CHEESE: FOUND, Wu-Tang Clan Finds a New Path to Cheesy Success

CHEESE: FOUND, Wu-Tang Clan Finds a New Path to Cheesy Success

By: Kelsey Wray

Recent CNN interview with Wu-Tang Clan's, RZA reveals the untold story of RZA of how the hip-hop group almost never was.

The "Wu-Tang Clan" is a major successful hip-hop group from New York that has generated millions of fans and hit albums as well as multiple solo artists and some acting careers. The band continues to count their blessings each day, for there nearly wasn’t a hit group "Wu-Tang Clan" after one fateful day.

Wu-Tang’s chief producer, RZA now writes in his upcoming book, "The Tao of Wu" of the tragedy that took place and how lucky Method Man aka "Meth," the most recognizable rapper in the group, is to be alive. Before the hip-hop group was created, RZA claims that he saw Meth in Staten Island buying marijuana. According to "The Tao of Wu," RZA writes that he yelled to Meth across the street to come over. Not a moment after Meth came running across the street there were several shots coming from an ongoing drive-by shooter. RZA and Meth watched an innocent friend of theirs die right in front of them from being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In 1993, one year before the "Wu-Tang Clan" was officially created, RZA also had some bad luck and was accused of attempted murder but was released and found “not guilty.” If RZA had not been acquitted, he could have potentially been sentenced to eight years of jail-time. According to "The Tao of Wu," RZA claims that if he had been charged guilty and sentenced to prison and Method Man had been killed the band would have never been created nor triumphed with their billboard topping success.

Like Haw, in the book, "Who Moved My Cheese?," RZA and Meth had their eyes reopened and their focus changed. They were both fortunate enough to realize that they were in a bad place when they were. Such as Haw was with Hem when they were in a rut. After RZA escaped imprisonment, he knew he had to take himself out of the familiar equation, which was the same bad scene with negative relationships. Meth did the same and was re-born when he survived a drive-by shooting. They both decided to take this new outlook and re-focus their future on finding success. The two once troubled young men knew that though it would be easier to stay in their comfortable familiar surroundings, the only way to find success is to find new cheese by making a new change in direction.

For more details of RZA and Meth’s stories from the past, go to cnn.com and take a look at a recent interview taken place this month with RZA. One can also check out RZA’s new book, "The Tao or Wu," which will be sold in stores October 15, 2009.

Photo taken by Elliott C. McLaughlin,cnn.com