Halftime: If you could describe yourself as one of the chess pieces, which one would you be and why based on the moves that you could make, the purpose and the importance of the piece in the game?

GZA: The king! I’m definitely the king. The king is the most important piece and it’s all about protecting him. He’s in charge. The queen is the most powerful piece by far but the queen doesn’t move unless the King tells her too. He gives her that power, just like a lot of drug dealers or people that hustle they put all their houses, money and cars in their women’s name. She has all the power. I just used that term as an example but it could also be your wife. She runs everything in the house, writing checks, and taking care of everything. She has the most power but you give her that power. The king can only move one space at a time but he’s powerful too. They can move in any direction. They don’t have long range like a bishop but they don’t need too. They just need to be up close to do their damage. So I would definitely be the king. Other pieces are just as important. Rooks are important and bishops do they thing. Everyone plays a certain role.

Halftime: Where are you right now in terms of spirituality? Were you ever a five-per center?

Yea, you could say I’m apart of the five percent nation. I was introduced to that at a young age and that’s when I changed my name to Justice from my birth given name. Getting knowledge at a young age and being introduced to this from a cousin named Life Allah and a brother named Infinite who I grew up with. Without having that type of knowledge we wouldn’t be who we are today. That’s why I’m Justice, RZA is Prince Rakeem and Old Dirty was Unique Ason. It was great coming into that. We stopped eating pork. We don’t eat meat period. RZA and I don’t eat meat, fish, or chicken. I haven’t eaten pork since the 70s. I stopped eating beef in the 80s and I stopped eating chicken and turkey and all that around ‘95-‘96. So that was a spark just from being introduced to the Gods at a young age. That enlightened us to many different things and caused us to be in tune with many different things. Even Rakim being God body opened up a whole new thing in emceeing as far as cleverness and wittiness. That opened us up to reading a lot of books and going to the Ansar Ru community. The Muslims used to sell a lot of books and we got a lot of knowledge and information from them. They had books on all types of things that we had no knowledge of and it was interesting to read and gain knowledge from that. We were just opened and enlightened to a certain type of knowledge about ourselves and we grew with that. Now the nation has been made into a many different things. You got a lot of people who are god body and part of the five percent nation running around not living right and doing foul stuff. Sometimes it’s been made into a cult. I’m not apart of all that negative shit but that’s where I got my spark of knowledge from. I must say that.

Halftime: Do you see yourself as a political person?

GZA: No. I may come off as political with some of the things I speak about and stand for but I’m not political. I can’t tell you the difference between a democrat and a republican. I’m not political in that sense. I do believe and stand up for certain things. As far as government and politicians that’s a whole other interview off the record. That’s when we start going into other worlds. It’s just for us to kick it on. It’s not for the public. It is for the people but it’s not for the public in that sense because a lot of people don’t know how to take it. To some I may come off as political but I don’t know much about politicians and voting and all that. I’m not big on voting either. I once heard a man say it’s not who you elect is who they select. I believe that’s true when it comes to the real big office so the vote doesn’t mean anything to me. Maybe in certain towns yes but on a large scale they are gonna put whoever they want in there and they are gonna play the same game as every other individual. If you don’t play the game then you are gonna be out of here in some kinda way.

Halftime: What’s your favorite Wu song?

GZA: I don’t know if I have a favorite. I love ‘Triumph.’ I think that’s an anthem for WU. I do that song every time I perform and I always have the crowd do Deck’s verse then I do my verse. You know when Deck spit on that track I didn’t even want to go anywhere near it. I didn’t even know how anyone could come after him. How? It was just bugging me out. It’s hard. Nothing on that song compared to that rhyme. It’s a great song but I don’t think anything on there holds that down. That’s’ one of the greats. If anything it would be that one right there.

Halftime: Wu seems like everyone is on their own thing now. Do you see cats that often and is there gonna be another WU album anytime soon?

GZA: I see brothers every now and then. We all spread out. Everyone is recording their own album. I probably see Rae more. RZA is in L.A. and I’m in NY but I talk to him all the time. Always have for many years. When we were teenagers we used to kick it on the phone for two or three hours talking about all kinds of shit. I see him every now and then. I see Masta Killa a lot, I see Deck every now and again and I see Rae often lately. I see Cap every now and then. I haven’t seen Meth in a few months because he’s been away. I haven’t seen Ghost in a few months because he’s on the road. I see brothers and we stay in tuned. As far as another album I don’t really know. I think things have to be settled with certain individuals. Not myself because I’m ready to do it but if it don’t happen I’m gonna continue. I’m working on something big right now. I’m about to do an album with Shavo from System of the Down. That’s gonna be crazy,

Halftime: How far are you into that?

GZA: I’m just in the writing process right now. I want to record by at least January or February. That’s gonna be big and different. And I don’t mean different as in not like GZA, I just mean on the writing level. I’m on another level right now. It’s gonna be a good book.

Halftime: When are we gonna get the GZA country album?

GZA: I don’t know I wouldn’t mind hooking up with Toby Keith or somebody like that.

Halftime: Like Nelly did.

GZA: Yea, mine would probably be a little different though. I wouldn’t mind me and Toby Keith bringing those two worlds together.

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Posted by Jbutters on Saturday, April 15th, 2006 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.