Reviews (page 3 of 9)
The music has that unique Wu-Tang flair. Songs are largely done well, and GZA is surely talented. "Liquid Swords" is great but the album is just missing a couple more real great songs to make it a truly great album. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again.
Good, wu tang genius
nigger music 0/10, no me gusto nada es del tipo de mf doom que le rapea a los alimentos pero sobre una guerra espacial
Souuuuuuuu
Had a bit of very unexpected fun with this! 3
I will never complain about more Wu-Tang I’m very glad we got 36 chambers before this one considering how a decent portion of the lyrics directly allude to that one. Musically it’s just about as good, I love the flow and how hypnotic it gets at times. I don’t care if it’s corny, I do like all the martial arts themes; it adds so much to the personality. GZA’s got a really powerful voice which makes the delivery really hit It’s still great but not quite as good as 36 chambers; I think a lot of the charm of the original was the chemistry between the whole group, and although all of the other members are featured pretty heavily in this one, it’s not the same. I also don’t think the lyrics are as good, though there’s still some great lines in there I realize it’s kinda unfair to compare this one to one of the best hip hop albums of all time; I really did like this one and it’s just more of what I loved about 36 chambers
I don't wish to be mean, but I just think the beats were limp. Quite enjoyed B.I.B.L.E.; I think that was the one where I actually got into the flow, but the rest got a little too repetitive for my liking.
Wu Tang ripoff? I did not need to hear this before I died.
This album is certainly a concept album, I just don't really understand it. Anyway, this album had the same problem that just about every other hiphop album had, which is that almost every song sounds the same and I can't really enjoy it.
Yeah, you know I used to mix up GZA, RZA, and SZA. I've got SZA down now. And hopefully this will finally help figure out the other two. Hip hop has a serious problem with boring, same lyrics and tone. I understand there's technical skill to phrasing, rhyming, sampling, etc., but the genre is restrained by its limits. You hardly get any variety across artists, let alone an album. I mean four decades later rappers are still saying the exact same things the same way. And there's almost nothing thought-provoking or emotionally engaging in it. GZA's Swords doesn't seem interesting to me just because he rhymes about chess and being wise like Abraham.
dorks who fantasize about being bible samurais
Uslåelig stemning.
Nah..
Forstår ikke.
Hørt på solsenga på Granka. Jeg fikser ikke hip-hop, og denne var deprimerende og kjedelig. Jeg skjønner at dette er bra rap, men jeg liker det bare ikke.
Kult nok, men lite som stikker seg ut.
Enjoyed listening
An utter masterpiece, one of the best of all time
PEAK
i enjoyed this
Undeniably one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. To me, listening to this feels like watching old basketball highlights: I don’t think it translates to today’s game.
Great, gonna have to listen to more wu-tang alumni
P hood
No
When the MCs came to live out the name/ and to perform/ some had to snort cocaine/ to act insane When these lyrics hit you knew this was going to be a different album. It came out in the Winter on 1995 and this was a winter album the lyrics were cold. They are deep and just abstract enough. If you knew the Genius’ history he had a record deal previously and released an album called Words from the Genius in 1991. It was not promoted very well and had a song called Pass the Bone they had a video for. He would later get dropped. From that experience he and RZA would take what they learned and take over hip hop. This album was part of that takeover. This forced a change in the music. People wanted to be like WuTang but did not have the lyrics to be able to even come near them. Those three years that followed Enter the 36 Chambers were some of the best especially for one group. Anything they released was a classic.
I can’t be 100% sure, but I think I just got taken to church. Or a kung fu movie. Or both?
Perhaps the best of the Clan on this list, but I’d sooner watch Shogun Assassin (because of all the samples) than listen to the album again. I could not understand the connection between the two. 3.5
Seminal and quite awesome "top of the crop" hip hop album, stil worth listening to today.
Definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed though I shouldn’t be because I love some Wu Tang albums. Cold World and 4th Chamber were my favorites. Solid album even if a few of the songs were just fine. 4/5
Glad im getting wutang side projects on this I like wutang clan a lot and have been meaning to check out the mcs’ solo stuff and yea it doesnt disappoint its good stuff. 7.5/10
Classic. 8/10.
Another rap album... Maybe it's brilliant, but it doesn't move me.
Can’t deny it’s pretty good
Rap och inte ens särskilt intressant. En etta
On Liquid Swords, GZA delivers exactly the sort of record you’d expect from the Wu-Tang Clan orbit: skeletal, lo-fi beats, cinematic kung-fu snippets, and dense lyrical swordplay slicing through tales of street violence and grimy philosophy. The production—largely guided by RZA—leans hard into that minimalist Wu aesthetic, all eerie piano lines and dusty drums that feel pulled from some late-night martial arts flick. GZA’s flow, not unlike Guru’s coolheaded cadence, is conversational and deliberate, though a bit monotone; the precision of his wordplay is undeniable, but the delivery rarely rises above a steady simmer. That leaves the album feeling solid but seldom electrifying. It perks up most on posse cuts like “Duel of the Iron Mic” and the murky, memorable “4th Chamber,” where the rotating flows add needed contrast, while “Shadowboxin’” benefits from the always-charismatic presence of Method Man. Closer “B.I.B.L.E.” rides a reflective flow that even hints at the cool introspection of Nas. Elsewhere, the storytelling on “Cold World” is intriguing but nearly derailed by an off-key hook, and “Killah Hill 10304” introduces a synth line that starts out intriguing before turning distracting. In the end, Liquid Swords is a perfectly competent slice of Wu-Tang mythology—sharp enough to respect, but not quite sharp enough to leave a lasting cut.
Not the biggest fan of the genre but it was a nice listen. Really nothing about it I didn't like. Found the introduction of old samurai movie samples being introduced into the tracks. At least I think they were old samurai movie samples.
Okay, this was fucking solid.
More poetry reading style than a lot of rap, but still gangsta rap even if more palatable. I quite liked the Shogon film references throughout.
Gute Hintergrundmusik HipHop.. imposantes Intro!
What an intro. Flows all the way through. Solid record.
Very fly
This needs more of my attention than I'm able to give it. It sounds great but I'm sure the brilliance lies in the verse
Best solo wu tang album
3.0 - Ok. Its just kinda boring compared to the other early Wu solo albums. Much rather listen to Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man and ODB
Fantastic album. Total vibe. Great flow, great rhymes, great beats. Essential listening. Favorite tracks were "Shadowboxin'" and "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Introductions Before Leaving Earth)."
Q CAPA DAHORA FAVS (top 3): living in the world today, cold world, swordsman mençoes honrosas: liquid swords, labels, shadowboxin', i gotcha back, B.I.B.L.E. um bom hip hop bem classico como eu amo muitoooo nota final: 4/5
Dated, but bops, good lyricism, beats are definitely a product of 90s New York.
Top tier album from Wu’s best lyricist.
I got scared
Classic. Already heard.
this is such a deeply nostalgic album. i adore it.
I wasn't in the mood for this when I listened. I've developed a taste for 90's rap but this darker/minor key sound is not my favorite flavor.
Never felt more Caucasian ironically
1. liquid - 1.5 2. iron - 1.5 3. today - 2 4. gold - 1 5. cold - 1 6. labelz - 1.5 7. chamber - 2 8. zhadouu - 2 9. uuind - 2 10. reportz - 2 11. man - 1.5 12. back - 1.5 13. bible - 1.5
East Coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop.
Fun stuff that happens just rap isn't something I jam to often so this was definitely something out of the box for me
My first hip-hop album in this 1001 Albums challenge, and damn, this is how you open a freaking album. This is conceptual. Creative. Art. Take notes: this is not that trap shit some people like to call "work of art." The production is on point. Insane flow that rides perfectly with the vibe. Smooth transitions, actual storytelling, it's not "look at me, I'm a big deal," it's more like "look, I've got something consistent here." Great use of samples too. Not that lazy shit some producers do, this is well thought out, enhances the work instead of carrying it. Hip-hop done right. If this is my first entry in the genre for the challenge, I started in the right place.
I had an appreciation for Wu-Tang during their time in the spotlight, but I couldn't tell you much about them aside from the hits. As for solo projects, I knew of some like Method Man, ODB, and Ghost face but again, it's because they had commercial success. I got assigned 36 Chambers on this site and really vibed with it. Now, listening to this RZA solo endeavor, I realized I really missed out on some good hip hop by not getting super into Wu-Tang and all their solo/side projects. This is just a solid album. Dope beats, great flow, and minimal bullshit (no skits, though I do wish the movie clips were skippable).
Not the biggest fan of rap but was a good album
Funnily I listened to the wrong album, I listened to Legend of the Liquid Swords and I thought it was decent. A little Kooky but decent. Well when I read the review of my colleague, Domino, he/she reviewed a track that wasn't on my list. In my confusion I looked it up and discovered that there were seemingly two different albums. Maybe another day I wouldn't have bothered but today I went back and listened to the correct album, and this is that story. This album is great. Admittantly I'm not well versed in the Wu-tang clan despite always enjoying whenever they were on. This album had really great flows and lyricism. I mean it with no disrespect, it feels like this album could have been made in a few weeks. It's cohesive, it all flows together and it seems like GZA was in the zone the whole time. Great album, cool concept I like the vibe.
Wu Tang, and this album in particular, are the best example of "less is more" in rap music, which sounds nuts because there are so many members and Wu Tang as whole is really prolific, but stick with me. RZA's beats and sampling are fairly primitive but are held up by a group of rappers that can all easily pull their own weight. It's precisely because the beats aren't overly complicated that makes this all work. Every single one of these beats puts out something necessary and not much else; it's really genius. You can't do this with shitty rappers and you can't just crank out something as minimalist as this without being very deliberate about it. That's barely touching on how good GZA is on this album. It certainly helps that every one of the other rappers on here is really great (Method Man in Shadowboxin' in particular, and the entirety of 4th Chamber) but all of these could have been solo tracks with more GZA verses in them and it'd still be great. The last track, B.I.B.L.E., is a bit too on the nose for me and risks sounding preachy but the rest of this is incredibly good. I've listened to it multiple times today just to dive deep in to the lyrics. I love it.
sounds like an mf doom album i liked all songs except instrumentals and the first
This is a masterful album. What Wu Tang Clan did will never be repeated. The beat selection on this album is incredible and all the beats compliment GZAs voice so well. GZA has an excellent delivery and is giving bars on this album. These features are good and they do what is needed. Excellent album
Liked it throughout, solid album
Great rapper, nice album. Several fantastic songs.
3.5
loved this
Favorite Track: Shadowboxin’
Not my taste
I have a positive attitude toward the Wu-Tang Clan and all its members and understand their contribution to the genre, but I'll admit without hesitation that I don't like most of hip-hop for a very simple reason. What's the most important thing in hip-hop? Lyrics, of course. For me, lyrics have always been secondary, and here, as not a native speaker, even knowing the language, it's really hard for me to evaluate the author's intent — I still don't understand a bunch of references, even though the lyrics were right there on my phone screen while I was listening. On the other hand, music as such is minimal in hip-hop: it's just background music, a sample taken and then looped throughout the song. If you don't focus on the lyrics, it gets boring very quickly. So, for hip-hop, I have one criterion: rocking / not rocking (there are exceptions, of course). Does this album rock? Well, it rocks, but it definitely won't rock for fifty minutes.
Alright, GZA is not my favorite of the group, probably not even top 5, but this album was solid.
I enjoyed this album! The martial arts movie samples were cool interstitial pieces, and the beats were fun to listen to. I really didn’t catch most of the lyrics, so I did feel like I was missing stuff- but that’s probably my fault.
Nice, great flow. I feel like this would get better with more listening, pretty catchy, some nice sampling, good tunes. Also a bit boring and forgettable at times
Not for me
Es un buen álbum de hip hop pero no me llegó. No tengo tanto igual del género, así que mucho más no opino. Tres estrellas y a otra cosa. 5/10
This one takes me straight back to 1997 in PDX...Liquid Swords on repeat while we built lowrider bikes with banana seats, held post on the porch of the Hawthorne house, refilled 40s from a keg like it was a ritual, escaped to the river on hot day (few and far between in those times), and smoked far too much weed. Jesus — who was I? She’s lived many lives. While don’t partake in most of the above anymore, this album should be the exception.
Lyrically dense, not very catchy
Good one
The other Wu-Tang solo albums I’ve heard have forgotten a very important element of their sound. You can’t only have drugs and murder; you ALSO need wacky references to kung fu movies, sci-fi, and philosophy. GZA, genius that he is, understands this well.
This album didn't grab me as much as I was hoping. Maybe as a fan of WTC, I was thinking this was something in that vein but it wasnt.
yo super gut! c
So deep, it gets picked up on radio in tunnels. Top-3 of the peak-era Wu-Tang spinoff projects, I reckon, which puts it in rarified company. That perfect blend of rugged material and gritty delivery, with genuinely smart and ambitious wordplay, full of pathos. And of course loads of mad old king fu movie samples.
> the Beatles
It’s so fucking awesome
best album ever duh
I’d listen again but won’t go out of my way to do so
My second favorite Wu Tang solo album after "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". To me this feels like the true successor to "36 Chambers". Favorite track: B.I.B.L.E.
No. 97 So good I listened to it twice in a row. Easily my favorite Wu-Tang related project.
Did little for me
The 90s rap continues... the narrative between songs is actually quite charming. Not as great as yesterday's NAS.
Absolutely nothing wrong with this bulletproof time capsule of 36th Chambers era GZA. But we all know, Wu-Tang solo acts fell into obscurity. I can't give it 5 stars because Method Man is my favorite Clan member. But GZA really demonstrates that he's a force. Musically, production wise, bar by bar and flow by flow he systematically demonstrates 1000 hours to the craft and a skillful blending of story telling and gangsta rap that only comes with decades of practice (but he was 29 when this came out?).
It's a classic, but I didn't find myself enjoying this as much as before when I first heard it.
Absolute 5. The Genius is the best lyricist and has the best flow of all of Wu-Tang. Nothing but hits, no deep cuts.
I didn’t really get into Wu Tang until way too late, but I could imagine a world where I listened to this record so much that it became an irreplaceable classic in my life on par with Nas’s Illmatic. Is it the best hiphop record I’ve ever heard? No. But it’s got a great laidback vibe that resonates with me more than the gangsta rap of this time period.
didn't like, not my style
It's definitely good, but I just don't care.
I love the instrumental, the sample, the flow and the storytelling. Album filled with so much influences of culture that the rapper loves amaze me and I love them.
un po’ noioso ma mi piace il flow through the album, prima un po’ scuro ma che finisce bene. infatti outro la canzone migliore
life is a quest in the universe
insane
Hip hop album through and through. More lyrics than beats on this one, really interesting intro.
At the age of 30 I've just accepted, after giving it a fair chance throughout my life, that most hip hop is not for me and I am tired of pretending like that might change. If I want to experience poetry, I'll read it. If I like the sample, I'll just listen to the original.
Over a pretty good listen
They don't make albums like this anymore. Shit slaps so hard. Production value is insane, lyrics are incredible. 10/10.
The Asian Delegation chooses, The RZA, The GZA, U-God, Inspect The Deck, Ghost Face Killah, THE WU TANG CLAN. This album is perfect. I think we got to see them at Bonnaroo forever ago.
tension and menace coursing through the music and the vocals from start to finish. fuck yeah
Love Wu and RZA mixes specifically. Raw feel. Unique flow. Lyrics often feel foreign. Couldn't help but picture myself as Michael Bolton driving into the office. 4th Chamber sounds familiar but can't put my finger on where I heard that sample...
The Wu-Tang Clan Extended Universe is so fun. RZA’s production work creates the perfect mood and backdrop for GZA’s storytelling, pontificating, and shit-talking, while the features get on board too. I usually don’t like the skits that populated rap albums pre-Graduation, but the ones on here don’t take too long, and it wouldn’t be a WTC album without the kung fu sound bites.
Absolute classic. The opening track is incredible and the Genius and RZA bring the lyrics and beats like this is the last album they'd ever make. I love 90s Wu Tang solo albums, before the law of diminishing returns started to be applied, and this album is no different. Not my favorite but I fucks with it.
Cool but wouldnt say its a classic
Not my cup of tea :(
Hat man ein 90er hip hop album gehört, hat man alle gehört
Good rap album. Love the Ghostface Killah guest songs.
Pretty solid rap album.
One of the best solo albums from a wu tang member. Flow like a rocky river rapids. Spitting insane lyrics and the production recordninf and the beats are amazing influenced a lot of reggaeton producers in the 2000
Cover art, og introen var det bedste ved albummet.
Ikke det værste af de utallige Wu-Tang albums vi skal slæbes igennem. Det var til at holde ud at lytte til, uden at fange mig.
This album got nuthin' to fuck with.
I've always associated Wu-Tang with exquisite cadence, but this effort was never on my radar. To me this is just a Wu-Tang effort completely fronted by GZA as the main lyricist, and his pen is on fire. It's beautiful when you stop to understand the message and realize how the words don't only mix and match seamlessly, but they also paint a picture that's been pieced together in an abstract way. This is also a fun one for the samurai metaphor just because the street/urban aspect is so raw and rugged that thinking back on the way of the samurai adds the context of that lifestyle. It's hard to associate violence with honor, and it's exemplified heavily on this album. Esthetically, the effort is still solid some 30+ years later. Conceptually it still holds, but it's leaning extra hard on the drug-dealing money-making reality of many underprivileged Americans, which I suppose is a little more frowned upon today. I'd feel it drag if it weren't so well documented and executed. It is what it is and it's done right. 4.1/5
This is just another expletive-laden hip hop album. I'm so tired of hearing 'motherfucking', 'nigger' and so forth thrown around so much. Plus the album is really quite dull.
It's like a rap album and an audiobook had a malformed baby.
This is a fantastic album nothing else to add
2026 já começou me dando o PRESENTE de tomar vergonha na cara e escutar um do GZA (que eu to enrolando tem anos) o nível de sample + beat + flow nesse aqui é completamente do caralho seloco
FORTÍSSIMO!!!!!! melhor que o último dos wu-tang que veio aqui lá pelo 100 e alguma coisa, inclusive. mas esse aqui eh bem mais cru, mais lo-fi, só PEDRADA de beat e rima. bão demais!!! e essa capa eh mto foda!!
Meh.
Good one
How did i sleep on this marvel 'til now?
Best Song: Shadowboxin'. I'm a simple man. I hear Method Man, I like it. Worst Song: Hell's Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304. The skit wasn't great and then that beat was really grating, with an outro that went on for forever. Overall: Very relaxed, sometimes too much so. It has this very slow, laidback style that I sometimes found myself wishing it would pick up a bit. It's not as good as some of the core Wu Tang offerings, and it shows a bit of its age, but it's still a good listen nonetheless.
Cool old style rap album from a great artist. Not music I listen to every day anymore but it's hard to not appreciate how well made and produced this is.
I'm pretty ambivalent about a lot of rap/hip-hop, and I've not listened to a lot of Wu-Tang or all their solo stuff. This album certainly doesn't do a lot to grab me. Fairly uninspired production with nothing much of interest musically, annoying film samples to start a lot of the songs, and the lyrics seem fairly unmemorable too. I'm sure it's fine if you're into that sort of stuff, but not anything I'd come back to any time soon.
Not for me
80
I didnt enjoy it. Way too much of this on the list.
Some of these tracks were pretty good. I keep discofering that I enjoy hip hop and rap way more than I ever thought I would. I'm not really in the right mood today unfortunately. I'm also not a big fan of skit bits - just keep the flow going please. That said, when I popped out in the car, it was banging. Gold especially. Wouldn't argue if I heard any of it again.
The only ki d of hip hop I can listen to. The modern stuff is just shit.
Pretty cool sampling/generally good flows all over this thing.
Grimy... take off 4th Chamber to Investigative Reports. Shadowboxing is the highlight.
One of the near-perfect follow-ups to 36 Chambers. Similar tropes and feel, but slightly less in-your-face.
not my vibe
Incredibly good listen. Aged really well.
Not really my thing but fine for what it is. Not sure why this is particularly noteworthy.
Album I grew up with and love, really wanted to go 5. The concept on most of these songs is really dumb. GZA is a ninja, but instead of swords he’s using rhymes to kill whack MC’s. The world they have created and all the aesthetics are awesome, but when you zoom in on the absurdity of the foundation of this universe, it’s embarrassing. It does bring back fond memories, especially of the feeling that you and your friends were cooler and better in every way than the other crew. We referred to these rival factions as “brosefs” Probably my favorite Wu Tang production. Highlight here was the intro to Gold, kinda love everything but Cold World.
Not the biggest fan of wu tang and this kind of old school hiphop. Shadowboxin’ and 4th Chamber are solid, but most of these tracks are forgettable to me. 2.5 stars and rounding down
nooot my thing but I defo vibed w parts
Its great for doing workouts and homework, or any tense moments where you need to get shit done
Yea it's a GZA album - ton of cool kung fu movie samples, wordplay that's better than it needs to be, and simple but cant-not-head-nod beats.
This is a classic. Its so hard to rate albums of the Wu-Tang extended universe, because so much of their music sounds similar, but I do enjoy it. RZA's production holds down the menacing, cold Staten Island vibe perfectly for GZA to go off. Highlights to me are "Liquid Swords", "Cold World", "Gold"
Not for me
Old-school hip hop isn’t really my thing but this has a ton of personality and some very solid beats.
So good. Definitely staying in rotation
Music/beats are cool. Vocals not my thing.
Fantastic album, but some songs felt repetitive and the beats just didn't stick. Only thing keeping it from being a 5, imo.
I love the sound of 4th Chamber, not all of this album is up my alley, but I enjoy the story and epic scope it serves. Such storytellers!
Shadow boxin, cold world and 4th chamber are amazing. Great atmosphere created throughout.
I enjoyed that. Nowhere near what I would usually choose to listen to but compared to the other hip hop albums I've listened to, this is in a different league. Would happily hear more GZA.
The little Wikipedia snippet has it described as a "lyrical journey" and I can't really give full marks and appreciation for that alone, my focus is the music, but the atmosphere of the album is good, it grew on me over the listen
Probably one of the best solo wu tang albums. I liked the interludes and a lot of the songs although some of the middle songs got a bit too similar at times. Fav song: Shadowboxing, (H.M. BIBLE)
Shadow boxing good song, not my style though 4th chamber bit better, better flow Good for those who like it I reckon
alright but quite repetitive love from lukey miles x
Need more music mainstream like this!!! Crazy how everything is still relevant today……………
This is how I like my hip hop. Old skool vibes and great flow. Even the movie samples didn't bother me on this one - at least they weren't childish skits
I wanted to like this more than I did. Ultimately I found it more interesting than entertaining. It seemed to me that it would have been stronger if there had been more hooks. It takes a while of absorbing music before the lyrics take hold for me, and I understand the lyrics are important here, but I couldn't tell you any of them. I liked the premise, the scope, and the artistry, but I'll probably never listen again
Solid east coast rap album. Feels a little one-note and lacks a true standout track in my opinion. The whole "story" felt a little gimmicky as well, but I respect the commitment to the bit. Top tracks: 4th Chamber, Shadowboxin', Swordsman
Gran disco de hip hop. Ambientes oscuros y como no, se nota de dónde salen. Wu tang forever
This album already exists on this list and it is 36 Chambers. Including this one seems like a stretch goal.
I love the kung fu theme throughout. There are really great features, and it's so impressive lyrically.
Love this album. The Wu-Tang artistic vision of hong kong action movies samples over gang violence lyrics is a winning formula. This is one of the best expressions of it. If BIBLE wasn't in here it's a 5
very cool samples, super dense lyrics. glad I listened but nothing saved from me
One of the best Wu solo efforts
The solo albums of Wu Tang members usually sound like Wu-Lite. Same formula, same production, same result. This one is no different. Was okay, but nothing really jumped out at me.
I wanted to enjoy this. But it dragged. The rhythm and bounce of the album starts off decent. But then nothing much changes. You've heard it all after the first couple of tracks.
Love me some rap music, and this is some good rap. But it has the same problem as a lot of early rap does. It's groudbreaking and new, but it's just people talking over a basic beat. I prefer later rap, where the vocals and the music are better attuned to each other, and the beats totally rock out. Still, enjoyed this one. Pretty much every song on this is a middle of the road 3, which is what I'll give the album as well. Best song: Gold
Fun 90s rap album, not quite a 4 for me but I could see why people would say it is.
I was pretty excited when this started, with the intro and first track thinking I was in for a fun mid-90's hip hop creation. But while the first track was solid, it didn't keep it up. Kind of generic and ho-hum. Not bad, just not very good or memorable.
Un tanto monótono. Buenos momentos
Way better than expected
Rap
Watered down Wu
There are flashes of insight and musicality (e.g., “Swordsman”) on Liquid Swords, but they are only flashes. There’s some real bloat on the album: a good editor might’ve removed 10-15 minutes. All that bloat makes repeat listening hard…. Weird, occasionally juvenile project. 2.5?
Liquid Swords - 5/5 Duel Of The Iron Mic - 5/5 Living In The World Today - 4.5/5 Gold - 5/5 Cold World - 4.5/5 Labels - 4/5 4th Chamber - 5/5 Shadowboxin' - 4.5/5 Hell's Wind Staff/Killah Hills 10304 - 4.5/5 Investigative Reports - 4.5/5 Swordsman - 4.5/5 I Gotcha Back - 4/5 B.I.B.L.E - 5/5 There was a time where I used to despite the rap genre. I had only been exposed to whatever was popular during the mid-2010's and mostly wrote it off as not for me. It turns out I just did not like modern rap and turned to the past, finding A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang in the of running what I actually liked the sound of. The production and lyrical flow are top notch as every song transitions from one another almost seamlessly. I certainly found a style that I like, and it just so happens to be one of the best hip-hop albums ever created. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Liquid Swords, Duel Of The Iron Mic, Gold, 4th Chamber, B.I.B.L.E
I'm sure it's a good album for many, but it's not for me. All the tracks sounded way too similar.
ive always found this an especially Atmospheric record...rza reaches maybe his height of extracting a half second of uncanny tension from an otherwise innocuous sample source and turning it into an Unresolvable Build underneath the star players. the movie clips feel especially cohesive here too. i tend to forget there's even hooks on this album...theyre not bad if and when they happen, but the appeal is clearly riding gza's exhaustively labored-over verses and watching his co-stars try their best to keep up with him in a Serious but Fantastical atmosphere. compared to the pure burst of energy of 36 chambers, there's a call for stoicism and precision here to match the mood that gza sets, which creates a record thats not as immediately attention grabbing but that ive probably returned to slightly more often...just a very involving listening that feels Not Quite Like Anything Else
Wu-Tangin jäsenen soololevy, mukana myös paljon muita Wu-Tangin jäseniä, joten tyyli myös hyvin Wu-Tang. Hyviäkin kappaleita, sit osissa biitit oli vähän meh. Parhaat: Shadowboxin', Cold World, B.I.B.L.E,
p765. 1995. 1 star. Rap. Wrong audience. Don't like rap. Don't get rap. Hard pass from me.
J'aime bien les rythmes de Rap, mais pas les voix et le phrasé. Au bout de 20 minutes ça m'ennuie. Cet album est sensé, si j'ai bien compris, être un sommet de ce genre musical mais je n'y arrive pas!
I had high hopes for this album. I have never listened to GZA, or to Wu-Tang for that matter, but the reviews I saw were very positive. I expected it to be very different than all of the other early to mid-90's hip hop albums I've been getting lately, with very different lyrics and music. The positive is the music was different and I liked it a lot. There were great samples and beats throughout. The negative is that the lyrics weren't all that different than much of the other gangsta style rapping I've been hearing. Yes, it's not as overwhelming with misogyny and violence, but it's still there. And there are more interesting things to say, but those rhymes were too few and far between for my liking. I don't think this is a bad album by any means. But it wasn't one I could see going back to. I did save the song Cold World to a favorites playlist though, so that's something.
Weird vibe lol but it's decent
Incredibly boring in my opinion. I wouldn't be able to name anything that stands out on this album if you asked me tomorrow. Not really violent, not really connecting, not really angry. What kind of rap album is this trying to be? 1/5
I liked this - maybe a few too many interludes for my liking but some good songs and an enjoyable listen while I was doing other things.
Great beats, classic old school rap stylings with great collabs
Nothing very remarkable or interesting about this, at least at this distance.
Another hip hop album that leaves me cold. I was around in 1995 but it's from a different place/environment/accent. Removing the expletives leaves few words I can understand/relate to. The music has a rhythm but without any vocals I can understand it's just way too repetitive.
Enjoyed some of this in parts, but as a whole I got bored, not my thing.
Disappointing. Each song was pretty monotonous. The beats seemed like an afterthought. That's what draws me in and gets me to pay attention to the words. Without an interesting beat it loses my attention fast.
I always enjoy some Wu tang in the morning
Best WuTang adjacent album I've heard yet!
I like it when rappers actually consider the musical aspect of their songs. The problem is that I just didn't like this attempt at it. The title track was a good track, however.
Big skill with much feeling, though not my type of music
relentless, glorious flow, which mixes mysticism, chess and gangsterism, and a deliciously doomy vibe throughout
3.5
sounds a lot like wutang and that’s not bad
Clearly a great rap album, but I couldn’t fully identify a clear concept lyrically despite its comic art work and intro track.
6/10… east coast hip hop / *1995
Rap, not so much my groove.
hueta
Another relaxing and street-centric groove of a record from one of the Wu-Tang Clan's revered members. GZA executes a rap delivery on 'Liquid Swords' full of composed ferocity, with his lyrics biting through with aversions to violence, sociocultural issues, politics and introspection, backed by the razor-sharp production of Wu-Tang Clan alumnus RZA. It's an album dripping with measured menace. It's typical of what you'd expect from East Coast hip-hop, and GZA is arguably the best of the Wu-Tang Clan with his rhymes. There's a great deal of self-assurance to his vocal delivery, as if he's confident in his material and not afraid to speak his mind. Released during the peak of the East Coast hardcore hip-hop movement, 'Liquid Swords' slashes through your eardrums like a well-sharpened katana. GZA doesn't hold anything back: he spits whatever's on his mind to whoever will listen. Best songs: Liquid Swords, Shadowboxin', Swordsman
Og
I saw GZA perform this once, the whole record.
I love the early Wu-Tang releases because of how grimy and raw the production. It's like a 70's grind house flick for your ears.
If there is one constant during this process (excluding British music I have never heard of) it is me being excited by a new-to-me hiphop album and then being disappointed. There wasn't much I didn't like about this album but it just felt like it never changed cadence and just plodded along.
++: Living in the World Today, Labels, 4th Chamber, Shadowboxin', I Gotcha Back +: Liquid Swords, Duel of the Iron Mics, Gold, Cold World, Swordsman +-: Hell's Wind • Killah Hills 10304, Investigative Reports 5,8/10
Klassischer Hip-Hop. Für mich nichts besonderes dabei.
Klasik
Oh wow. I remember being taken to a party while tripping balls and then being left alone in a room while the opening track to this played. Scared the shit out of me. Impeccable until literally that last track B.I.B.L.E song where he condemns women for wanting to legalise abortion and praises the lord. Yikes. Big yikes. They should release an unextended cut where they just take off that last track. Final season of Game of Thrones ahh song.
meh
See my notes for "Enter the Wu Tang" or whatever it's called. This is the same, but worse. Thank god it's over!
One of the best hip hop albums of all time
Smooth, fun and highly listenable.
This isn’t really my thing, but I can always appreciate the style of 90’s rap.
GZA? My financial consultant?!?!
A very good album. Shadowboxin’ is an amazing song. Very high 4*
I had always heard that the Wu Tang solo projects are good. This one is great. I love the old school hardcore NYC rap, Gza’s rolling flow and dense lyricism, Rza’s beats and production, and top-tier guests. High 4
Super repetitive and nothing that I'd ever go back to. 1.8
I tried but couldn't get through it.
Ich enthalte mich ere usfüehrliche Bewertig 'cause it's old school hiphop once again and me not liky zwei wassersäbel
Hmmm nöd im mood gsi defür. Hed mi uf em falsche bei verwütscht. Aber so isches mit schwerter die chamer selte blocke, defür mit zwei sieteschüb uswieche
I don’t know. I’ve heard better hiphop on this list. It was a bit skit-heavy for me.
I liked doing work to this one.
Genial
Thoughts before listening: I have only really ever scratched the surface of the Wu Tang Clan world. I once owned Enter the 36 Chambers on cd as well as one of Ghostface Killah's albums, and I'm pretty sure I've listened to some of the other solo projects. However, my knowledge is pretty shallow. I know that Liquid Swords is considered one of the great hip hop albums, but this will be my first time listening I'm pretty sure. Review: This is basically what I expected, and pretty good. This album is defined by slow, jazzy beats and GZA's low key delivery (plus WuTang's typical usage of movie clips). This is the type of hip hop that resonates with me, so its a shame that I have waited 30 years to actually listen to this album. I'd say that this deserves the accolades its gotten over the years....4-stars from me.
The rap is fine. I don't like the samurai samples.
I’d like to listen to this more to see if it grows on me, but didn’t have the chance. I’m not sure rap is for me - the ability to write lyrics like that impresses me but I find the beats pretty boring and the subject matter isn’t for me.
GZA THE GENIUS We form like Voltron and he happens to be the head.
I am not a huge fan of this genre. So unfortunately, this misses the mark for me.
Back in the ’90s, I wasn’t super familiar with GZA or RZA, but everything I heard from them, I always enjoyed. One thing I really love about this album is RZA’s production. It has this dark, dystopian vibe that really pulls you in, especially with all the kung fu and horror flick samples throughout the album. I also love the tempo on a lot of these mid 90s hip hop albums. It’s not too fast, not too slow, just the perfect pace to vibe to while cruising around town. Looking back, I wish this kind of East Coast style hip hop had been more popular in Denver at the time, but back then, the Denver scene was all about West Coast hip hop.
Decent 4
Thought this was great, would relisten
Best solo wu record, and it has a vibe. I'd actually rather put this on the wutang sometimes.
I'm not much of Wu-Tang fan, and this is really no better or worse to me than the other solo album from one of their members that I have generated so far. It just wasn't really for me. Although I will note that GZA does have good flow. Just wasn't a big fan of this one.
I'm not really sure how to rate this album. Felt like the interludes and skits took over. Nothing stood out to me. But of a meh hip-hop album.
Coole Tracks aber ich bin einfach viel zu ungebildet im Bereich Hip Hop um hier wirklich ein Urteil abgeben zu können. Ist auch einfach nicht so meine Musik - muss ich nicht noch mal hören.
Ok didn't grab me
My most-listened to album of Wu-Tang Clan's first phase, besides "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)". It wasn't my favorite on first-listen, but every listen has made my appreciation grow. The samples, while lengthy, set such a mood that I don't try skipping them. The beats are sometimes murky, sometimes plucky, sometimes hard-hitting boom bap. Lyrically complex, and varies from introspective to violent. You can argue where it ranks among "the best 90's rap albums" and "best rap albums of all time". In my experience, you mention this album in hip-hop discussions and everyone agrees it's great.
This is a great album that I really enjoyed. The beats are fire, and as with any Wu-Tang production, I like the Kin-Fu movie interludes sprinkled throughout. I also think the lyrics and flow are very good as well. That all being said, and as much as I liked this, I’m still yet to understand what makes it special enough to be on this list. Maybe the fact that it’s not just boiler plate, forgettable turn of the millennium hip-hop as so many releases tended to be back then. There’s actually some substance to this, which I suppose foreshadows things that came 15-20 years later.
Some decent 90s rap, not really my thing, but not a bad album.
Really enjoyed this one.
That opening was... well, I guess I can appreciate the raps
Album was so good. Easy to vibe to. Great working out music, or driving around music. I’m a fan
Great old school rap album, but it's not really my cup of tea
Everytime they start talking about the Shogun and lords and shit, then another GRIMEY ass beat kicks in I'm just like "5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars" But seriously there is nothing even approaching a bad song on here. Moving on ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
wow this was kick ass
Production value is high on this record. Personal interest in this kind of rap, low.
Liked this album quite a bit. Deserved respect.
Not a big fan , but not bad for a Rap album. 3 stars or C-.
Absolute fire
Great samples
It was pretty cool
Fairly enjoyable listen and enjoyed lots of the samples.
Great production, lyricism and flows basically anything you could want from a hiphop album.
A masterpiece of a hip hop album and arguably the best solo Wu Tang album. Absolutely love "Shadowboxin'" 9/10
Stone cold classic. GZA never sounded sharper and RZA’s production is insane. The first wave of Wu solo albums felt so special, especially with each member popping up here and there on the others projects, basically the hip hop version of the MCU (4.5/5)
own
Masterpiece. Genre defining.
This was decent, not amazing. I do like the beats that he dropped and the rapping was very good, but it was a bit repetitive for me. Duel of the Iron Mic was my favorite on this album. Solid. Not great.
Wow. Really solid. You could tell his rapping ability was way up there. He constantly changed things up song to song and proved he was the best rapper in Wu Tang Clan
In the grand scope of rap music, this is such an underrated album. This was when Wu-Tang was at the top of the hip-hop world. Of course, the GZA is a genius.
3 stars alone just for having shadow boxing on this album.
This album uses some incredible samples and has some really good lyrics. A lot of the songs are really catchy and sound really good for their time. A 10/10 album.
No question 5 listened twice
Instant 5, no skips and gets a 3 for B.I.B.L.E alone and not even in a religious way.
Kung Fu movie dialog! Technically a samurai movie in this case. Liquid Swords is a good opening track. Wu-Tang is forever...and is also all over all of their solo albums. RZA's fingerprints are all over the albums he produces the same way Dre's are. This wasn't the first Wu-Tang solo effort but it feels very much like an extension of Enter the Wu-Tang focused on GZA in a way I don't feel like Tical by Method Man was. Although, at the same time, Return to the 36 Chambers by ODB also has a very Wu-Tang feel. I love Ghostface Killah's flow. 4th Chamber is the best song on the album. Shadowboxin' with Method Man (also great) is another good song. Great album.
This album is relentless--the beats just hammer you track after track and I really think that's it's strength. I also like GZA's flow, but I think I need a few more listens. Currently a 3.5 for me, but bumping down for content.
I normally don’t like East Coast, but this is really good solid production
They just don’t write bars like this anymore. Loved the complex lyricism and flow, and the beats are all so timeless. I could do without the religious track at the end for a number of reasons though.
Maybe the peak of the first wave of solo-Wu releases. Deeply lyrical, amazing flow, great featured verses from the rest of the clan, incredible thematic consistency, all combine for a stunning classic.
i liked this one way more than i thought i would. clever and atmospheric sampling of movie dialogue frame the lyricism, which carries a really interesting religious and political subtext. allusions to five percent nation ideology? would be cool to dissect lyrics more. 3/5
day 9: another hip hop classic. personally i find a few other wu albums a bit more interesting (cuban linx and 36 chambers) but the production value here is unmatched in creativity and class. similar to 36 chambers and a number of others, the martial art samples and instrumental influences exude a juvenile charisma, perfect for the conceptual smoothness in this one. the ideas that the groups MCs are samurai in a staten-island warzone full with conspiracies and plots to take down emperors and the shogun (don’t question my aetiological accuracy) is simply fun. can’t understate and i will say it again, RZA had his best production here. good reason why 4th chamber was my most played song in 2020. B.I.B.L.E. sounds like a spiritual successor to C.R.E.A.M., with a gorgeous soulful touch. classic.
Was there a better or more prolific hip hop band in the 90’s then the Wu Tang Clan? 9 members & every one of them put out an individual album! Method Man may get all the commercial play, but the Gza/Genius proved his name with this masterpiece.
All these old Wu albums are classics!
I’m not a big hip hop guy. I enjoy it, but couldn’t tell you what makes a good hip hop album. But I can tell you that I just knew that this one was good. Great grooves, amazing lyrics.
The beats are simplistic. The lyrics are some serious shit. Above average rap is still only average in my collection.
easy to listen to. not particularly special
Brilliant
Don't think I'm going to be joining the Wu-Tang clan any time soon 😏
Super smooth and a more chilled, less pearl-clutchy (to those inclined) offshoot from the WTC (which I also enjoyed!). Found myself riding along in a daze with appreciation for the masterful control of flow layered over offbeat and otherworldly backing, but could have done without the movie samples which lifted me right out of it, jarring.
Lowkey cinematic.
Get a riff, repeat it while rapping about being hard.
7/10. Good ol' gangsta hip hop. Te tiene que ir el rap, pero si te va, esto es de lo más puro que te vas a encontrar.
First time hearing this artist was an unexpected mix scf-fi samples and background music to blend with rapping Interesting, but not really for me
Enjoyably dark and aggressive hip-hop, especially in the first half. Definite shades of Enter the Wu-Tang, even if I don’t find the songs quite as standout. This has a vibe and energy I really enjoy spending time with.
It was fun to listen to while I rode my bike to work, but not memorable enough to want to listen to it on the ride home.
3.5 rounded down because I enjoyed this but probably won’t ever return to it
Some of the samples were Ok, but overall the usual rap songs with no real melodies and a lot of it sounded the same.
Tried it. Not really my taste but it had some good samples/beats. May go back to it.
Great album. In some ways, it’s more focused than a Wu-Tang album…assuming because it’s mostly GZA and material that wasn’t a part of the entire Wu-Tang works.
Nie mój typ muzyki
Może, ale to nie dla mnie
High 3, maybe 4? Good vibes and skits
Not my style of music.
Arguably the best Wu Tang related record ever, which says a lot, because they have so great albums between all of their discographies. Personally, I prefer some of those others to this.