Fact: Rapper Azealia Banks has landed her first acting gig in hip-hop star/filmmaker RZA's upcoming drama Coco. The 212 hitmaker will portray the title character, an aspiring young rapper fighting to balance her performance dreams with her parents' college demands. While the project marks Banks' debut on the big screen, it's the Wu Tang Clan member's sophomore directing job - he previously wrote, directed, and starred in 2012 martial arts film The Man with the Iron Fists. Common, Jill Scott and Lorraine Toussaint are also slated to star in the production.
Fact: U.S. crime drama Gang Related has been cancelled after just one season. The series starred Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA and actor Jay Hernandez.
Quote: "Playing to 50,000 people is cool, but when I have a relationship with my idols, like when RZA says my name, or John Prine says, 'Hey, Dan!' - that's the greatest (feeling)." The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach has made some famous friends.
Fact: Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA has become the latest musician to pay tribute to the late Nelson Mandela with a song. The hip-hop star released Gift Of Hope online on Wednesday (11Dec13). The track features vocals from singer Will Wells, who he recently collaborated with on a tribute track for late Hollywood star Paul Walker.
Fact: Rapper/actor RZA is returning to Tv after landing a regular part as a cop on upcoming U.S. series Gang Related. The Wu-Tang Clan star previously had a recurring role on David Duchovny's Californication series last year (12).
Fact: Rapper-turned-moviemaker RZA is to release an album full of his favourite old-school soul jams. Shaolin Soul Selection: Volume 1 will be a compilation of soul from the Memphis, Tennessee label Stax Records.
Fact: Former Wu Tang Clan star RZA has recruited Wiz Khalifa, The Black Keys and Kanye West for the soundtrack of his directorial debut The Man With the Iron Fists. Written by Rza and Eli Roth and produced by Quentin Tarantino, the kung-fu film stars the rapper/actor, Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu.
Fact: Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy, rapper RZA and James Ingram have been added to the bill at this summer's (12) Sunset Strip Music Festival in Los Angeles. This year's three-day event will double as a tribute to The Doors. Marilyn Manson will headline the festival on 18 August (12).
Quote: "I'm the hip-hop chess champion and I'm proud of that." Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA boasts about his boardgame skills.
Quote: "They're trying to save their eyesight because of all the (camera) flashes, so I shall take a leaf out of their book and I shall wear sunglasses at night as well." Hollywood actor Russell Crowe likes to copy rappers like Snoop Dogg and RZA by shading his eyes at night.
Fact: Rapper-turned-filmmaker RZA has cast wrestler BATISTA to star alongside Hollywood actor Russell Crowe in his upcoming movie THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST.
Fact: Rapper RZA and former System Of A Down star SHAVO ODADJIAN have formed a new band, called AcHoZeN. The odd couple joined forces in the studio while Odadjian was teaching the Wu Tang Clan star how to play the guitar.
Quote: "Tarantino is my teacher. I've spent hundreds of hours learning craft from him. I'm a disciple." Rapper RZA owes his upcoming filmmaking career to director pal Quentin Tarantino.
Fact: THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST, Wu-Tang Clan star RZA's debut as a movie director, will be produced by moviemaker and Inglourious Basterds star Eli Roth. The duo has secured financing for the film and a shooting draft has been completed.
Quote: "I come from 11 brothers and sisters. When I was a kid, I thought there was 12 of us. Whenever something happened, my mom would say, 'Who did it?' and everyone said, 'Not me.' I thought 'not me' was one of my brothers and sisters." Wu-Tang Clan star RZA had a confusing childhood.
Quote: "WU-TANG isn't back to a dictatorship. It's still a democracy, but it's a George Bush democracy." Rapper RZA on leading the eight members of hip-hop group WU-TANG.
Fact: System Of A Down star SHAVO ODADJIAN and Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA are to collaborate on the score for Vin Diesel's new action film BABYLON A.D.
Fact: Wu-Tang Clan member RZA was delighted to meet a fan with a tattoo of the band on his face.
Quote: "We all bring a unique aspect to the group, whether we're known or not. Some of us have more success than others, but that's why WU-TANG is stronger than Raekwon as himself or Ghost (Ghostface Killah) as himself." Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA on why the hip-hop supergroup is bigger than the sum of its parts.
Quote: "It was hard, real uncomfortable. But some of the others were like, 'What's the f***ing difference?' THE OL' DIRTY BASTARD never used to make it to the studio." Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA didn't experience many changes in the studio following the death of OL' DIRTY BASTARD - real name RUSSELL TYRONE JONES - in 2004.
Fact: Wu-Tang Clan stars RZA and GZA are to appear at the Hip-Hop Chess Federation tournament in San Francisco, California in October (07).