An interesting confluence of birthdays today: Robbie Robertson and the RZA. You could say that both have spent considerable time as musical masterminds presiding over groups of formidable talents; would that make the Wu-Tang Clan the Band of hip-hop? I guess it would.

Since I just downloaded a groovy new table-making plug-in for WordPress, let’s look at them in table form, shall we?

Robbie RobertsonThe RZA
Birth NameJaime Robert KlegermanRobert Fitzgerald Diggs
DOBJuly 5, 1943July 5, 1969
HometownTorontoBrooklyn
Personal FactoidMother was Mohawk, father was JewishNamed after Bobby and John Kennedy
Professional FactoidProduced Neil Diamond's "Beautiful Noise"Appears on Shaquille O'Neal's
"Shaq-Fu: Da Return"
Musical GroupsThe Band, Levon & the Hawks, Little Caesar & The Consuls, Robbie Robertson and the Rhythm Chords, Robbie & The Robots, Thumper & the TrambonesWu-Tang Clan, Gravediggaz, All in Together Now
Eccentric Musical AssociateGarth Hudson, Bob DylanOl' Dirty Bastard
Best-Known CompositionsThe Weight, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Up on Cripple CreekBring the Ruckus, Protect Ya Neck, C.R.E.A.M.
Movie AppearancesCarny, The Crossing GuardGhost Dog, Funny People, American Gangster