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GZA (, 1966 in Brooklyn , New York City ) is an American Rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan . His cool, precise flow and cerebral, literate rhymes, weren't as theatrical as Method Man or Ol' Dirty Bastard , the two biggest commercial stars to spring from the collective. But among hip-hop aficionados, the Genius was revered for his technique and lyricism, and was regarded by many as the best pure rapper in the entire Clan, with his '' Liquid Swords '' seen as one of the Wu's classic albums. BIOGRAPHY Though born in Brooklyn, GZA spent a childhood split between various groups of relatives in the other New York boroughs, and during this time began to visit the '' in 1991 (see 1991 In Music ). The album's sound, produced by Easy Mo Bee , was heavily influenced by the wishes of its label Cold Chillin, who were eager to make it a commercial success. The album however was a flop, and GZA's experience with Cold Chillin, combined with a similar ordeal for his friend RZA at Tommy Boy, created a bitterness towards record labels that insured the evils of the music industry would be a prominent theme in his music for the rest of his career, and most importantly would ultimately provide the impetus for the Wu-Tang Clan's revolutionary ruthless business strategy. The trio of friends from All In Together Now formed the Wu-Tang Clan in 1992, gradually adding six other friends and associates from around Staten Island. Their debut together was '' Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) '', which took the Hip Hop world by storm. All nine members became a hot commodity and were allowed to sign with whatever Record Label they wished for a solo career, due to an unusual clause in their contract. GZA signed to Geffen Records . His solo track "I Gotcha Back" was featured on the soundtrack to the film Fresh in 1994 and this was followed by GZA's first post-Wu-Tang solo album, the dark, foreboding '' Liquid Swords '' ( 1995 , 1995 In Music ) which was widely acclaimed; it is still remembered as one of the pre-eminent Wu-Tang solo LPs. After the Wu-Tang Clan's second album together, '' Wu-Tang Forever '', GZA released '' Beneath The Surface '' in 1999 (see 1999 In Music ). The understated, mysterious album received good reviews, but failed to live up to the massive expectations created by his revered debut work. GZA's last solo album was '' Legend Of The Liquid Sword '' in 2002 (see 2002 In Music ), which was mostly well-received by critics, with the track Uncut Material marking the first time a GZA-produced beat had featured on a Wu-Tang album. In 2004 GZA released a greatest hits compilation titled ''Collection Of Classics'', announced he was soon to be finishing work on a Wu-Tang Clan behind-the-scenes documentary, appeared opposite RZA and Bill Murray in Jim Jarmusch 's '' Coffee & Cigarettes '', toured first as a solo artist and then with the group throughout Europe and the US, and announced the forthcoming release of an album by his son Young Justice. In 2005, GZA inked a deal with Babygrande Records to release an album/mixtape simply known as ''The GZA Presents'' for 2006. Alongside this album, GZA began work with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame on an album entitled ''Grandmasters''. Released on October 25th, 2005, the project has received critical acclaim as a return to form for both Muggs and GZA. the Wu-Tang Corp website also announced recently that GZA plans to release his 6th studio album, tentatively titled "1st," on Babygrande at the end of '06. GZA has been working with Dynasty Muzik . He is featured on the Devilz Rejects album and has a track with Snacky Chan called "Vengeance". SAMPLES
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