RZA Explains His Sampling Of Kung Fu Films For Movie & The Difference Between Biting Vs. Influence [Video]

The RZA has gone from being a master to becoming a student as his film “The Man With The Iron Fists” releases today. After years and years of being considered one of the best hip hop producers of all-time, the man behind Enter the 36 Chambers began a new venture into the art of film. His first foray being his debut movie that is heavily influenced by Shaw Brothers kung fu flicks and overseen by producer Quentin Tarantino and co-writer Eli Roth. But for RZA, making a feature film isn’t all that different from crafting a classic album in the sense that the art of sampling is still intact. In a recent sit down with TheWellVersed and 2DopeBoyz, The Abbott explained some of the influences that were sampled for his directorial debut. “It goes from obscure movies like ‘8 Strikes of the Wild Cat’ where the idea I took from that was that somebody could do a rat style,” RZA says with a laugh. “I was like ‘Yo! I’m going to have a rodent clan.’ And you look at movies like ‘Five Deadly Venoms’ where there was a character in the movie called The Toad and you couldn’t penetrate him. That character helped me inspire Brass Body” RZA also “sampled” a classic Bruce Lee film and its presence can be felt in a particular scene that RZA appears to be very proud of. But the producer turned director also reveals that his sampling wasn’t limited to the martial arts films of the 70’s and 80’s, he even pulled from today’s modern classics. “In Kill Bill you had the House of Blue Leaves, which is a restaurant where the fight scenes were staged,” he says, alluding to Tarantino’s revenge flick that he scored the soundtrack for. “In my movie I have the Pink Blossom which is a big brothel, like a big mall of pussy.” Crass as it may sound, it makes total sense considering all of the movies that he is paying homage to. But the one thing RZA doesn’t want you to confuse is that he is biting from past movies. “In hip hop we say that we don’t bite,” RZA says even though he believes that law was broken 15 years ago. “There is a difference between biting and being inspired by. For me to rap, I am inspired by those who rapped before me. I didn’t invent the art. For me to make a film, I’m inspired by those who made film before me but I’m not ripping off.”

Previously: RZA Interview w/ Texas Student TV [Video]