RZA Set To Receive TEC Innovation Award From National Association Of Music Merchants

RZA, a renowned and influential hip-hop artist, is set to receive the prestigious TEC Innovation Award at the 2024 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) TEC Awards ceremony. The event will be held on January 27 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

The TEC Innovation Award is one of the most distinguished accolades in the music industry. It is presented to individuals who have displayed exceptional creativity and innovation in the application of recording technology. RZA will become the first hip-hop artist to receive this honour, joining the ranks of previous recipients such as Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock. John Mlynczak, the president and CEO of NAMM, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming event and the recognition of RZA’s contributions to the music industry. In a statement, he said,

RZA’s formidable body of work and talent is unquestionable. His legacy of accomplishments and lasting power on music inspires many music makers beyond hip-hop, and he deserves this high recognition.”

RZA was incredibly honoured to discover that his name had been given to Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s first-born son. In his interview with CNN, he clarified that he was proud to have received such a distinct recognition.

“[It’s a] great honor to know that there’s another generation that’s not even of my own household that feels the strength and the inspiration of that name,”  “RZA is only a name, it’s a title. So it’s an honor and I salute her and A$AP and their family. All the blessings in the world from me.”

When Rocky’s son RZA turned one in May, Rocky shared the occasion and revealed his son’s name on Instagram.

“’WU TANG IZ 4 DA CHUREN.’ HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY 1st BORN. RZA,”

According to reports from The Daily Mail, the name of A$AP Rocky’s newborn baby is RZA Athelston Mayers. The birth certificate reportedly revealed that the baby was born on May 13 at 10:58 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Naming babies after famous hip-hop icons seems to run in the family, as A$AP Rocky was named after the legendary Rakim. RZA, the father of seven, has also acted as a father figure to other up-and-coming rappers, including Weather Park, the son of the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who died almost twenty years ago.