Liquid Swords

Often acclaimed as the best Wu-Tang solo project of all, Liquid Swords cemented the Genius/GZA's reputation as the best pure lyricist in the group -- and one of the best of the '90s. Rich in allusions and images, his cerebral, easy-flowing rhymes are perhaps the subtlest and most nuanced of any Wu MC, as underscored by his smooth, low-key delivery. The Genius' eerie calm is a great match for RZA's atmospheric production, which is tremendously effective in this context; the kung fu dialogue here is among the creepiest he's put on record, and he experiments quite a bit with stranger sounds and more layered tracks.

1 Liquid Swords
2 Duel Of The Iron Mic
3 Living In The World Today
4 Gold
5 Cold World
6 Labels
7 4th Chamber
8 Shadowboxin'
9 Killah Hills 10304
10 Investigative Reports
11 Swordsman
12 I Gotcha Back
13 B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)