The Genius, GZA – Liquid Swords (2xLP)

Liquid Swords, released in November 1995, stands as GZA’s second solo album (also credited as Genius) and is frequently cited as one of the high points of 1990s East Coast hip-hop. The album was produced primarily by RZA in his Staten Island basement, and layers dark, cinematic beats with samples (including from Shogun Assassin), evocative atmospheres, and street-level storytelling. GZA combines philosophical imagery—chess references, martial arts metaphors, crime and urban reflections—with precise, contemplative lyricism, giving the record both grit and depth. The presence of fellow Wu-Tang Clan members adds varied voices, but GZA’s own quiet intensity and methodical flow anchor the whole production.

Over time Liquid Swords has grown in reputation: it charted in the U.S. top 10, became a platinum record, and has come to be regarded as a classic not only by hip-hop fans but by critics across genres. It remains valued for its cohesion, its atmosphere, its willingness to balance rawness with artistry, and its enduring influence among both MCs and producers.

Reviews:

“GZA delivers rhymes that are economical but devastating in their wisdom and narrative detail; ‘Bloodbaths in elevator shafts/Like these murderous rhymes tight from genuine craft,’ he raps, summing up his style. Whatever strange alchemy the Staten Island guys came up with, Liquid Swords has it in utterly potent form.” – Rolling Stone Australia 

“As a solo artist, GZA was essentially everything that distinguished Wu-Tang Clan from other crews: strictly chess, kung-fu, battle raps, investigative reports, mysticism. This masterful 1995 collection is the most potent distillation of that aesthetic.” – Pitchfork 

“It’s fair to say those two records reaped the full critical – if not necessarily commercial – benefits of the years-long preparatory effort. … Liquid Swords – perhaps in part because it was released by Geffen, a label largely untested in the hip hop market, … eventually got the nod from the non-rap-specialist music media and it tends to be the Wu-Tang album that people who wouldn’t call themselves hip hop specialists like the best.” – The Quietus