June 07, 2016

GZA "Mad Genius" (Spin Magazine, January 1996)


An interview in Spin Magazine in 1996 gives us more backstory on the Clan's Genius. "The appointed head of the Wu-Tang Clan, Genius is a product of New York City's hip-hop scene. All of it. Growing up, Genius absorbed hip-hop styles from every borough, as his family moved from Brooklyn, to Queens, to the South Bronx, eventually landing in Staten Island. After his first album, Words From The Genius, bombed in 1991, Genius met up with his cousins the RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard and formed the Wu-Tang Clan with a group of Staten Island MC's. Since then, Genius, who developed a serious work ethic after leaving high school has kept himself busy directing videos, writing songs, and handling the cartel's business interests." While GZA sounds surprised that he's widely considered the "most humorless member" of the Clan, he's certainly seen as the most cerebral and his bars are always razor sharp. Watch the video for "Cold World" featuring Inspectah Deck below.