Robert Diggs—known to fans by his Wu-Tang Clan handle, RZA—sits in a dimly lit corner of his tour bus in Portland, Ore. Ten nights into his North American tour in support of Digi Snacks (Koch), his third LP in character as futuristic cartoon-like superhero Bobby Digital, Diggs launches into an explanation of what’s happened to the Wu-Tang Clan since the recording of the group’s fifth album, 2007’s underrated 8 Diagrams.
“I haven’t worked with the Clan since,” he says quietly. “I’ve done some shows with them, but that’s mostly what we’re planning from here on out. Our creative ideas are going in different directions.”
The Wu-Tang Clan once bowed to the RZA’s rule. The legend of the nine-man rap aggregation’s meteoric rise includes cutting a Robert Johnson-like deal with Diggs, giving him complete creative control over the group and its members’ respective solo efforts for five years in exchange for a place at the top of hip hop’s Darwinian wild kingdom. But the other Wu-Tang members took shots at him in the press after 8 Diagrams was released, citing everything from business disagreements to Diggs’ supposed disregard for their creative input. In the wake of this uncharacteristic infighting, Diggs now appears to have something to prove.
“Once, all we had was a sampler,” says Diggs. “Now I play guitar to express my feelings. I got a band now, and it can get a little sloppy sometimes because I’m new with it. I’m learning.”
If Digi Snacks represents learning, it’s graduate study of a very high order. The album employs a barrage of sounds, from gospel vocals to synthesizers. “Booby Trap” could almost pass for a backward-masked spy theme, though it changes into a party-down pounder in a live setting. The stretched-out cadences on “Good Night” resemble one of Diggs’ patented time-warped jazz samples, while the bent piano riff and wobbly female vocal on “Drama” demonstrate how far his musical journey has taken him.
“I’m really comfortable with what we’re doing right now,” says Diggs. “We can change it up at any moment: ‘Know what? This band shit’s not cool anymore, I’m gonna go hit the reset button.’ But for now, I’m having a great time.”
—Corey duBrowa
