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
silent
GZA/Genius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's right, we gotta get this darts right
Spray y'all niggas on some marksman shit
Yes, I said, "Look, I got ready to graze
Took my hat off and the crowd went crazy
Bitches threw their panties, the sound man was fannin' me
The whole place was standin', G
Jumped in the crowd and I swam to sea
Threw me to the back, surprise, I still had my chains on me"
Dana Dane, front row bitches, I bang all three
Say, "Yo, Meth, fuck it, throw a Jim Brownski
Versace, banana color robes and my socks be"
Them Billie Jean shits and they real Rocky
The fans can't knock me
I bench Coliseums while Genius spot me
Plus I'm cocky, bitch
Once I took off the hoodie, revealed the face
Cop patrol couldn't control the place
I got groupies backstage, lined up at the gate
The signs up, yellin', "We love your tape!"
I'm sorry I took so long, didn't mean to make y'all wait
But good things take time to create
You can find me in your studio
Half baked, eatin' ganja cake
Tryin' to make my next release date
With Ghost, Street, GZA, great minds relate
You know a brother bond is hard to break
When we perform we cause the Earth to shake
Ain't nothin' changes, it's still those same niggas
You love to hate GZA
I set examples over amplified samples
That's scratched in the club, ducks begin to trample
On those who fell victims, body loss they souls
These beats when I picked 'em
Jones played the role, soldiers brave and bold
RZA paid the roll, GZA buries the scrolls
Then months later it was, then years later it was
Written on loose leaf, that old formula
That was stolen by a new thief
The journalist watched it, critics couldn't knock it
A piece of history that they carried in they pocket
With the time factor, speed was the order of the day
What a delay, they were able to, what he would say
Why waste the slot time of the ridiculous rhyme
That's only excused by a generous mind
I kept 'em stored in the shelters like the goods in cans
'Til I turned rap villes into harvested lands
The lyrics to GZA/Genius's song "Silent" depict the experience of performing on stage and the fan response to his music. The first verse discusses the reaction GZA received when he took off his hat, revealing his face to the crowd. The audience was ecstatic and threw their panties at him, while the sound man fanned him. The crowd chanted and he jumped into the crowd, feeling like he was swimming in the sea. Despite being thrown to the back, he still had his chains on him, surprising the crowd.
The second verse talks about the group's bond and how they cause the Earth to shake when they perform. GZA sets examples over amplified samples, scratching in the club that causes ducks to trample on those who fell victim to the music. The lyrics also reference how GZA buried the scrolls and turned "rap villes into harvested lands."
Overall, the lyrics are a reflection of GZA's experiences on stage, the power of music to move people, and the camaraderie of artists working together.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, six o'clock in the morning
It's early morning, and they need to start their day and work on their music.
That's right, we gotta get this darts right
They have to work extra hard to perfect their music.
Spray y'all niggas on some marksman shit
They have to shoot precisely with their music, and they are ready to target their audience.
Yes, I said, 'Look, I got ready to graze
The artist is confident and ready to go onstage and perform.
Took my hat off and the crowd went crazy
The crowd loves the artist and their music, and they go wild when the artist appears.
Bitches threw their panties, the sound man was fannin' me
The artist has a large female fan base, and they love everything the artist does.
The whole place was standin', G
The venue was packed, and everyone is standing and enjoying the performance.
What they chant, we was family
The audience feels a connection to the artist and feels like they are part of their community.
Jumped in the crowd and I swam to sea
The artist leaves the stage and goes into the audience, and they are engulfed by the crowd.
Threw me to the back, surprise, I still had my chains on me'
Even though the artist was thrown around by the crowd, they still had their jewelry on them at the end of the performance.
Dana Dane, front row bitches, I bang all three
The artist is bragging about their sexual exploits with women in the front row.
Say, 'Yo, Meth, fuck it, throw a Jim Brownski
One of the artists tells Meth to throw an item into the crowd for everyone to catch (a reference to Jim Brown throwing a football into the stands).
Versace, banana color robes and my socks be'
The artist is wearing colorful Versace clothing and draws attention to their socks.
Them Billie Jean shits and they real Rocky
The artist is wearing Michael Jackson's Billie Jean shoes and feels like a champion like Rocky.
The fans can't knock me
The artist feels confident and knows their fans love them and their music.
I bench Coliseums while Genius spot me
The artist feels like they can lift anything, anywhere and continue to improve their music while others watch.
Plus I'm cocky, bitch
The artist is confident and proud of their success.
Once I took off the hoodie, revealed the face
The artist removed their hoodie to make a grand entrance and show their face to the audience.
Cop patrol couldn't control the place
The police could not control the large crowd that was there to see the artist perform.
I got groupies backstage, lined up at the gate
The artist has fans who are waiting backstage to meet them, and others are standing outside, waiting to see them.
The signs up, yellin', 'We love your tape!'
Fans hold up signs saying how much they love the artist's music.
I'm sorry I took so long, didn't mean to make y'all wait
The artist apologizes for taking so long, but they want to make sure their music is perfect before releasing it.
But good things take time to create
The artist believes that it takes time to create something great.
You can find me in your studio
The artist spends a lot of time in the recording studio, working on new music.
Half baked, eatin' ganja cake
The artist is eating a cake made with marijuana while working on music.
Tryin' to make my next release date
The artist is working hard to finish their music so they can release it on schedule.
With Ghost, Street, GZA, great minds relate
The artist feels that they work well with their collaborators and that they all share great ideas.
You know a brother bond is hard to break
The artist and their collaborators have a strong bond and work well together.
When we perform we cause the Earth to shake
The artist and their collaborators perform with such energy that they feel like they are shaking the ground beneath them.
Ain't nothin' changes, it's still those same niggas
Despite their success, the artist and their collaborators are still the same people and have not changed.
You love to hate GZA
The artist knows that some people do not like them or their music, but they do not let it bother them.
I set examples over amplified samples
The artist leads by example, using music to inspire others.
That's scratched in the club, ducks begin to trample
The artist's music is so good that when it is played in the club, people start dancing uncontrollably.
On those who fell victims, body loss they souls
People who cannot handle the power of the music lose themselves and their souls.
These beats when I picked 'em
The artist carefully selects their beats to make the most powerful and inspiring music.
Jones played the role, soldiers brave and bold
The artist compares themselves to a brave soldier, fighting for their music.
RZA paid the roll, GZA buries the scrolls
The artist and their collaborators all have important roles in creating music, and the artist is the one who makes sure their music is preserved and remembered.
Then months later it was, then years later it was
The artist's music is timeless and continues to be popular, even years after being released.
Written on loose leaf, that old formula
The artist writes their music on loose paper or notebooks and uses the same creative formula for every song.
That was stolen by a new thief
Someone else tries to copy the artist's music and style.
The journalist watched it, critics couldn't knock it
Even the critics cannot deny the impact and brilliance of the artist's music.
A piece of history that they carried in they pocket
Listeners carry the artist's music with them like a piece of history and treasure it.
With the time factor, speed was the order of the day
As time passes, music trends change, and the artist has to keep up with those trends.
What a delay, they were able to, what he would say
Even though there was a delay, the artist was still able to create music that lived up to their expectations.
Why waste the slot time of the ridiculous rhyme
The artist does not want to waste their time rapping about something stupid.
That's only excused by a generous mind
Only someone who is not paying attention would excuse bad rapping.
I kept 'em stored in the shelters like the goods in cans
The artist kept their creative ideas and lyrics locked away until they were ready to use them.
'Til I turned rap villes into harvested lands
The artist's music turned barren, boring rap landscapes into something more fruitful and interesting.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PATRICKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind