RZA by David Corio

Photographer: David Corio

Location: West Broadway, NYC

Edition: 50

Date: 1994

"The multi-talented producer, rapper, author, actor, screen-writer and main inspiration behind Staten Island’s Wu Tang Clan, Rza was shooting a video for his off-shoot ‘horrorcore’ rap group The Gravediggaz. The personalised vampire teeth were a temporary metal cap for the video. Horrorcore was regarded as a sub-genre mixing hardcore rap with death metal and featured lyrics about suicide, cannibalism, murder and satanism with lots of horror film references. Not surprisingly it has never become a mainstream success. A talented chess player and a martial arts film afficianado, Rza’s lyrics and inspirations have come from Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Christianity and claims that three of his favourite books are the Koran, the Bible and the Lotus Sutra. Contrary to most musicians and record labels he is an exponent of illegal downloading of his and others’ music stating ‘Help yourself, have a good time!’"