Can Somebody Explain why GZA Liquid Swords is considered a classic :lupe

[up in here]

Exactly. If anything, its a good album but I remember a den of "real hip hop" cacs straight up shytted on me because I did not get on my knees and pray to the fukking album. I mean, I get it...it's lyrical but its a prime example of "lyrical spiritual" nonsense that becomes boring and dated

Wtf? Breh. This album is the opposite of “lyrical miracle spiritual”. GZA was lyrical but never on some random nonsense rhyming just to be rhyming shyt. Every line he spits means something. This album showed that lyrically he was just on a level above the rest of the clan.

This album was more cinematic than those albums you listed. They had more bounce to em, Liquid Swords is less like a soundtrack and more like a score. GZA’s rhymes dips in an out of abstract to grounded NY street tales. He makes regular street shyt sound like something otherworldly. And you can tell the other clan members stepped up their game on this album cause they had to come correct when rappin along side GZA. Everyone came correct.

Plus it really ties the Kung fu shyt together with the NY street shyt better than any of the other wu albums. It doesn’t sound corny or out of place. It sounds like a perfect match. The other albums played down the Kung fu shyt to different degrees, But this album matched it.

 

[En Sabah Nur]

Exactly. If anything, its a good album but I remember a den of "real hip hop" cacs straight up shytted on me because I did not get on my knees and pray to the fukking album. I mean, I get it...it's lyrical but its a prime example of "lyrical spiritual" nonsense that becomes boring and dated

Lyrical spiritual?
You Aussie faggit

 

[mson]

Your brain is smooth

 

[FunkDoc1112]

I mean Duel of the Iron Mic, 4th Chamber and Shadowboxin' alone put it over the top

 

[On Site]

Listen to the album and use your own judgment you fukking dimwit

 

[UpNext]

Yeah the amount of 90s albums that get called classic is crazy. Never been a fan of Liquid Swords and can only listen to a few tracks before I get bored.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

I'm not even a big Wu fan, but this album is a masterpiece in nearly every single way. One of the very few Wu projects I can listen to from front to back.

 

[Mowgli]

Conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a problem conductor we have a fukking problem

Neg rep

 

[Ziploc]

This album was a conceptual tour de force. The production was RZA at his finest and GZA delivered. When this came out it was considered Wu Tang for advanced listeners,not easily digestible or overtly street. Placing this album in its proper context is important. The production on this album inspired a lot of producers to take more chances and use conceptual frameworks to track a body of work.I can tell that the concept and feel of this album was winter time/less daylight.

 

[Harry Sax]

do you hear how hard this shyt is?!!!!!

no

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

another goddamn troll thread. I'm assuming the average age here is 19.

 

[DaMos Supreme]

I mean outside of a few joints I never got the love for Wu as a collective. NEVER.

Love ODB and Method Man though

Not knocking anyone preferences, but It is always those two that non-Wu fans/South/West/women gravitate towards the most and discount everyone else, even though Rae, Ghost, and Genius dropped classic top-tier/good solo albums. As a collective, I think just about everyone in the group has had their moments to a degree, even lesser exalted members such as Masta Killa and U-God.

Born and raised in NC, and Wu was big during the 90’s when I was in junior high and later my early years in high school.

I listened to and enjoyed Liquid Swords back in 95-96, and that hasn’t changed whenever I revisit the album now . It is an album that is largely mood dependent and suited for late fall/early winter, if you want to listen to it in its entirety, IMO.

 

[Chip Skylark]

Man if there were some younger cats on this board who was trying to get into older albums a lot of yall would really turn them off. Lol idk if OP is trolling but most of the responses have been insults or calling it a masterpiece without descriptive details.

I would say it’s one of those albums that “hip hop purists” die by which you can’t criticize lol but I do love it because I think it’s one of those albums that captures GZA ability to rap and the production matched his strengths

But for me the beats complimented everything on this album perfectly. As far as lyrics goes I for one think it’s one of the most focused rap albums that remains true to its theme ever created simply because he didn’t chase after a hit record or a large crowd but chose to be true to what he does best and that’s be a great MC.

GZA doesn’t waste a bar and it contains no filler as far as lyricism goes. The nerd in me says GZA on this album in my opinion wrote in an blackout poetry style that wasn’t being done in 95 or til this day (though I think it wouldn’t sound as good in 23 simply because of delivery)

He was able to weave quo-tables inside of whole verses which is also were informative and story like which a lot of rappers til this day can’t do.

“I was always taught my do's and don'ts
For do's I did, and for don'ts, I said I won't”

He basically embodies everything people wanted from a dope rapper at the time

Now as far as style I would say that I do understand why you can get bored with the album. GZA tone never changes and he isn’t a super charismatic rapper he doesn’t uses his voice to capture you but his focus is his lyrics. Which is probably my biggest gripe.

The beats aren’t high energy. But they weren’t made to be. So depending on setting you may feel it or you may not.

Lol it’s not like you’re gonna be playing Liquid swords at a cookout or to have a good time.

It’s one of those quenissential hip hop that displays a certain skill set that a top tier lyricist can do. It may click with you it may not it’s nothing wrong with that.

 

[Robbie3000]

From the days of being a Joey bumping Wu to a grown ass marsupial growing greys, I never for the love of me understood why Liquid Swords is put on such a pedestal.

Each time I listen to the album back and forth, I come up with the same thoughts:

• The album is boring as hell
• The theme didn't quite grab me compared to OB4CL
• The beats just missing something

I just don't get it . Am I'm misguided, smooth brained, or lost in the sauce because for the love of me I always thought this project was overrated as hell? Can a Wu head help me understand the madness and give me insight on why Liquid Swords is considered one of the best Wu albums, if not the best Wu album of all time

He don’t know the meaning if dope

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

That album to me was always like an updated companion piece to Paid in Full. Just top tier lyrics with matching production

GZA had one of the best deliveries in the game

Im on a mission that nikkas say is impossible
But when I swing my sword they all choppable