One of my enduring childhood memories was being given a copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter the 36 Chambers' by my next-door neighbour. I remember listening to the tape religiously on my walkman over and over again (as well as my mother taking an instant dislike to the neighbour in question for introducing me to the world of gangster-rap.) As a young-lad of 10 years, I marvelled, mainly at the shit-load of swear-words within the raps but also at the lyrical content of the record. It was my official soundtrack to Euro '96. Fuck the 'Three Lions', I had the '36 Chambers.' Fast-forward several years and the album was once again an integral part of my life, this time playing it's part in my introduction to the world of recreational drugs. I'd sit about with my mates whilst Method Man instructed us to, "roll that shit, light that shit, smoke it." We duly obliged. By no means was the record all about cursing, drugs and violence, it was riddled with spellbinding rhymes, silky-smooth delivery and of course some of the finest beats ever to be crafted by man. One member in particular sparked the receptors in my brain into a frenzied-overload. The man in question is referred to by his fellow Wu-Tang members as 'The Genius.' This lyrical-mastermind is regarded as the "spiritual head" of the Wu-Tang, being the oldest member of the clan and the first to strike up a solo record deal. His 1995 album 'Liquid Swords' is a shining example of word-smithery at it's finest and is still widely considered as one of the greatest releases from the Wu-Tang camp. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the man himself to talk about what makes 'The Genius' a genius.Thursday, January 26, 2012
GZA/Genius - Livemusic Interview
One of my enduring childhood memories was being given a copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter the 36 Chambers' by my next-door neighbour. I remember listening to the tape religiously on my walkman over and over again (as well as my mother taking an instant dislike to the neighbour in question for introducing me to the world of gangster-rap.) As a young-lad of 10 years, I marvelled, mainly at the shit-load of swear-words within the raps but also at the lyrical content of the record. It was my official soundtrack to Euro '96. Fuck the 'Three Lions', I had the '36 Chambers.' Fast-forward several years and the album was once again an integral part of my life, this time playing it's part in my introduction to the world of recreational drugs. I'd sit about with my mates whilst Method Man instructed us to, "roll that shit, light that shit, smoke it." We duly obliged. By no means was the record all about cursing, drugs and violence, it was riddled with spellbinding rhymes, silky-smooth delivery and of course some of the finest beats ever to be crafted by man. One member in particular sparked the receptors in my brain into a frenzied-overload. The man in question is referred to by his fellow Wu-Tang members as 'The Genius.' This lyrical-mastermind is regarded as the "spiritual head" of the Wu-Tang, being the oldest member of the clan and the first to strike up a solo record deal. His 1995 album 'Liquid Swords' is a shining example of word-smithery at it's finest and is still widely considered as one of the greatest releases from the Wu-Tang camp. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the man himself to talk about what makes 'The Genius' a genius.