The Genius / GZA

The acknowledged head of the Wu-Tang Clan, Genius (a.k.a. GZA) delivers the fifth Wu-banger with his sophomore solo album. Musically, Liquid Swords is the Clan's strongest solo release to date, and lyrically, Genius comes correct with a style he describes as "too swift to bite". Liquid Swords is comprised of two types of songs, all backed by the RZA's skilful production. On the one hand, Genius schools the clan's followers through songs that address serious problems experienced in every day inner-city life. "Cold World", which is backed by whirling wind sound, contains mini-stories that illustrate the misfortunes of gun-slinging in the hip-hop community. "Investigative Reports" goes even deeper in administering the blame, suggesting that drug-related crimes stem from a higher authority. On the other hand, there are the Clan's kung-fu metaphors, which show up on Genius' more Wu-styled songs. On "duel of the iron mic", he's joined by a number of fellow clansmen to reinstate the idea that no one can match them, despite numerous attempts to copy their image and concepts. Similarly, the production on songs like "4th chamber" and "shadowboxin'" closely relates them to enter the 36 Chambers, and helps make Liquid Swords a complete Wu release.