Tao of Wu by The RZA

by Wolfgang L.                                                                                                          

The book “The Tao of Wu” is written by the American Hip Hop superstar The RZA, the leader of the multi-platinum selling rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. The RZA uses his experiences growing up in the ghettos of New York City, his rise to fame and superstardom, and his travels throughout the world to relate Eastern philosophy to more understandable experiences such as life in America, chess, kung fu movies, and hip hop. The RZA breaks down complex ideas and stories from several Eastern religions such as Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism into simpler ideas and takes ideas from each of these religions to use towards self-betterment and one’s search for happiness, spirituality, and meaning in life.

The RZA grew up in harsh conditions, living in several of the worst ghettos in New York City in the 1970’s and 1980’s. During his time growing up, he learns, uses, teaches, and eventually masters the lessons from the Nation of Islam, a religious movement created in the 1930’s Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in America. This religious movement was created by and mainly for African-Americans living in harsh conditions, to give the hope and spiritual guidance to them and help them live better lives and find more success in a time which was hard for many African-Americans living in big cities throughout America. The RZA is continually referring back to these lessons during the hardships he faced in his youth to help him get through to them and help explain these lessons to the reader so they may use the lessons for guidance in their own lives.  

This book provided me with completely new ways of viewing things and experiencing everyday life. Before reading this book, I was completely uninterested in matters relating to religion for the most part, however, this book provided me with insight into each of the major religions and some smaller ones and rejuvenated my interest on the topic of spirituality. After learning about many of the ideas and lessons given throughout this book, I feel I gained incredibly valuable knowledge which allowed me to use parts of multiple religions to better myself as a person, without devoting myself to any of the religions themselves. Even if you aren’t interested in the spiritual aspects of the book, it is still an incredible read if you are interested in hip-hop, especially if you are a fan of the Wu-Tang clan, or if you are interested in a story about a man who came from living in some of the harshest living conditions in New York City, and his transition to fame and fortune and his journey to cope with this radical change.