RZA NZ TOUR

The head of the mighty WU-TANG CLANpire - rapper, producer, composer, actor, director, screenwriter and more recently author RZA (AKA the Abbott, Prince Rakeem, the Rzarector, Bobby Steels, Bobby Digital born Robert Diggs) heads to New Zealand for shows this February!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!

Wednesday 17th Feb San Francisco Bathhouse Wellington
www.iticket.co.nz or 09 361 1000 or at Real Groovy Records

Thursday 18th Feb The Studio Auckland
www.iticket.co.nz or 0508 iTICKET & Real Groovy Records

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
RZA Announces NZ supports:

Wednesday 17th Feb San Francisco Bathhouse Wellington
Proudly supported by Juse1 & DJ Don Luchito!

Juse1 has been recognised as one of the illest freestyle MC’s in Aotearoa , based in Wellington, he loves, breathes and lives the hip hop culture. He’s been a MC/Graff writer for over 10years.

Don Luchito has been involved in the local underground seen for over fifteen years, Every show Don Luchito plays is different, drawing influences from Funk, Soul, Reggae, Dancehall, Dub, Rocksteady, Latin, Boogaloo, Disco, Ska, RnB, Jazz and Hip Hop. myspace.com/djdonluchito

LAST TICKETS ON SALE NOW:
www.iticket.co.nz or 09 361 1000 or at Real Groovy Records


Thursday 18th Feb The Studio Auckland
Proudly supported by Home Brew & Team Dynamite!

Home Brew is a smooth, refreshing ale that will make you feel golden and moist inside just like you did before big kids pants. Its full flavour is best accompanied by fresh herb lightly toasted between 2 red hot knives and most appreciated by substance abusers, social rejects and the homeless. www.myspace.com/homebrewcrew

The two lead lyricists of Team Dynamite, Tony Tee's and Lucky Lance have a chemistry that sounds like the day Mario met Luigi. Their partnership reminds you a bit of Tribe or Outkast but with a a distinct New Zealand style that's easy to relate to.Musically the sound is driven by Auckland's most lovable horsey face, Haz Beats. http://www.myspace.com/nzteamdynamite

TICKETS ON SALE NOW:
www.iticket.co.nz or 0508 iTICKET & Real Groovy Records

With just over a week to go:
Wellington pre-sales have sold out! Limited tickets will be available on the door on the night.
Auckland tickets still available.

Check out this interview:

The RZA

“What time is it out there?” asks a voice equal parts Staten Island and Brownsville, Brooklyn cool. A voice that could only belong to one individual, the man born as Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, now more commonly known as The RZA or Bobby Digital. A singular figure within the realm of Hip-Hop music, RZA could be considered the de-facto leader of iconic New York rap super-group The Wu-Tang Clan.

But he’s so much more, as audiences in New Zealand will discover when he touches down on our soil for two exclusive shows in Wellington and Auckland on the 17th and 18th of February.

We kick things off with some small talk. I tell him what time it is, make it very clear how excited his fans in New Zealand are about his second ever tour of our country. RZA feints a bit of apprehension about whether his is a good thing or not, but listening to the emotional subtext to his words, he’s clearly excited. So, given the level of popularity The Wu-Tang Clan’s music experienced in our country in the nineties, it only seems natural to talk to him about the early days; and the early songs.

And whether he’s explaining how ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ was, in his words, “my of bringing aggression to hip-hop,” talking about how ‘C.R.E.A.M’ was originally called ‘Lifestyles of the Mega Rich’, or reflecting on how ‘Ice Cream’ meant to be a set-up song for a line of Women’s Wu-Tang Clan t-shirts with names like “Chocolate Deluxe” or “Butter Pecan” – the common threads in conversation with RZA are clarity and honesty of reflection.

When he goes deep into reflection, things get really interesting, especially when we talk about working with Ghostface Killa on ‘Daytona 500’. “Ghostface was always at his crib making demos with turntables and a little sampler; and he would rap on a four-track machine,” he recalls. “He had this idea to do a record like a DJ would, like we were at a big old block party. It was an old Bob James song that had been cut up. But we cut up all the parts DJ’s hadn’t cut up, you know what I mean? Then Ghost and Rae just ripped it and I was like, yo, it’s called Daytona 500”.

Later on in the conversation, we discuss RZA’s recent work with Ohio rockers The Black Keys on their new Blakroc record. “Yeah, that was great,” RZA enthuses. “It’s fun man, all fun.” I explain to him how popular The Black Keys have been in New Zealand in recent years and he gets really excited. “Really man? Woah! Maybe we should do a tour together? I might have to sit down, knock some heads together and figure it out for next time?”

But before there can be a next time, there is this time. On the 17th and 18th of February and RZA performs two shows at The San Francisco Bath House in Wellington and Studio in Auckland. And you must attend.