The Twelve Days of Wu-Mas 2024 - Day #7

For my money, the best solo album from a Wu-Tang Clan member is Liquid Swords, the third RZA-produced project of 1995, from the artist formerly known as The Genius. Of course, this wasn't actually the guy's debut album, which may help explain why the guy felt so at ease behind the microphone - he was already a jaded veteran of the music industry. You see, Gary "GZA" Grice, cousin to RZA (a lot of the Wu is a family affair, which you'll notice if you follow the group's timeline long enough), was already a solo artist, having signed a deal with Cold Chillin' Records, which released his debut, Words From the Genius, back in 1991. That effort never went anywhere, both because The Genius wasn't the most marketable artist out there and because the label didn't believe in such widespread philosophies such as "marketing", so the album died a horrible death on the vine, with the experience hardening GZA so much that he stepped back and regrouped, helping to build the Wu-Tang Clan from its inception, so that when his time came back around, he'd be ready.

Liquid Swords isn't just my favorite Wu solo project, it's many of yours, as well. RZA once again tailored his instrumentals to the artist, GZA's lyrical sniper keen on storytelling, detail-oriented shit-talking, and, on more than one occasion, gimmicky songs that follow a singular theme to their natural conclusion (see: "Labels"). He was also one of the more chameleon-esque members of the group, fully at home within the dark, deep in the dirty dungeon themes of Method Man (see: "Shadowboxin'"), the criminal underworld of Raekwon the Chef (see: "Investigative Reports"), and even the funhouse mirror-shattering audio anxiety of Ol' Dirty Bastard (tell me you can;t hear ODB over the "Liquid Swords" beat and I'll call you a liar to your face), but also in command of his own instrument within a unique chamber of his own, as songs such as "Duel of the Iron Mic", "Cold World", and "4th Chamber" can attest. 

I feel like I could go on and on about Liquid Swords, a project released when The Genius was still transitioning his stage identity from his past life into his Wu family (hence why it's credited to "Genius/GZA", instead of his later work, which transposes the two), but the most important piece is that this album, along with the debuts from Raekwon, Method Man, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, solidified RZA's reputation as one of the finest producers our chosen culture has ever birthed, and while his music sounds absolutely nothing like this today, the dude remains a fucking genius, even if the nickname was already taken by his cousin.

Today, let's talk about Liquid Swords.

RZA's Five-Year Plan #5: Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (November 7, 1995)

Link to original write-up

Link to a Reader Review (written by Banksta)

-Max