RZA Wants Barack Obama to Induct Wu-Tang Clan Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: 'If I Was Him, I Would Consider It'
RZA Wants Barack Obama to Induct Wu-Tang Clan Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: 'If I Was Him, I Would Consider It'
Jack IrvinFri, April 24, 2026 at 7:58 PM UTC
0
RZA in April 2023; Barack Obama in May 2020Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Getty Images/Getty -
Wu-Tang Clan will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 alongside music icons like Sade and Phil Collins
In a couple of recent interviews, RZA expressed his admiration for Barack Obama and hopes the former president will induct the group at the ceremony
The induction ceremony will take place on Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles
Will Barack Obama induct Wu-Tang Clan into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
The "C.R.E.A.M." group will be inducted into the Rock Hall's class of 2026 in November alongside Phil Collins, Sade, Billy Idol and more music icons, the organization announced earlier this month. In a pair of recent interviews, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA revealed he wants the 44th president of the United States to induct the Grammy-nominated rap collective.
"It would be crazy if Barack Obama came out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," RZA, 56, whose real name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, told Consequence. "I mean, that’s ridiculous, right?"
RZA in April 2026Credit: Barry Brecheisen/Getty
He added to the outlet, "If I was him, I would consider it. Like, ‘Baby, Michelle, you know what I think I’m about to go do? I think I’m about to go to Cleveland with the Wu-Tang Clan. Sade is going to be there. Phil Collins is going to be there. It’s gonna be a house full of good energy.'"
RZA added that he's a "big fan" of Barack, as is his family, noting that he had a picture of the former president "on my wall for a long time, and my children watched that from the time of his presidency to today — watched that growth and watched that image."
"So I’m genuinely a fan," he said.
The rapper, producer and filmmaker continued in the Consequence interview, "You want a hero to induct you. And so I was like, well, I don’t have a lot of heroes, but Barack Obama is one of them. That’s just what it is."
Advertisement
RZA previously expressed wanting Barack, among other celebrities, to induct the group while speaking with Rolling Stone following news of Wu-Tang Clan's Rock Hall honor.
"Let me throw a few names out. I’m doing one that’s going to be super egotistical, but probably the only person that I’m a superfan of that I never met: Barack Obama," he said at the time. "But I always remember [Quentin] Tarantino saying he was a 'rock & roll director.' Tarantino is a great name. I think Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m gonna give you one more. How about LeBron James as a unique piece of culture?"
RZA also mentioned previous Rock Hall inductees Rage Against the Machine as a potential contender for who should induct Wu-Tang Clan.
Wu-Tang Clan in April 1997Credit: Bob Berg/Getty
"What if Rage f---in’ inducted us? If they would come back out and say, 'I want to welcome my brothers back into it,'" he wondered. "F---in’ one day, do one concert to close that book. One night only. That would be crazy."
In addition to Wu-Tang Clan, Collins, Sade and Idol, Rock Hall's Class of 2026 includes Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and the late Luther Vandross in the performer category. Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons will be honored with the Early Influence Award; Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin will be honored with the Musical Excellence Award; and Ed Sullivan will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
