Gary Grice, better known as GZA (ˈdʒɪzʌ), or The Genius, is an American hip hop artist. He is best known as a founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. In addition to appearing on all the Wu-Tang Clan albums he has released five solo albums and has appeared on many other Clanmates' solo releases.
Biography
Grice developed an interest in hip-hop alongside his cousins Robert Diggs and Russell Jones. They performed together as a group called All In Together Now with Grice going under the alias The Genius; Diggs and Jones performed as The Scientist and The Professor respectively (It should be noted these names weren't meant to be permanent according to RZA, e.g. Jones was also known as the Genius for a time). After gaining some notoriety in the underground Grice and Diggs were signed as solo artists. Grice managed to ink a deal with legendary hip-hop label Cold Chillin' Records. In 1990 Grice released his debut album under the moniker - The Genius with Words from the Genius.[1]
The album was produced by Easy Mo Bee and was heavily influenced by the style of Cold Chillin at the time. The corporate heads of that label wanted to make Grice a commercially viable artist like Big Daddy Kane. However critical reception for the album was lukewarm at best, and sales were disappointing. Eventually Grice directed his new personal managers James Garfield and Geoffrey L. Garfield to get him released from his contract and left the label. Grice's experience with Cold Chillin was shared with Diggs' experience at Tommy Boy Records, who had only managed to put out an EP under the alias Prince Rakeem.
The group debuted in 1993 with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The album was produced entirely by RZA. GZA was featured throughout the album and was one of only two Clan members to get a solo track on the album ("Clan In Da Front") (the other member being Method Man). The whole album was hailed by critics as a masterpiece, and GZA was touted by many as the best lyricist in the group. Building off of that success, GZA signed a new deal with Geffen Records and in 1995 released Liquid Swords. This album was also produced by RZA and featured a plethora of guest appearances by fellow Wu-Tang Clan members. It was lauded by critics as a hip-hop classic and was certified platinum (1 million units) by the RIAA. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums of all time. It holds the distinction of having released four music videos for the CD all directed by GZA.
After appearing on the Wu-Tang Clan's second album, Wu-Tang Forever, GZA released Beneath the Surface in 1999. Reviews were mostly positive, though it failed to live up to Liquid Swords acclaim and commercial success. Critics pointed to production as the album's main weakness, noting a distinct lack of RZA produced tracks, resulting in a messy collage of beats rather than a cohesive sound. There were also complaints about the presence of skits and the vast number of guest spots.
GZA laid low for the next few years, appearing on the Wu-Tang Clan albums The W and Iron Flag, but shying away from solo work. In 2002, he dropped Legend of the Liquid Sword. The album was received well by critics, but did not achieve commercial success, failing to go gold as his previous release had. GZA spent 2004 touring, both solo and with the Clan. He also made an appearance with RZA in Jim Jarmusch's film Coffee & Cigarettes opposite Bill Murray. In 2005, GZA and DJ Muggs (the producer for Cypress Hill) released the LP Grandmasters. Muggs provided all the beats for the album, which saw GZA using chess as a metaphor for the rap game, exercising his story-telling muscle and commenting on his place as a senior member in the hip-hop community. The album received overwhelmingly positive reviews and modest commercial success.citation needed
A compilation album called Pro Tools, was to be released on January, 8 2008, but has not been. In an interview with XXL magazine prior to the album's release, GZA stated that RZA was to produce the album. He also mentioned plans to release a collaborative album with his son Young Justice sometime afterwards. GZA also appeared in the Wu-Tang Clan's 2007 album 8 Diagrams. He was also said to be featured heavily on fellow Clansmen Raekwon's new CD Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. However, the state of that album including GZA's role is currently unknown. GZA partook in the summer 2007 Wu-Tang tour of Europe and the Rock the Bells tour with the rest of the Clan. It has also recently been announced that GZA and Killah Priest are set to begin work on a collaborative album of their own.[2]
A graphic novel titled Advance Knight by GZA (Author), James Reitano (Illustrator) and published by Grand Central Publishing was completed but never published after being cancelled by GZA, although it still appears to be available for preorder on several book-selling websites.
Discography
Albums
References
External links
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