GZA Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Even fans who didn't care for the laid-back, murky feel of GrandMasters -- GZA's 2005 effort with DJ Muggs -- had to give the album respect, well aware that the Wu-Tang member was adjusting his style for the DJ and just grooving it slower with the same high-quality rhymes. The bar remains just as high on the man's follow-up, but anyone alienated by GrandMasters' attitude will be pleased that the uptempo and sometimes oddball rhymes are back in full force here and sit on a set of melancholy soul productions that have that classic Wu atmosphere. On the opening "Pencil," GZA's Wu brother Masta Killa drops a jaw-dropping Ivan Koloff reference, RZA holds his own, and crew producer Mathematics provides the hypnotics, but it's GZA who owns the track by linking livestock, damaged livers, and cell phone chirps into a classically Clan bravado story. The way the rapper goes from the letter A to the letter Z during the chorus of "Alphabets" is so well crafted it's stunning, while "0% Finance" drops an auto reference about every fourth word and brings new life to car-loving hip-hop after years of rim-worshipping disappointments. A wonderfully worn copy of Gary Numan's "Films" gives the great "Life Is a Movie" its beat, and the production on "Paper Plate" is RZA in prime noir mode, making this diss track wasted on 50 Cent more interesting than it should be. Crooked funk production from Black Milk sets "7 Pounds" on fire as GZA compares the good vs. the bad side of hip-hop as "Pearls next to pebbles/Spoons against shovels" and the live version of "Elastic Audio" tacked onto the album's end isn't the usual throwaway bonus track but a mostly a cappella, entirely compelling closer. Even if they're slow to arrive, GZA's full-lengths rarely disappoint. Pro Tools is no different, but with so many divergent projects and experiments from the Clan filling the five previous years, this throwback also proves the crew's original formula still works splendidly. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Legend of the Liquid Sword'
Release Date 12/10/2002
Tracks 15
Label MCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Released at the end of a quiet year for the Wu-Tang family, GZA's Legend of the Liquid Sword proves Gary Grice is easily the most underrated rapper in the fold, and definitely the most consistent as a solo artist. The album gains power as it progresses; after a compelling "Auto Bio" that's chained down by a bland production, and "Did Ya Say That," wherein the Genius sounds downright confused (or worse, resigned) about the game of label politics, Legend of the Liquid Sword locks into a great groove with the single "Knock, Knock" and rarely misses after that. Unsurprisingly, the Wu-Tang features "Fam (Members Only)," featuring RZA and Masta Killa, and "Silent," featuring Ghostface Killah, are big highlights, with a sound similar to 2001's Iron Flag. Surprisingly, though, his track with low-profile Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck bests the other two. "Fame" finds the Genius weaving some clever word games around celebrity names, and guest Allen Anthony makes the title track into a grand funk jam akin to OutKast. The productions on Legend of the Liquid Sword are below average for a talent like his, but chances are good that's by design; since GZA is a rapper's rapper, his smooth flow and excellent imagination are all that's necessary to propel any of these tracks. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There were so many Wu-Tang-related projects released during 1998 and 1999 that listeners -- and even fans -- could be forgiven for a bit of apathy regarding the second solo effort by Wu-Tang's Genius/GZA. The collective's trademark detuned strings had gone from de rigueur to downright dated by mid-1999, and except for a well-received RZA solo album earlier in the year, the lead in hip-hop's hype game appeared to have been taken over by Timbaland's brand of future funk. It may not have proved the commercial smash of a proper Wu-Tang LP, but Genius/GZA's Beneath the Surface is a worthy continuation and development of the Wu-Tang Clan conglomeration. The best tracks here, "Amplified Sample" and "Crash Your Crew," are quintessentially Wu-Tang, but with important tweaks to the trademark sound. The crisp, clean production -- by Wu associates Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, and Arabian Priest -- sounds much better than any project that had been recently issued (even RZA's Bobby Digital), and GZA's raps prove he's the most innovative and talented vocalist Wu-Tang had to offer. The only failure (at least in terms of sound) is "Victim," a cloying track with a bit of scratched acoustic guitar and some X Files-styled strings. Other than a few "skits" that disturb the flow, Beneath the Surface is arguably the best thing to come out of the Wu camp since their second proper album, Forever. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Often acclaimed as the best Wu-Tang solo project of all, Liquid Swords cemented the Genius/GZA's reputation as the best pure lyricist in the group -- and one of the best of the '90s. Rich in allusions and images, his cerebral, easy-flowing rhymes are perhaps the subtlest and most nuanced of any Wu MC, as underscored by his smooth, low-key delivery. The Genius' eerie calm is a great match for RZA's atmospheric production, which is tremendously effective in this context; the kung fu dialogue here is among the creepiest he's put on record, and he experiments quite a bit with stranger sounds and more layered tracks. Not only is RZA in top form, but every Clan member makes at least one appearance on the album, making it all the more impressive that Liquid Swords clearly remains the Genius' showcase throughout. All of his collaborators shape themselves to his quietly intimidating style, giving Liquid Swords a strongly consistent tone and making it an album that gradually slithers its way under your skin. Mixing gritty story-songs and battle rhymes built on elaborate metaphors (martial arts and chess are two favorites), the Genius brings his lyrical prowess to the forefront of every track, leaving no doubt about how he earned his nickname. Creepily understated tracks like "Liquid Swords," "Cold World," "Investigative Reports," and "I Gotcha Back" are the album's bread and butter, but there's the occasional lighter moment ("Labels" incorporates the names of as many record companies as possible) and spiritual digression ("Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"). Overall, though, Liquid Swords is possibly the most unsettling album in the Wu canon (even ahead of Ol' Dirty Bastard), and it ranks with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as one of the group's undisputed classics. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Words From the Genius'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 15
Label Cold Chillin'
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Originally released by Cold Chillin' in 1991, Words from the Genius set the stage for the emergence of the Wu-Tang Clan two years later, with the revolutionary Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). There's a huge gulf between Words from the Genius and Enter the Wu-Tang, however, as well as from GZA's successive solo album, Liquid Swords (1995). The most noticeable difference between this album and those ones is the production. Credited primarily to Easy Mo Bee (billed here as EZ-Mo-Bee), who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane on It's a Big Daddy Thing (1989) and who would go on to work with the Notorious B.I.G. on Ready to Die (1994), not to mention a long list of credits that also includes Miles Davis as well as 2Pac, the production of Words from the Genius is fairly typical of golden age Cold Chillin' -- that is, it's above average and classic-sounding, but pales in comparison to the dark, cinematic beatscapes of RZA, the mastermind behind all the early Wu-Tang beats. Interestingly, RZA (billed here as Prince Rakeem) does show up on Words from the Genius, trading off rhymes with GZA on "Pass the Bone." Neither RZA nor GZA rap as sharply as they would years later; in fact, they sound young and unpolished here, if eager and showcasing signs of promise. More than anything, Words from the Genius is a novelty: Wu-Tang aficionados surely will find the raps curious, especially the aforementioned RZA collabo, "Pass the Bone," and Cold Chillin' disciples will enjoy this seldom-heard entry in the influential label's long-out-of-print catalog. But beyond its novel aspects, Words from the Genius deserves little more than footnote status in the Wu-Tang canon. It's merely a seedling from which a bounty of fruit would blossom, beginning in late 1993 with Enter the Wu-Tang. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
