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Wu-Tang Clan‘s RZA has sold 50% of his songwriting and production credits in a new deal.
The deal, made with Hipgnosis Songs, sees the company acquire half of RZA’s copyright and writing shares.
The rapper and producer has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan’s albums, along with multiple solo albums and songs by the band’s members.
Speaking of the deal, RZA said: “I wear various hats in my artistic expressions but the one that has been so deeply reflective of my life’s journey is my songwriting. I’m honoured to partner up with Merck and the Hipgnosis team to usher my songs into an exciting future.”
Merck Mercuriadis, the founder of Hipgnosis, added: “RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan did not invent hip-hop but they took it from being fun to something that represented a true reflection of what the streets, and being black in America was really like.
“They were and are the most authentic band and brand in Hip Hop and it all starts with RZA’s vision, his songs and his struggle, manifested in music, that could show the entire world what was really going on. He is now globally recognised as a true renaissance man of hip-hop and most would argue that he is the G.O.A.T.”
RZA was recently commissioned by ice cream manufacturer Good Humor to write their new jingle.
RZA’s new jingle replaces Good Humor’s original song, ‘Turkey In The Straw’, a song that dates back to the early 19th century, and was used in blackface shows and sometimes accompanied by racist lyrics.
For the new song, RZA “drew inspiration from his childhood memories of chasing after ice cream trucks on Staten Island — blending traditional ice cream truck sounds with jazz and hip-hop elements”.
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