May 08, 2019

GZA / Genius In Elements Magazine (Winter, 1995)


For today's celebration of #WuWednesdays, enter the Genius in the winter of '95; the final solo release, "Liquid Swords," in what was known as "The Year of the Wu"! Taken from Elements Magazine, a mid-90s magazine dedicated to hip-hop culture, published by the Student Radio Society of U of BC along with Discorder. Held down by Jay Swing & DJ Flipout, the magazine made its debut in May 1995 and was published bi-monthly until August 1996 for a total of 8 issues. Here is DJ Flipout's introduction to the article: "The Wu is the way, the Tang is the slang, and the Clan is the family. A family that will weather the storms and tribulations of inflated egos and the devious ways of success and fame. Not by using a secret technique, as in their style, but in using a well known facet of maintaining unity within a group of individuals; through the maintenance of respect and love for one another. Be alert and keep a vigilant eye open for the swinging Liquid Swords. Prepare to enter another dimension of the deadly sharp lyrical swords, this time in liquid form; to flow and maintain continuity flawlessly, while possessing the strength and power of ocean currents. But beware of the liquid swords as they can also be applied in solid or gaseous form while bearing the same potential lethality that has dissolved other inferior organisms in the past." Continue reading below for the full article with lyric breakdowns and jewels from the Genius like, "I'm sayin' ... any type of information that's beneficial, that's what I mean by knowledge of self. You see, knowledge means to know. Knowledge is also experience. And knowledge of self is to know yourself. You got to examine things for what they are, not for what they present themselves to be." - Elements (Nov-Dec, 1995)