Cutting-Up’s Artist Blog

I love color… colorful people, colorful lives, colorful stories.  I’m completely inspired by all kinds of people & their unique, off the beaten path, stories.  If we are open, we live  life as both teachers and students. So… I was certainly fascinated recently listening to an NPR interview  with Robert Diggs, a Hip-Hop artist better known as The RZA (pronounced “The Rizza”). The RZA is best known for his influence to the Hip-Hop culture via the Wu Tang Clan, AND he’s recently also written a book called, beautifully: “The Tao of Wu” & after hearing the interview I had to buy the book to read it for myself. 

Not accustomed to some of the intensities of The RZA’s inflections, my first reaction was to reach to change the station… but then something great happened… The beauty of his thoughts held me hostage to listen beyond the inflections. (I loved the pleasant surprise!)  So, The RZA begins his story under difficult circumstances. Robert grew up in the hardened projects in NYC. In one of his profound insights, The RZA reflects on the experience as comparable to that of a lotus that only grows in the mud… and the projects were his mud. It is just so beautiful to me how The RZA, at such a young age, craved greater meaning from his circumstances, as he grew up (in reflection) The RZA is responsible, apologizing for his his behavior, seeks the lessons, acknowledges where his ego was involved, & works to continually evolve and move toward his source, to bring light to his life’s experiences to help guide others. His brilliant collective body of work is a gift to the world. Yo… check out his book, for real! It’s truly spiritual! Let us know what you think!