When the Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, something strange happened. No one quite knew what it was, but it was without a doubt something important, something groundbreaking, and something that would most certainly stand the test of time. The world had never seen a force like the Wu before, and wasn’t just their love of martial arts and samurai swords that made them stand out. It was the shear talent from every member of the group, and when they all began releasing solo material, the world was waiting.
So now, with so many albums to choose from, which one is truly the best? The argument can be tough, but for some the answer is clear. GZA’s Liquid Swords was released only a couple of months after the cinematic Only Built for Cuban Links…by buddy Raekwon, and it follows the same movie-style production, but instead shifts the focus back to the martial arts aesthetic of the group’s debut. De facto leader RZA dives deeper into darker, eerier beats, which match up nicely with GZA’s aggressive delivery and flow. From the moment Liquid Swords begins, you get a sense of fear, which ultimately leads to self-righteousness the moment GZA steps up to the mic. The title track “Liquid Swords” is the perfect jumpstart to it all. Right away, the production is catchy, with a little help from a simple organ piano. The music also has that classic cassette-type feel to it, something all Wu-Tang releases are pretty well-known for.
That classic feel is what sets the music apart from others of the time. Their music was grittier, dirtier, and it wasn’t all because of hanging around with Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The album’s best moments come in a trio of songs, “4th Chamber”, “Shadowboxin”, and “Investigative Reports”. All three of these songs heavily feature other Wu-Tang members, but that’s not what makes them great. The chemistry they all created in song, whether it was two, three, four, or all nine members at a time, was powerful when it came together perfectly.
Out of the three, “4th Chamber” is the strongest, with guest spots from Ghostface Killah, Killah Priest, and RZA. Most impressive is the little known Killah Priest, who gives GZA a run for his money as to whose song it really is. “Shadowboxin” sees Method Man adding his special touch to the song. Always one to sound ultra-smooth on a track, he begins sounding like an expert in his craft, but it’s GZA whose lyrical attack cuts through like the swords he fantasizes about. In “Investigative Reports”, GZA shifts his attitude towards the organized-crime theme of his friend Raekwon, who eventually shows up to give his friend some support.
Lyrically, GZA may not have been the most gifted member, but he makes up for it in personality. He was a tough, aggressive, in-your-face street talker, and the beats he was paired up with on Liquid Swords are untouchable, with the perfect blend of horns, keys, and strings played over enormously heavy bass and drums to make it all sound so cinematic. When I listen to the album, I don’t just hear rap, I hear rock, soul, funk, and it’s the perfect blend of everything that’s good about music in general. GZA’s Liquid Swords was a landmark album of its time, and it still holds up today as good as ever, representing both the martial arts ideology of the Wu and something that Dr. Dre once called “street knowledge”. Street knowledge, why yes I do believe so.
