RZA

RZA (also Prince Rakeem, Bobby Steels, the Abbott, the Rzarector, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig-Allah b. Robert Diggs July 5, 1960s - exact year unknown) is the record producer and a leader in the rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. He got his start in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a member of All in Together Now along with future Wu-Tang members GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Once this acclaimed local band dissolved, then-Prince Rakeem started going by RZA (pronounced "the rizza") and joined the Wu-Tang Clan for their debut, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. The album was incredibly successful, revolutionizing hip hop; one of the major reasons was RZA's sparse, lean production that made the sound distinctive. While continuing with the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA produced many of their solo albums, for Ghostface Killah, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man. He also took part in the Gravediggaz, a short-term rap supergroup. In 1998, RZA released As Bobby Digital in Stereo, his first solo effort, to mixed reviews. this was followed by 2001's Digital Bullet.

More recently he has moved into composing film scores, earning praise for his hip-hop score to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog. He also produced the original music for the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill.