Photo Credit: Ashley Osborne
More than three decades since he first stepped out from Shaolin, RZA is still fearlessly pursuing new sonic horizons. In August, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan figurehead reached bold new heights of innovation with the release of A Ballet Through Mud, his first-ever classical album which chronicles his ascent from Staten Island, N.Y.’s Stapleton Houses to his prestigious position in the music world today. On Nov. 4, the legendary rapper and producer brought his far-reaching new project to life with a hand from Classical California KUSC, Southern California’s foremost classical radio source and the largest non-profit classical music station in the country.
With partnership from Platoon and RZA’s own 36 Chambers record label, The Scientist took the stage at the Los Angeles Theater alongside an orchestra composed of USC Thornton School of Music students and alumni. The album’s first full staging since its release was further elevated with an accompanying ballet performance from Sorzano Dance Work, as well as immersive visuals tailored to the project. With all these moving parts, the event amounting to a perfect introduction to a new chapter in RZA’s career, and a testament to his legacy for leading musical revolutions.
Though A Ballet Through Mud originated from lyrics RZA wrote about his life as a teenager in a notebook he later uncovered during the pandemic, it builds to a broader message of trials, growth and the transformative power of creativity. “The inspiration for ‘A Ballet Through Mud’ comes from my earliest creative output as a teenager, but its themes are universal — love, exploration, and adventure,” the artist shared in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “I hope people use it to score their own lives, to transform a drive to the grocery store or sharing a meal with loved ones into something magical, to be inspired and let their imaginations take them into a different chamber, if only for a moment.”
Get an inside look at the performance in the gallery below, courtesy of photographer Ashley Osborne. Find more information on RZA and A Ballet Through Mud here, and learn more about Classical California KUSC at kusc.org.
