RZA

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in hip hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan's albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He is widely considered one of the most influential and landmark hip-hop producers of all time, and often suggested as a contender for being the best hip-hop producer of all time. He subsequently gained attention for his work scoring and then later acting in films. His revolutionary techniques of sampling, speeding up tracks to fit the beat laced, and his cinematic skits sprinkled throughout albums have greatly inspired other producers in the industry. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for countless side projects. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore Hip Hop group Gravediggaz where he used the name The Rzarector. Furthermore, he has acted in several movies, including Coffee and Cigarettes, American Gangster, Gospel Hill, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Ghost Dog, Funny People, Derailed, Due Date and Repo Men. He continues to build his acting and production work hand in hand. He appears in the Showtime TV series Californication. His directorial debut is for the film he wrote The Man with the Iron Fists. In 2008, RZA was ranked #4 on About. com's list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history. He also made the Elite 8 in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.