Words from the Genius
| Words from the Genius | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 19, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 63:39 | |||
| Label | Cold Chillin'/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records 26475 | |||
| Producer |
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| GZA chronology | ||||
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| Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology | ||||
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| Rerelease cover | ||||
 Words From The Genius (1994 re-release) | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Music City | (favorable)[2] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[3] |
Words from the Genius is the debut studio album by the American rapper GZA, under his previous stage name "The Genius". The album never charted, and GZA went on to co-found the Wu-Tang Clan in 1992 after the album's failure.
Album background[edit]
It was released on February 19, 1991. It is significant as one of the few albums released by a Wu-Tang Clan member before the founding of the group in late 1992 and one of only two pre- Wu-Tang clan releases any of the members recorded with a major label (the other is Ooh, I Love You, Rakeem EP by Prince Rakeem (RZA)).
Album re-release[edit]
It was re-released in 1994, with the song "Come Do Me" replaced by "Pass the Bone." Both versions are now out of print. In 2006, an expanded version was released by Traffic Entertainment Group, the owner of the bulk of the Cold Chillin' Records catalog.
"I was signed to Cold Chillin' 'bout five years ago," GZA recalled in 1995. "They put out an album but didn't promote it. They tried to put it out again last year after everything happened with the Clan, put a '94 date on it, but still didn't put any money behind it, so it didn't sell twice. I'm still proud of it, though. The beats ain't all that but, lyrically, shit was bangin'. So it wasn't all peaches and cream, but I was determined to break through. 'A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits.' Wu-Tang!!"[4]
Critical reception[edit]
The album received mixed reviews. Steve Juon, writing for RapReviews, stated: "Words From the Genius doesn’t go down as an all-time classic. [...] There are plenty of worthwhile moments here though. The anti-violence 'Stop the Nonsense,' the braggadocious 'Feel the Pain' and the Patrick Harvey produced 'What Are Silly Girls Made Of' stand the test of time even without the trademark dirty, grimy, kung-fu sampling sound GZA would become better known for with RZA’s help. This is pre-Wu, this is proto-Wu, but it’s not hard to see what Gary Grice would become in short order."[3]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Come Do Me" | Gary Eldridge Grice | Jesse West | 4:47 |
| 2. | "Phony As Ya Wanna Be" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 5:04 |
| 3. | "True Fresh M.C." | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 3:39 |
| 4. | "The Genius Is Slammin'" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Words from a Genius" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 5:05 |
| 6. | "Who's Your Rhymin' Hero" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:34 |
| 7. | "Feel the Pain" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Those Were the Days" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 4:37 |
| 9. | "Life of a Drug Dealer" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Stop the Nonsense" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Living Foul" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 4:22 |
| 12. | "Drama" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Stay Out of Bars" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 3:55 |
| 14. | "What Are Silly Girls Made of" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:32 |
| 15. | "Superfreak" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:38 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pass the Bone" (featuring Prince Rakeem) | 3:52 | ||
| 2. | "Life of a Drug Dealer" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 3:39 |
| 3. | "The Genius Is Slammin'" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Those Were the Days" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 4:37 |
| 5. | "What Silly Girls Are Made of" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:32 |
| 6. | "Living Foul" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Words from the Genius" |
| Easy Mo Bee | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Who's Your Rhymin' Hero" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:34 |
| 9. | "Phony As You Wanna Be" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 5:04 |
| 10. | "Stop the Nonsense" | Grice | Easy Mo Bee | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Superfreak" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 4:38 |
| 12. | "Stay Out of Bars" | Grice | Patrick Harvey | 3:55 |
{{track listing
| headline = 2006 re-release
| extra_column = Producer(s)
Same track listing as the original release with three bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | {{{extra_column}}} | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Pass the Bone" (featuring Prince Rakeem) | 3:52 | ||
| 17. | "Words from the Genius" (Prince Rakeem Remix) |
| Prince Rakeem | 3:31 |
| 18. | "Come Do Me" (Dub Remix) | Grice |
| 4:50 |
References[edit]
- ^ Jason Birchmeier. "Words from the Genius - The Genius | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
- ^ "Genius - Words From The Genius : the album description, tracks, reviews". Music-city.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
- ^ a b The Genius (GZA) :: Words from the Genius - RapReviews
- ^ Select, January 1996
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