Siddiq Saunderson shares the first thing Ghostface Killah told him – CNET [CNET]

This story is part of I’m So Obsessed (subscribe here), our podcast featuring interviews with actors, artists, celebrities and creative types about their work, career and current obsessions.

Driven by artists like Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg, hip-hop thrived in the ’90s. It was a time where hip-hop outgrew being just music and influenced our culture, entertainment and society.

One of those groups was Wu-Tang Clan, which over time has earned the adjective legendary. On Hulu, the series Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga is a fictional retelling of the iconic group’s formation. It shows you them as men and boys chasing their dreams as a means to survive the ’90s crack cocaine epidemic. Before they were RZA, GZA and Ghostface Killah, they were Bobby, Gary and Dennis from Staten Island.

Actor Siddiq Saunderson plays Dennis Coles who would later become Ghostface Killah. He talked with me on CNET’s I’m So Obsessed podcast about the second season of the show and how the pandemic made it all the more sweet to return to ’90s Staten Island.

“We were hungry to see the continuation in the evolution of Dennis into Ghostface,” Saunderson said. “The pandemic affected some people in some ways and some in others. But for me, it definitely was a time to pause and remember what was important to me. And my actions post-pandemic are kind of following suit. I think that definitely is a parallel to what’s going on for season two.”

The first season of Wu-Tang: An American Saga debuted in September 2019. The second season premiered Sept 8. The producers for the show include RZA and Method Man from Wu-Tang Clan. Saunderson remembers the first time he talked with Ghostface Killah and what he told him.

“One of the first times I met Ghost was, I think we had already started filming by then, we were on about episode three. One of the first things he said was like, ‘yo, make sure they don’t make me look fucking corny,”http://www.cnet.com/” Saunderson said. “I was like, ‘Whoa!”http://www.cnet.com/”

During our interview, Saunderson explains how he handles the expectations of Wu-Tang Clan fans. He also discusses his film R#J, the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat and designer Kerby Jean-Raymond behind Pryer Moss.

New episodes of Wu-Tang: An American Saga on Hulu drop each Wednesday. You can subscribe to I’m So Obsessed on your favorite podcast app. In each episode, Connie Guglielmo and I catch up with an artist, actor or creator to learn about their work, career and current obsessions.