First, we were introduced to the 36 Chambers of the Wu-Tang
Clan in 1993. Then, in 1995, another classic was unleashed "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" courtesy of the
dynamic duo of Raekwon The Chef & Ghostface Killah. Only a couple of months
after, we entered the brain of GZA the Genius. His introspective verbal assault
on the mic shows how deep this man's mind goes. The GZA has created wonderful
flawless Hip-Hop that he pieced together himself perfectly, just like a jigsaw
puzzle. He is arcane and yet, exciting, galvanizing, and lyrically furious. This
album stands out because of its raw, dark, grimy, and gritty tone.
This box set from the Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA/Genius, the
emcee/lyricist, is know for his lyrical ability to give metaphors and punch
lines, drops the classic sophomore album, Liquid Swords, which came
out in July 24, 2012. But all you mainstream rap listeners who don’t know ish
about Real Hip-Hop, may have missed it. Besides the album that features keys
cuts like "Shadowboxin'," "Cold World," and "4th
Chamber," the 2-CD "Chess Box" comes with the LPs instrumentals
(all RZA productions) and a miniature chess set.
The Shaolin style in this album is high. The first track
kicks off with energy on 'Liquid Swords', which, as usual, boasts samples from a
Kung-Fu movie flick called “Shogun Assassin”. This is not only one of the
essential albums of the Wu-solo efforts, but it's also one of the essential Hip-Hop
albums of the '90s. In terms of conceptual realization, Liquid Swords is a
blueprint for the perfect Wu record. Intellect should be a weapon of survival
when you're "Living In The World Today" of 2012. It's a historical
artifact on an otherwise up-to-date album, one which is more important now that
Hip-Hop needs a refresher on the essence of skills.
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