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GZA | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) GZA at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gary Grice |
| Also known as | The Genius |
| Born | August 22, 1966 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1990–present[1] |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Wu-Tang Clan |
Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈdʒɪzə/ JIZ-ə) and The Genius,[2] is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member.[3] He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with Liquid Swords (1995).
His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow".[4][5][6][7] An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has the second largest vocabulary in popular hip hop music.[8][9] He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop.[10]
- ^ "TODAY IN HIP HOP HISTORY: GZA RELEASES 'WORDS FROM THE GENIUS' 25 YEARS AGO". The Source. February 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ Sarah Marie Pittman (May 25, 2011). "Rock The Bells Announce 2011 Lineup". Pollstar. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
- ^ Peter Larson (September 15, 2014). "I Played Chess with GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan". Vice Media. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
- ^ "Top 50 MCs of Our Time: 1987 – 2007 – 50 Greatest Emcees of Our Time". Rap.about.com. January 26, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ Hao Nguyen (October 6, 2016). "Part 3 of the 50 greatest rappers of all time". Stop The Breaks. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
- ^ Kofi Bofah (November 2, 2016). "The 10 Greatest Rappers of All Time". Cheat Sheet. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
- ^ "The Source's Top 50 Lyricists Of All Time **Complete List Inside**". ThisIs50.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ Matt Daniels (2014). "The Largest Vocabulary in Hip hop". Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ Killian Young (May 5, 2014). "Aesop Rock and GZA Have the Largest Vocabularies in Hip-Hop – Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ Nathaniel Janowitz (2014). "Ranked: Every Member of Wu-Tang Clan". Nerve. Retrieved November 3, 2016.