Birth of a Prince
Birth of a Prince is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer RZA. It was released on October 7, 2003, through Sanctuary Records. The recording took place from June to September 2003 at 36 Chambers Studio in New York City. RZA produced most of the tracks, with help from Bronze Nazareth, Barracuda, Jose "Choco" Reynoso, Megahertz, and True Master.
The album features fellow Wu-Tang Clan members Masta Killa, Ghostface Killah, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, along with Wu-Tang affiliates Allah Real, Free Murder, ShaCronz, Cilvaringz, Beretta 9, Prodigal Sunn, and Tash Mahogany, plus German singer Xavier Naidoo.
Birth of a Prince reached number 49 on the US Billboard 200 and number 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In the United Kingdom, it rose to number 20 on the Official Independent Albums Chart and number 26 on the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart. In France, it peaked at number 123 on the SNEP Top 200. The lead single, "We Pop" featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard, had modest success in the UK, reaching about number 28 on the Hip Hop & R&B Singles chart and number 29 on the Independent Singles chart.
Unlike many of his other solo projects, Birth of a Prince was not released under the Bobby Digital alias, though RZA still uses that persona and its style in parts of the album.
Critics gave mixed to favorable reviews, earning a Metacritic score of 62/100 based on 11 reviews. Some praised its ambitious, esoteric Wu-Tang flavor, while others found it unfocused. Overall, it’s viewed as an ambitious and unusual entry in RZA’s solo work.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:28 (CET).