RZA and Raekwon frequently butted heads over the future of the Wu-Tang Clan, and that tension was brought to life in a scene from Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
HipHopDX obtained an exclusive clip from the series’ final episode, “Triumph,” which premieres on the streaming platform on Wednesday (April 5).
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In the scene, tensions ride high as RZA and Raekwon clash over the direction of the Wu-Tang Clan — specifically the group’s 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever.
Coming off their landmark debut, 1993’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), RZA sought to change the Staten Island group’s musical direction, utilizing a studio orchestra in the recording process of their sophomore LP — which threw off some of the other members off.
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“Where’s the Hip Hop? Come on, son. Why you changing our shit up, man?” Rae (played by Shameik Moore) asks RZA (Ashton Sanders) while on their biggest tour to date at the time. “How is this gonna get us the No. 1?
“We should stick to ur brand and make it even bigger, even grittier, you know what I mean? Like some real movie shit. You went to L.A. and came back on this Hollywood shit.”
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The Abbott replies: “I hear you. Let me ask you, though: what does the Wu in Wu-Tang stand for? Witty, Unpredictable. I’m always moving forward… An evolution. We do this right and this tree planted will stand for 100 years.”
Watch the clip below:
Wu-Tang Forever was released in June 1997 and debuted at No. 1 the Billboard 200 chart after selling a whopping 612,000 copies in its first week — dwarfing the 30,000 units 36 Chambers opened with.
Arriving after the group’s run of successful solo releases, the double-disc project remains the Wu’s most successful album to date having been certified 4x platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). It was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
“Triumph” serves as the final episode of Wu-Tang: An American Saga, bringing its three-season run to a close. Season 1 debuted in September 2019, followed by Season 2 in September 2021.
The acclaimed series has won a pair of Golden Reel Awards, while RZA notched a nomination for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category.
