As the entertainment industry continues to respond to the tragic and unexpected death of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker, RZA — who appears alongside Walker in the upcoming Brick Mansions — has offered a unique musical tribute to his costar and friend. On his SoundCloud page, RZA explained the impetus behind his new song "Destiny Bends," which was performed by Will Wells:
This song, entitled "Destiny Bends" was written last night after hearing the tragic news of the loss of a good man named Paul Walker. I met Paul on the set of the film Brick Mansion, where we talked, laughed, and exchanged ideas of life and fatherhood. I only knew him personally for less than a year, but we knew each other through our work and art. We saw in each other a kindred spirit of men coming from unlikely circumstances, and rising to be the light and beacon of our family and loved ones. Men who learned the joy and pains of love in life, and success, while coming to realize that nothing is more important than family, friendship, and the brotherhood of humanity. Millions of people get to know an artist or movie star through their work, but few are allowed to cross each others' paths and see through the veil of stardom and find the common denominator that we share. As all physical things will decay and wither away, film, art, and music remain longer than the vessel that delivered them. In this vein, the one thing we can't take away or give back is time. So, thus, time is the most precious gift. I dedicated my time to compose this song with my two sons and new friend Will Wells, who was kind enough to sing and perform it for me. We dedicate it to Paul Walker. A good man. We had plans to continue working with each other in the future. It seemed destined, but "destiny bends".
*Note* This song is not for criticism, it's just a sketch demo. Please enjoy and reflect.
Your comrade in the struggle,RZA
Brick Mansions, which completed filming before Walker's death and is currently in post-production, is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2014.
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Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
