GZA “Liquid Swords”

Released November 7th, 1995

An Investigative Report of The Razor Sharp Lyrical Swordsman

Ghost Wonder original collage featuring “Liquid Swords” album art elements.

4th Chamber

As the fourth official Wu-Tang Clan solo album, Gary Grice, a.k.a. “GZA” or “The Genius,” established the crew’s storytelling & thematic prowess. Liquid Swords (LS) epitomizes the precise lyricism of the “Golden Era of Hip-Hop." The Wu-Tang canon compares the tongue to a sword as a slick motif; this album sets the stage of the supergroup via vicious, cutting prose and kung-fu clips.

Swordsmen

The album’s title is inspired by GZA’s favorite kung-fu movie, “Legend of the Liquid Sword” (dir. Wong Jing, 1993), a comedy, but takes conceptual notes from the 1980 movie, “Shogun Assassin” (dir. Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi). LS tactfully connects the music industry, samurais with swords so sharp they slide like water, and 1990s NYC street culture via the lens of Wu-Tang Clan’s Genius.

Left: Poster for “Legend of the Liquid Sword” (dir. Wong Jing, 1993). Right: Poster for “Shogun Assassin” (dir. Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi, 1980).

Duel of The Iron Mic:

Around the release of LS, Pharcyde revealed Labincalifornia, Busta Rhymes dropped The Coming, The Fugees uncovered The Score, and 2Pac unveiled All Eyes on Me. With each artist, their albums and album titles fit into the artist’s unique auras. Many contemporary hip-hop projects are conceptually weaker, and only premier MCs nowadays have such pristine brands.

“Vintage audio
clips from kung-fu classics weave
through the album, creating an
auditory, cinematic collage.”

Left: Ghost Wonder original collage featuring “Liquid Swords” album art elements.

Living In The World Today:

Timelessness determines greatness in Pop Music. Contemporary Hip-Hop listeners often expect this Pop metric of “timelessness,” despite the fundamental differences between the genres. As a second-generation Hip-Hop fan, I understand the old man, fist-shaking critique that the music is not the same. Hip-Hip has become a global, cultural force where people around the world add their spin on the genre. A byproduct of this cultural expansion is the neglect of the genre’s roots in specific places and times past.

Ghost Wonder original collages featuring “Liquid Swords” album art elements.

GOLD

LS doesn’t sound “timeless” but the quality of Liquid Swords is timeless. 90’s hip-hop is tough to develop an ear for without a creative entry point. Many people struggle to develop an ear for the lyrical imagery, unique flows, and distinct vocal textures that are embodied in “The Golden Era.”

RZA delivers some of the grimiest instrumentals of his discography, gracefully complemented by the grit of GZA’s vocal performances.

Special Technique

Liquid Swords stands alone in cinematic mastery and is the strongest conceptual Wu-Tang project sans “Enter the 36th Chamber.” Younger listeners must understand Hip-Hop history to appreciate LS and doing so will help them see why “Enter the 36 Chambers” is one of the greatest Hip-hop albums of all time. Without this genius contribution, we would not have modern storytelling masterpieces such as Yeezus, Good Kid Maad City, and Cozy Tapes Vol II.