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RZA Quick Info
Height 6 ft 1 in
Weight 84 kg
Date of Birth July 5, 1969
Zodiac Sign Cancer
Eye Color Dark Brown

RZA is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, record executive, record producer, musician, and author who is known as the de facto leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Regarded as a highly influential group in hip hop, Wu-Tang Clan has released multiple albums like Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Forever, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, Iron Flag, The W, A Better Tomorrow, and 8 Diagrams. Moreover, RZA has also branched out as a solo artist and has released albums, extended plays, and songs such as Ooh I Love You Rakeem, Bobby Digital in Stereo, Digi Snacks, Digital Bullet, Birth of a Prince, and Gone (ft. Kobra Khan, Justin Nozuka, and James Black). RZA has also been cast in a number of movies and shows which include A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Due Date, Gang Related, Fresh Off the Boat, Funny People, Outlaw, Californication, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Gospel Hill, Coffee and Cigarettes, American Gangster, The Box, Derailed, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Life in a Year, Nobody, The Dead Don’t Die, Thriller, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Man with the Iron Fists, The Man with the Iron Fists 2, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and The Next Three Days.

Born Name

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs

Nick Names

RZA, Prince Rakeem, The RZArector, Bobby Steels, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, Abbott, Bobby Digital, Prince Delight, Bobby Dynamite, Bobby Boulders, Bob the Builder, Bobby Wasabi

Sun Sign

Cancer

Born Place

Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Residence

RZA has a house in Millstone Township, New Jersey.

He also spends some time in New York City and Los Angeles. He has a 4,200 square feet mansion set on an acre of land in California.

Nationality

Occupation

Rapper, record producer, musician, actor, filmmaker, author

Family

Manager

RZA was earlier represented by ICM Partners.

However, after his agent Cameron Mitchell left ICM to join Creative Artists Agency, RZA followed him to CAA as well.

Genre

Hip hop

Instruments

Vocals, keyboards, zither, and sampler

Labels

Soul Temple, Tommy Boy, Razor Sharp, Epic, Sony Music Entertainment, Virgin, EMI Music, Koch, Gee Street, V2, BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group), Sanctuary, and Warner Bros. Records

Net Worth

His net worth had been $18 Million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm

Weight

84 kg or 185 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

RZA has dated –

  1. Eboni Mills (2000-2006) – RZA got married to his first wife in July 2000. However, the start of their marriage wasn’t ideal as within a couple of months of their marriage, two women came forward claiming that they had given birth to his kids out of marriage. The name of these two kids was reported to be Raindia Diggs (b. March 2000) and Pranda Diggs (b. August 2000). In April 2006, she decided to end their marriage that lasted for about 6 years. Over the course of their marriage, Mills is reported to have given birth to 4 children – Shaquasia, Melchizedek, Understanding, and Eternity Diggs. However, there are some media sources that assert RZA is the father of only four children, and he has had them with different women. Unfortunately, due to a lack of information about his private life, neither of the above two reports can be verified.
  2. Talani Rabb (2009-Present) – RZA got married to former model Talani Rabb in 2009 after dating for a couple of years. She has given birth to his son.

Race / Ethnicity

Black

He is of African-American descent.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Brand Endorsements

RZA has appeared in a TV commercial for Apple Watch alongside actress Chloe Sevigny.

His song has been used in a TV advert for Belvedere Vodka.

He has also done endorsement work for Chipotle. In fact, in 2017, the fast-food chain got in touch with RZA for SAVOR.WAVS, the brand’s another campaign that meshed ingredients and music for an enjoyable experience. RZA created 51 pieces of music for 51 non-additive ingredients that Chipotle uses for its food items.

Religion

He considers himself as meta-religious and combines elements of different faiths and religions such as Buddhism and Five Percent Nation, for his spiritual philosophy.

Best Known For

First Album

In November 1998, he released his debut solo album, Bobby Digital in Stereo, which managed to reach the 3rd spot in the US R&B charts.

In 1993, his hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan released their debut studio album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

First Film

In 1999, he made his first film appearance in the crime action movie, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

First TV Show

In November 1998, RZA made his TV show debut in the music series, Total Request Live.

Personal Trainer

RZA relies on Kung Fu and martial arts training to keep himself fit. After getting inspired by martial arts movies in his early childhood, he got into martial arts and has been practicing it for the best part of 4 decades.

He started his martial arts training at the age of 11 with his friend Jose, who had a brown belt, at Silver Lake Park in Staten Island. Soon after, he met Sifu Shi Yan Ming of USA Shaolin Temple and became a disciple of Shaolin. Under Shi Yan Ming, he mostly trained in the basics of chi kung, which is essentially the root of martial arts.

RZA Favorite Things

Source – Black Belt Mag, Eater, Wikipedia, Independent

RZA Facts

  1. RZA gave up eating pork by the age of 11. Over the years, he gave up chicken, fish, and turkey and by 1997, he had become a complete vegetarian. He then gave up dairy products as well and has become a vegan.
  2. From the age of 3 to 7, he was raised by his uncle in North Carolina.
  3. He is vocal and open about his weed smoking habit. However, he did stop smoking weed in 2003 and remained off it for about two and a half years. However, during that period, he relied on edibles for his marijuana consumption.
  4. The Source, which is the world’s longest-running rap periodical, included RZA in the list of the 20 greatest producers.
  5. Before he found success in the music industry, he was involved in petty crimes, sold drugs and marijuana, and got on the wrong side of the law far too often.
  6. At the start of the 90s, he was charged with attempted murder. He was acquitted of the charge in 1992 after his counsel successfully argued that RZA had acted in self-defense.
  7. He first heard hip-hop music at the age of 8 at a block party on Staten Island.
  8. RZA started dabbling with hip-hop music at the age of 9. By the age of 11, he was participating in local rap battles.
  9. His birth name was selected by his mother after Robert Kennedy and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Her mother was a big fan of the Kennedy family.
  10. Under him, the Wu-Tang Clan started their lucrative Wu Wear clothing line in 1997. About three years later, the group released their exclusive video game Shaolin Style.
  11. He was a champion of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. He also serves as the Director of Development for the organization.
  12. The producers of the 2006 hit movie, The Departed got in touch with him to offer the role of Brown. However, due to a scheduling conflict, he had to back down from the project.
  13. He met Eli Roth, who co-wrote RZA’s directorial debut The Man with the Iron Fists with him, at Martin Scorsese’s house. However, they didn’t become friends until on a long flight home from Europe.
  14. RZA is considered one of the pioneers of the small hip-hop subgenre of horrorcore. His rap group, Gravediggaz, was one of the leading proponents of this rap genre.
  15. He roped in his good friend and legendary actor Russell Crowe to play an important role in his directorial project The Man with the Iron Fists, in which he cast himself in the leading role.
  16. He is often seen wearing a pendant of the Universal Flag of Islam, which is the symbol of the Nation of Gods and Earths.
  17. In September 2015, he was awarded the Vegan Award at the PETA’s 35th Anniversary Party.
  18. In October 2009, he published his philosophical book, The Tao of Wu. It was written with contributions from legendary action star Chuck Norris and managed to sneak into New York Times Best Seller list by November 2009.