‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’: What’s Reality vs. Fiction
Picture by: Vanessa Clifton/Hulu
Wu-Tang: An American Saga is tremendously impressed by the real-life experiences of the group. However not the whole lot is true within the dramatized sequence.
Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga has develop into a go-to present for rap fanatics since its debut in September 2019. The principle purpose for that is that the Wu-Tang Clan have one of the vital fascinating tales in hip-hop. The legendary Staten Island collective constructed a mythos for itself by way of the members’ love of kung fu and mafia flicks, and donning completely different rap monikers and personas to inform their tales.
However even earlier than the rap stardom, lots of the members had already lived a life filled with moments bordering on the unbelievable, solely including to the intrigue surrounding the Wu’s story. So, it’s comprehensible why the group can be good fodder for a biographical drama sequence that mixes reality and fiction to inform the story of one among hip-hop’s most beloved band of MCs.
With its third and last season dropping February 15, An American Saga has highlighted the real-life experiences of the group and its particular person members in delicate and overt methods. When Ol’ Soiled Bastard briefly talks about battling Q-Tip at school within the first season’s third episode, “All In Collectively Now,” that’s a reference to the truth that the pair did truly battle as soon as. When RZA virtually finally ends up behind bars for a shootout in Ohio, that’s a reference to the truth that he truly confronted eight years in jail for a shootout that occurred in Ohio in 1992. Nevertheless it’s essential to keep in mind that it is a dramatization, that means that despite the fact that these are true tales most of them might be exaggerated indirectly. That is additionally the case with the extra fictional features of the sequence, too.
So, with An American Saga coming to an finish, right here’s a breakdown of among the questions viewers have had on what’s reality and fiction throughout the sequence’ two seasons (with third season moments to come back as soon as it releases).
Season One
Picture by: Vanessa Clifton/Hulu
Did Ghostface Killah and Raekwon have beef?
Verdict: True and False
A vital plot level of the primary season (and the primary chunk of season two) is centered round a feud between Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, who’s first launched as Dennis/D-Lover and Corey/Sha Raider, respectively. The feud is incited because of a drive-by Sha does on Dennis’ home, together with his brothers and mom virtually hit by the assault. Because of this, Dennis hopes to get revenge on Sha, with RZA (Bobby) hoping to be the impartial intermediary that will get them to squash their beef and be a part of the rap group he’s attempting to make.
Each Ghost and Rae have addressed this, with the latter just lately saying on the Exterior with Gorilla Nems podcast: “Me and Rae by no means had beef. Me and Rae by no means had no issues. It was simply the best way them characters acquired switched round.”
However there’s the truth that the 2 did come from rival neighborhoods, one thing that Rae addressed in a 2013 interview with VladTV.
“In the event you go to the hood and also you go 10 blocks away, niggas don’t know you, niggas don’t fuck with you, niggas will gun you in the event that they really feel such as you in the best way, so we all the time stayed on our aspect,” he mentioned.
“So when RZA shaped this alliance, it was positively spoken on like, ‘Yo, I don’t actually fuck with Ghost, he’s a criminal.’ However when RZA was the center man, it was virtually like he did a [John] Gotti transfer. He introduced all of the households to the desk, and made niggas make amends, as a result of reality of how we gon’ transfer ahead and get this cash.”
Additionally, in line with Rae, it was truly Ghost that incited a shootout, with the rapper sharing in one other VladTV interview that Ghost shot up his good friend Jamie’s house, which led to Jamie retaliating and capturing up Ghost’s house.
“It was an eye fixed for an eye fixed scenario,” Rae mentioned. “He was like, ‘Yo, you shot at my crib, so…’ That’s what it was. That’s the way it performed out. I wasn’t round that day to see what was occurring. Like I mentioned, we knew that Ghost knew RZA and [RZA’s older brother] Divine, however we didn’t actually know that he knew ’em the best way that he knew ’em.”
With this in thoughts, that is presumably what Ghost meant when he mentioned the characters “acquired switched round.”
Picture by: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Did Ghostface Killah date RZA’s sister?
Verdict: True
One other integral a part of Dennis’ story is his relationship with RZA’s sister, Shurrie. Because the present goes on, we see the pair’s as soon as hidden relationship develop into identified to the Diggs household, in addition to Shurrie revealing to Dennis that she’s pregnant together with his youngster.
Shurrie (performed by Zolee Griggs) is a fusion of all of RZA’s sisters, however the primary one Griggs was in a position to converse with for inspiration for the position was Sophia, who did have a real-life relationship with Ghost. Though Ghost hasn’t spoken a lot publicly about Sophia, he did acknowledge her whereas talking about RZA in a 2013 interview with XXL, saying: “RZA’s my brotha for all times. That’s my brother-in-law. I acquired infants by his fucking sister.”
Picture by: Jeff Neumann/Hulu
Did Haze actually die?
Verdict: False
In season one’s sixth episode “Unattainable,” we witness the tragic dying of Haze by the hands of Officer Marcus. It’s a second that sticks with everybody within the Park Hill Initiatives, significantly Sha, Insurgent, and Shotgun, as they helplessly watch Haze battle for his life.
Haze’s dying is probably going based mostly on the tragic death of Ernest Sayon, a 23-year-old who was killed by police throughout an arrest exterior exterior the Park Hill residence buildings in 1994. Though there have been three officers straight concerned within the incident, it was Officer Donald Brown who was singled out, primarily because he was from the identical neighborhood as Sayon was, and had already had a divisive relationship with the Park Hill neighborhood previous to the incident.
Technique Man spoke on Sayon’s passing throughout an interview with HuffPost in 2015, evaluating the incident to what occurred to Eric Garner and saying: “I felt the ache, as a result of we had spoke out a few cop that had achieved that to one among my pricey mates I grew up with, Ernest Sayon. He was killed by a cop. I’m going to say killed, as a result of he was killed by this cop, Donald Brown, who strangled him—choked him to dying.”
Nonetheless, it’s unknown if Meth, Inspectah Deck, or Rae had been truly current when Sayon’s dying occurred.
Season 2
Picture by: Vanessa Clifton/Hulu
Did RZA virtually go to jail?
Verdict: True
An American Saga‘s season two premiere episode, “Little Ghetto Boys,” finds RZA presumably going through jail time for capturing a girlfriend’s ex in self-defense whereas out in Ohio. Previous to the capturing, he already appeared to develop into disillusioned with making music, and the potential of being locked up doesn’t assist issues. Happily, RZA is discovered not responsible, the decision rejuvenating his want to return to NYC and create the Wu-Tang Clan.
Within the Wu-Tang docuseries Of Mics and Males, RZA recounted how he was hit with a felony cost in Steubenville, Ohio, after he allegedly shot a person within the leg. Regardless of claiming he fired in self-defense, RZA confronted eight years in jail for the cost. He was acquitted on April 23, 1992.
“My mom got here out and she or he noticed me. She appeared me in my eyes and mentioned, ‘That is my second probability, don’t look again, stroll straight. Stroll that straight path.’ I did that. I zigged again.” he recalled.
Picture by: Vanessa Clifton/Hulu
Did RZA signal ODB to Elektra?
Verdict: False
A degree of rivalry for RZA and ODB that begins on the finish of the second season (and can doubtless be within the third season) is the previous signing the latter to Elektra with out his consent. Signing to Def Jam was a childhood dream for Ol’ Soiled Bastard, and despite the fact that RZA thought he was getting his cousin the higher deal (not solely was Elektra providing the identical worth as Def Jam, however they had been additionally prepared to provide him his music again after 20 years), ODB was clearly harm that his cousin hadn’t spoken with him first. That is what results in their battle on the subway, in addition to their temporary falling out within the season finale episode, “As Excessive as Wu-Tang Will get.”
In actuality, though ODB needed to go to Def Jam, it doesn’t appear to be he was significantly mad about being on Elektra. Based on then-Elektra A&R Dante Ross, who signed ODB to the label, there wasn’t any actual pushback from the late MC in any respect.
“He appreciated me. I don’t know what it was however we hit it off straight away,” Ross recounted on Open Mike Eagle’s What Had Happened Was podcast, sharing how ODB appreciated the best way Ross listened to him about what he needed to do together with his music.
Picture by: Vanessa Clifton/Hulu
Did Wu-Tang rush the stage at Jack The Ripper?
Verdict: True
In “As Excessive as Wu-Tang Will get,” the Wu is meant to open for Run-DMC at Atlanta’s Jack The Rapper conference, however they find yourself getting reduce from the lineup when the present runs over. Undeterred, the group decides to bum rush the stage, accosting the DJ and giving a daring efficiency that solely helps amplify their rising recognition.
As U-God shared with Tidal in 2018, the Wu truly did bum rush the stage at Jack The Rapper, after Luke (of two Dwell Crew fame) postponed letting them onstage.
“One of many instances we had been down there, perhaps our first time, Luke from 2 Dwell Crew wouldn’t hand over the mic; he wouldn’t allow us to on,” U-God recalled. “2 Dwell Crew was mad deep down there, and supposedly had been getting rowdy throughout the entire conference. Possibly Luke was attempting to guard his market as a result of we had been down South. No matter his reasoning, we had been up subsequent and he was retaining us from going onstage. We tried to be affected person for a number of moments, however you know the way that goes once you’re hungry for recognition. So after a number of moments, the Clan needed to rush the stage to make sure we did what we got here to do.”
Though it doesn’t appear to be the group additionally bum rushed the stage at The Fever (in contrast to what’s proven in season two’s eighth episode “Saturday Nite,” there’s this video that reveals the Wu performing on the widespread Bronx hip-hop membership in 1993, sans bum rush), there is a video of them apparently bum dashing the stage at The Palladium in 1994, exhibiting that the group wasn’t afraid to make the most of the technique when essential.
Picture by: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Did RZA’s basement flood?
Verdict: True
At first it appears as if the second season goes to finish on a comparatively good notice. The group’s daring transfer at Jack The Rapper labored, Technique Man has signed to Def Jam, and RZA has already made some headway on among the members’ solo albums. Then, catastrophe strikes — a pipe bursts in RZA’s basement, seemingly destroying the work he’s achieved on these solo albums within the course of.
What might appear to be an unreal plot twist to drive the story ahead is definitely very actual. Throughout a stay interview that was a part of Georgia’s A3C Competition in 2018, RZA explained how floods (sure, plural) had destroyed his studio on a couple of event, with the primary one which’s referenced in An American Saga taking place after the Wu returned house after some reveals in Cleveland.
“As quickly as we had completed [Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers], I already had Inspectah Deck’s [Uncontrolled Substance] album, Technique Man’s [Tical] album ready. As a result of again in these days we had floppy disks and I’d make all of the beats – Technique Man’s session, Deck’s session, [Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…] session, and I used to be able to go,” he recalled. “Right here comes the flood that wiped away about 160 floppy disks. As a result of I didn’t assume there’d be a flood. I had [the disks] on the ground, underneath the keyboard. You don’t assume. Wu-Tang [Clan was] out doing a little reveals in Cleveland, no matter. [We came] again–water’s up this excessive, washed that every one away. [We went] again to the drafting board. Cool.”
The famed producer went on to talk of the opposite cases of flooding damaging his studios, with the second occurring greater than a yr later after the primary one, and the third one going down on the “Wu home” in New Jersey.