Last Updated on February 29, 2024
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, more popularly known by his stage name RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
RZA became famous for being the de facto leader of the popular hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and a cousin of the group’s two original members – GZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The rapper has produced most of Wu-Tang Clan’s albums and is considered the collective’s most instrumental member. He has also released a number of solo albums, mostly under the alter-ego ‘Bobby Digital.’
RZA Quick Facts
Full Name: | Robert Fitzgerald Diggs |
Popular Name: | RZA |
Nicknames: | Bobby Digital, Bobby Boulders, Bobby Dynamite, Bobby Steels, Bobby Wasabi, Bob the Builder, The RZArector, Prince Delight, Prince Rakeem, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, The Scientist, and (The Abbott) |
Birth Date: | July 5, 1969 |
Age: | 53 years |
Parents: | Unknown |
Siblings: | Mitchell “Divine” Diggs, Sophia Diggs, and Terrance Hamlin alias 9th Prince |
Birth Place: | Hartlepool, County Durham, England |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | African-American |
Religion: | Presumably Islam |
Education: | Unknown |
Marital Status: | Married to Talani Rabb (since 2009); was previously married to Eboni Mills (from 2000 until their divorce in 2006) |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Children: | 7 children, including 4 with his first wife Eboni Mills (Shaquasia Diggs, Melchizedek Diggs, Understanding Diggs, and Eternity Diggs) and 3 with three different women (Rainda Diggs, Mills Diggs, and Prana Supreme Diggs) |
Net Worth: | USD 18 million |
Source of Wealth: | Singing, Record Producing, Acting, Filmmaking, and Other Ventures |
Height: | 6′ 2″ (1.88 m) |
Weight: | In kilograms: 80 kg; In pounds: 176 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs was born on July 5, 1969, in New York City, New York, United States.
Little is known about the identity of his parents, except that his father ran a convenience store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Career Beginnings
Robert Diggs took an interest in hip hop from the age of nine years. By the age of 11, he was already competing in local rap battles. He co-founded a teen rap group called ‘Force of the Imperial Master’ with his cousins Gary Grice and Russell Tyrone Jones. He also founded the group ‘DMD Posse’ with various future Wu-Tang Clan members, such as Raekwon, Method Man, and Ghostface Killah.
During the same period, Diggs signed a record deal with Tommy Boy Records and subsequently released the extended play (EP) “Ooh I Love You Rakeem.” He was then rapping under the stage name Prince Rakeem.
However, Diggs’ musical ambitions were derailed momentarily when he began dealing drugs and committing petty crimes. He was once charged with attempted murder but was eventually acquitted in what he would later describe as his “second chance” at life.
Breakthrough
After moderate success as a child artist, Robert Diggs began doing music seriously. He formed the hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan in 1992 with his cousins Grice and Jones.
Diggs then adopted the stage name RZA while Grice and Jones became GZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, respectively. The group’s other original members were Clifford Smith alias Method Man, Elgin Turner alias Masta Killa, Corey Woods alias Raekwon, Lamont Jody Hawkins alias U-God, Dennis Coles alias Ghostface Killah, and Jason Hunter alias Inspectah Deck.
Wu-Tang signed to Loud Records and subsequently released their debut studio album in November 1993, titled “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).” They then followed with their second album in 1997, titled “Wu-Tang Forever.”
Other albums by Wu-Tang Clan include;
• The W (2000)
• Iron Flag (2001)
• 8 Diagrams (2007)
• A Better Tomorrow (2014)
• Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (2015)
• The Saga Continues (2017)
In addition to Wu-Tang Clan, RZA is also associated with the horrorcore group Gravediggaz. He co-created the group in 1994 with Prince Paul, Poetic, and Frukwan.
Gravediggaz released three studio albums. They include ‘6 Feet Deep,’ ‘The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel,’ and ‘Nightmare in A-Minor.’
RZA has also pursued a successful solo career. He released his debut solo album ‘Bobby Digital in Stereo’ in 1998. He later followed with ‘Digital Bullet’ in 2001, ‘Birth of a Prince’ in 2003, ‘Digi Snacks’ in 2008, and ‘Bobby Digital and the Pit of Snakes’ in 2022.
Film and Television Career
Robert Diggs has had roles in multiple films and television series over the years. Diggs made his film debut by appearing as himself in the 1997 movie ‘Rhyme & Reason.’ He then appeared in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Derailed (2005), and American Gangster (2007). He was also cast in Repo Men (2010), The Man with the Iron Fists (2012 and its 2015 sequel), Thriller (2018), The Dead Don’t Die (2019), Life in a Year (2020), and a host of other films.
On television, Diggs is best known for his roles in Outlaw (2010), Californication (2012), Gang Related (2014), and Snowfall (2017).
Diggs has also directed, produced, and written several films and television shows. Most notably, ‘The Man with the Iron Fists’ series. He has also composed numerous movie soundtracks. Examples include scores to the films Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004).
RZA’s Net Worth
RZA is undoubtedly the most successful Wu-Tang Clan member. As at November 1, 2022, the rapper had a net worth of $18 million.
A huge chunk of RZA’s wealth comes from the music industry. However, he also earns some paychecks from acting and filmmaking as well as television producing and directing.
Lessons from RZA
1. Age is no barrier to success
RZA achieved early recognition in the music industry while still in his preteen years. That’s clear proof that success has little to do with chronological age.
2. There’s a rhyme and reason to everything
Although RZA always harbored strong musical ambitions, he first took music seriously after he miraculously missed a conviction for attempted murder. That ordeal changed his outlook of life forever.
3. Be a team player
Wu-Tang Clan is one of the oldest hip-hop collectives. The group owes its success largely to RZA’s strong team spirit.
Famous Quotes by RZA
• After knowledge comes wisdom. After wisdom comes understanding.
• Confusion is a gift from God. Those times when you feel most desperate for a solution, sit. Wait. The information will become clear. The confusion is there to guide you. Seek detachment and become the producer of your life.
• Happiness is something you get from yourself. If you’re completely satisfied with yourself, nobody can take it away from you.
• If you live through defeat, you are not defeated. If you are beaten but acquire wisdom, you have won. Lose yourself to improve yourself. Only when we shed all self-definition do we find who we really are.
• Inspiration is found everywhere if you look hard enough.
Wrap Up
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, or RZA as he’s popularly known, is an American rapper and record producer who has also enjoyed incredible success in the film industry. As at November 2022, the rapper has a net worth of $18 million.