Bobby Digital aka RZA on music..life..beats...& the WU (INTERVIEW)

The Abbot aka Rzarector aka Bobby Digital aka RZA.. on music...life...beats...and the WU...  

part 1...

 

 part 2...

 
This is the 15th installment in the "1-2-1 w/jeffstaple" Series. Each segment, jeffstaple, Founder and Creative Director of Staple Design & Reed Space, talks to someone one-to-one. Direct. Intimate. No BS.

For this 1st segment, Jeff talks to Prince Rakeem aka The Scientist aka The Abbot aka Rzarector aka Bobby Digital aka Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah aka THE RZA—Founder and Chief Leader of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. The RZA talks about the beginning of hip-hop music, how the Wu began & progressed, and what inspires him presently.

F@*# self-doubt...

“F@*# self-doubt. I despise it. I hold it in contempt, along with the hell-spawned ooze-pit of Resistance from which it crawled. I will NEVER back off. I will NEVER give the work anything less than 100%. If I go down in flames, so be it. I’ll be back.” -Steven Pressfield

We all operate in two contrasting modes...

“We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful and more humorous. The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel-visioned. Most people, unfortunately spend most of their time in the closed mode. Not that the closed mode cannot be helpful. If you are leaping a ravine, the moment of takeoff is a bad time for considering alternative strategies. When you charge the enemy machine-gun post, don’t waste energy trying to see the funny side of it. Do it in the “closed” mode. But the moment the action is over, try to return to the “open” mode—to open your mind again to all the feedback from our action that enables us to tell whether the action has been successful, or whether further action is need to improve on what we have done. In other words, we must return to the open mode, because in that mode we are the most aware, most receptive, most creative, and therefore at our most intelligent.” -John Cleese

Cant knock the hustle...

"Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself." From "A Dream," the "Blueprint 2" album. 

"..your worst fear confirmed,
me and my fam roll tight like the firm
getting down for life, that's right, you better learn."- Sean Carter...

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap MOVIE Trailer (2012)

"Hip Hop Didn't Invent Anything, Hip Hop Reinvented Everything!"

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary film about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film’s director and interviewer Ice-T. Ice-T takes us on a deeply personal journey to uncover how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets some of the remarkable superstars of Rap, from Eminem to Dr Dre, to Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting most of it’s most famous protagonists studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal The Art Of Rap. This film features unique performances from it’s entire cast and does not use any archive material.

5 Reasons You Need to Meet in Person...

An excerpt from Inc.com (Source).


What can you learn from an in-person meeting that you can’t from a virtual one?

1. You're off the record.  In Silicon Valley and many other places, there are few private offices. Many of my clients work in cubes and can’t have private telephone conversations with me or anyone else. This means that when I talk to them on the phone, I might not get to hear the most important information they can share: the unique team dynamics or executive’s personality quirks that would make or break our ability to match an expert consultant. Over sushi or a latte or a walk around the block, my clients can let me know more -- with more color -- than they can over the telephone or in an email.

2. Make use of not-so-small talk.  Most business conversations are focused on solving a problem quickly and efficiently, while business relationships are built when people take the time to share and learn more about each other. That happens more naturally in person than over the phone or in an email. What cements a bond between people? Small talk about a favorite team, passion for pecan pie, parenting challenges, and the other bits and pieces that make us unique and interesting.

3. Make an impression. I bought a new handbag. It’s faux ostrich and it’s pink. Really pink. I’ve received compliments on it from every woman (and one man) I’ve met with in the past two weeks. I had worried it was perhaps not professional enough for business. But the style and color were bold, “spring-y” and made me smile. Who knew my $60 knock-off handbag would be such a great conversation starter and deliver such a strong personal statement? How do you do that over Skype?

4. Read the body language. Facial expressions often communicate so much more than words. We host consultant coffees and invite a handful of independent consultants to our office in order to better understand the nuances of each professional in a relaxed setting. We need to know what isn’t on the resume that makes each person unique. In their eyes and in their body language, we can see confidence, empathy, fear, friendliness or sincerity. That ability to “read” a candidate beyond their keywords is a huge competitive advantage for us.

5. Learn where the action is. I find out so much when I visit one of my clients in their office. Is the lobby bright and inviting with recent accolades proudly displayed? Do employees seem happy? Is there free juice and healthy snacks in the cafeteria? Brand new Herman Miller chairs in the conference room? Is everyone moving in slow motion or is there a palpable buzz? The environment speaks volumes and may factor into your business proposal or plan. By understanding company dynamics, we can communicate more effectively to meet their needs.

The mind is the gatekeeper to the spirit...

The mind is definitely the gatekeeper to the realms of the spirit and in order to control it, one must control themselves first.  We all have certain weaknesses that we are ashamed of.  From certain physical features and unconditional past secrets that we keep hidden, to the future anxieties that we face from them.  These weaknesses, and the many others, are what our enemies use as weapons against us.  It is only when we are comfortable with ourselves that we can become comfortable with the outside world.

“I firmly believe that all human beings have access to extraordinary energies and powers. Judging from accounts of mystical experience, heightened creativity, or exceptional performance by athletes and artists, we harbor a greater life than we know. There we go beyond those limited and limiting patterns of body, emotions, volition, and understanding that have been keeping us in dry-dock. Instead we become available to our capacity for a larger life in body, mind, and spirit. In this state we know great torrents of delight.”-Jean Houston

Your Mind Must Know...

“I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” - Pearl S. Buck

Ambition - Wale feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross...

Intro ... 

The time is now, I will Explain everything
Took my heart away from money
Ain't interested in fame
And I pray that never change
Ambition is priceless
It’s something that’s in your veins
And I put that on my name

Outro...

Beautiful music, painting pictures that Explains my vision
They gon love me for my ambition
Easy to dream a dream, but much harder to live it
Look, they gon love me for my ambition
Beautiful music, painting pictures that be my vision
They gon love me for my ambition

Jay-Z Don't knock success (CNN MONEY.COM INTERVIEW)...

"America is built on FREE ENTERPRISE!" - Jay Z

Contribution per CNN MONEY.com : The massively successful musical artist and businessman says free enterprise is vital in America but unjust practices aren't 'cool...

7 Inspirational Quotes On Hard Work...

“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition. ” - Indira Gandhi

 
“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goals: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.”- Louis Pasteur

 
“I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true - hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it.”- Ray Bradbury

 
“Confidence is the result of hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.”- Roger Staubach

 
“Hard work doesn't guarantee success, but improves its chances.”- B.J. Gupta

 
“Hard work doesn't guarantee success, but improves its chances.”- Abraham Lincoln

 
“If people knew how hard I worked to achieve my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all.”- Michelangelo

People fighting for dear life, financially, are doing yoga...

"It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one's mind is the essence of the Buddha's teaching" - Dalai Lama

POST SCRIPT: Wouldn’t ya know it – People fighting for dear life, financially, are doing yoga! Oops. Check out this inspiring video to learn about a nonprofit serving Baltimore inner-city youth in this special way.

Have faith...

Sometimes in life, all we have is FAITH. The inner strength and will, to know that even under the worst circumstances, things will always work out...

"Hard work is the key to success, so work diligently on any project you undertake. If you truly want to be successful, be prepared to give up your leisure time and work past 5 PM and on weekends. Also, have faith in yourself. If you come up with a new idea that you believe in, don't allow other people to discourage you from pursuing it." -Charles Lazarus

Lessons From a Young CEO: If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now...

 An excerpt from Danii Olivers' interview with Under 30 CEO... (Source)

When the time came for me to open the doors to my own office I was thrilled, positive and confident because that was what was expected of me. I was by no means “sure” nor well versed in the endeavor I was about to take on, but the time had come to expand if my business was to thrive. My partner and I did massive amounts of research, sought advice and mentorship and even talked to family members who dealt with commercial real estate for guidance.

Family members cautioned us not to take the step, but friends patted us on the back. We didn’t back down. If we were to be successful we needed to take risks, so we opened the doors and prepared for growth. One year later, and many networking events passed, I have learned that all we had gone through may have had been unnecessary.
 
While becoming established is any CEO’s driving force, I have come to learn that, what was once considered established is no longer the case. Out of the hundreds of CEO I met over that past year I was the only one under 30 with an office of their own. Everyone else was virtual. Was I behind or were they not established?  One thing that bugged me was that all these CEOs were getting business and contracts yet my company’s seemed to be slipping.
 
In retrospect being inside the office was counter productive to business. Instead of going to meetings I invited people to meet at my office. While this was not only convenient for me it also helped to convey the fact that my company was established and doing well. I was trying to make the space support my reputation.
 
Despite the fact that people were impressed by our capability to afford the overhead of maintenance and rent, the office space did absolutely no sales let alone up selling for us. The space costed more than its monthly monetary bill. There was time that went into up keeping the space, manning it five-to-six days a week. The space also cost me one or two meetings that did not take place because the requestor refused to come to my office. While that much wasn’t significant, maybe I can’t help but wonder, “would they have wasted my time or could that have been a great opportunity?”
 
The fact remains I may not have needed the office space, even if my clients kept thinking I was a fly by night freelancer. The fact is I lost time that should have been spent on the company. That time and effort lost went into making sure their was revenue constantly coming in for the bills and not into creating something awesome or sales worthy. I regret diverting my attention from work to manage an office space.
 
If I only knew then what I know now, I would have planned for a few other opportunities that weren’t at the top of my mind. Since I wouldn’t go back and not get the office space, which I obtained to be taken seriously as a company, I would have had at least not banked all my chips in one revenue stream. I would have tried to make the space work for me and not I for it. I felt the day to day month to month operations of the office made me a slave to it. Everyday my concern was how do I keep up the office rather than what next venture the firm would bid for.

Master the art of the hustle & your business will grow...

An excerpt from The Rise To The Top... (source)

Here are a few hustles that I’ve encountered and have been repeatedly brought up in conversations with top entrepreneurs, rising entrepreneurs, and budding entrepreneurs. Whether you are extroverted, introverted or mute you can master the art of the hustle and your business will grow. Some are born hustlers and for others it is a learned technique similar to some people are born with a natural ability to do math (not me) while others study hard to become math whizzes.

1. Your horn was built for tooting. It is one thing to be humble and another thing to be a jerk, but if you are afraid to promote you and your business, you are not hustling. This does not mean turning your Twitter into an RSS feed for your blog or telling everyone how awesome you are, but it does mean making a conscious effort to promote, tell people what you are up to, and also have confidence in your accomplishments. Successful entrepreneurs are great self-promoters and believe in both their business and themselves.  Just don’t blow out the horn.

2. Screw Rejection. I remember trying to ask out a girl in 6th grade. I had no idea what I was doing and asked her out in the middle of a class…DURING the class with lots of people watching. Horrible idea. It didn’t work and I was super embarrassed. It is not that dissimilar from starting a business. You are taking a risk and putting yourself out there. Negabots will attack with their haterade. Hustlers don’t get embarrassed or upset,  they answer all emails (even the negative ones), respond to critics, make sales pitches, and make it happen no matter what. If someone told me I shouldn’t start a TV show without going to broadcasting school and having twenty years experience, I just look them in the face and say, “Thank you for your opinion. I respect that and I’m doing things a bit differently.” 

3. Don’t be afraid of saying “No”. If you are hustling, opportunities will come your way. In Gary Vaynerchuk’s case, he gets hundreds of opportunities a week: Business deals, book deals, TV deals, interview requests (Plug: Gary is the MAN for accepting mine because he went with a his gut feeling…thanks Gary). If the opportunity isn’t right for you, say no. Don’t chase all the shiny red balls, just find the ones that work for you and your brand. 

4. Knocking Down Doors. Often times the only way to knock down the door in the entrepreneurial hustling world is to blast it down. Cold-calling, asking friends for help, going to your family. Yes, it takes time but building a business takes hard, sweaty time. Ashley Cook and Danielle Dankner have an incredible story about their clothing line Ash&Dans where they went on a spree of cold calls and even showed up at shops with scarves in hand. And guess what? It worked. Now they are in four plus stores…and I’ll cut the story right there as to not spoil all the great stuff from these ladies coming on a future episode of The Rise To The Top. 

5. Fuel With Small Victories. Building businesses takes patience and hustle. But, I know I have patience problems (Do you?). We all want results NOW which is the selling points of get-rich schemes, MLM’s, and other sketchy stuff. Fuel yourself with small victories: You were complimented on your business, a happy customer sends an email,  you made one website sale. It is easy to bask in the light of BIG victories (million dollar deals, new clients, a gazzilion web hits, whatever), but a series of small victories will give you the attitude burst to keep rolling.

In a nutshell, get out there, ignore the haters, build your business, and adjust your hustling thinking and your success will be limitless (aww warm fuzzy moment right there).

**Cypher** Ace Hood, Juelz, Fabolous Jadakiss

Jadakiss – The Cypher Lyrics...

Yo I tell you this much hip-hop is not dead
Change gone come just like Barack said
Money, Power, Respect like the lox said
You will be the man of the house my pops said
Heat the streets up real quick its all timin’
Gucci everything Sierra Leone Diamonds
You could know so much but yet no nothin’
If I don’t know nothin’ else, bet I know hustlin’
This ain’t even a rhyme, its a controlled substance
Strickly iron swingin’ no tuslin’
I just do business I dont do friends
Brand new M1′s and 9mm’s
As long as money’s involed with it im in
You ain’t gotta guest the second best im him
I will rap circles around these new urkels
Everything digital, purps is still purple
So im stayin in my lane till it open up
Im like a sponge in the game just soakin up
Log on i deserve a hit, I know you heard of kiss
this is the cypher I murdered it

 The Cypher at the BETs. No Copyright infringement intended; all material belongs to BET.

The Cypher - Kanye West - Pusha T - Big Sean - Cyhi Da Prynce - Common (Dj Premier)

The Cypher at the BETs. No Copyright infringement intended; all material belongs to BET.

Talib Kweli & Hi-tek talk about Kanye West's vision and the early years...

Hard Knock Tv's Devi Dev and Nick Huff Barili talk to Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek talk about the early years of Kanye West's career. From Kanye opening up for Kweli to labels not wanting to sign him as a rapper. Kweli says that people didn't see Kanye's vision as an artist and just wanted his beats. Kweli says that he knew "College Drop Out" was a classic when he first heard it. Hi-Tek adds that Kanye is a genius in the same way that Dr Dre is.