For RSD 2023 Bobby Digital’s Origin Story Is Revisited With An
Exclusive Tranlucent Red Double Vinyl Pressing
In November of 1998, Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA unleashed his first solo record,
and his memorable alter-ego, Bobby Digital. Bobby Digital In Stereo is essentially a
soundtrack. A soundtrack to a Blaxploitation/Martial arts film that never was - at least
outside of the imagination of the artist and the listener - as RZA channels the martial
arts superhero (or perhaps anti-hero) inspirations of his youth into his Bobby Digital
persona. The recording follows a loose storyline of RZA’s endeavors as Bobby Digital
- out to enlighten the people of the projects to the poisons of the hood that surrounded
them every day. Production-wise, the release features a different approach from RZA’s
work with Wu-Tang - a layered experimental keyboard driven sound instead of dusted
sample-heavy beats - a technique RZA called the “Digital Orchestra.” Bobby Digital In
Stereo rode to number 16 on the Billboard top 200 - peaked at number 3 on the Top
R&B/Hip Hop albums chart - and went on to RIAA Gold status. Bobby Digital In Stereo
is now regarded by many as the best of RZA’s Bobby Digital projects.