Backstage with...RZA

RZA (right) with Wu-Tang mate Method Man

Photo: Eva Reiss

You’re touring Europe right now with the Wu-Tang Clan. I know you keep a strict vegetarian diet—what are you eating over there?
The Grand Hyatt in Berlin definitely came strong with the spicy rigatoni. Berlin also had a good butternut-squash soup. In the old days it was terrible over here for a vegetarian. Nowadays they stepped their game up, yo. The whole Clan’s been saying it.

I just caught Rock the Bells, the documentary about the 2004 festival that inspired the current tour. The entire film is driven by the question of whether the whole Clan, particularly Ol’ Dirty Bastard, will take the stage. ODB’s no longer with us, but will everyone else be present come Saturday?
You’ll see every Wu-Tang member at every Rock the Bells show. It’s been the same [in Europe], but Method Man had to break out for a couple days to finish filming the new season of The Wire. One thing about being part of the Wu is if you fuck up every other thing you’re doing in life—your record or movie deal, solo career or what have you—there’s always a chance to get your life together. And it’s less work, because it’s ten of us.

In the movie, [promoter] Chang Weisberg seemed convinced that if the whole Clan didn’t take the stage, he’d have a riot on his hands. Has that ever happened?
Ten years ago, on the Rage Against the Machine tour, you’d have 30,000 kids out there with us as coheadliners and sometimes only four members would show up. I basically had to say, “Yo, I can’t go out there and face these people like that,” and canceled the whole fuckin’ tour. But the crowd’s never flipped out on us. Rock the Bells was a dream of Chang’s but he didn’t realize he was up against a lot of odds. Me and him became good friends after that show. He’ll drive two hours just to get one of my special RZA burgers.

What’s a RZA burger?
A RZA burger is a veggie patty with a fried egg, cheese, lettuce, pickles and all that, smashed between two delicious waffles. Spread mustard and mayo on it with a little butter and put that shit together. Trust me, son, that shit needs to be in stores.

I’m sold. Do you bust out the grill on tour?
If I have my special tour bus ready by then, you may be able to get a burger. If I’m on the regular tour bus, then bong bong.

You’re an avid chess player. Do you challenge other artists when you’re on tour?
I try to. With the Wu, the main players are myself, GZA and Masta Killa.

Who’s the nicest?
I don’t like to brag about chess because it goes back and forth, but on this tour, I’m beating everybody.

The Wu-Tang Clan plays Rock the Bells at Randalls Island Sat 28 and Sun 29. Rock the Bells is out on DVD Tue 31.