Bobby Digital in Stereo
| Bobby Digital in Stereo | |||||
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| Studio album by RZA as Bobby Digital | |||||
| Released | November 24, 1998 | ||||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | ||||
| Genre | Hip hop | ||||
| Length | 67:57 | ||||
| Label | Gee Street, V2, BMG Records | ||||
| Producer | RZA, Inspectah Deck, King Tech | ||||
| RZA chronology | |||||
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| Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| NME |   |
| Pitchfork Media | (2.9/10) |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Source |  |
| Stylus | (favorable) |
Bobby Digital in Stereo is the solo debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist and record producer RZA, of East Coast hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. 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 a well-received 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 the RZA called digital orchestra, receiving mostly positive, though somewhat mixed, reviews.
He explained the origins of Bobby Digital, saying:
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.
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.
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Wikipedia