34:19 And and and Dubai was was a date that got canceled.

34:24 So it was it was Europe, Dubai, then Australia.

34:30 Dubai, of course, they had the water blew up the whatever the airport.

34:33 So wasn't going over there, right?

34:35 So in that gap some brothers went back to America.

34:40 Okay.

34:40 But some brothers stayed over in Europe.

34:43 Uh-huh.

34:44 Um and you don't know who do what cuz you just you know,

34:46 we just form like Voltron when it's time.

34:48 So you don't know where all those other other other lions at.

34:51 You don't know where the gold cap you don't know where they at, right?

34:53 You seen them last night.

34:54 You see them again when you see them again.

34:58 [laughter] But when we got to Australia uh it was half half a team.

35:02 Uh-huh.

35:02 You know what I mean?

35:03 And um and you know, the first night was like,

35:07 hold on, wait, yo, where where where did all the gods at?

35:10 I'm okay.

35:10 What[ __] What we going to do?

35:12 All right, well, we going to do what we going to do, right?

35:14 So we still went out there and we tore it down.

35:16 Don't get it twisted.

35:17 Uh-huh.

35:18 You know what I mean?

35:18 We tore it down, but some of the members

35:20 wasn't there and and then the next day so

35:23 I would hit I remember hitting up uh um

35:26 um my brother uh Meth's manager cuz you know,

35:30 I said, yo, what's up what's Meth you know?

35:33 He said, oh no, he had he got he also

35:34 had a a he had a another commitment that was hovering.

35:40 Uh-huh.

35:40 You know, he makes films and so there was a film

35:42 commitment that was hovering that wasn't s- you know, Mhm.

35:46 the the materialize until yes, you got to be there tomorrow.

35:49 Said, nah, he he can't make it over.

35:51 He has to finish his film.

35:52 I was like, ah[ __] yo, bro.

35:54 Uh what about Chef?

35:55 Where's Where's Ray?

35:56 Yeah.

35:56 Ray wasn't there.

35:58 He said, yo, he got some other issues and[ __]

36:00 What about so- so- so he didn't get on the flight.

36:02 So so well, Australia don't let[ __] in.

36:04 Excuse my language.

36:05 Mhm.

36:05 But Australia won't let you in if you got felonies, too.

36:08 You know what I mean?

36:08 Mhm.

36:08 Oh.

36:09 It's I mean, you could clean it up, but it ain't easy to get into Australia.

36:13 I didn't know that.

36:13 Oh, bro, listen.

36:14 We went there before and they took some brothers and sent them back.

36:18 They like they'll let you get land.

36:20 You could land.

36:22 Get to the get to the custom, man, he's just like, bro.

36:25 Isn't that like a 23-hour flight?

36:27 Right.

36:28 Yes, it is.

36:28 They send you right back?

36:29 They send you right back?

36:31 Yeah.

36:31 So so all those different So so some brothers couldn't make it because of legal.

36:35 Uh-huh.

36:36 Some got caught into a commitment.

36:37 Some ended up going back home and and and not being uh you know,

36:43 not being able to get on that flight in time to come back and rock.

36:46 And then after you You know what?

36:47 If you missed the first one, you were like, you know what?

36:49 Yeah.

36:49 I ain't hitting 23 Yeah.

36:51 to go.

36:51 And so I I I apologize to the fans for that in Australia.

36:55 We really appreciate I mean, it was every every night was sold out.

37:00 Yeah, man.

37:00 Was it really the last Is that the last Wu-Tang tour?

37:03 Th- Th- This is the final chamber.

37:05 So the idea of the final chamber was to try to hit the globe, you know,

37:10 like when I mean when we when I designed it,

37:12 it was like, yo, if we could hit a hundred to 120 locations.

37:18 Mhm.

37:18 That may take two or three years, right?

37:20 Cuz you see we started in America, we went to Europe,

37:23 uh Japan was coming, China, um you know, the motherland, you know what I mean?

37:28 Mhm.

37:29 But this is this is our last our last

37:31 run where as we are committing and obligating each other.

37:36 Mhm.

37:36 Like a commitment and a obligation to each other and to our fans.

37:42 Um and then after that there's no more obligations.

37:44 Okay.

37:45 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

37:46 You in you in if you ain't you ain't.

37:47 No more obligations.

37:48 All right.

37:48 Um but and but it was definitely Australia just kind

37:52 of definitely for me I'll be honest with you felt like

37:55 a a backwards step because the audience and the fans

37:59 were very confident that the Wu is going to be there.

38:03 Yeah.

38:04 And in Australia um we stepped on stage with a with a six-man team.

38:08 Yeah.

38:08 Yeah.

38:09 Y'all tore it down, though.

38:10 Tore it down, though.

38:10 Don't get it Listen.

38:12 Yeah.

38:13 I know that was different for you, too, huh?

38:14 I was going hard body.

38:15 I I started doing rock and roll[ __] [laughter] A yo, bro, I'm serious.

38:23 It's cuz it's like, yo, okay, y'all[ __] it then.

38:26 I'm going Yo, you have GZA went hard body.

38:29 Shout out to GZA.

38:29 Shout out to GZA.

38:30 Yo, the GZA the GZA He said, yo,

38:32 I'mma throw He He did verses he never did in the history on stage.

38:36 Wow.

38:36 He was like,[ __] he got 10 more minutes

38:38 to do some[ __] He just start he was going crazy.

38:43 crazy out.

38:43 Yeah.

38:43 I love the GZA, man.

38:44 Yeah, he was loose on it.

38:46 Wow, man.

38:47 RZA's here, man.

38:48 Thank you for coming through.

38:49 Real quick, play him that song that ODB song that exclusive you got.

38:53 I just want to ask you if you know where this came from.

38:56 Jay Jay Period said he got a song him in trouble, sweetheart.

38:58 never before heard by ODB.

39:01 I just want to see if you heard it before while while he's digging that up.

39:06 And then One Spoon of Chocolate premiere May 1st in theaters.

39:10 May 1st in theaters.

39:11 Yep.

39:11 And uh make sure you get that.

39:14 I brought Jay Period because last time RZA came to the show Mhm.

39:19 when he left we all got on the phone,

39:20 me and him and Tech like a couple of days later.

39:23 Right.

39:24 And and I think I said Tech said, "Dough,

39:27 did he did he rhyme?" I said, "Nah." "Nah, I didn't And and I And Tech said,

39:32 'Why not?'" And RZA said, "Cuz Shade didn't ask me." [laughter] Oh.

39:38 Oh, okay.

39:40 And I'm like, we looking at each Okay,

39:43 so that's why J Period was here, but I know your voice ain't right.

39:47 Right.

39:47 Yeah, that's when we do my bad white lyric, you know what I Yeah, man.

39:49 Unless you want to.

39:51 Come on, sweat.

39:51 I'm just asking.

39:52 Hold on, hold on, J.

39:53 What you got?

39:54 What's a player play on?

39:55 Nice.

39:56 I never heard that, bro.

39:57 You got that from Who Dame Dash gave you that?

39:58 Who gave you that?

40:00 Man, I don't honestly, I don't know 100% where it came from.

40:02 It might have come from Mr.

40:04 Thompson.

40:05 Questlove.

40:06 Questlove, okay, that makes sense.

40:08 He he he he he he be having some[ __] He got it, you ain't got it.

40:11 That's crazy, bro.

40:12 Yeah, it's crazy.

40:13 That's some wild[ __] Yeah, but that's the first time,

40:15 I mean, I would say you hear ODB being introspective.

40:18 Right.

40:18 On a record, which is why I love it.

40:20 Yeah, that was great, man.

40:21 great, bro.

40:22 Yo, we stumped the RZA.

40:23 All right, man.

40:24 Yo, RZA, thanks for J Period.

40:25 I'm sorry.

40:26 I told you to Period in trouble.

40:28 That's all right.

40:28 He got to Questlove on the corner with promises of RZA freestyling,

40:31 [laughter] but we'll have to do it another day.

40:32 Yeah, yeah, I told him come in the morning, bro.

40:35 He's like, but he drove as far as you.

40:36 I said, nah, man, I'm going to ask him to spit.

40:39 I want the right PJ underneath him.

40:41 Hey, listen, I'm happy to come up here and set the tone for the gods.

40:44 Next time, right, RZA?

40:46 Next time.

40:46 I love you, brother.

40:47 I probably told you that.

40:49 Thank you.

40:50 And um continue, man.

40:52 We're following your lead.

40:53 Thank you, God.

40:54 All right, let this man fly, man.

40:56 All right, one spoon of chocolate.

40:59 Make sure y'all support this.

41:00 It's for the culture.

41:01 Thank you for getting up.

41:02 Thank you, Bomb.

41:03 he love us.

41:04 All right, J Period, thank you for coming through.

41:06 Salute to the RZA.

41:07 All right.