Wu-Tang Clan
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Wu-Tang Clan

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“When you’re being creative, especially with other parties, you have tug-of-wars – especially when you’re creating with another great mind,” he says. “You’re both coming to the table and you both want to do your best, and you want to ultimately do your best for the fans and the listeners. None of us want to disappoint. So you will have tug-of-wars and that’s what actually pushes both of you forward, because you both want the best from one another. If Raekwon came in tonight and he heard a beat and he wasn’t really fond of it, what he said might’ve pushed RZA to make something new. When you’re being creative you need that friction, because after all pressure makes diamonds.

“You’re never going to have a family that doesn’t have a disagreement. All those kind of things are actually very normal. It wasn’t to the point where they were really fighting or anything. You just have two creative people pushing one another to get the best out them.”

In the 22 years since releasing their era-defining debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the Clan’s constituent members have each become accomplished solo performers. Along with working on the six Wu-Tang albums, Killa has released three solo LPs and regularly contributes verses to other members’ solo releases. Throughout it all, the Brooklyn native has stayed motivated thanks to the example of his Wu-Tang brethren.

“My brothers are always inspiration for me,” he says. “When I first heard them as a group I was inspired from day one. It definitely inspired me to always strive to write something that they can appreciate. As an artist you always want to get something whosever listening can appreciate. It meant a lot to me when I first met Rakim and he knew who I was. That meant a lot to me. For all the years that I studied his work, when I finally met him and he knew who I was, that meant a lot. That means I was saying something that he actually appreciated. So from home and abroad, me as an artist, I always strive to give back to the musical universe what I absorbed. And I’ve been a fan of hip hop from day one.”

While he’s the least active MC in the group, RZA is known as Wu-Tang’s de facto leader and musical coordinator. As with every Wu-Tang album, he produced the majority of tracks on A Better Tomorrow. But, although he was driving the project, his directions weren’t dictatorial.

“Songs come together in so many different ways,” says Killa. “Sometimes he can actually make something and he already has a vision of which direction he would like that song to go. So if you came in the studio one night and he had this particular production playing, he might steer you in a direction like, ‘OK we might want to talk about this for this particular record.’ Other times you could come in the studio and he’s looking for inspiration. And he plays something and from what we give him; this is what the song becomes.

“Everyone is creative. RZA’s definitely the Mozart – no question. It’s a give and take thing when it comes to being creative and what we do. Sometimes the strangest things turn out to be, ‘This is why this song goes like this.’ But it’s all give and take.”

Yes – in spite of the often-broadcasted image of RZA as a demanding and unflinching boss, there are nine members of the Wu-Tang Clan for a reason. “When you have a group of nine or ten members, if someone doesn’t actually take the reins and say, ‘OK we need to do this,’ sometimes you might not get anywhere. Someone has to initiate [and say], ‘This is the best idea for this.’ Now, we can all vote on it or we can all go back and forwards with it, but sometimes that’s actually needed to be successful.”

Wu-Tang Clan are headed back to Australia in a few weeks for some typically big shows. Touring has been an ongoing commitment for Masta Killa during the last 20-odd years, and he remains genuinely excited about leaving Brooklyn and getting on the road.

“It’s always a blessing every time an opportunity presents itself for me to perform anywhere in the world. I mean, you have fans all over the world that love you and admire what you do and respect your art – that’s always a blessing for me. I don’t take that for granted, I don’t take that lightly. I’m always looking forward to getting on that stage and giving my fans and the people that love Wu-Tang Clan 120 per cent. You can’t take that for granted. That’s truly a blessing.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY