Hip-hop and chess are not commonly found in the same sentence. Rapper RZA (aka Robert Diggs) , a member of legendary rap group Wu-Tang Clan, however, has managed to associate not only the two words, but also the two lifestyles. WuChess is an online chess community founded by RZA that revisions the stereotypes of chess and hip-hop aficionados alike. It allows participants to compete with each other online, download MP3s, create profiles, and network. According to RZA in the Vancover Sun, the game of chess is comparable to a battleground on the urban streets. This comparison deviates from the “social troglodyte” image normally associated with chess players. Yet in this call to update the culture surrounding chess, WuChess hopes to transform the game by appealing to the younger generation, specifically those that embody the hip-hop ethos.

Calling upon kids’ daily struggles in the urban landscape, WuChess frames chess as a strategizing, hustling intellectual activity. This effort, however, is not nonexistent in the streets already. “Chess hustlers” combat each other across American streets, entering rounds of speed play with rap rhythms generating a lively atmosphere in the background.

The constitution of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, founded by Adisa Banjoko and Leo Libiran and based in San Jose, CA, states that chess, martial arts and hip-hop “unify people from multiple cultural, religious and social backgrounds.” In a world in which race and class struggles clash constantly, chess is a medium with the ability to bring people together and advance the skills and opportunities of the urban poor. The HHCF provides life strategy workshops as well as education scholarships, supplying resources to kids that can develop personal and concrete characteristics of a successful life.

According to the Los Angeles MetroMix, it was this channel that attracted RZA, who felt alone in his amalgamation of hip-hop, martial arts, and chess. This inspiration led him to create WuChess, which he states builds mental strength, analytical thinking, and foresight.

Ultimately, this triple entente transcends stereotypes threefold. It reinvents chess as a game integral to urban communities and the hip-hop ethos. It reinvents the hip-hop image as one that strives to integrate greater scholarly purpose. And lastly, it reinvents urban mentality and purpose by engaging in greater intellectual activities through a relatable medium.

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