Part of Wu-Tang Clan’s mystique has come from the group members’ unreleased works over the years. While there were tragic events such as Inspectah Deck’s original Uncontrolled Substance sessions lost to a flood in RZA’s basement. Then there were sample clearance issues that hindered Ghostface Killah’s third album, Bulletproof Wallets. One of the more deliberate instances has surrounded RZA’s long-discussed album, The Cure. While postulated throughout the last 15 years, it was once said to be the final album from the Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer. Montreality recently asked The Abbott about why The Cure remains unreleased, as RZA has not dropped a project under his name since 2008’sDigi Snacks. “I won’t release The Cure because at the time that I was scheduled to release it, I wasn’t living up to the words that I was inspired to write,” admitted RZA. “I live more to those words now—but still not fully. Maybe I’m like 70% livin’ like that. I still kinda like to go party, have my drinks. I’m still tempted by women and things like that. I’m not really dealin’ with a lot of infidelity like I was in the old days. I don’t do a lot of drugs like I used to do. But I still get my lil’ weekend parties on,” He elaborated. “I’m not sayin’ we shouldn’t party, ’cause life should be enjoyed, but sometimes, the cure that I was writing about, was [where] you could have Heaven every moment of your life, in yourself.”
Ever illusive, RZA waved, “Maybe I will release that album; maybe it’ll be a book. Maybe somebody will find it and discover it, and maybe another artist will record it for me. But I wrote a lot of positive lyrics, and I strive as best I can, to be a positive example for humanity. Because I want to be somebody who helps humanity, not somebody who hurt us.”
On the subject of relics, RZA also admitted that he invited his fellow Clansmen to return to one of Wu’s legendary studios to record “Family Reunion.” “The song ‘Family Reunion’ was recorded in my old studio, the same studio we recorded Wu-Tang Forever, which is the Wu-Tang mansion in south [New] Jersey—which I still own,” admitted RZA. He also maintained a Wu Mansion West in California, in addition to a longtime lab on 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. “I recently remodeled it and rebuilt the studio. I invited the brothers to come back to this place where we have such great memories. We recorded that song ‘Family Reunion.'” The song takes greater meaning to the former Tommy Boy Records artist. “To me, it’s time for a family reunion, not only as us—just Wu-Tang Clan, but all our fans.” “We strive and have a better tomorrow. We had some good times; we had some bad times. But if tomorrow can be better than today [that is a good thing].” RZA added that all members besides GZA and Raekwon have been recording towards the group’s forthcoming sixth album. “If things go right…you know, it’s hard to get a Wu-Tang album, ’cause we all have such big careers and big families that we have to maintain, of our own, to bring that energy back is not so easy. It’s looking real promising. Method Man did a lot of verses already. [Ghostface Killah] is writing some verses. U-God came over last week and took some music to write his verses. Masta Killa’s been very on-point with his verses. Inspectah Deck, myself [have been working too].”
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Inspectah Deck teamed with 7L & Esoteric this year to release CZARFACE, as U-God readies Keynote Speaker. Ghost also teamed with Adrian Younge forTwelve Reasons To Die in April. Both U-God and Ghost are signed to RZA’s Soul Temple Records.
Beyond the title, A Better Tomorrow may come in time for the 20th anniversary on November 9. “If things go right and we finish this album, I think that we’ll try to put it out in November, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of [Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)]. That’s my goal.”
The full Montreality interview with RZA is below. In the Q&A, RZA also discusses the whereabouts of the Bobby Digital suit, and a memorable, impromptu road trip with the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
RELATED:Wu-Tang Clan – “Family Reunion” [AUDIO]
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