RZA and DJ Scratch release the anthemic track “Fate of the World.” This is the second track from their forthcoming, full-length album, “Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater,” which will be released on March 4th, 2022 via 36 Chambers ALC/MNRK Music Group.
The accompanying video was produced by Danny Hastings & The RZA and features The Abbot as Sifu to his school of students, teaching them strength and the Tao of Wu. As righteous warriors led by this master and spiritual father, the fate of the world is indeed in their hands.
“Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater” is a love letter to the kung fu movies that aired each Saturday on local TV channels when there were only 5 channels to choose from. The films inspired fantasy and imagination for a legion of young people and showcased gloriously violent lessons of good vs. evil.
Legendary multi-platinum and Grammy-winning producer DJ Scratch exclusively produced the album, enabling RZA to focus on his first love, MCing – a refreshing notion considering RZA’s prominent production presence on most of the projects he’s worked on. Despite having never worked together in an official capacity, RZA and Scratch are both pioneers of New York rap and have long admired each other’s work; in fact, Scratch actually produced an instrumental album “If The Wu Was Here,” inspired by RZA’s production.
The album sees RZA sparring with Bobby Digital, his more aggressive alter-ego, trading lyrical punches over classic ’90s boombap production loaded with kung fu movie samples. RZA conceived the album during the early months of quarantine, and the end result is a vivid, audio odyssey in which he modulates between personas and emotions, capturing the bipolar tendencies of the human mind.