WuTang: An American Saga

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First things first, whoever was in charge of casting for this series might be the greatest casting director of all time. Casting TJ Atoms as Ason, aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard, is one of the most accurate castings since Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles or Will Smith as Ali. TJ Atoms completely embodies the character of ODB, and it's even more impressive given that ODB is deceased and unavailable for TJ to study his full personality firsthand. Similarly, Ashton Sanders as Bobby Diggs, aka RZA, is a brilliant casting choice. Sanders nails RZA’s speaking voice and delivers a standout performance overall. He's one of those generational actors destined for greatness—I hope Hollywood recognizes his talent.

This show was and is definitely needed. The Wu-Tang Clan never fully received the respect they deserved. The fact that they managed to set aside their Park Hill-Stapleton beefs and personal egos to form the Wu-Tang Clan is impressive. These guys took numerous risks, both calculated and uncalculated, and each member showed incredible resilience, overcoming significant life challenges. Raekwon sleeping on a roof, Ghostface Killah secretly dealing with RZA’s little sister and getting her pregnant—this show boosts their legacy and highlights how they paved the way for many in hip hop and the music industry in general. I was 14 or 15 when I learned Staten Island is New York City’s fifth borough, not Long Island, thanks to Dave Chappelle’s Wu-Tang skits.

More importantly, this series completely understands the assignment. The settings, characters, lingo, music, vibe, and stories all come together to tell a great story. I highly recommend this show to everyone, regardless of your usual genre preferences. On a side note, I truly believe that if Dave East had been old enough and around during the early 90s, he would have been part of Wu-Tang. He has the swagger, confidence, and lyrical ability that would have fit perfectly with Wu-Tang back then. This show deserves 9/10 stars. Thank me later!

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