Today, July 5, is the birthday of Legendary producer RZA. The Wu-Tang Clan leader has a sprawling career that dates back to his early days as a producer. As the creative visionary for the Wu, he helped build their sound to the hip-hop masterpiece that many MCs have shown respect for. After several solo efforts and contributing to other major albums (Kanye West, Talib Kweli), RZA has expanded to writing books and composing and recording original scores for movies. Recently, he’s also made his directorial debut with The Man With The Iron Fists, in which he played the main character.

The Abbot continues to stay relevant in hip-hop culture. In 2015, RZA was set to direct the film Breakout and will be teaming up with Interpol's Paul Banks for the collaborative album Banks & Steelz.

Happy birthday, RZA!