RZA Shares the Sweet Way His Wife Woke Him Up After Learning About Wu-Tang Clan’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
RZA Shares the Sweet Way His Wife Woke Him Up After Learning About Wu-Tang Clan’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Ilana KaplanThu, April 16, 2026 at 9:46 PM UTC
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RZA and Talani Rabb in October 2025 in Hollywood, Calif.Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty -
RZA reflected on discovering the Wu-Tang Clan will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Speaking with Rolling Stone on Wednesday, April 15, the rapper and producer also recalled enjoying champagne with his wife to celebrate
The Wu-Tang Clan will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November
RZA opened up about the sweet way his wife woke him up after it was revealed the Wu-Tang Clan would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In an interview with Rolling Stone on Wednesday, April 15, the rapper and producer spoke about how he found out the happy news.
"My partner invited me to come get a bite [on Monday], and my wife [Talani Rabb] was like, 'I'm gonna go with you.' So we get there, and there's a bottle of champagne on ice. He pops the bottle, pulls the glasses, and then my wife told me," said RZA, 56.
Talani Rabb and RZA in Los Angeles in August 2025Credit: Leon Bennett/FilmMagic
The musician, whose real name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, then revealed that he and his wife "watched the East Coast and West Coast version of American Idol" that night to see the announcement.
"Then I woke up [Tuesday] morning, and the first thing my wife said was, 'Good morning, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer,'" he recalled, adding, "The child in me feels it."
When asked if he had thought about the possibility of the hip-hop group's induction since they had been eligible since 2018, RZA admitted he hadn't thought about it.
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"This is the accolade that was unpredicted for me, especially back in my early career," he told the publication. "Being platinum, getting your little Grammy nominations or a win as a producer, all that stuff feels great. But Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wasn't tangible to me."
RZA said that even though he'd go home to Cleveland and drive by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he never thought hip-hop would "be in that building."
"It was almost unfathomable," he said.
Wu-Tang Clan was one of the 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time. Others included Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira and Luther Vandross.
The 2026 inductees were announced by Ryan Seacrest and Lionel Richie earlier this week during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-themed episode of American Idol.
From left: Raekwon, Cappadonna, Inspectah Deck, RZA, and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan in October 2022 in Oakland, Calif.Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty
The inductees in the performer category for this year, in addition to the Wu-Tang Clan, will include Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade and the late Vandross.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
