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True genius can not be rushed. In the case of the legendary lyricist GZA, time has always been on his side. GZA has been stretching the sensibility of modern-day hip-hop with his finely crafted, thought provoking wordplay which he credits to his willingness to delve deep into the written word.
āIām not one to write a rhyme in 30 minutes,ā says GZA about his sometimes protracted creative process. āOnce RZA came to me and was like, āDonāt take two fuckinā weeks to write a verse man, donāt strain your brain.ā Then when I take two weeks to write something heāll be like, āThis is a masterpiece man!ā Thatās how I have to do it, I like to work like that.ā
As one of the founding members of the mighty Wu-Tang Clan, GZAās mic mastery first gained prominence in 1993 with the release of the Clanās first LP, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Two years later, GZA released his second solo album, Liquid Swords on Geffen Records which went on to sell over one million copies and earn a platinum plaque. Throughout his various projects with the Wu and classic appearances on other memberās side projects, GZA maintained a reputation as a skilled wordsmith with a highly recognizable and authoritative delivery.
āThereās always a double or triple meaning when Iām rhyming, thatās the good thing about it,ā says the cerebral MC. āPeople can listen to something over and over and hear something different every time. Thatās what writing is about. I donāt want to be simple, I donāt want to be literal.ā
Originally slated to be a compilation featuring notable up & comers interlaced with a few of GZAās own rhymes, the seeds of what would ultimately become Pro Tools were laid close to two years ago. After acquiring a bevy of beats and Wu-fam guest appearances, he decided to scrap the idea of a compilation and turned the album into a forum to flex his latest rhyme styles. With an overall technique that builds off of one of the greatest strengths of a good MC, GZA says Pro Tools features a higher level of braggadocio than heard on his past work. His favorite track on the album, āZero Percent Financeā finds him name checking expensive cars and accessories in a way that challenges the hip-hop norm.
āI have a history of doing these songs where I incorporate the names of labels, famous people or animals like I did on āAnimal Planet,āā he says. āThis time Iām speaking about cars but Iām speaking about them in a whole different fashion. I start the song off by saying, āI took her off the floor, no money down.ā Iām talking about a female but Iām comparing her to a car. Iām not talking about how much my rims cost, my soft leather seats, the TVs in the headrest and all these things that really have no value or meaning to me.ā Even when heās taking on a certain Vitamin Water mogul as heard on the leak track āPaper Plateā (thatās currently burning up the web), GZA infuses his flow with vivid imagery and metaphorical symbolism. The reference to āPaper Plateā connotes the disposability of certain emceesā rhymes and their questionable long term career prospects.
With additional production from RZA, Tru Master and Bronze Nazareth, Pro Tools is an audible continuation of the coveted Wu-Tang aesthetic. āI never focus on what people are listening to or what other guys are doing,ā says GZA. āSince day one itās always been about lyrics so I never go into the studio with the idea of making a club song or a radio song or something that females will like, it just has to come naturally.ā
(Quelle: MySpace GZA)
FORMAT: CD
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