At first, Banks and Steelz seems like a odd idea. Why would The RZA team up with Paul Banks, the lead singer of the post-punk revival band Interpol? As it turns out, Banks released a mixtape featuring the likes of El-P and Talib Kweli in 2013, and well, The RZA is always open to collaboration. The duo has released a music video for “Love + War” featuring Ghostface Killah, the first single from their upcoming project.
The Arms Race directed music video finds Banks and Steelz playing a pair of bodyguards for the Asian mafia as the gangsters torture their prisoner. Not surprisingly, the visual’s aesthetic is heavily influenced by The RZA’s pal, Quentin Tarantino, taking cues from Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
“For love sometimes we find ourselves at war and the combatants may do anything to win,” RZA explained. “For me love is worth fighting for, as long as love is not lost.”
