Once here to bring the ruckus, Wu-Tang co-founder RZA is now here usher in the calm. The rapper and producer has teamed up with Tazo tea company to share a new meditative EP dubbed Guided Explorations. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify.
The six-track collection kicks off with “Intro”, which finds the MC instructing listeners to grab a cup of tea and find a comfortable place to sit. Over a soothing arrangement of hip-hop beats and stretchy ambient noise, RZA speaks in a placid voice as he moves listeners through the steps of guided meditation: Breathe deeply, address distractions, embrace isolation.
Between instructions, the hip-hop artist weaves in small mentions of his own experiences, specifically his rise with the Wu-Tang Clan. On “Bite or Stop Barking” he says,
“My plan was to bring the Wu-Tang Clan to the top. I told my brothers, ‘Get on the bus, I’m taking us to be the number one hip-hop group in the world.’ I gave them my word, and they took that leap of faith with me, because I had their trust. They understood that I had a vision, and look where it led us. So now I ask you, what do you seek? What does your success look like?”
Stream RZA’s Guided Explorations below.
Though the rapper has no live guided meditations planned (yet), Wu-Tang Clan do have a handful of international tour dates on the docket. Included are appearances Colombia’s Festival Estereo Picnic, New Orlean’s Jazz and Heritage Festival, and Florida’s iii Points Festival. Grab tickets to all their upcoming concerts here.
In other Wu-Tang news, the group has their very own amusement park in the works in South Korea — assuming the coronavirus outbreak hasn’t disrupted their plans too much.
Guided Explorations Artwork:
Guided Explorations Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Kill the Noise
03. Fan Your Flames
04. Bite or Stop Barking
05. If Not You
05. Making Moves
