Gary Grice
| GZA | |
|---|---|
GZA in Germany 2000
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gary Grice |
| Also known as | The Genius, GZA/Genius |
| Born |
August 22, 1966 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Cold Chillin', Loud, Geffen, MCA, Angeles Records, Babygrande |
| Associated acts | Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Muggs, Soul Assassins, Easy Mo Bee |
Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈdʒɪzə/ JIZ-ə) and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is known as the group's "spiritual head", being both the oldest and the first within the group to receive a record deal. He has appeared on his fellow Clan members' solo projects, and since the release of his critically acclaimed solo album Liquid Swords (1995), he has maintained a successful solo career.
He is considered to be one of the best MCs and lyricists because he is "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow", and has been noted for his lyrical style, which often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies. An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has the second largest vocabulary in hip hop music. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop.
Gary Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the early 1970s. He was involved in breakdance, graffiti, and DJing. Early on he developed an interest in writing, studying Mother Goose and nursery rhyme. In 1974-76 he listened to The Last Poets, however he was attracted by profanity rather than content, and didn't understand the underlying messages until many years later. The Last Poets, as well as songs by The Isley Brothers, the Commodores, and the O'Jays had a big part in his early life, especially regarding the tone and cadence of speech. Later on, he began to listen to hip hop and R&B, for example by Secret Weapon and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
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