GZA
GZA | |
|---|---|
GZA at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Genius |
| Born | Gary Eldridge Grice August 22, 1966 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast hip-hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Wu-Tang Clan |
| Signature | |
Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈdʒɪzə/ JIZ-ə) and the Genius, is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member. He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with his second album Liquid Swords (1995).
His lyrical style often eschews typical hip-hop themes in favor of science and philosophy. An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has one of the largest vocabularies in popular hip-hop music, despite dropping out of high school during the 10th grade. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip-hop. His style has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow".