Goodlifestore.co.uk Blog

A few months back RZA (Bobby) and his new group The West Coast Killa Bees
were in town to play at the famous Arches nightclub in Glasgow. RZA was
also here to take part in a Q&A session at the Glasgow Film Theatre after
a screening of one of his side projects, the anime kung-fu movie
Afro Samurai and to promote his new solo album Digi Snax,
which is in stores now.

During his hectic schedule, RZA popped in to GOODLIFE with his crew for a
look at the store and also an interview and photo-shoot in the GOODLIFE
offices. Here’s how it went down!

Bobby, how are you enjoying your time in the UK?

So far my trip to the UK has been cool! A lot of fun and a lot of culture!

Tell us a little about the new Bobby Digital project?

The new Bobby Digital album is called Digi Snax! The best thing I can say
about it is a lot of fun; I mean a lot of fun!!

How are you enjoying producing soundtracks for movies and
also acting?

Producing soundtracks for movies has been a joy for me, a chance for me
to really express my musical talent and acting in movies is the biggest
ego stroke you can get. I mean there’s nothing cooler than being a fucking
movie star besides hip-hop.

How did you get involved with the American Gangster movie?

Well I did a movie called Derailed with Clive Owen and Jennifer Anniston
and people thought I did good, they liked me. Then they called me in to
read for the part for American Gangster, I read for the part. First of all I read
for a small part, then did my screen tests, but then they gave me a big part!
Can’t beat that!!!

How do you feel your production style has changed and developed
over the years since the early Wu-Tang stuff?

Well I think I still use my classic Wu style. Since i started on the 36 Chambers
album, I’ve become a musician since then. I study music theory, I play
guitar, drums, piano. I feel my production style has increased because
my knowledge has increased.

Who or what inspires you to make music at the moment?

I’m inspired by life more than anything! But over the years I’ve been
inspired by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding,
Barry White. Nowadays I listen a lot to Rock n Roll, bands like Led Zeppelin.
I never listened to Zeppelin as a kid! There’s one band I really like, they’re
called Clutch, like them a lot, pretty hardcore band! So now rock music
and metal music has entered my world. I hang out with John Frusciante
from the Red Hot Chili Peppers all the time. We actually did a party 3 nights
ago in LA, with me, John Frusciante, Shavo from System of a Down, it was his
birthday party. It was me, those guys and my man Tre from Stone Mecca,
which is a band from out in California and we all was on stage,
George Clinton was there too. We was all on stage having a fucking ball!
Mixing rock, hip-hop, funk all together!

What are your views on Street Culture? Because for GOODLIFE the ethos
is like a lifestyle thing, where brands can fuse with music to create a
lifestyle etc

For me I think for the class of people there should be a style or brand of
clothing to represent that class. We’re hip-hop, but we’re not dirty hip-hop.
You know, your store GOODLIFE to me and other boutiques around the world,
it’s more clean hip-hop style! You could wear to a hip-hop club but also
wear casually. I mean you be looking fly, but not like a grimey bastard
(laughs). Some days I wear it grimey though, with a black hoodie covering
face and shit, straight mean. But I think the street style of hip-hop,
I appreciate it, the skate style and that fused together is a good mix!

There’s obviously a big connection between New York and Japan with
Street Culture. What are your views on that?

New York is the Mecca of street style, then you know the Japanese put a lot
of money on it. New York creates it then Japan takes it (laughs)! You know
around the world I enjoy these boutiques like GOODLIFE. You can always find
good t-shirts and good gear in there, with stuff from New York and Japan.

Do you have a favourite clothing brand at the moment?

Yeah my favourite right now is Maharishi. That’s my favourite clothing brand
right now, I probably wear that at least 3 times a week. I appreciate the
Japanese influence and first of all it’s the camoflauge thing they do.
The guy that started Maharishi told me that I inspired his company and now
I wear his clothes. He keeps me looking cool now. It’s gone full circle.
Their stuff is rugged, but it’s clean rugged, if you know what I mean?
I can go to Barnes & Noble with Maharishi on (laughs).

Do you have a favourite sneaker of all time?

Of all time? Gucci! Yeah the old Gucci sneaker. You ever see the S.Carter?
Well that’s a copy of the old Gucci sneaker. The old Rakim joints!
The old Gucci sneakers were the shit for real! That’s my favourite of all time,
the black ones. They were expensive in those days and I used to bust my ass
to get a pair (laughs)

We know you like a smoke now and again (laughs)! Do you have a
favourite strain of weed?

Of weed (laughs)? I love Northern Lights, it’s always good, don’t get that a lot
no more though. Silver Haze is always good, again you don’t get that a lot
too much! But right now we smoking a lot of nice Kush cause I’m in Cali now.
Smoking a lot of Kush and shit. There’s also one called Minder Bender or
something it’s called, that shits good too!!!
Thanks again to RZA and his crew for stopping by the store and for taking the
time out his busy schedule to chill out with the GOODLIFE crew.
Make sure you go cop that new Bobby Digital album “Digi Snax” which is in
stores now!