The RZA: 'One Spoon of Chocolate' pays tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard
by Fred Topel · UPILOS ANGELES, April 29 (UPI) -- The RZA said his new film, One Spoon of Chocolate, in theaters Friday, pays homage to his fellow Wu Tang Clan rapper, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. RZA, who wrote and directed, named the lead character Randy "Unique" Johnson after ODB's name, Ason Unique.
In the film, Unique is a military veteran released on parole. He is granted a transfer to Ohio to live with his cousin, but becomes embroiled with the local racist organ thieves.
In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, RZA said Unique and Ramsee (RJ Cyler) represent his vision of if ODB had lived past 35. Randy is also the name of RZA's own brother.
"What if ODB was a hero to the world?" RZA said. "Unique and Ramsee in my movie, I got a chance to put them back together."
RZA and ODB were cousins growing up and rapping together when RZA was 19.
"When I was a kid, it was their house that had the turntables," RZA said. "I would go to their house and see normalcy, see a mother and a father together, see some turntables and some tape recorders and make demos."
The film includes ODB's song "Brooklyn Zoo" on the soundtrack. RZA called in some favors to license it.
"It's not easy to license his stuff," RZA said. "He's got lawyers and estates but they love me, they love the film and they gave us the 'Brooklyn Zoo' track."
Another inspiration for One Spoon of Chocolate was Mr. Brown, an "old dope fiend" RZA knew. When released from prison, Unique stays at a halfway house where he complains there is only one spoon of chocolate powder left for his milk.
An old man in the halfway house gives him some real wisdom.
"The old man tells him one spoon of chocolate can change the whole glass of milk and it strikes something," RZA said. "Now he's reading to the kids. He's trying to pull himself up and by doing good, the thing that he desired comes to him which was this transfer."
When Unique encounters a gang that harvests organs from Black victims, he cannot stand by. When Unique stands up to the racist gang at the basketball gym, they target him and Ramsee.
RZA believes the gang's greed surpasses their racism. The gang is protected by a corrupt sheriff too.
"Racism becomes the validation of it," he said. "It's the greed that makes the drug dealer shoot at the other guy. It's the greed that made the corruption in the police department."
Unique can hold his own in a fistfight, but he is not doing graceful martial arts. RZA's rap was inspired by Shaolin and Wu-Tang martial arts and he made the Kung Fu film The Man with the Iron Fists, but wanted One Spoon of Chocolate to be different. RZA tasked fight coordinator Maresse Crump with his vision.
"I said I don't want to make a Kung Fu movie," RZA said. "I made a Kung Fu movie already. I may make another one but not this one. I want this to feel visceral. We have to design something that can be choreographed but look unchoreographed."
Wu Tang Clan continues to record new music and look back at their legacy. They will be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame this year, which makes RZA "giddy, giddy, giddy."
"This has been one of the most joyous announcements I've had in years," RZA said. "It made me feel like a kid, man."
The documentary The Disciple premiered at Sundance in January. RZA executive produced the tale of his protege Cilvaringz and the Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album.
Wu Tang only made one copy of the album which was sold to Martin Shkreli, and later fell under the possession of the Department of Justice. The footage captured in the documentary surprised RZA.
"I'm a little embarrassed as well because I'm just walking around with my shirt off, chilling," RZA said. "That's kind of counter personality to the RZA. I'm imitating voices and acting."
Vanity aside, RZA came on as executive producer after seeing an early cut.
"It's like almost seeing me in my underwear," he said. "I don't ever stand in the way of progress. I was like, 'I'm not going to hold y'all back.'"
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