GZA – Legend of the Liquid Sword
K.B. Tindal
4.0/5.0
In 1993 Wu-Tang sprung on to the rap scene like wildfire. They were lead to the promise land by Prince Rakeem a.k.a.GZA and RZA. Their grimey and gritty street anthems opened the door for a whole wave of artists that we hear today. Although you don’t hear much of the Wu on the airwaves today, they still exist. The secret to still being in the game for them has been their loyalty to their audience.
Enter the GZA with his newest entry to the 36 chambers. Legend of the Liquid Sword.
A rhyme is a terrible thing to waste/
Gimmicks and radio the God don’t chase/
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The excerpt from “Did Ya Say That” tells the story of how the Wu stays loyal with what they spit. “Auto Bio” gives us the story of the humble beginnings of the WU and everything that it took for them to get to where there are. GZA’s first single off the album, “Knock, Knock” smashes the industry and all the 100 bar rappers who spit nothing but non-reality. GZA tells those phonies to get it right and represent the art form truthfully. GZA is not abstract, commercial or hardcore; he’s just GZA. “Animal Planet” is a unique display of wordsmith wizardry. Here GZA uses different animals as metaphors for everything from drugs, enforcers, stickup kids, extortionists and the world itself. This is a true masterpiece. Listen to this one and get ya weight up before you step into a cipher. Legend of the Liuqid Sword featuring Allen Anthony tells the story of the lost art of Hip-Hop. Once again GZA goes beyond the flossin’ and the material world of the rap game and lets you know that it’s all about the lyrics.
Artists like GZA will always have an audience, even if the tracks are not radio friendly. He continues to give the game what it desperately needs from time to time. And what the game needs is lyrical substance. So when you grab this disc be ready to think instead of dance. It’s food for the mind and the God feeds you well. Peace.
