Born in Staten Island, Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the late '70's. He formed a three-man group with his cousins, who would later be known as RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The group, All in Together Now, saw the three rapping and DJing, switching off names and performing local shows; since they lived in different boroughs, RZA and Dirty would travel out to Staten Island to meet up with their cousin, after which the three would travel across NYC and challenge other MCs to battles. After some years of this, GZA was signed to Cold Chillin' Records as a solo artist under the name The Genius. He put together an album called Words from the Genius, produced mostly by Easy Mo Bee, but after it failed to sell--and his rocky experience on tour--Grice became fed up and asked for release from the label[1].
After joining the Wu-Tang Clan, a group of nine which included himself, RZA and ODB, GZA boasted some high-profile appearances on the group's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, including a solo track, "Clan in da Front." This was followed up in 1995 with GZA's sophomore solo effort, Liquid Swords, produced entirely by RZA; the album was met with critical and commercial acclaim, and is still considered one of the best albums to come out of the Wu-Tang camp[2]; in 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums of all time.
After appearing on the Wu-Tang Clan's second album, Wu-Tang Forever, GZA released Beneath the Surface in 1999. Reviews were mostly positive, though it failed to live up to Liquid Swords' acclaim or commercial success. Like the sophomore projects of many Clan members, critics decried the album's lack of RZA production, claiming the underground producers and Wu-Elements used did not live up to the producer's skill level. Grice put in appearances on The W, Iron Flag and some of his group members' solo projects, but did not release another of his own until 2002 with Legend of the Liquid Sword. The album was received well by critics, but did not achieve commercial success, failing to go gold as his previous release had. GZA spent 2004 touring, both solo and with the Clan, and made an appearance with RZA in Jim Jarmusch's film Coffee & Cigarettes, opposite Bill Murray.
In 2005, GZA and DJ Muggs (the producer for Cypress Hill) released the LP Grandmasters. Muggs provided all the beats for the album, which saw GZA using chess as a metaphor for the rap game,[3]. The album received very positive reviews[4] and modest commercial success. He then partook in the recording of groupmate Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, originally stating that he was heavily featured along with Inspectah Deck, though he was later unsure about his status on the project[5].
2007 saw GZA teaming up with his Wu-Tang Clan to record the group album 8 Diagrams, and in the ensuing controversy, defended both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's rights to speak their mind, and RZA's production job on the album.[6] In the summer of 2008, he released the album Pro Tools which featured production from Black Milk and past collaborators Jay "Waxxx" Garfield, RZA, Mathematics and True Master. GZA also stated his wish to record another full album with RZA[7].
The Mexican
GZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleeping on his guns
Shot rare coins for practice
Map to the fortune, hidden up under the mattress
A lead belt attaches with holsters
Waiting area, two blazing toasters
Hit the stage coach on stallions
Heavily pursued by the local governor, a southerner
Sought after by the whole battalion
Fell out a snake within the handshake
Get the drop on them then he exploited the mistake
Protecting his gold he sold by the plates
Ready to shoot while his horses drank from the lake
Deputy saved by the badge on the blazer
A warning shot from one that had the aim of a laser
Trait by the neighbor a gambler
Who would stack the deck, plus he marked cards wit a razor
Chico Fernandez
Sleepin' on his gun
Dreams of Santa Anna
Fighting in the sun
Drums so loud from outside
Makes it hard to dream
A rain is fallin' hard and fast
Makes it all seem real
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh, and I cried
And I cry, cry, cry, cry, cried
He used to move weight but then became a grower
Constricted boa, the most of Sinaloa
Cooperating along in mining zones
For mostly silver and other shining stones
Abandoned political rebel
He moved with a group of pistolevils flashing heavy metals
Clash with the law triggered intense reactions
Hard labor gave them multiple contractions
Lawmen turned to outlaw, gunfighter cattle rustlers
Hustlers ruff riders useless connections
Everything traversal
Cross stone socio-economic circles
Señorita pining
Chico come on home
Santa Anna's losing
You'll be first to go
Sam Houston's laughing
Davy Crockett too
When Anna takes the Alamo
The first to go is you
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Heaven will be there
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh and out loud
Ha ha ha ha ha
In "The Mexican" by GZA, he tells the story of Chico Fernandez, an outlaw in the Wild West. The first verse describes Chico as someone who practices shooting with rare coins and has a map to a hidden treasure under his mattress. Chico is heavily pursued by the local governor and the whole battalion, but he outsmarts them, selling gold plates and protecting his horses while taking his enemies out one by one. The second verse talks about Chico's life now as a grower, cooperating with others in mining zones for silver and other precious stones. The lawmen turned to outlaw, but Chico managed to move through different socio-economic circles. The chorus describes the chaos around Chico as he dreams of Santa Anna and the sounds of the drums outside make it hard for him to sleep. The song ends with a warning to Chico that he will be the first to go when Anna takes the Alamo.
Line by Line Meaning
Chico Fernandez
The singer of the story, Chico Fernandez.
Sleeping on his guns
Chico is always ready for a fight and keeping his guns close while he sleeps.
Shot rare coins for practice
Chico is an expert marksman and practices his aim on rare coins.
Map to the fortune, hidden up under the mattress
Chico has a map to a hidden treasure under his mattress.
A lead belt attaches with holsters
Chico has a lead belt with holsters to carry more guns and ammunition.
Waiting area, two blazing toasters
Chico and his partner are waiting for their next move with two guns at the ready.
Hit the stage coach on stallions
Chico and his partner rob a stagecoach while riding fast stallions.
Looking for Federal Reserve notes and gold medallions
Chico and his partner are looking for money, particularly Federal Reserve notes and gold medallions.
Heavily pursued by the local governor, a southerner
The local governor is trying to capture Chico and his partner, who is a southerner.
Sought after by the whole battalion
The whole army is after Chico and his partner.
Fell out a snake within the handshake
Chico and his partner discover that someone who shook their hand is not trustworthy and has betrayed them.
Get the drop on them then he exploited the mistake
Chico and his partner use this knowledge to their advantage and get the upper hand.
Protecting his gold he sold by the plates
Chico protects his gold, which he sells by the plates.
Ready to shoot while his horses drank from the lake
Chico and his partner are always ready to shoot, even while their horses drink from the lake.
Deputy saved by the badge on the blazer
A deputy is saved by his badge when Chico tries to shoot him.
A warning shot from one that had the aim of a laser
One of Chico's partners, an expert marksman, shoots to warn instead of to kill.
Trait by the neighbor a gambler
Chico knows that his neighbor is a gambler and may not be reliable.
Who would stack the deck, plus he marked cards wit a razor
Chico's neighbor cheats at cards by stacking the deck and marking the cards with a razor.
Dreams of Santa Anna fighting in the sun
Chico dreams of becoming a hero by fighting for Santa Anna in the bright sunlight.
Drums so loud from outside, makes it hard to dream
There is a lot of noise outside, which makes it hard for Chico to sleep and dream.
A rain is fallin' hard and fast, makes it all seem real
The rain and the noise make the situation feel more intense and suspenseful.
Mornin', come mornin': a Chico's gotta have his share
Chico wants to get his fair share of whatever he is after, even if it means he has to fight for it.
Mornin', sad mornin': what a laugh, and I cried, and I cry, cry, cry, cry, cried
Chico knows that there will be violence and sadness in the morning, but he is resigned to it and laughs it off.
He used to move weight but then became a grower
Chico used to deal drugs but switched to growing them instead.
Constricted boa, the most of Sinaloa
Chico grows the best strain of marijuana in the region of Sinaloa, Mexico.
Cooperating along in mining zones for mostly silver and other shining stones
Chico works with others in mining areas to find silver and other valuable minerals.
Abandoned political rebel, he moved with a group of pistolevils flashing heavy metals
Chico was once a rebel but is now on the run with a group of fellow outlaws, all of whom carry lots of guns.
Clash with the law triggered intense reactions
Chico and his group are quick to defend themselves when the law comes after them.
Hard labor gave them multiple contractions
Chico and his group have had a hard life and suffer from various injuries and conditions.
Lawmen turned to outlaw, gunfighter cattle rustlers
Former lawmen have become outlaws themselves and now steal cattle and fight with guns to survive.
Hustlers ruff riders useless connections
Chico and his group have connections but they are not useful in their current predicament.
Everything traversal cross stone socio-economic circles
Chico and his group are able to move through different socio-economic circles and locations easily.
Señorita pining, Chico come on home
Chico's lover wants him to come back home to her.
Santa Anna's losing, you'll be first to go
Chico's lover fears that his involvement in the war will lead to his death.
Sam Houston's laughing, Davy Crockett too
Chico's enemies are laughing and enjoying his suffering, including the famous figures Sam Houston and Davy Crockett.
When Anna takes the Alamo, the first to go is you
Chico knows that if Santa Anna's forces take the Alamo, he will be the first to be killed.
Heaven will be there
Despite the violence and danger, Chico believes that heaven is waiting for him after he dies.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY E. GRICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A. J.
A few people complained about his flow slacking on this. But anybody with an ear can tell he's riding that dancehall bass. Skillful af
Randy MacKenzie
He don't slack
Alley Viper
GZA is a true lyricist...love anything hes on or creates.
Thomas Craighead
Alley Viper my favorite emcee
Turtle Anton
Alley Viper yeah
George Troxel
He has a show on Netflix called Liquid Science you should check it out.
Charles-Eric Ringuette
yes a contemplatist for sure
Nelson Segarra
One of the illest mc's out here fo sho
MM B
GZA and Tom Morello need to work together on more projects. GZA featuring with Prophets of Rage would be massive.
Samurai 6
GZA FT RAGE AGAINST 2🔥2🔥