With Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan celebrating 20 years together as one of the most significant, dynamic and dramatic hip-hop forces of all time, we caught up with founding member GZA/Genius, who’s performing at the Opera House in Toronto tonight, Friday, March 2, along with fellow Clan member Masta Killa.
Long regarded as one of the sharpest, most thoughtful lyricists in the game, GZA has recently been appearing at ivy league institutions like Harvard, MIT and Oxford, touring the facilities and giving lectures about his life and work. He’s also juggling multiple intriguing projects, including film scripts, a TV pilot and, apparently, four new albums, which he’s planning to release over the next two years.
As fans get nostalgic about Wu-Tang’s 20th anniversary, we wonder if GZA has yet had a chance to ponder the occasion and any highlights from the last two decades.
“Yes, I have,” he replies. “I think we reflect on it every day, when we’re on the road, doing music and when we’re together. It only seems like yesterday; time is moving so fast. Just being able to reach out and touch people and move them in a certain way with your music. Y’know, travelling overseas and connecting with these people or seeing that logo tatted on someone’s arm – there’s been many high points.”
Listen to the full raw interview with GZA/Genius.
GZA
A video for "Shadowboxin'"/"4th Chamber" from GZA's classic, 1995 album, Liquid Swords.
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