Shabazz the Disciple (born David Collins) is an emcee associated with the Wu-Tang Clan.
A Red Hook, Brooklyn, native discovered by the RZA prior to the release of Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, and gets a shoutout on the intro to “Clan In Da Front” on that album. He was originally a member of Sunz Of Man in their pre-Wu days when they were known as Da Last Future and produced entirely by Supreme. After hooking up with the Wu-Tang, Shabazz made two guest appearances on the first Gravediggaz album 6 Feet Deep then signed to the GZA Entertainment management agency. He remained an official member of Sunz Of Man until just before the group released its debut LP The Last Shall Be First; his best-known solo track “Death be the Penalty” was originally intended to be a Sunz of Man track on the B-side to their single “Soldiers of Darkness,” but the other members were so impressed with his contribution he was given the track for himself. This track was met with mixed emotions mainly because many felt it was extremely self rightous and incredibly hypocritical. After GZA Entertainment dissolved Shabazz’s Wu affiliation (along with the affiliation of his close friend Killah Priest, also a GZA Entertainment refugee) began to wane. Around this 1996/1997 period, Priest and Shabazz both began to clash with RZA, and both had since all but cut their Wu-Tang ties. After unsuccessful attempts by the pair to create new post-Wu Tang crews (Priest proposed a crew called the Maccabees which would include himself, Shabazz and Timbo King among others, while Shabazz proposed a group including himself and Priest called the Sunz Of Thunder) they both effectively went their separate ways, recording solo projects and in Shabazz’s case recording as Celestial Souljaz with his cousin Freestyle (of non-Wu Tang crew The Arsonists). In recent years, Shabazz has began to rediscover his Wu-Tang roots and performed on the recent Killa Beez tour as well as doing shows in Europe with Killah Priest (who has also recently been repairing his links with the Wu-Tang). After the death of Poetic, he has been rumored to be part of a new incarnation of Gravediggaz though Prince Paul has stated that a revival of the group is unlikely. He also announced in early 2003 that he has returned to Sunz Of Man as an official member. Finally released his solo debut The Book of Shabazz (Hidden Scrollz) in 2003. Two years later he returned with The Passion of the Hood Christ in mid-2006. Shabazz is currently working with a whiteboy from Canada who goes by the name of DJ Extremidiz. |
