Fiscal Responsibility, According to the Wu-Tang Clan

The hip hop group The Wu-Tang Clan’s song "C.R.E.A.M." will be familiar to many. It’s the one whose refrain goes, "Cash moves everything around me: Cream. Get the money dollar dollar bill y'all." So it’s surprising to hear what RZA, the group’s leader, now has to say about money.

In an interview with Marketplace, the RZA is promoting a new attitude toward money. "Especially in today's recession, there's a lot of hard times out there for people. And if you think that money is the only cure or solution, you'll never find a cure. Wisdom is the cure."

Huh? You mean we shouldn’t be striving for fancy cars and diamonds the size of my head? What happened to cash moving everything around me?

Looks like the recession -- and having kids -- has forced the RZA to prioritize, as it has for so many other Americans. Says the fiscally responsible rapper, "I try to teach my children right now more than ever that, yo, OK, there's some things you want and some things you need. Let's deal with what we need and not what we want more. And that alone will help you get through a recession. Because your eyes want it all. You know, the cake looks good, the coat looks good, the car looks nice. But do you need it?"

He even had words for Obama’s critics who say the president’s taxation plan is nothing but socialism in disguise. In addition to his success with the Wu-Tang Clan, the RZA has also found success as a solo artist and producer, meaning his is the income that will be redistributed to the less fortunate. But the RZA says, "If I have to pay a little more extra so that others can have a little more food, clothing and shelter, then let me pay."

What’s next? Raps about stashing money away in your IRA, getting the best rate on your savings account and how to allocate your portfolio? Fiscal responsibility is hip hop’s new gold-plated rims.

Photo courtesy Adam Riggall via Flickr.