“Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga” was a gritty retelling of the genesis of one of Hip Hop’s most revered rap groups. But even with its millions of viewers, the story did not resonate with everyone. Not even those who lived and experienced the trailblazing of the legendary ensemble of emcees.
In the June 27 episode of the “Toure Show,” Ghostface Killah admitted that he did not tune in, acknowledging there was a disconnect between himself and the material. “I never watched it. Never in my life. RZA knows that. I never watched it ‘cause that’s not my story. You want a Ghostface story, you get a Ghostface story,” the rapper explained.
“It’s not my story. You could take a piece of me and ‘Oh yo, he had two brothers with muscular dystrophy,’ know what I mean? I’m me, yo…like, there’s a story behind myself,” the lyrical titan quipped when Touré suggested the group’s story was in part his own, before doubling down on his disinterest in the series.
“I’m glad that y’all saying it was good, ‘cause you know RZA my brother. He got a vision [of] something he wanna put on TV, alright cool. But I never got a chance to speak to the person that was writing me. Whoever was writing my parts out, I never got a chance to do my one-two after the first time. [I] did it one time and the first season it didn’t show up how I wrote it. I mean how I was talking to the person,” the Staten Island native explained.
Ghostface was portrayed by actor Siddiq Saunderson throughout the show’s run. The explorations of Wu’s chambers came to fruition under the creative direction of founding Wu-Tang Clan group member, RZA, and show writer, Alex Tse, on Hulu in 2019. According to the “Back Like That” rapper, the show had been on the air for two seasons before he finally met Saunderson.
Similarly, Wu-Tang's Method Man admitted he also was not a viewer in an episode of Kevin Hart’s “Gold Minds” podcast. The entertainer explained how the embellishing of the story and knowing how some of the real-life plots took place were both deterrents to his checking out the series, though he harbored no ill feelings about their retelling of the group’s story.
“I haven’t watched an episode personally, but I get the scripts ahead of time and you know, I mean, everything ain’t for everybody. I did not want to mess with their process. These people get paid to do these things…and sometimes you just gotta step back and keep your opinions to yourself,” Meth said.
“Wu-Tang: An American Saga” concluded in 2023 with its third season. However, this summer, a new piece of their story will unfold when the A&E network documentary, “ Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale Of Two Dirty’s,” debuts on August 25.
Check out Ghostface Killah’s full interview on the “Toure Show” below.