4th Chamber by GZA

December 24, 2004 | 6 Comments

The Artist: GZA
The Song: 4th Chamber
The Album: Liquid Swords
Released 1995
Recommended if you like: The Wu-Tang Clan, Gravediggaz, Method Man, RZA, Mobb Deep

It’s the last week of the classics and I wanted to go in a different direction, we’re moving from 80’s synth to 90’s hip-hop, and we’re going with one of the best ever.

Genius’ album Liquid Swords is my favorite release from The Wu, just edging 36 Chambers. Although it’s hard to choose, so much of their stuff is classic. Anyway, it showcases exactly, and in great detail, what they were all about. Especially in the early years. It’s got the best rhymes, the best production and the best beats (RZA out did himself on this one) and that’s saying quite a bit considering all the great albums they’ve put out.

On Liquid Swords we witness a whole new sound in hip-hop emerging. The Wu-Tang clan were unique and IMHO this album marks the pinnacle of what they were all about. You got touches on 36 Chambers but it’s here that it really all comes together. It really is one of the best hip-hop albums ever and if you’re into the Wu and you don’t have it, you might want to get out there and pick it up.

I’ve always been a bit partial to GZA and RZA when it comes to the Wu, and here is where they shine their brightest. This week’s cut, “4th Chamber” is easily my favorite Wu track of all time. It’s got everything that make them great, all kicked off with one of their signature samples. This time from Shogun Assassin I think.

Ironically it’s RZA’s rhyme on this track that is my favorite part of the song:

Aiyyo, camouflage chameleon, ninjas scalin your buildin No time to grab the gun they already got your wife and children
A hit was sent, from the president, to rage your residence
Because you had secret evidence, and documents
On how they raped the continents, and it’s the prominent
Dominant islamic, asiatic black hebrew
The year two thousand and two, the battle’s filled with the Wu
Six million devils just died from the bubonic flu
Or the ebola virus, under the reign of king cyrus
You can see the weakness of a man right through his iris
Un-loyal snakes get thrown in boilin lakes
Of hot oil, it boils your skin, chickenheads gettin slim
Like olive oyl, only plant the seed deep inside fertile soil
Fortified with essential, vitamin and mineral
Use the sky for a blanket, stuffin clouds inside my pillow
Rollin with the lands, the tribe’s a hundred and forty four thousand chosen
Protons electrons always cause explosions

Then again, he did do all the beats…and damn they’re good beats. Grindin’, sinister and perfect for this song. The only thing a bit hard with any song from Liquid Swords is that they all mesh together and it’s hard to pull one out as it kind of wrecks the flow.

If you’re more into Method or O.D.B. (R.I.P.) don’t worry, they’re both on here and just about every song is a classic in it’s own right.

Filed under: Song of The Week

Comments

1. Robbert Broersma said:

That’s just great! Wow! Someone else likes Liquid Swords as much as I do. The song is just great, as is RZA. Have you seen the movie Ghost Dog? The movie is great, and RZA took care of the even better sound track. I listen to the track ‘Flying Birds’ every two days or so.

Posted on December 25, 2004 04:52 AM | #

2. Duj Noyl said:

Liquid Swords is amazing, I’m glad to see it get some run on here. That song has long been a fav of mine too. Keep up the good work, I always enjoy your posts.

(off to drink wine out of stanley cups)

Posted on December 26, 2004 12:36 AM | #

3. Robert Cortez said:

I agree, as this album’s been in and out of my rotation for years. Sooner or later, I always end up coming back to it. Although, I’ve always been partial to “Shadowboxin’” just because it’s got that tripped-up, deadly RZA beat under it. Not to mention that I’m just not feeling Ghostface’s flow, and to this day, whenever I hear “4th Chamber” that first verse always makes me shudder.

Posted on December 26, 2004 01:16 AM | #

4. Chris Hester said:

I’ve never been a big fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, but I liked Ghostface Killah’s Pretty Toney album. I have to say though RZA’s soundtrack work on Kill Bill was phenomenal!

Posted on December 27, 2004 02:42 PM | #

5. Walking Wounded said:

Gza’s Liquid Swords is a classic no doubt. Living in Strong Island, NY my whole life I have never seen a group in Hip Hop so diversified and talented. I’ll admit that in ‘92 I was skeptical when kids in the hallways were passing mix/demo tapes around of the Wu-Tang saying the group had “like 9 emcees” and they were all “the bomb.” My palette at that point was mostly De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, BDP, etc. But then I heard Wu-Tang and was like, “holy #&@*!” Awesome indeed.

Gza is one of my favorites in the Wu-Tang Clan because he has extremely well written lyrics. I actually have all of his solo releases because I think the lyrics are great on all of them. Rebel INS is also a fave because he has great rhymes as well. In my opinion Rza, Gza, Rebel INS or ODB are the most skilled.

Liquid Swords has those hard-edged rather dark beats that Rza is amazing for. A lot of people seemed to dismiss Rza when he entered his Bobby Digital era because everything was tricked out and smoothed out. I dig those releases too personally because tracks like NYC Everything and Brooklyn Babies are just so tight!

Posted on December 27, 2004 06:23 PM | #

6. k smith said:

The liquid swords album from the gza is the third greatest album in the history of hip/hop/rap, trailing only Wu’s 36 chambers (#2) and Wu Tang Forever (#1). One of the most underrated songs, lyrically, in the history of hip hop is Living in the World Today. The GZA doesn’t get enough credit for his verbals on this track. Liquid Swords, Duel of the Iron Mic, 4th chamber, and Shadowboxin’ are all top 20 Wu-Tang tracks. The Gza’s verbal expertise can be heard on many other top 20 tracks including TRIUMPH (#1), PROTECT YA NECK (#3), and SEVERE PUNISHMENT (#4).

Posted on August 1, 2005 03:07 PM | #