RZA live-scores martial arts classic
This week, hip-hop artist RZA will be trippin’ back to his childhood, even as he progresses into a mature phase of his career.
When he live-scores his favorite film of all time, the 1978 martial arts classic “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at the Castro Theatre, RZA will hark back to 12-year-old Robert Fitzgerald Diggs — later to front the influential rap group Wu-Tang Clan as RZA and much later launch the 36th Chambers clothing line — who first saw the Hong Kong chop-socky on VHS and became a superfan of star Gordon Liu.
And when he hits the Castro stage, the 48-year-old rapper, hip-hop artist, record producer, musician, actor, author and now film director will be accompanied by two of his old hometown friends, who have helped him perfect the presentation.
“This film means a lot to me personally,” says RZA (pronounced Rizza) by phone. “Also, a lot to the Wu-Tang universe, shall we say? Some samples from this film have found its way into my music production. Kind of following that same thing here, finding the quotes and the energy that made sense to my music production. Taking the same approach and reversing it now. Finding the cool tracks that will match the sequence of cool events happening in the film.
“And, of course, most importantly, have fun and give the audience a new experience of seeing the film.”
Many, including RZA, think of the movie directed by Lau Karleung as the “Citizen Kane” of martial arts films. Not only is there wall-to-wall action, but also there is a strong thread of spiritual development in the tale of legendary 17th century Shaolin master San Te.
RZA first live scored “36th Chamber” about two years ago, but he was overwhelmed and felt something was not right. So he brought in two high school buddies from Staten Island, N.Y.,
DJ Skein and Tom Shannon, to assist him and revamp the show. They’ll accompany him at the Castro on Thursday as they finish a five-city April tour.
“I’ve definitely faced some technical challenges doing this,” RZA says. “But I’ve learned. The first two or three times was very taxing. ... After about the third or fourth date, I was like, ‘I need help.’ ”
RZA credits Shannon as inventing live scoring, back in their high school days.
“So this is like 1987. I’m a pretty good DJ at this time. DJ Skein is pretty good. Tom — he’s not that good,” he recalls, with a laugh. “He loses the battles with us. But he daisy-chained some VCRs together, along with his turntables, and he would dub Looney Tunes with old James Brown or Bill Johnson breakbeats.
“Then he would play them. Guys coming over, drinking beer, smoking weed ... and it was incredible. Technology never allowed that to happen in any other format, until video DJing.”
Whereas film used to inform RZA’s music, now it’s his music that is informing film. Livescoring “36th Chamber” is part of a slow artistic transformation into full-time filmmaking.
RZA starred in and directed his first film, the martial arts homage “The Man With the Iron Fists” (which had a Liu cameo) in 2012. Now he’s ramping up his directing career. His second film, “Love Beats Rhymes,” about a struggling female rapper (real-life artist Azealia Banks plays the role), was released last year. He is in postproduction on his third film, “Cut Throat City,” and in preproduction on his fourth, “Blood Brothers.”
“I think as a director I’ve found my pure, true, all-encompassing creative energy,” he says. “It satisfies every creative nerve in my body. ... You get to take every element and put it in a film, and transit yourself. It’s super thrilling, and so fulfilling as an entity.”
RZA wanted to stress that he wanted the “36th Chamber” tour to end in San Francisco, one of his favorite cities. A New Jersey resident, he was here in September at the Asian Art Museum to drop his 36th Chambers clothing line and the first track of Wu-Tang Clan’s latest album, “Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues.”
“Every once in awhile, if you go down Haight Street, you might catch me,” RZA says. “I kind of sneak away to San Francisco every once in awhile. Me and my family love it. We love the art that it has there, we love the culture ... and performing there is a joy for me.”