Gza liquid swords full album stream how to#

Sometimes I take different sentences and put them together.' Songs generally take me two to three days to write. I would say I pieced things together more slowly then. I on the other hand, would often go back and finish rhymes that I started. I mean, Raekwon and Ghostface can step in and record a song in about forty-five minutes. I just remember absolutely loving them.' In the same interview, GZA described the writing process as 'real slow.' He further commented 'I don’t say slow in the sense that it necessarily took me a long time to finish what I’m writing. A lot of them had a grimy, rock-like feel to them. When asked in a later interview about his opinion of the album's beats, GZA remarked 'I loved them. Similar to other early solo Wu-Tang albums, Liquid Swords was recorded in RZA's basement studio in Staten Island, with some beats playing for over two days straight while recording. I'd rather slip on the pavement than slip on my tongue.' Wu-Tang is a sword style, and this here is the sharpest. No one else would notice, because the sword was so sharp. Liquid Swords is a concept of being lyrically sharp, flowing like liquid metal – mercury, y'know? It comes from this flick, Legend of the Liquid Sword, where people would get their head cut off but it would still be on their shoulders. 'Like that shit in 'Killah Hill' where the kid gets his leg cut to hide the dope – that shit really happened, but I'm trying to make it more visual.

'I'm on a different level, trying to be cinematic,' he remarked. In regards to their decision to begin the album at the time they did, GZA later commented 'We (Wu-Tang) were on a roll, and it was the perfect time to get in the studio and just do it.' While he and producer RZA were putting the final touches on that album, RZA and GZA began writing and recording what would eventually become Liquid Swords.

Producer RZA (pictured in 2009) began recording the album after finishing several other Wu-Tang projects.įollowing the success of two earlier Wu-Tang Clan solo albums - Method Man's Tical and Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Wu-Tang member Raekwon began recording his acclaimed debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. In 2007, the Chicago Tribune cited it as 'one of the most substantial lyrical journeys in hip-hop history'. Over the years, its recognition has grown, with a number of famous publishers proclaiming it to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Upon its initial release, Liquid Swords received critical acclaim for its complex lyricism and hypnotic musical style. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum in sales nearly 20 years after its release. Upon its release, Liquid Swords peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Liquid Swords features numerous guest appearances from the entire nine piece Wu-Tang Clan, and also Wu-Tang affiliate Killah Priest. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film Shogun Assassin and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout, incorporating lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island.

Gza liquid swords full album stream how to#

If you live anywhere in North America and can't afford the $149.98 list price, or you're feeling lucky, check out this tweet from Complex Music for details on how to win one of the deluxe editions, swords and all.Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. That deluxe edition is only available online via Urban Legends. The album is one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time and we wanted to give it the respect it deserves.' That’s why we decided to roll with this album as an Urban Legends release, it was a no brainer. Liquid Swords has maintained its classic status and relevance over the past 22 years and continues to be a standout album among Universal’s massive urban catalog. GZA is a true representation of what it is to be a living legend in the rap game. The art prints are a snapshot in time if you were to pause a track and draw out the emotion and lyrical rawness that GZA was coming with, this is what you would get. 'The intelligence, the creativity, the imagination… it’s all there.

'It’s a visual representation of what you hear when you listen to one of these tracks,' he says.