It’s Wednesday (August 20, 2003) night. Journalists, publicists and Sanctuary Records staff mingle in RZA’s private recording studios in middle Manhattan over by the Hudson River. The bar is stocked, food is served and the pool table and pinball machine are occupied. Tracks from RZA’s latest, Birth Of A Prince play over the speakers. Soulful, hypnotic and melodic, RZA’s looking to change hip-hop like it was 1993. Birth Of A Prince boasts both upbeat and more mellow tracks as well as the usual Wu suspects. RZA is Sanctuary Records’ (Allman Brothers, Queensryche) first hip-hop act. Say it loud, Wu-Tang forever. Holla.
Further uptown, Clive Davis’ J Records held a party, “The Set Up” at B.B. King’s to show off their artist roster. Hosted by Wyclef, who was actively promoting his upcoming CD, the lineup featured Swizz Beatz/Full Surface artist Cassidy, Shells, Shawn Kane, Tony Hatch and headliner Rah Digga, whose was also heavily promoting her next CD. Looking as glamorous as an Elle girl, Rah ripped it like a ruffian. She spit her verses from popular tracks from the past (Busta Rhymes’ “I Know What You Want”) and then hit the crowd with some new ish. DJ Kut closed the party with a Swizz Beatz exclusive from another Full Surface artist and his wife, Mashonda. J Records’ own Alicia Keys and Angie Stone were in the house to support their labelmates.
P.S. Check for the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD of Scarface out September 30th.
