Digi Snacks

Digi Snacks
Studio album by RZA
Released June 24, 2008
Recorded 2007-2008
Genre Hip hop
Label Wu Music Group/Koch
Producer RZA, David Banner, King Tech, Panauh Kalayeh[1]
RZA chronology

RZA-Instrumental Experience
(2007)		 Digi Snacks
(2008)		 The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai Resurrection OST
(2009)
Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology
Wu-Tang Clan:
8 Diagrams
(2007)		 Digi Snacks
(2008)		 Cappadonna:
The Cappatilize Project
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2008
The Boston Globe (mixed) 2008
Robert Christgau 2008
The Guardian 2008
The Observer 2008
Pitchfork Media (4.0/10) 2008
PopMatters (7/10) 2008
Seattle Weekly (mixed) 2008
Village Voice (favorable) 2008
XXL (L) 2008

Digi Snacks is the fourth solo studio album by rapper and producer RZA, the third under his Bobby Digital alias. Continuing the story from Digital Bullet, the album was released,[2][3] on 24 June 2008 on Koch Records.[4] The album was originally entitled Digi Snax, but was changed before release.[5]

The album's first single, "You Can't Stop Me Now", features fellow Wu-Tang Clan rapper Inspectah Deck;[2] a track by this name featured in reports of early track listings of the group's 8 Diagrams album. RZA has since released another track, "Drama", featuring Monk of Black Knights and singer Thea van Seijen.[6]

The album also features production from David Banner (on "Straight Up the Block", mooted to be the album's second single), from California producer Panauh Kalayeh, and from King Tech,[1] as well as live instrumentation from Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated funk/soul group Stone Mecca. The latter also backed RZA on a June/July tour of the US, which also featured "surprise appearances by Wu-Tang members and affiliates",[1] to accompany the album's release.[3][7]

RZA described the album to Billboard.com as "simply fun hip-hop... a perfect blend of reality, fiction, sci-fi and martial arts".[1] The album cover's design was done by Gary Alford, and includes a brief comic within the sleeves.[8]

Album background

“ This world wasn’t in a digital format in 1998. Now digital is the most compelling form of commerce and entertainment so this is like a relaunch of the character.[9]

The album is Digi Snacks because it’s a snack pack of Bobby Digital’s world. Not only music and sounds, but also the comic background, the sci-fi background, the black-exploitation background. Look at the artwork—a girl with an afro, an Asian girl, Bobby sitting in the big king’s chair and then the villains—Raven, Hawk, Eagle and Crane, the four birds of prey that I use as my enemies. Bobby Digital’s life-long nemesis. That adds a comic element to it—as well as martial arts. I’m planning a comic book, a video game—I’m already talking to people. I want fans to be aware of these things.[10]

 ”

Album production

The album's first single, "You Can't Stop Me Now", features fellow Wu-Tang Clan rapper Inspectah Deck;[2] a track by this name featured in reports of early track listings of the group's 8 Diagrams album. The track samples a version of the Barrett Strong/Norman Whitfield composition "Message from a Black Man", also previously sampled by Mos Def on Undeniable in True Magic, MF DOOM on the King Geedorah album Take Me to Your Leader[11] and in the same year, sampled by Nas and producer Salaam Remi for "You Can't Stop Us Now," from the rapper's Untitled album.

Track listing

All tracks produced by RZA except where noted.

  1. "Digi Snacks Intro"[4] (featuring Understanding) 2:07
  2. "Long Time Coming" (featuring Danny Keyz) (produced by Panauh Kalayeh, James Desmond, and Danny Keyz) 4:11
  3. "You Can't Stop Me Now" (featuring Inspectah Deck) (co-produced by George Drakoulias) 4:09
  4. "Straight Up the Block" (produced by David Banner) 3:01
  5. "Booby Trap" (featuring Dexter Wiggles) 3:40
  6. "Try Ya Ya Ya" (featuring Monk & Thea Van Seijen (produced by Che Vicious and co-produced by RZA) 3:32
  7. "Good Night" (featuring Rev William Burk, Crisis & Thea Van Seijen) 5:04
  8. "No Regrets" 3:01
  9. "Money Don't Own Me" (featuring Monk & Stone Mecca) 4:52
  10. "Creep" (featuring Black Knights, Northstar, Thea Van Seijen & Dexter Wiggles) (produced by King Tech) 4:44
  11. "Drama" (featuring Monk & Thea Van Seijen ) 5:00
  12. "Up Again" (featuring John Frusciante, Beretta 9, Rev William Burk, George Clinton & El DeBarge) (co-produced by John Frusciante) 6:19
  13. "Put Your Guns Down" (featuring Star) (produced by The Bad Parts) 3:34
  14. "Love Is Digi/Part II" (featuring Beretta 9, Crisis & Thea Van Seijen) 2:47
  15. "O Day" 4:00
  16. "Don't Be Afraid" (iTunes Bonus Track) 4:05
  17. "The Wolf" (iTunes Bonus Track)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "RZA Returns To Bobby Digital For 'Digi Snax'". Billboard.com. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "RZA Readies Another Bobby Digital Record". Artistdirect. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thompson, Paul (2008-04-04). "RZA Reveals New Bobby Digital Album, Tour". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thompson, Paul. (29 May 2008) "RZA Finalizes Snacks Tracks, Adds Date With GZA". Pitchfork Media. Accessed 2 June 2008.
  5. ↑ Bobby Digital returns with DIGI SNACKS on 24 June :: news articles at Wu-Tang Corp. - The Official Site of the Wu-Tang Clan
  6. ↑ "Bangers >> RZA ft. Monk & Thea "Drama"". XXL. Harris Publications. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  7. ↑ Weiner, Nat (2008-04-08). "New Bobby Digital in July". Prefix. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  8. ↑ "Hip Hop poster and artwork by Gary Alford". WuPoster.com. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  9. ↑ "'Digi Snacks' info from RZA | Prefix". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  10. ↑ L.A. Record » Blog Archive » Rza: Kung Fu Cures Perversion!
  11. ↑ Hogan, Marc (2008-03-18). "New Music: RZA as Bobby Digital [ft. Inspectah Deck]: "You Can't Stop Me Now" [Stream]". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-04-08.

External links