Liquid Swords

"It has great songs, it's not an ignorant album, it doesn't sound dated. If you listen to it and compare it to what's out now, it's timeless. I think artists should really write more. People say Wu-Tang makes you think too much. What's wrong with thinking? A lot of dudes write these street tales and they're so gory, 'cause they think gory

Góry

G?ry may refer to the following places in Poland:*G?ry, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *G?ry, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *G?ry, Krasnystaw County in Lublin Voivodeship ...
 is visual ...

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Encyclopedia

Liquid Swords is the second solo album

Solo album

In popular music, a solo album is an album made by a current or former member of a rock group. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but may also feature the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the musician is usually associated, though just how different t...
 by Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City?based hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan consists of nine United States rapping: RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard....
 member GZA

GZA

Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
. It was released on November 7, 1995 through Geffen Records

Geffen Records

Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group....
.

Album information

"It has great songs, it's not an ignorant album, it doesn't sound dated. If you listen to it and compare it to what's out now, it's timeless. I think artists should really write more. People say Wu-Tang makes you think too much. What's wrong with thinking? A lot of dudes write these street tales and they're so gory, 'cause they think gory

Góry

G?ry may refer to the following places in Poland:*G?ry, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *G?ry, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *G?ry, Krasnystaw County in Lublin Voivodeship ...
 is visual ... they're so literal, and so street level. You know, like crack spots and whatever. I wanted to write something and take it to a level where nobody's done it. "Cold World" was done in RZA

RZA

Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....
's house, in his basement in Staten Island

Staten Island

Staten Island is a borough of New York City, situated almost entirely on the island of the same name in the extreme southwest part of the city....
. I remember being there, and some of the beats were running for like two days nonstop. 'Cold World' was one of them. Lyrically, it's not my best work. Not at all. But the chemistry? Production? Overall, I mean, c'mon! RZA's atmospheric production? Yes. It's my best album."

Though the album was credited to GZA alone, there are numerous guest appearances from the entire Wu-Tang Clan, like all their earlier solo albums. Liquid Swords is characteristic of the Wu-Tang Clan in its minimalist, menacing and ominous beats by producer

Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 RZA

RZA

Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....
, and its cinematic themes relating to Asian cinema

Asian cinema

Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia. More commonly however, it is used to refer to the cinema of East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia....
, particularly Samurai cinema

Samurai cinema

While earlier samurai period pieces were more dramatic rather than action-based, samurai movies post World War II have become more action-based, with darker and more violent characters....
.

GZA explores many motifs and themes, such as chess

Chess

Chess is a recreational and competitive game played between two Player . Sometimes called Western chess or international chess to distinguish it from History of chess and other chess variants, the current form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century after evolving from similar, much older...
, crime

Crime

Societies define Crime as the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some Government or force may ultimately prescribe a punishment.The word crime originates from the Latin crimen , from the Latin root cerno and Greek ????? = "I judge"....
 and philosophy. The album begins with a monologue from a little boy; his monologue, and many of the other vocal samples scattered throughout the album, are from the cult film Shogun Assassin

Shogun Assassin

Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
.

Cover art

The album is also known for its cover, designed by DC-Milestone Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. A subsidiary of Warner Bros....
 chief artist Denys Cowan

Denys Cowan

Denys Cowan is an African American comic book artist and television producer. He gained prominence as the primary artist on Question , an acclaimed comic book series published by DC Comics for 36 issues from 1987 on, written by Dennis O'Neil....
, acording to GZA's personal manager Geoffrey L. Garfield, who commissioned Cowan. Garfield, an avid comic book fan, said the cover art was supervised under the auspices of GZA GrafX, a subsidiary company of GZA Entertainment owned by Genius and Garfield. The concept of the chessboard with its sword-wielding warriors was conceived by Genius, an avid chess player. The Genius version of the Wu-Tang Clan logo, the "G" using the logo iconography, was rendered by Wu-Tang Clan DJ Mathematics

Mathematics (producer)

Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop music producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. He is known for his distinctly traditional Wu-Tang sound ....
 who was also an accomplished graphic artist.

Videos

Genius also enjoyed a successful side career as a music video director, and with Garfield as writer and producer, created all four videos for the Liquid Swords album ("Liquid Swords", "Cold World", "Shadowboxin'/4th Chamber","I Gotcha Back"), and also did videos for Sunz of Man, Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah

Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the early- to mid-1990s, each member went on to pursue a solo career....
's song on the Sunset Park film

Sunset Park (film)

Sunset Park is a 1996 in film basketball film. It stars Rhea Perlman as the head coach of a high school boy's basketball team from the Sunset Park, Brooklyn neighborhood in New York City....
 soundtrack, Shabazz the Disciple (Penalty Records) and Case (Def Jam). The Source magazine recognized their video "Shadowboxin'/4th Chamber" as one of the Top Five Videos of 1995.

Reception

Critical response was almost universally positive. Steve Huey of Allmusic remarked that Liquid Swords is often referred to as "the best Wu-Tang solo project of all" and "Liquid Swords cemented the Genius/GZA's reputation as the best pure lyricist in the group -- and one of the best of the '90s." Steve Juon of RapReviews.com wrote that Liquid Swords was "the purest representation of the Wu-Tang sound and style at a time when they truly reigned over all others in hip-hop in the mid-90's".

Liquid Swords is ranked #1 for the year 1995 on RateYourMusic.com

Rate Your Music

Rate Your Music is a metadata database where musical albums, Extended play, single , videos, and Bootleg recording are rated and reviewed by users....
, and currently the second-highest rated hip hop album of all time on the site.

The public and critical reception of Wu-Tang was so positive and pervasive that the album's marketing campaign for its November 1995 release read "Finally...In the Year of the Wu" to commemorate an astounding year-long run of hit Wu-Tang Clan solo albums.

The record was originally rated 4 mics in The Source in 1995. In 1998, Liquid Swords was named as one of rap magazine The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

Chris Rock

Chris Rock

Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an United States comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and Film director....
 ranked Liquid Swords 13th on his list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums ever , but in one of his concerts, he said that is one of his top 3 favorite albums.

The album was performed in its entirety on July 13, 2007 at the Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork Music Festival

The Pitchfork Music Festival is an annual summer music festival organized by Pitchfork Media held in Union Park, Chicago....
 and again in England, on December 9 at All Tomorrow's Parties

All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)

All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place in England at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset....
 and on December 10 at KOKO (venue) in London, as part of the ATP-curated Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back (concert series)

Don't Look Back is a yearly series of concerts in which London based promoters All Tomorrow's Parties ask artists and bands to play one of their seminal albums live in its entirety....
 series. After the cancellation of an appearance in Brooklyn, New York, the performance was rescheduled for December 13 and 14 at the Knitting Factory

Knitting Factory

The Knitting Factory is a New York City, Hollywood, Boise, and Spokane music club and concert house, originally specializing in jazz and experimental music....
 in New York.

The Source

The Source (magazine)

The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and Hip hop culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection....
 (11/95) "The GZA may just be the Clan's most accomplished verbalist."

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
 (11/30/95, pp.66-67) - 3 Stars — Good - "It's probably the heaviest Wu-Tang production to date....Genius pulls you into his chamber headfirst....Liquid Swords cuts to the bone, another deadly efficient Wu-banger."

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is a magazine published by Time Inc. in the United States which covers movies, television, music, Broadway stage productions, books, and popular culture....
 (12/22/95, p.70) - "...an intriguing paradox of wordplay and profanity, juvenilia and wisdom." - Rating: B+

Q magazine (2/96, p.96) - 4 Stars — Excellent - "...inventively laid-back sample collage of hip hop that offsets his biting messages...the result is dramatic and hypnotic..."

The Wire

The Wire (magazine)

The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music....
 (10/01, p.46) - "Genius trades 'romance' for 'crime'...and his icy skills certainly work better with darker scenarios."

Option

Option (music magazine)

Option was a music magazine based in Los Angeles, California....
 (3-4/96, pp.104-105) - "Genius' verbalistics evoke that creepy feeling you get negotiating certain inner-city neighborhoods on pitch black nights."

Melody Maker

Melody Maker

Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was 1926 in music as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 in British music it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express....
 (11/25/95, p.36) - "...the keywords...are synthetic and cinematic....the narrator of these ghostly/ghastly horrorcore tales is on the outside looking in, a voyeur...buzzing off the ghetto misery, wondering how to respond....one of the dozen or so best (G-Funk) albums of the year."

Rap Pages (1/96, p.31) - 8 (out of 10) - "Liquid Swords presents the Gza as sword-style rhyme originator, holding court over his young disciples....reverential guest appearances from the rest of the Clan...inject the album with some of its most memorable moments....Wu-Tang continue to challenge and confound all expectations of what their music is about."

NME

NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 (11/11/95, p.46) - 9 (out of 10) - "The best hip-hop album for years. Fact...The Rza's production...is spooked, creaky, incredibly dense....The tricks he's practised on previous Clan albums...reach their apogee here....Genius' quite brilliant lyrics [have] a complexity, a rush of imagery, a strangely poetic drama of brutality."

Track listing

All songs produced by RZA

RZA

Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....
 unless otherwise noted.

#	Title	Time	Performer(s)	Sample(s)
1	"Liquid Swords"	4:31	Intro & chorus backing vocals by RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....	"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by Willie Mitchell Willie Mitchell (music) Willie Mitchell is a soul music, Rhythm and blues, rock and roll, pop music and funk Record producer and arrangement who runs Royal Recording in Memphis, Tennessee, Tennessee.... "Groovin'" by Willie Mitchell Willie Mitchell Willie Mitchell is the name of:*Willie Mitchell , a musician and record producer*Willie Mitchell , a MLB player*Willie Mitchell , a NHL player... "That's the Way it Is" by Al Green Al Green Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an United States gospel music and soul music singer who received great acclaim in the 1970s. At the 2008 BET Awards Green was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for all the work he has done throughout his career.... Samurai Samurai is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial society Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character ? was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau....  movie Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
2	"Duel of the Iron Mic"	4:06	Chorus: Ol' Dirty Bastard Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard . He was one of the founding members of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... First verse: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career.... Second verse: Masta Killa Masta Killa Elgin Turner , better known as Masta Killa, is an United States rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though one of the lesser-known members of the group and on their debut album was only in one song: "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" in which he had the last verse.... Third verse: Inspectah Deck Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter , better known as Inspectah Deck, is an United States rapping, Record producer, and Acting. A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, he has not achieved the same level of success in his solo career as some of his fellow Clansmen ; nevertheless, he has continued to release material into the late 2000's....	"I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over" by David Porter David Porter David Porter can mean:*David R. Porter , a Pennsylvania politician*David Porter , United States Navy officer*David Porter *David Porter American musician... Samurai movie Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
3	"Living in the World Today"	4:23	Intro: RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... Chorus: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....  & Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man, is an United Statesn hip hop music, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop culture collective Wu-Tang Clan.... Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....	"In The Hole" by The Bar-Kays "I'm His Wife, You're Just a Friend" by Ann Sexton Ann Sexton Ann Sexton is a United States soul singer.Sexton recorded a number of records for John Richbourg during the 1970s. A minor recording artist, her obscure recordings became very popular during the Northern Soul phenomenon in Europe.... dialogue from the film "Dragon on Fire"
4	"Gold"	3:57	Performed by: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
5	"Cold World"	5:31	Chorus: Life First verse: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career.... Second verse: Inspectah Deck Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter , better known as Inspectah Deck, is an United States rapping, Record producer, and Acting. A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, he has not achieved the same level of success in his solo career as some of his fellow Clansmen ; nevertheless, he has continued to release material into the late 2000's....	"In The Rain" by The Dramatics The Dramatics The Dramatics are an United States soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan, Michigan in 1962. They are best known for their 1972 hit song, the million selling "In the Rain ".... "Rocket Love" by Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards , plus one for Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, won an Academy Award for Best Song, an... "Plastic People" by The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention was an American rock and roll band active from 1964 to 1975. They mainly performed works by and were the original recording group of composer and guitarist Frank Zappa, although other members have an occasional writing credit.... Samurai movie Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
6	"Labels"	2:54	Intro: RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
7	"4th Chamber"	4:37	First verse: Ghostface Killah Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the early- to mid-1990s, each member went on to pursue a solo career.... Second verse: Killah Priest Killah Priest Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest or simply Priest , is an United States rapping and affiliate of the hip hop culture group Wu-Tang Clan.... Third verse: RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... Fourth verse: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....	"Groovin'" by Willie Mitchell Willie Mitchell Willie Mitchell is the name of:*Willie Mitchell , a musician and record producer*Willie Mitchell , a MLB player*Willie Mitchell , a NHL player... Samurai movie Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
8	"Shadowboxin'"	3:30	First Verse: Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man, is an United Statesn hip hop music, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop culture collective Wu-Tang Clan.... Second Verse: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career.... Third Verse: Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man, is an United Statesn hip hop music, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop culture collective Wu-Tang Clan....	"Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness" by Ann Peebles Ann Peebles Ann Peebles is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter best known for her popular Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records record label.... "Guillotine (Swordz)" by Raekwon Raekwon Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon , is an United States East Coast hip hop rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. His 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s.... dialogue from the film "Shaolin vs. Lama"
9	"Hell's Wind Staff/Killah Hills 10304"	5:09	Intro: RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....  & Masta Killa Masta Killa Elgin Turner , better known as Masta Killa, is an United States rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though one of the lesser-known members of the group and on their debut album was only in one song: "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" in which he had the last verse.... , Ol' Dirty Bastard Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard . He was one of the founding members of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....  singing in the back Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
10	"Investigative Reports"	3:50	Intro, outro & chorus: U-God U-God Lamont Jody Hawkins , better known as U-God, is an United States hip hop music and member of the hip hop culture collective, Wu-Tang Clan.... First verse: Raekwon Raekwon Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon , is an United States East Coast hip hop rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. His 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s.... Second verse: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career.... Third verse: Ghostface Killah Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the early- to mid-1990s, each member went on to pursue a solo career....	"I'd Be So Happy" by Three Dog Night Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an United States rock band, best known for their music from 1968?1975. They were still making live appearances and recordings in 2008....
11	"Swordsman"	3:21	Intro: Method Man Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man, is an United Statesn hip hop music, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop culture collective Wu-Tang Clan.... Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
12	"I Gotcha Back"	5:01	Chorus backing vocals: RZA RZA Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan.... Verses: GZA GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....	"As Long As I've Got You" by The Charmels Samurai movie Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a very violent jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. The film is considered a classic by many fans of the samurai-film genre....
13*	"B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)"	4:33	Performed by: Killah Priest Killah Priest Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest or simply Priest , is an United States rapping and affiliate of the hip hop culture group Wu-Tang Clan.... Producer: 4th Disciple 4th Disciple 4th Disciple, El-Divine Amir Bey , hip hop producer, engineer who was one of the founding members of Killarmy and one of the best-known List of Wu-Tang Clan affiliates....	"Our Love Has Died" by The Ohio Players

An asterisk (*) indicates a track originally omitted from the vinyl version, but present on the reissue and the CD.

Personnel

• Raekwon
  Raekwon
  
  Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon , is an United States East Coast hip hop rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. His 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s....
   – Performer
• Ghostface Killah
  Ghostface Killah
  
  Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the early- to mid-1990s, each member went on to pursue a solo career....
   – Performer
• Method Man
  Method Man
  
  Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man, is an United Statesn hip hop music, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop culture collective Wu-Tang Clan....
   – Performer
• Mark A. Humphrey – Photography
• GZA
  GZA
  
  Gary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA , is an United States hip hop music artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career....
   – Performer
• U-God
  U-God
  
  Lamont Jody Hawkins , better known as U-God, is an United States hip hop music and member of the hip hop culture collective, Wu-Tang Clan....
   – Performer
• Killah Priest
  Killah Priest
  
  Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest or simply Priest , is an United States rapping and affiliate of the hip hop culture group Wu-Tang Clan....
   – Performer
• Dreddy Kruger – Performer
• RZA
  RZA
  
  Robert F. Diggs , better known as RZA , is an United States Grammy winning music producer, rapper, and occasional actor. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....
   – Producer & Performer
• Ol' Dirty Bastard
  Ol' Dirty Bastard
  
  Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard . He was one of the founding members of the hip hop music group Wu-Tang Clan....
   – Performer
• Masta Killa
  Masta Killa
  
  Elgin Turner , better known as Masta Killa, is an United States rapping and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though one of the lesser-known members of the group and on their debut album was only in one song: "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" in which he had the last verse....
   – Performer
• Inspectah Deck
  Inspectah Deck
  
  Jason Hunter , better known as Inspectah Deck, is an United States rapping, Record producer, and Acting. A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, he has not achieved the same level of success in his solo career as some of his fellow Clansmen ; nevertheless, he has continued to release material into the late 2000's....
   – Performer

Album chart positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1995	Liquid Swords	#9	#2

Singles chart positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the most popular Hip hop music songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban contemporary radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets....	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1994	"I Gotcha Back"	-	-	#29	#39
1995	"Cold World"	#97	#57	#8	#8
1995	"Liquid Swords"	#48	#33	#3	#2
1996	"Shadowboxin'"	#67	#41	#10	#9

External links