| Bobby Digital in Stereo | |||||
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| Studio album by RZA as Bobby Digital | |||||
| Released | November 24, 1998 | ||||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | ||||
| Genre | Hip hop | ||||
| Length | 67:57 | ||||
| Label | Gee Street/V2/BMG Records 63881-32521 |
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| Producer | RZA Inspectah Deck King Tech |
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| RZA chronology | |||||
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| Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B)[2] |
| NME | [3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (2.9/10)[4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| The Source | [6] |
| Stylus | (favorable)[7] |
Bobby Digital in Stereo is the solo debut album by the American hip hop artist RZA, a member of Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on November 24, 1998, and was certified Gold on February 5, 1999, by the RIAA. It is a well-received experimental album that is based on a story featuring him rhyming as a hedonistic, fun-loving alter-ego named Bobby Digital and showcasing a unique keyboard-driven sound (rather than samples) that the RZA called digital orchestra, receiving mostly positive, though somewhat mixed, reviews.
Contents |
| “ | It came from a really good bag of weed one day, right? I was in my studio. My birth name is Bobby Diggs. So at the time, creatively, I felt like I was in a digital frame. I felt like I was in high-speed, where everything was digital, in numbers, mathematics. I said to myself at the same time that as Bobby Digital, I could use a character to describe some of the earlier days of my own life. Partying, bullshitting, going crazy, chasing women, taking drugs. At the same time, I would mix in my love for comic books. It was a mixture of fiction and reality together to make a character I thought would be entertaining, and I could utilize that character to get fans into me as an MC, as a lyricist, and also following the path of my life. It's like pre-RZA. It's what The RZA struggles not to be, in a way, you know what I mean?[8] | ” |
On the pseudonym and character of Bobby Digital, which dominated the album's lyrics, RZA later stated:
I had to live in a way that I don't really live...I got to dip my weed in honey, and I had mad bitches around me. I probably fucked with 50 bitches this year...women are queens. But if they don't know that themselves, Bobby will prey on them. He'll treat them like bitches if they don't realize that they're queens. I had to get Bobby out of me, or else I'd be emotionally unbalanced. Bobby Digital is just me feeling my nuts. RZA is my heart.[9]—RZA
Consequently, the album's lyrics are considerably more aggressive compared to the spiritual, self-reflective, socially aware lyrics that the RZA has been known to rhyme on Wu-Tang group albums.
The sound of the album is largely keyboard-driven, but there are still samples. On the sound of Bobby Digital, RZA stated:
I learned how to play chords and progress the chords—I got together at least 16 or 17 different keyboards for this album. I always liked orchestras and strings, so I composed a digital orchestra.[10]—RZA
All songs produced by The RZA unless otherwise stated.
Japanese release bonus track:
The cover art is by noted comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz.
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