GZA, Sept. 11, Trocadero

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GZA, Sept. 11, Trocadero

POSTED: Friday, September 12, 2008, 9:05 PM

Filed Under: Music Show

My style broke motherfuckin' backs like Ken Patera

Photo | Jimmy Viola

The demand for GZA to perform 1995's Liquid Swords — hailed as one of greatest East Coast albums of all time and easily the best Wu-Tang solo effort — more than 10 years after its release is proof that praise for the cerebral rapper is warranted. Especially when one considers how The Genius chose to run through the album live, in its entirety, less than a month after releasing Pro Tools, his latest effort.

When GZA appeared on stage just shy of midnight sporting a stylish Sean John shirt, the crowd roared loud enough to rival the Shogun Assassin-lifted Swords introduction booming over the speaker system. From there, he burst through classics — the title track, "Cold World," "Shadowboxin'," "I Gotcha Back" — seldom wasting a breath, as if to make up for the 45 minutes it took for him to get onstage.

Given more than a decade to study the album's lyrics, the audience, which ranged from hardcore hip-hop kids to average-looking chums who could've just as easily fit in at a U2 concert, had ample opportunities for Wu singalongs. The constant crowd participation made it a blunt joint effort that kept energy high. Some 13 years after its inception, Liquid Swords remains cutting edge.

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