Insightful stuff, mixed in with a heavy dose of 5%er ideology. ( )

Great read from beginning to end. RZA shares true wisdom from experiences growing up in Brownsville, five-percent nation teachings, starting the Wu-Tang Clan, and studying taoism.

First, his religious philosophy. RZA is an eclectic. He certainly writes from the heart, and what is found there is a swirling eddy of pop-culture, kung-fu movies, Confucianism, Christian rhetoric, 5%er dogmatics, experimental drugs, martial arts and hip-hop hubris. His religion can be boiled down to: "everyone is on the same path", which is to say, there is no path. If everything is true, well then, everything is meaningless.

I suppose there is some sort of Westernised Zen in there somewhere, but getting a grip on the edge of his intellectual garment is like nailing jello to a wall. But, that is all part of the mystique, no? RZA and his friends went East to find their identity, an identity based in shared experience - not in religious conviction. That came after. But the identity is mythological, a dreamy China, based more on the Stone than actual history. They see themselves as the antithesis of the Manchurians (36th Chamber of Shaolin).

The book is part biographical, part philosophical manual. It is in the former that the book makes for fascinating read. As a producer RZA has created some of the most compelling and interesting beats and soundscapes of the last twenty years. His story of how he got there, the "10,000 hours" of work, study and experimentation is the best part of the book. He did not just arrive on the scene, but spent countless, unrewarding hours working before he went public. He trained.

The DIY producer and musician can learn a lot from his story, even if one doesn't agree with his religious stance. RZA is a deeply creative and searching man, but it did not happen overnight. ( )