In June, Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah revealed that if the legendary Hip-Hop crew is to release another album, he will be at the helm. “RZA put the ball in my hand. He said ‘Yo, I want you to do it,’ and I been wanting to do it, and that’s a big test for me right there,” the Staten Island, New Yorker said in an interview with HipHopDX. 

Following 2014’s A Better Tomorrow release by the nine-man collective (now including Cappadonna in place of the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard), G.F.K. asserted that quality dictates. “It’ll just have to be done nice. That’s it. People can’t talk about it unless it’s good.”

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For 23 years to the day (Enter The Wu-Tang [36 Chambers]) released on this date in 1993), RZA has been the perceived leader of the Clan, and its albums. Appearing on Sway In The Morning yesterday, The Abbott expounded on why he passed that symbolic ball to Ghost’.

A Sway In The Morning caller asked if Raekwon and Method Man would participate in Wu-Tang Clan’s next album. “You gotta address those questions to Ghostface Killah. He’s taken control over that,” RZA told a caller around the 22:00 mark. Both Rae’ and Meth’ have been publicly critical of the direction of the group albums over the last decade. In 2010, with Ghostface, they released Wu-Tang Presents…Wu-Massacre on Def Jam Records. RZA, who produced one track on that LP, elaborated, “I told Ghost’, if y’all wanna do it again, let’s put it in his hands; he’s been the most prolific—the one that’s really got [his] feet on the ground in music. [It is the] same thing [as our discussion earlier] let’s go ahead let the best qualified man do the job.” Apparently addressing the inner-group criticism RZA, stated, “I’m sure his way of doing things, everybody’ll feel. Ghost’ is—you know, he only does music. He [does not try different industries]. I think that’s a nice focus that’ll be helpful.”

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Outside of official Wu-Tang Clan releases, G.F.K. has at least 17 titles, including his solo work, as well a series of collaboration efforts, ranging from Theodore Unit to Wu-Block. He most recently released Twelve Reasons To Die II with Adrian Younge in 2015 on the musician/producer’s Linear Labs imprint.

Moments later, asked by another caller the status of Hip-Hop production, RZA expounded on a present day view of Hip-Hop from within the Wu family tree.

“My favorite [current artist] is J. Cole. That’s my favorite; he got it mastered.” He quotes Rae Sremmurd “Black Beatles.” “I got a brother called 9th Prince; he’s from the band Killarmy. He says this: he says ‘we are in the era of the nerd in Hip-Hop.’ That’s cool, yo. It’s okay. That means some of these kids didn’t grow up going through the same hells we went through. Technology is in their hands—when you can make a beat on your iPhone. So it’s cool. As long as Hip-Hop continues to spread and feed families in need, which to me, is the most important thing that it has done [it is good].”

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In the interview, RZA also updates the status of his long-anticipated The Cure solo album. He also discusses his recent concerts live-scoring 1978 kung-fu film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and other recent film ventures.