RZA to defend his chess champion title, because he is the RZA

The RZA is the grandmaster of hip-hop, and we do not mean that in like a “Grandmaster Flash” context. The dude is mega-good at chess. Next week in Anaheim he will be defending his crown at the Hip Hop Chess Federation’s celebrity tournament, which is the most RZA-sounding federation ever. He’ll probably repeat because, well, he’s an evil genius, and he is mega-good at chess.

The event will also feature a jiu jitsu tournament and a presentation on the parallels between chess and the Brazilian martial art, because it is the most RZA-sounding federation ever. The federation itself is a solid charity, applying the discipline of chess to teach kids how to make the right choices.

Positivity, hip-hop, chess, martial arts—it’s RZA’s wheelhouse, alright. Has there ever been an artist whose output was so largely influenced by a single game?