RZA claims "Wu-Tang Forever could have been diamond" if Hot 97 had not banned the Wu-Tang Clan

RZA, the iconic rapper and de facto leader of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, is calling out Hot 97 for banning his group.

Speaking in a recent Popcast interview, he claimed the group's album, Wu-Tang Forever, as well as their career, took a hit following the ban. As reported by Hot New Hip Hop, the album sold over four million copies in 1997, but the artist felt like it could have been far more if Hot 97 had not intervened:

"I think Wu-Tang Forever could have been diamond," he asserted. "That was a kick in the n*ts. And in hindsight, it was a kick in the n*ts to the culture."

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Everything we know about the beef between Hot 97 and RZA and Wu-Tang Clan

As for why the group was banned, back in 1997, they were slated to perform at the Hot 97 Summer Jam. However, the radio station informed the group that they would have to pay for the commute out of their pockets. An annoyed Ghostface Killah then called the station out in the thick of the concert.

He swore at them and even got the crowd to chant alongside him. In retaliation, Hot 97 banned Wu-Tang Clan for good. Over the years, the two forces have reconciled, prompting the group to perform at the Summer Jam in 2013.

As reported by Hot New Hip Hop, in 2023, Hot 97 veteran Funkmaster Flex took to Instagram to issue an apology to RZA and Wu-Tang.

"I wanna take this time to apologize to RZA and the entire Wu-Tang Clan," he wrote. "Almost 25 yrs ago the group, me and Hot 97 had a disagreement that to me never got put to bed and I apologize."

In other news, the Wu-Tang Clan is slated to go on its final tour this year, with all of the surviving original members — RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa — embarking on the journey. The late Ol’ Dirty Bastard's sons, Cappadonna and Young Dirty Bastard will also join the tour.

Elsewhere on the Popcast interview, RZA reflected on how he had prepared for the tour:

“It all was part of a plan,” he said. “In the beginning, there was a five-year plan. This time, there was two five-year plans. You have to start the first plan — the documentary to get to the series — and then that’s going to build up to the first tour, New York State of Mind, with Nas. That’s going to build up to the residency — a test run, at first — and that’s going to lead to a final tour.”

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The tour, christened Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, will kick off on June 6 in Baltimore and will come to an end on July 18 in Philadelphia.