When it comes to thought provoking, street-bred raw lyricism, the Wu-Tang Clan's fountain of wisdom, GZA takes his job very seriously. The way he crafts his double-edged rhyme flow mirrors the skill and precise technique of one who works with fine ceramics. GZA's metaphoric and multi-layered lyrics are often touted by critics as his rap name implies; genius.
Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in every borough of New York City, The GZA's workmanship can be found three albums deep with classics dating back to 1991 including the albums Words From The Genius, the gold-selling Liquid Swords and Beneath The Surface. Before his days of microphone notoriety, GZA found himself, during the early ages of rap music, travelling throughout New York City sharpening his rap skills in scattered rhyme battles. "I've studied rap in every borough," the GZA says proudly. "I've been rhyming before a lot of these cats out here were born. We've [Wu Tang Clan] always drank, ate and slept hip-hop. I love it." On his latest blockbuster album Legend Of The Liquid Sword, The GZA makes reference to his hip- hop foundation on the reflective Fam (Members Only) "I grew up around B-Boys, DJs, MCs, through rap, never thinking in ways of TV," the Genius raps. "It was strictly all about magnificent rhyme clout."
During GZA's travels, he encountered other rap veterans that recognized his promise and helped to nurture his talent. "I watched a lot of people come up that are big now," Genius says earnestly. "I used to make demo tapes with cats that rocked with Russell Simmons and people like that. The history goes so far back; I've always been really focused on writing dope rhymes."
The GZA's dream of perfection has been realized once again on his fourth album to date. Legend Of The Liquid Sword not only regains the powerful momentum started by the last three releases, it adds to the Genius' verbal legacy with uncompromising integrity. Heat-seeking darts like the introspective, Auto Bio where GZA breaks down the elements of his life that created the man he is and the crime thriller Luminal.
What has always set The GZA apart from the ordinary is his ability to create complex images with simple context. In the same way it's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, Genius assembles his words to create thousands of vivid pictures. "I don't like to just be simple," he explains. "Even though some of my stuff can seem simple at times, I like to write in a way that when you listen to it over and over again, you hear something new and it requires you to think." Legend Of The Liquid Sword does just that. Whether the listener gets captured by the vocal acrobatics of Santi White (who has written songs for Res) on GZA's Stay In Line or the authentic old school soul production on the masterpiece Animal Planet, Genius weaves satisfying brain food through his lyrics. In his phenomenally cerebral use of metaphors, The Genius flawlessly equates human city dwellers to animals in the jungle onAnimal Planet , which was produced by rhythm doctor Bink (who has produced heavyweight joints for Fat Joe, Nate Dogg, Mr. Cheeks and Faith Evans). With beats by fellow Wu Tang brother RZA, Jaz-O (Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt album), DJ Muggs (who has produced for Cypress Hill, Mobb Deep), Wu producer Mathematics (Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Sunz of Man), Arabian Knight and other sonic masterminds, GZA's talents come across even heavier. On the adrenaline raising Hip Hop call to arms, Knock, Knock (the album's shining debut single), The GZA asks on the chorus, "knock, knock, who the f*** is banging at my door, is it abstract, commercial or hardcore?" In his signature way of ill rhyme construction, GZA further defines the parameters of whatrap music should be.
Don't call GZA's comeback just a comeback, it's a return of an entirely revolutionary thought process. "When we did Back In The Game on the Wu-Tang Iron Flag album, I did a verse about gambling," he explains solidly. "I didn't want to be 'back in the game' or 'back on the block,' that's typical. I made it all metaphorical." It's those same metaphors that makes the Genius' liquid sword a living legend in it's own time.
Name: GZA/Genius
Real Name: Gary Grice
Label: N/A
Web: N/A
Hell's Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304
GZA/Genius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, it's the good life, you know
Fuck is that, Hell's Angels?
(Ah, Mr. Bobby Steels, Tony Starks on line one for Mr. Bobby Steels)
Steels over here, Steels over here
Peace, Starks what's going on, baby?
Yeah, everything is lovely over here
Yeah, the Maximillion is sure
She got soul, R&B, classics? All that shit right?
Yeah, yeah, Greco is right in front of me right now
Greco is standing right here
Yeah, he has a briefcase
Oh, okay, okay, I got you, aight, thanks
Bobby Steels
Mr. Greco, good to see you, good to see you, good to see you
A pleasure
So is everything okay, is everything working as we planned?
Everything is working out, very nicely
Do you have the cash, twenty-thousand dollars?
Do we have the cash?
We don't have to talk that, hey, hey
Get the fuck outta here with that Hell's Angels bullshit
Look, we got the cash
We know Cash Rules Everything Around this motherfucker
Fuck outta here
Um, let me ask you
Do you have the full amount?
Twenty thousand as we agreed upon?
Fucking Hells bastards
Let me ask you a question, Mr. Greco
Do you know a a Don Rodriguez?
I know no such person
Don Rodriguez from the Bronx? Don Rodriguez?
Don't know who you're talking about
I think you do know him because your fuckin' friend Don
Is down at 120 Precinct right now
Singing his fucking ass like a fucking bird
Life of a drug dealer
The fuckin' guys is coming
Do you believe him?
Killah Hills 10304
Restaurants on a stakeout, so order the food to take out
Chaos, outside a Sparks Steak House
Maintain the power, I feel the deal's gone sour
Nigga missed the wedding, late a fucking half-hour
And his man who bought land from Tony Starks
While he was contractin' bricklaying jobs in city parks
He's a loan shark, interest rates a grand to a finger
In the garment district, got it sewn like Singers
'Cause all that talk blasphemy
This kid after me for the heist in a Burlington Coat Factory
Fuck it, he turned state's on my nigga Castro
This copilot who used to drop sacks of blow
On this remote area we label Dead Man's Island
Two hundred miles South from Thailand
Right off the docks, I got luxurious custom made yachts
Burial plots, for my niggas hit with fatal shots
There's no need for us to spray up the scene
I use less men, more powerful shit for my team
Like my man Muhammad from Afghanistan, grew up in Iran
The nigga runs a neighborhood newsstand
A wild Middle Eastern bomb specialist
Initiated at eleven to be a terrorist
He set bombs in bottles of champagne
And when niggas popped the cork, niggas lost half they brains
Like this ex-worker, tried to smuggle a half a ki in his left leg
Even underwent surgery
They say his pirate limp gave him away
As the feds rushed him, coming through U.S. Customs
Now look whose on the witness stand singin'
A well known soprano, a smash hit from Sammy Gravano
Here's the plan, minimum for the hit, two hundred grand
Half-time at the game, blastin' niggas out the stands
The sharp-shooters hit the prosecutor
Judges are sent photographs of they wives taking baths
Along with briefcase filled with one point five, that's the bribe
Take it or commit suicide
First rule, anyone who schemes on the gold in Syria
I want they small intestines ripped from the interior
I got a price for those jewels, ship 'em freight cargo
Don't forget to launder the cream through Wells Fargo
Reconstruct those processing plants for the call of Costa Rica
Four hundred barrels of ether
Two hundred pounds of reefer, and fifty immigrants with fake Visas
Life of a drug dealer
Killah Hills, 10304
The saga continues
The lyrics of GZA/Genius's song Hell's Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304 depict the violent and dangerous life of a drug dealer in the Killah Hills neighbourhood of Staten Island, New York. The song opens with the singer ordering takeout food from a restaurant under police surveillance, as chaos reigns outside Sparks Steak House. He then recounts a series of events involving his associates, including a business deal gone wrong, a loan shark, a thief, a bomb specialist, and a corrupt witness. The drug dealer boasts about his power, his wealth, and his ruthless tactics, including using less men and more powerful weapons, hiring sharpshooters to kill his enemies, and bribing officials with briefcases full of money. He also mentions his plan to smuggle drugs and jewels into the country, and his willingness to kill anyone who tries to steal his gold.
The song highlights the dangers and consequences of the drug trade, and exposes the dark underbelly of the criminal world. The singer is depicted as a ruthless and violent criminal who has no regard for human life or morality. The lyrics are filled with vivid details and graphic imagery, which bring to life the harsh reality of life in the Killah Hills.
Line by Line Meaning
Restaurant's on a stake-out so order the food to take out
The restaurant is under surveillance, so we should order takeout to avoid detection.
Chaos outside of Sparks Steak House
There is chaos outside of Sparks Steak House.
Maintain the power, I feel the deal's gone sour
I must maintain my position of power, as I suspect the drug deal has gone wrong.
Nigga missed a wedding, late a fucking half hour
One of my associates missed a wedding, and was half an hour late.
And his man who bought land from Tony Starks
My associate's friend bought land from Tony Starks.
While he was contracting bricklaying jobs in city parks
While he was contracting bricklaying jobs in city parks.
He's a loan shark, bitches raise a grand to a finger
He is a loan shark, and if a woman owes him money, he'll cut off a finger for every thousand dollars she owes him.
In the garment district, got it sewn like Singers
In the garment district, he has complete control, like the Singer sewing machine company.
Cause all that talk blasphemy this kid after me
He is talking blasphemy, and I fear he may retaliate against me.
For the heist, in a Burlington coat factory
He plans to steal from the Burlington coat factory.
Fuck it, he turned state's on my nigga Castro this co-pilot
He betrayed my associate Castro to the authorities, and was once his co-pilot in drug smuggling.
Who used to drop like stacks of blow
He used to regularly smuggle large quantities of cocaine.
On this remote area we label Dead Man's Island
We refer to this remote area as Dead Man's Island.
Two hundred miles South from Thailand
It is located two hundred miles south of Thailand.
Right off the docks, I got luxurious custom made yachts
I have several custom-made yachts moored right off the docks.
Burial plots, for my niggas hit with fatal shots
I have burial plots reserved for my associates who are killed in the line of duty.
There's no need for us to spray up the scene
We don't need to recklessly shoot up the scene when carrying out hits.
I use less men, more powerful shit for my team
I prefer to use fewer skilled men armed with more powerful weapons to accomplish tasks.
Like my man Muhammad from Afghanistan, grew up in Iran
My associate, Muhammad, is originally from Afghanistan, but grew up in Iran.
The nigga runs a neighborhood newsstand
He owns a newsstand in the neighborhood.
A wild Middle Eastern, bomb specialist
Muhammad is a wild Middle Eastern man who is an expert in making bombs.
Initiated, at eleven to be a terrorist
Muhammad was trained to be a terrorist at the age of eleven.
He set bombs in bottles of champagne
Muhammad would place bombs in bottles of champagne.
And when niggas popped the cork, niggas lost half they brains
When people opened the bottles, they would be killed by the exploding bombs.
Like this ex-worker, tried to smuggle a half a key
This former worker tried to smuggle a large quantity of drugs.
In his left leg, even underwent surgery
He attempted to smuggle the drugs inside his left leg, and even underwent surgery to do so.
They say his pirate limp gave him away
The way he walked gave him away to the authorities.
As the feds rushed him, coming through U.S. Customs
The federal agents caught him as he was coming through U.S. Customs.
Now look whose on the witness stand singing, a well known soprano
Now he is on the witness stand singing in court like a well-known snitch.
A smash hit from Sammy Gravano
This information would be a huge help for Sammy Gravano, a notorious mobster and informant.
Here's the plan minimum for the hit, two hundred grand
The minimum payment for a hit is two hundred thousand dollars.
Half time at the game blasting niggas out the stands
At halftime during the game, we will shoot people in the stands.
The sharp-shooters hit the prosecutor, judges are sent
We will target the prosecutor with our sharp-shooters, causing the judges to flee.
Photographs of they wives taking baths
We have compromising photographs of the judges' wives taking baths.
Along with briefcase filled with one point five, that's the bribe
Along with the photographs, we will bribe them with a briefcase filled with one and a half million dollars.
Take it or commit suicide
They can either take the bribe, or kill themselves.
First rule, anyone who schemes on the gold in Syria
The first rule is that anyone who tries to steal our gold in Syria will have their small intestines ripped out of their body.
I want they small intestines ripped from they interior
I want their small intestines to be removed from their body.
I got a price for those jewels, ship 'em freight cargo
I have a buyer for those jewels, so we should ship them by freight cargo.
Don't forget to launder the cream through Wells Fargo
We need to launder the money through Wells Fargo.
Reconstruct those processing plants for the call of Costa Rica
We need to reconstruct those processing plants for our operations in Costa Rica.
Four hundred barrels of ether
We have four hundred barrels full of ether.
Two hundred pounds of reefer and fifty immigrants with fake Visas
We are smuggling two hundred pounds of marijuana and fifty immigrants with fake Visas.
Life of a drug dealer
This is the life of a drug dealer.
Killah hills 10304
These lyrics are referring to Killah Hills, a housing project in Staten Island with the zip code 10304.
The saga continues
This story is ongoing and will continue.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Gary E. Grice, Robert F. Diggs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind