Over the past decades, the Wu-Tang Clan "s the RZA has proven to be one of the most versatile producers, using both samples and live instrumentation to his multitude of Hip-Hop and film projects. Now, in a recent interview with MTV "s Mixtape Daily, the RZA talks about sampling versus playing a traditional instrument.

The multi-instrumental RZA related how a brief and somewhat critical encounter with a disgruntled musician pushed him to delve into the study of musical theory. He explained that some Hip-Hop producers manage to skate by without a traditional understanding of music, and that the RZA "s own instance of critique pushed him to face the music.

“Two things happened: the first thing was that I was at a music store buying equipment. I went platinum…I probably was feeling myself egotistically…and a regular musician stopped me, ‘cus people were giving me attention like, ‘That’s the RZA,’ and this guy said [to me], ‘You’re ruining music,’” the Abbot explained. “[I was like] ‘What’s this guy talking about?’ He was a musician, but because of sampling, he can’t get a job. Because of drum machines, his drummer can’t get no work. He said, ‘You’re not a real musician.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about I’m not a real musician? I’ve got a platinum album.’ He said, ‘Yeah, but you’re not a musician. You don’t know nothing about music.’ He was right; I couldn’t tell him what a C note was. So he challenged me, basically.”

He went on, “I didn’t say nothing to him, I just took it to myself. I came back a week later and bought some music theory books and started studying music theory so I c[ould] be a legitamite musician, just to respect the craft of music. He was right; it’s unfair sometimes to have success on things when we haven’t paid our dues. I had paid my dues to Hip Hop, but I didn’t pay my dues to music, so I went and started studying theory.”

The full interview can be seen below.