How RZA Translated His 'Hip-Hop Mind' into His First-Ever Classical Album: 'I'm Proud of the Journey' (Exclusive)

The Wu-Tang Clan member spoke to PEOPLE about transforming decades-old notebook musings from his teenage years into his new composition, ‘A Ballet Through Mud’

Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA may have established his renowned musical legacy on the shoulders of hip-hop, but now he's pivoting to a new lane: classical music.

That’s right, the legendary producer and mastermind behind one of the most successful groups in rap history is taking his career to new heights with his latest brainchild, A Ballet Through Mud — his first-ever orchestral composition, which finally made its way to streaming platforms on Friday, Aug. 30.

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The LP made its grand ballet debut in 2023 thanks to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra — which performed on the studio album, produced and composed by RZA. It's perhaps the beat-maker's most ambitious effort, as it employs characters named for Greek musical scales in an emotional tale chronicling the New Yorker's journey "through mud" from Staten Island project housing to refined concert halls.

RZA (born Robert Diggs), 55, tells PEOPLE the journey to his risk-taking album began after he stumbled across some old notebooks from his teen years during the COVID-19 pandemic’s “dismal” quarantine days.

“This is also at the same time as season two of my TV series [Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga],” the composer explains. “So all these things were happening, and I find this book, and I find old emotions.”

RZA discovered other interesting memories in his lyrical ‘80s relic, like phone numbers for Busta Rhymes and De La Soul producer Prince Paul. However, his inner musings from ages 14 to 19 — which he transformed into an orchestral coming-of-age story about the complexities of love, friendship, spirituality and personal growth — jumpstarted a steadfast mission to expand his storytelling in a new way.

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“It was really beautiful to come across and read some of those things, and then I said to myself, ‘I need to put music to this. I've got to figure it out. I've got to tell this story musically,’” RZA remembers. “And that started my journey.”

RZA recently sat down with PEOPLE to discuss A Ballet Through Mud's saga, how he discovered the notebooks that inspired his latest album and why he continues to push creative boundaries in his 30-plus-year career.

You're obviously known as one of the most successful innovators in hip-hop, so some people may be surprised to hear that you've created an orchestral album. How do you explain this pivot?

Well, the music should speak for itself, right? Do I go to the hip-hop audience and say, “Hey, you should listen to this because of this or that.” No. I won't try to explain it. I'll let the music speak for itself. I'm proud of the journey that it took to get there. I'm proud of the results. I'm proud of being able to be a leader as the producer of [this album], and be able to lead all the different facets that it took to bring it together.

From the copyist to my co-orchestrators to the conductor [Christopher Dragon], who had to be able to express my ups and downs. It’s cool that I'm able to take the hip-hop mind and my producer mind and still translate the ideas to the orchestra, the conductor, and end up with the great recording that we did.

I'm curious about what your Wu-Tang brothers have said about this classical work. You and Raekwon teamed up for a symphony-backed performance of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx earlier this year, so was this even a shock to them?

I mean, the crazy thing is when we did the Cuban Linx performance in Colorado, we actually needed 10 more minutes of music to complete the evening. I said, "OK, let's just play 'The Night Dances When You Least Expect It' because that's like a seven-and-a-half-minute piece of music..." Being backstage with Raekwon while that's happening, changing our little outfits and about to go back on stage, he was like, “Yo, this s--- is beautiful." And that's the joy, right? To hear [that from] my brothers when I play it.

A Ballet Through Mud was inspired by old notebooks you filled out as a teenager. Take me back to those years. What was happening in your life then that stirred up these lyrical musings about love, friendship, spirituality and growth?

Well, you've got lyrics, which probably would be considered corny now in the sense of the way my lyrics are so esoteric. Like [freestyles], "Listen, have you ever had this feeling once in your life and would you like a girl so much you wish that she was your wife? / But she's not your girl, she's not even your friend / Just a classmate you see every now and then / Although you thought it was impossible, your heart has been touched by this girl/ And you're dying to have her in your clutch.”

It was more like my lyrics were my diary in a way because I'm talking about maybe 200 to 300 pages of information in this book. It has stuff from when me and [Ol'] Dirty [Bastard] was just 14, writing our first lyrics, all these imaginings.

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What then motivated you to turn those early writings into a classical composition?

I just started thinking of how if this was somebody dancing to it and if this was an animation. All these different things was going through my head. But then I came across [Jamilla Wignot's] Alvin Ailey documentary. And even though I'm a New Yorker, when Alvin Ailey was the King of Broadway, I was into hip-hop; I didn't care about what Broadway was doing. So I missed the majesty and the great creativity that he brought to the world. But then, when I watched the documentary, it clicked in my mind.

So I reached out to people from his school, and I was lucky to get Yusha[-Marie Sorzano], and she came and became the choreographer of the ballet. I told her the story, and I let her read it and said, “Yo, we've got to do this in dance, and we've got to show the youthful exploration, the joy and the pain of love, friendship and what happens when two people who are friends [fall in love]."

All that stuff was written out, and then we just found a way to dance it and paraphrase it in imagery and music. And that's A Ballet Through Mud.

You debuted A Ballet Through Mud with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra last year. How did that collaboration come about?

Yeah, we played it to them, to the audience. We got standing ovations both nights, which was very encouraging for us. And then I decided maybe eight months later to book studio sessions, and then I was like, "Alright, we're going to record it."

Now that the album is hitting streaming platforms, what do you want people to take away from listening to this project?

Well, I just hope it gives them some emotional satisfaction. At the end of the day, I think the music has some healing qualities, and more than anything, I think the music can help score your day. You could be in your car, or in your crib or even during or after you work out. It has the texture to turn any moment, I think, into a better moment. Not saying you're going to be happy, but you may be sitting there with brain fog or writer's block, and this may open it up. I think it has a lot of different potentials based on the choices of the story and the music that we put together.

It's exciting to see you roll out this classical project because it’s so rare to see veteran hip-hop figures still active and creating on this grand a scale decades into their careers. What is the key to staying creative and motivated as an artist for this long?

Well, creativity is life, and life is creativity, so I'm inspired by life. I don't think I'll ever stop creating. I think art is healthy for us as human beings, you know? A picture could give a thousand words. Music can invoke your emotions or strength when you need it in war times. It could console you in times of pain and arouse you in times of somberness. It's just all these different things that art can do. And so I will stay an artist and be an artist and will continue to create. Even if I end up with just two pencils, I'm going to make something out of it because it's in my nature.

RZA’s A Ballet Through Mud is out now via Platoon.

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