RZA (file)
Photo: Sanctuary

They say it's lonely at the top. Just think what it feels like to be Voltron's head — when things don't go right, you're the first one looked at.

Last week, disgruntled Wu-Tang Clan member U-God candidly disclosed a history of what he described as in-studio callousness toward him by the RZA (see "Wu-Tang Clan's U-God Blames RZA For No New Wu Output"). Among other disparaging accusations, U-God said that the Wu's main producer caused a rift in the collective by playing favorites among its members.

The RZA responded late last week via the Wu-Tang sanctioned Web site www.wutangcorp.com: "U-Godzilla has a distorted memory of the Wu and his involvement. And for him to state that I dealt with separation is blasphemous, for it was my focus on unity that made us strong and successful. I don't deal with separation nor unrighteousness amongst my peers or my enemies."

RZA added that U-God's incarceration led to his rhymes not being as sharp as the others'.

Last Thursday, the two MCs were featured guests on Sway's Renegade Radio morning show on New York's Hot 97 — U-God in-studio, and RZA via phone. The Clansmen aired out their differences and at the end of the program agreed to meet up and talk.   

After taking time to collect his thoughts, RZA weighed in with MTV News on Tuesday (March 9). He urged his brothers to all unite and asked for fans to forgive the group's public bickering.

"I would like to add that U-God is one of my oldest comrades in this life struggle, and if he has that much pressure on him to fabricate such stories, he should just call me or come see me and we can build," RZA said. "I'd like to ask for the Wu fans to pardon his error and pardon me for having to go into our history to clear the blaspheming of my name. U-God has stated on Hot 97 that his comments were a publicity stunt. What this all boils down to is the time for a Wu reunion is approaching fast and nature is making her call."

At least some of the Wu do not share U-God's ill feelings. Dirt McGirt is one who is staying especially allegiant to RZA, who is also his cousin. Dirty is done recording his album, and RZA has produced six cuts on the LP (see ). There are several posse cuts with other members of the crew.

RZA also gave props to Dirty as being the one who sparked the idea of bringing the Clan to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. RZA said on the Web site that a deal is currently being worked out.

[This story was updated at 1:59 p.m. ET on 03.09.2004]

• Wu-Tang Clan
• RZA
• U-God

U-God (file)
Photo: Loud

"Long story short, if you wanna know why the Wu-Tang Clan ain't together, you know who to talk to: Bobby Steels, RZA, Rzarector," a dejected U-God said last week of his group.

It's been three years since the Clan have raised their "iron flag," and U-God says the person chiefly to blame is RZA, the head of the musical family's Voltron formation.

In New York to promote the release of his upcoming compilation album, U-Godzilla Presents the Hillside Scramblers, U-God said he gets flashbacks of the early Wu-Tang Clan's glory days. However, as he delved into his memories, the man whose alias is Golden Arms recalled moments that weren't so sweet.

"I learned a lot about slavery," he said about being in the group. "I realized what slavery was. You had them cats that was in the slave master's house, the Uncle Tom cats who'd go back and be like, 'U-God is trying to run over the wall, masta. What do you wanna do?' Before I get a chance to run over the wall, I'd be getting whipped the next morning. That's the way it was going down. Cats was ratting on each other and doing a lot of fish-head stuff."

Although U-God was never actually physically assaulted by any of his "brothers," the deep-voiced MC remembers being demoralized by RZA, the group's main beatmaker and business mind. "One thing that I didn't like about the whole situation of being with Wu-Tang is that RZA always dealt with separation," U-God vented. " 'This n---a is better than that n---a, Ghost is better than you, U-God.' When you deal with separation, you're dealing with the devil and he's supposed to be a righteous brother. You made this man feel better than this man, and it separated us.

"Now it's a reality check that's going to happen," U-God said about the Clan's current estranged state. "Once you get separated mentally, then it's physically and then it's spiritually. [RZA] broke the bond himself and didn't even know it. He left people like myself, [Inspectah] Deck and Masta Killah to fend for themselves, while other cats were already on. Sometimes I would be sitting there trying to talk to him, and he would look past me like he was some type of messiah. He let this music go to his head."

U-God said it took him seven years to get RZA to produce a track for his solo effort; in 1999, RZA finally executive-produced U-God's solo debut, Golden Arms Redemption. Even with that project, however, U-God said he didn't have RZA's full backing.

"When I was doing my first album, I told RZA, 'You only get one chance to mess my stuff up, bro,' " U-God said. " 'You don't rock me right, you ain't getting another chance.' He didn't rock me right, so I'm like, 'Next.' For like 10 years, I've been a loyal soldier to RZA. He was able to tell who's gonna come out, who's not, who's gonna sit by the side and wait. 'Ghost is gonna come, Meth is coming, but U-God, nah, you ain't coming.' I got fed up and got on my own sh--. What I'm doing right now is for me. I'm a grown-ass man right now. So basically I had to put my own situation together."

RZA's spokespeople did not return calls for comment.

RZA isn't the only member of the Clan with whom U-God is especially upset. He and Raekwon have had a falling out, and he's disturbed that ODB went on television and told the world he didn't get support from Wu-Tang while he was in jail. "I was hurt," the self-proclaimed "pound-cake complexion cat" said.

"I found out that [ODB] was in jail with my peoples, and he was going through hell up in there, so we drove up to see him and supported him," U-God continued. "We went to Rikers Island and did a show. We was on the road saying, 'Free 'Ol' Dirty.' We put money to the side for this cat. I don't know if he was getting it, but if he wasn't getting it, he knows who to step to: RZA and [his brother] DeVine. Those are his family. They ain't my family."

But despite his laments, U-God said he's still down to record another Wu-Tang album if they can all come together. "If they want to go to Dre's Aftermath ...," he began, addressing the rumor that the homeless recording group might sign to Dr. Dre's label, "you can go anywhere in this whole industry, it's in your music. You still gonna have to come with the gangsta. I don't know nothing about that [signing], but I know I'm still a part of Wu-Tang Clan. Wherever we land at, we land as a group — that's still my family."

And as he puts it, even family is going to fight at times or maybe all of the time, but love still remains deep down. "That's basically what we're going through, family quarrels over how some people handled the situation," U-God added. "All the stuff we went through, it's a lot of egotistical and dumb stuff."

• U-God
• RZA
• Wu-Tang Clan

Russell Simmons
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Hip-hop artists, record executives, politicians and journalists debated marketing strategies, discussed civil rights and aired some beefs in a series of largely private meetings Tuesday, the first day of Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit.

P. Diddy, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Jermaine Dupri, Luther "Luke" Campbell and the Wu-Tang Clan's U-God were among the artists who showed up at the New York Hilton for the summit, and much more firepower is expected Wednesday, when Eminem, Jay-Z, Will Smith and Queen Latifah are on the guest list and the Rev. Louis Farrakhan is scheduled to give the keynote speech.

But one artist was already bemoaning the turnout.

"One thing that's not too good is that you don't see too many artists," said Campbell, who was at the center of a rap lyrics controversy in the late 1980s with the 2 Live Crew. "You've got a lot of executives. It needs to be a little bit more artists because we are the ones that's actually responsible." The day's biggest panel discussed hip-hop's empowerment and lack thereof in government. Chuck D and Talib were joined by political figures that included activist Martin Luther King III and Reps. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Earl Hilliard of Alabama.

Among the topics broached were payola, lack of education in the black community and, of course, the effect rap music has on young people. King said there is a desperate need to bridge the gap between the hip-hop generation and the older political figures.

"In 2001 you've got to find a way to communicate with young brothers and sisters or you'll find yourself unnecessary," he said.

"I think that it was a good thing ... that [Congress] is involved," Campbell said. "Cats need to get involved, link up and decide on how they gonna deal with all these bills that's out there, trying to shut hip-hop down." Campbell said he experienced déja vu last week when the FCC fined a Colorado radio station for playing an edited version of Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." "One thing about the panel I learned is how so many black executives did not know where the labeling came from, how many cats that really didn't know what was going on as far as censorship in the hip-hop game," Luke said after the panel. "I always thought I was going through that struggle 12 years ago by myself, and that just confirmed that. Nobody had any idea — it's reteaching and rethinking all over." A new way of thinking is something Chuck D hopes the summit can get across to radio program directors, he said, because right now they don't play a wide enough variety of hip-hop.

"Music has more to offer," Chuck lamented after his panel. "Every story has to have their fair chance to be told. When it comes to our community, bad news is the only news that's told. Hip-hop sometimes follows that trend, [but] we can break it now." As the day progressed, hip-hoppers and their CEO bosses — including Violator's Chris Lighty and Def Jam's Lyor Cohen — started to filter in and politick. P. Diddy, however, was in no mood to rub elbows. Bad Boy's CEO slid in unnoticed through a back entrance and attended a closed-door meeting for label A&Rs focusing on their artists' content.

The day started with a private meeting among label representatives to discuss marketing strategies, with RIAA president Hilary Rosen among those who spoke. A youth roundtable and a meeting about media responsibility followed, and Reverend Farrakhan also privately talked to some MCs. The Nation of Islam leader, who'll be on hand Wednesday as well, has been trying to help feuding rappers come to a peaceful resolution.

• Diddy
• Luther Campbell
• Russell Simmons
• Talib Kweli
• Jermaine Dupri

Method Man
Photo: MTV News

After regrouping for The W, the Wu-Tang Clan is about to fire another round of solo albums, as at least six members of the New York rap mob are in the studio or heading that way.

Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Cappadonna and U-God are all expected to release albums by year's end.

First to drop will be Cappadonna's The Yin and Yang, due March 27. The record features production work by Jermaine Dupri, Alchemist, Neonek, Goldfing, and Wu-Tang Clansmen RZA and Inspectah Deck, according to Capp's Epic A&R representative. The first single will be "Supermodel," featuring a guest rap by Ghostface Killah. Feisty rapper Da Brat also drops in for the Dupri-produced "We Know." Other song titles include "Star Wars," "Love Is the Message," "The Grits," "Cut in Class," "Bread of Life" and "Revenge." Raekwon and Ghostface Killah initially planned to record a joint disc, but they're now each tracking a solo album.

Ghost is recording the follow-up to last year's Supreme Clientele in a variety of locations, including New York and Florida. The tentatively titled Cuban Linx II: Bulletproof Wallets will feature production work by RZA and appearances by additional Clansmen. The first single will likely be the club track "Good Times." Raekwon recently began recording his third LP in a Manhattan studio, a Loud Records spokesperson said. The album may share the same Cuban Linx II title as Ghost's disc, but with a different subtitle. Cuban Linx II, which refers to a type of gold chain, is a takeoff on Raekwon's 1995's album, Only Built for Cuban Linx. Method Man will head into the studio after he finishes filming a movie called "How High" with Redman, his Def Jam publicist said. The tentatively titled Tical 0: The Prequel is expected to feature production work by RZA and guest rhymes by Redman. It is Method Man's follow-up to 1998's Tical 2000: Judgement Day. Masta Killa, the only member of Wu-Tang who has not yet released a solo album, is expected to put out his debut later this year. Meanwhile, U-God should have his follow-up to 1999's Golden Arms Redemption ready by late summer, Priority Records said.

Jailed Wu-Tang MC Ol' Dirty Bastard recorded four or five songs with RZA and Wu-Tang affiliated producer John the Baptist while he was a fugitive late last year. Those songs are not scheduled for release any time soon, ODB's Elektra spokesperson said.

The Wu-Tang Clan released its third collective LP, The W, in November. The Wu Tang Records label will issue Wu Chronicles Chapter 2, featuring various Wu collaborations and six unreleased tracks, on April 24.

• Wu-Tang Clan
• Method Man
• Raekwon
• Ghostface Killah
• Cappadonna