RZA Calls For Barack Obama To Induct Wu-Tang Clan Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

BY Zachary Horvath Published on April 24, 2026

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 04: American musician and filmmaker RZA from the film "One Spoon of Chocolate" speaks during the 2026 Beyond Chicago at the Music Box Theatre on April 04, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images) Former President Barack Obama delivers a speech of support during voter rally for Democratic candidate for governor, Mikie Sherrill, at Essex County College in Newark on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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RZA has expressed his fandom of Barack Obama in the past, so it would be a dream come true for the Wu-Tang Clan member.

Now that RZA knows that him and his Wu-Tang Clan groupmates will be entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he knows the person he wants to induct them in. In an interview with Consequence, the posse's producer expressed how much of a dream come true it would be for former U.S. president Barack Obama to do the honors.

"It would be crazy if Barack Obama came out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I mean, that’s ridiculous, right?" he tells the outlet while laughing.

He adds, "If I was him, I would consider it. Like, 'Baby, Michelle, you know what I think I’m about to go do? I think I’m about to go to Cleveland with the Wu-Tang Clan. Sade is going to be there. Phil Collins is going to be there. It’s gonna be a house full of good energy.'"

Part of the reason he wants the 44th president so badly is because he's always looked up to him, but he's never had the opportunity to converse with him. RZA continues, "I’m a big fan of his. My family are fans of his. I don’t have a lot of peoples' pictures on my wall. I got the legends — Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Lee. And I had [Obama's] picture on my wall for a long time and my children watched that from the time of his presidency to today — watched that growth and watched that image. So I’m genuinely a fan."

2026 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees

Doubling down, RZA views Obama as one of his heroes, which according to him is a big deal. "You want a hero to induct you. And so I was like, well, I don’t have a lot of heroes, but Barack Obama is one of them. That’s just what it is."

The hip-hop legend concludes, "It’s okay to dream, right? There’s still a chance."

There is indeed a window of opportunity for this to come to fruition for RZA. The induction ceremony for this year's members (8) won't take place until November.

Overall, it would be cool to see Obama do this as he's a notable fan of hip-hop and loves to discuss it when he can.

Speaking of those joining RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan, Sade, Luther Vandross, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division / New Order, and Oasis all made the cut.

About The Author

Zachary Horvath

Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.