Biography of RZA

The Wu-Tang Clan's chief producer, RZA (aka the Abbott, Prince Rakeem, the Rzarector, and Bobby Steels) was born Robert Diggs; he first surfaced during the early '90s as a member of the rap unit All in Together Now, a group that also featured fellow Wu-Tang members the Genius (aka GZA) and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Following All in Together Now's dissolution, he signed to Tommy Boy under the name Prince Rakeem, issuing the 1991 EP Ooh We Love You Rakeem before joining the Wu-Tang; the group's 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was one of the most influential hip-hop records of the era, with RZA's lean, menacing production work much imitated throughout the rap community in the years to follow. In addition to remaining a member of the loose-knit Wu-Tang family and producing many of the group members' solo efforts, RZA also joined the Gravediggaz, helming their 1995 debut 6 Feet Deep; his first full-length solo LP, RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo, followed in 1998. In 1999, RZA Hits, a compilation of some of the Wu-Tang family's best-known tracks, from both group and solo projects, was released under RZA's name. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, his soundtrack for the Jim Jarmusch film, was released in 2000. One year later, he released his second Bobby Digital record, Digital Bullet. A mix album, The World According to RZA, followed in 2003, as did his third official solo album, The Birth of a Prince. He continued to field soundtrack work, including Quentin Tarantino's two-volume Kill Bill films and the Japanese animation series Afro Samurai. ~ Jason Ankeny

Biography of Kool G Rap

A key figure in the rise of the East Coast rap sound, Kool G Rap was born Nathaniel Wilson in Queens, New York on July 20, 1968; he turned to hip hop while in high school, and soon began collaborating with one DJ Polo (whom he met through mutual friend Eric Barrier, better known as one half of the legendary duo Eric B. and Rakim). Teaming with producer Marley Marl, Kool G Rap (short for "Kool Genius of Rap") and DJ Polo recorded their debut 12-inch "It's a Demo," an underground favorite which led to the release of their 1989 LP Road to Riches. After two more joint efforts, 1990's Wanted: Dead or Alive and 1992's Live and Let Die, the duo went their separate ways and Kool G Rap made his solo bow in 1995 with 4, 5, 6; he returned in 1998 with Roots of Evil, and that same year also contributed to UNKLE's all-star Psyence Fiction. ~ Jason Ankeny