In 1999 the RZA moved into composing film scores.
His first work, Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), earned praise; he also had a brief cameo in the film itself, as a fellow samurai wearing camouflage.
The experience was positive and, as he noted during an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air, the work with traditional musicians gave him the desire to learn how to read and write music.

This is one of my biggest adventures, and one of my [best] feelings.
We watched Kill Bill in Manhattan.
At the premiere, that happened, but you know, that's Hollywood.
But in Manhattan, a theater, just a bunch of kids coming from wherever New York, inside a movie theater and the movie's coming on.
They don't even know that I'm the man with the music, and when it said, "Original Music by The RZA", we hear the audience clapping.
And they didn't clap for nothing else, because the movie's just coming on.
I was like, 'Wow, what the fuck is that about?'
That's different.
It actually might be something special.
You never care who did that... Once you see who stars in the shit, you don't read "edited", you don't read all that.
You be eating your popcorn and it go right by you.
But, for somebody to see that and then clap, that's a different thing right there.
That felt pretty pleasing.
In 1999 the RZA moved into composing film scores. His first work, Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), earned praise; he also had a brief cameo in the film itself, as a fellow samurai wearing camouflage. The experience was positive and, as he noted during an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air, the work with traditional musicians gave him the desire to learn how to read and write music.
This is one of my biggest adventures, and one of my [best] feelings. We watched Kill Bill in Manhattan. At the premiere, that happened, but you know, that's Hollywood. But in Manhattan, a theater, just a bunch of kids coming from wherever New York, inside a movie theater and the movie's coming on. They don't even know that I'm the man with the music, and when it said, "Original Music by The RZA", we hear the audience clapping. And they didn't clap for nothing else, because the movie's just coming on. I was like, 'Wow, what the fuck is that about?' That's different. It actually might be something special. You never care who did that... Once you see who stars in the shit, you don't read "edited", you don't read all that. You be eating your popcorn and it go right by you. But, for somebody to see that and then clap, that's a different thing right there. That felt pretty pleasing.
RZA