(AllHipHop News) Wu-Tang Clan legend RZA has sold half of his share of his back catalog to Nile Rodgers’ Hipgnosis Songs Fund.
Bosses at the fund, who own the rights to musicians work including Blondie, Blink-182, and Barry Manilow, announced the deal with the rapper and producer behind many of the hip-hop group’s albums on Monday (August 24th).
Speaking to Variety, Merck Mercuriadis, who co-founded Hipgnosis with Nile said: “RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan did not invent hip-hop but they took it from being fun to something that represented a true reflection of what the streets, and being black in America was really like.
“They were and are the most authentic band and brand in hip hop and it all starts with RZA’s vision, his songs and his struggle, manifested in music, that could show the entire world what was really going on. He is now globally recognized as a true renaissance man of hip-hop and most would argue that he is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).”
RZA added: “I wear various hats in my artistic expressions but the one that has been so deeply reflective of my life’s journey is my songwriting. I’m honored to partner up with Merck and the Hipgnosis team to usher my songs into an exciting future.”
The rapper, real name Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, produced many of the group’s records, including their seminal 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), as well as hits by members like Method Man, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, GZA and Ghostface Killah, as well as working with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and releasing four solo albums of his own.
