Hey RZA, We Have Questions About Wu-Tang: An American Saga?

   Since its September 4th, 2019 Hulu release, Wu-Tang: An American Saga series has received mixed reviews from mainstream audiences, critics and citizens of the Five Percent Nation. With an 80% Rotten Tomatoes Rating, Daniel Fiendberg of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "the Wu built a brand based on the street-level drama of their primarily Staten Island upbringing, but filtered through lenses as eclectic as martial arts movies, comic books and 5 Percenter doctrine. The Wu narrative is gritty and grounded, while at the same time verging on urban legend or tall tale." He also goes on to state that, "it captures some of the group's kaleidoscopic perspective and nascent brilliance, but leaves too many of its best ideas half-developed."

   As a Five Percenter, it is no secret that our culture has been very influential in the growth, development and creative expression of the Wu-Tang Clan and its associated group members. In fact, RZA explicitly depicts some of our cultural elements in this series which most mainstream audiences are being exposed to for the first time. While some of those cultural elements were accurately depicted, other elements were not accurately depicted. Because of this, Five Percenters have shared mixed perspectives about how we were and are portrayed in this series. On October 18th I sent RZA an email concerning these perspectives which he has yet to respond to. In part, that email read:

"With the success of your series, and more mainstream exposure of various cultural elements of the Five Percent, I would like to interview you about that process. My readership would be interested in knowing what challenges come along with striving to articulate those cultural elements in a screenplay and presenting them in mainstream media on film? What was the process used to familiarize the actors with the culture of the Five Percent? What creative control do you have in our imagery, use of symbols and objects that express our culture in the series? What was your vision in regards to our depiction and how closely have you manifested that determined idea? These are just a few questions, and others, that many of us have regarding our cultural expression in this series. To my knowledge there is no interview, or interviewer who has allowed you to expound upon these important insights and I would be thankful to have an opportunity to responsibly make this happen!" 

   While some Five Percenters have been quoted on social media as saying, "Bullshit" and "That's why I'm not watching that series.... It's all watered down....", others have stated, "Wow peoples it's TV ya'll. I [am] thankful he [RZA] made Knowledge Born of our existence to the mainstream. I like it!" and "It's not a documentary. lol It's a TV series based on true events. Near Correct." I can understand and appreciate both perspectives. Since its release I have received three times as many inquiries about KOS [Knowledge Of Self] than I normally do. This has enabled me to respond to more questions regarding our culture and direct people to active Five Percenters in the inquirer's region. Creating consistent quality content from a Five Percenter perspective has enabled me to build this type of global platform that people can reference. While there were certain Five Percenter customs that were correctly depicted in this series such as the Just-Ice character questioning Rakeem [RZA] backstage about Today's Mathematics and Rakeem's breakdown of "justice" when questioned by the Gods on the block, there were other instances in this series that depicted us so inaccurate that any Five Percenter would question how much creative control RZA actually had in this series. For example, the emblem that Five Percenter actors wore was not our Universal Flag. As one Five Percenter put it, "reminds me of the Kellogg's Raisin Bran Logo." In the series our 120 Degrees/Lessons were presented as some type of book or manual that one could buy, not the book of life research binder that a student compiles as they responsibly acquire their Degrees/Lessons from their Educator/Enlightener. Although this Wu-Tang: An American Saga series is inspired by actual persons and events, the Five Percenter characterizations, dialogue and incidents that are fictionalized for the purpose of dramatization is still disinformation that can misled people about who we are as a Nation.  

   The release of the Wu-Tang: An American Saga series has definitely caused more people to inquire about the culture of the Five Percent. This same interest has occurred throughout the chronology of Hip Hop depending upon what Five Percenters or Five Percenter influenced Rap Artists were popular. This did not and does not automatically make a person qualified to learn anything. It is only through building actual relationships is that determined. Regardless of a person's interest, the release of a dramatic series or treading topics on social media, we as the Five Percent have been here and will continue to be here living out our culture. If a person is truly willing to seek, they will find us.

Peace,

Saladin