Bobby Digital in Stereo

Bobby Digital in Stereo is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer RZA. It was released on November 24, 1998, and was certified Gold on February 5, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is an experimental album that is based on a story featuring him rhyming as a hedonistic, fun-loving alter-ego named Bobby Digital and showcasing a unique keyboard-driven sound (rather than samples) that RZA called digital orchestra, receiving mostly positive, though somewhat mixed, reviews.

Background

He explained the origins of Bobby Digital, saying:

It came from a really good bag of weed one day, right? I was in my studio. My birth name is Bobby Diggs. So at the time, creatively, I felt like I was in a digital frame. I felt like I was in high-speed, where everything was digital, in numbers, mathematics. I said to myself at the same time that as Bobby Digital, I could use a character to describe some of the earlier days of my own life. Partying, bullshitting, going crazy, chasing women, taking drugs. At the same time, I would mix in my love for comic books. It was a mixture of fiction and reality together to make a character I thought would be entertaining, and I could utilize that character to get fans into me as an MC, as a lyricist, and also following the path of my life. It's like pre-RZA. It's what The RZA struggles not to be, in a way, you know what I mean?

Music

Lyrical content

On the pseudonym and character of Bobby Digital, which dominated the album's lyrics, RZA later stated:

I had to live in a way that I don't really live...I got to dip my weed in honey, and I had mad bitches around me. I probably fucked with 50 bitches this year...women are queens. But if they don't know that themselves, Bobby will prey on them. He'll treat them like bitches if they don't realize that they're queens. I had to get Bobby out of me, or else I'd be emotionally unbalanced. Bobby Digital is just me feeling my nuts. RZA is my heart.

— RZA

Production

The sound of the album is largely keyboard-driven, but there are still samples. On the sound of Bobby Digital, RZA stated:

I learned how to play chords and progress the chords—I got together at least 16 or 17 different keyboards for this album. I always liked orchestras and strings, so I composed a digital orchestra.

— RZA

Track listing

Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes. Tracks 1–17 are Bobby Digital songs, while tracks 18–21 are RZA songs.

Notes

• "Intro" contains vocals by Frank "Foxy" Niedlich.
• "Slow Grind African" contains vocals by Lisa I'Anson.
• "Love Jones" is erroneously credited to King Tech, who produced "Airwaves".
• "Slow Grind French" contains vocals by Victorie Heathcole.
• "Kiss Of A Black Widow" contains raps by Ol' Dirty Bastard, not the entire Wu-Tang Clan.
• "Slow Grind Italian" contains vocals by Lorenza Calamandrei.
• "Do You Here The Bells" is listed as Special Bonus Track For Japan Only.

Sample list

• "Love Jones" contains a sample of "Star Children" performed by Mighty Ryeders.
• "Kiss Of A Black Widow" contains a sample of "Over" performed by Portishead.
• "My Lovin' Is Digi" contains a sample of "It Ain't Easy" performed by Syl Johnson.

Personnel

• Barney Chase – Engineer, Mixing
• Gabe Chiesa – Engineer
• Tom Coyne – Mastering
• Inspectah – Producer
• King Tech – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Nolan "Dr. No" Moffitte – Engineer, Mixing
• Carl Nappa – Mixing
• Tony Prendatt – Engineer, Mixing
• RZA – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Miles Showell – Mastering, Assembly
• Bill Sienkiewicz – Illustration

Charts

Certifications

External links

• RZA as Bobby Digital " Video
• RZA " Video
• RZA featuring Beretta 9 " Video