GZA
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Time passed, and the Genius landed a recording contract with Cold Chillin, which, unfortunately, was nearing the end of its brilliant run. In 1991, he became the only future Wu-Tang member to release a solo album prior to the Clans formation, with Words From the Genius. Produced mostly by Easy Mo Bee, the album flopped badly and, creatively, did little to hint at the Genius future standing. Conflicts with the label sent the Genius packing, and he reteamed with a similarly disenchanted RZA (fresh off a failed stint with Tommy Boy) and Ol Dirty Bastard to co-found the Wu-Tang Clan. Adding six other friends and associates, the group became an underground sensation and took the
ap world by storm with its 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Their innovative contract allowed each member to sign a solo deal with whatever label they chose, and the Genius wound up on Geffen. In 1994, his first post-Wu solo track, I Gotcha Back, appeared on the soundtrack of the film Fresh. His second solo album, Liquid Swords, followed in 1995 and was hailed as a hip-hop classic thanks to its coolly understated menace. While it didnt make him a star on the level of Method Man, the album did sell well, reaching the pop Top Ten and falling one spot short of the top of the R&B charts. There were no big mainstream hits, but the title cut, Cold World, and Shadowboxin all did well on the
ap charts.
Following the Clans 1997 sophomore set, Wu-Tang Forever, the Genius returned to the solo arena with 1999s Beneath the Surface. While critics didnt praise it quite as lavishly as Liquid Swords, it was another well-received effort (especially compared to some of the lackluster follow-ups elsewhere in the Wu-Tang camp), and it topped the R&B album charts. After reconvening with the Wu for 2000s The W and 2001s Iron Flag, the Genius dropped his fourth solo effort, Legend of the Liquid Sword, in late 2002, consolidating his reputation as one of the most skillful rappers around.
