TV Review- Wu-Tang: An American Saga Is Exceptional
What I find fascinating about fame is that your life becomes intriguing to others while, hopefully, feeling no different to you. I say, hopefully, because if you let others’ ideas of you define you then you will never intrigue yourself. In Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, one day, RZA was just a young man living in the projects, frustrated by poverty, but he had family and friends that gave him laughs. The next day he was a historical figure; apart of one the most epic and defining groups of Hip Hop Culture: The Wu-Tang Clan.
My grandmother always said, “ There is no ill that last 100 years or a body that can handle it.” The wonder of Wu-Tang: An American Saga is that it shows poverty, systemic oppression, and unsafe surroundings, for many, will or, at least, feel like a 100 years.. “Rags to riches” stories are rare. Most of us have conformed that, at best, we might live a “middle class” life. Yet, what if you lived in NYC during the 90’s crack epidemic? How do you get used to family members losing their minds over tiny, white rocks? How do you get used to police brutality and dark harassment? How do you get used to the seemingly only source of work being crime? That is the life when we meet Dave East’s Method Man, Ashton Sanders’ RZA, TJ Atoms’ Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Johnell Young’s GZA, Shameik Moore’s Raekwon, Joey Badass as Inspectah Deck, Siddiq Saunderson’s Ghostface Killah. Each actor plays their role brilliantly, and embodies the tragedy of growing up poor and black in America; you are a star not allowed to shine.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga – Trailer (Official) * A Hulu Original
When we meet each member, it is clear they are talented, creative, and do not feel that is of importance. They don’t see their artistic wits as keys to rising in this world as much as quiet tortures. Each knows they could do more with their life, and wants to, but also knows that the journey to do it will be incredibly hard, if not impossible. Drugs, crimes, gangs, deaths, violence, and crooked cops are rampant in this series created and produced by RZA and written by Gabe Fonseca. If you ever lived or hung out in the projects or hood, then you know it can feel grey and caged. Wu-Tang: An America Saga swelters with realism: balancing the laughter, sadness, sweetness, hope, and hopelessness of feeling like your home is also your prison.
Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga – The RZA and Raekwon Clip – IGN First
As the series continues and Wu-Tang forms, audiences will get hyped. Yet, Wu-Tang: An American Saga is smartly paced; dropping the future of these men like Marvel does easter eggs in their films. From how Ol’ Dirty Bastard gets his name or knowing that RZA and Ghostface Killah will go from rivals to band-mates, many Wu-Tang fans will salivate at getting to learn the small details that formed this massive group. Yet, if you are not a fan of Wu-Tang, of which I feel bad for you, the show is a marvelous look at how you can feel dead in place but your dreams revive you. With the many routes these men’s lives could have gone, I felt overjoyed they became Wu-Tang Clan, but, throughout series, wondered how many talents, like theirs, never got their shot. Wu-Tang: An American Saga makes you admire this group further while questioning why anyone has to live so hard. Wu-Tang: An American Saga premieres Wednesdays on Hulu.
