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There were so many Wu-Tang-related projects released during 1998 and 1999 that listeners -- and even fans -- could be forgiven for a bit of apathy regarding the second solo effort by Wu-Tang's Genius/GZA. The collective's trademark detuned strings had gone from de rigueur to downright dated by mid-1999, and except for a well-received RZA solo album earlier in the year, the lead in hip-hop's hype game appeared to have been taken over by Timbaland's brand of future funk. It may not have proved the commercial smash of a proper Wu-Tang LP, but Genius/GZA's Beneath the Surface is a worthy continuation and development of the Wu-Tang Clan conglomeration. The best tracks here, "Amplified Sample" and "Crash Your Crew," are quintessentially Wu-Tang, but with important tweaks to the trademark sound. The crisp, clean production -- by Wu associates Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, and Arabian Priest -- sounds much better than any project that had been recently issued (even RZA's Bobby Digital), and GZA's raps prove he's the most innovative and talented vocalist Wu-Tang had to offer. The only failure (at least in terms of sound) is "Victim," a cloying track with a bit of scratched acoustic guitar and some X Files-styled strings. Other than a few "skits" that disturb the flow, Beneath the Surface is arguably the best thing to come out of the Wu camp since their second proper album, Forever.
© John Bush /TiVo
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GZA, Producer - NONE, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Ronald Bean, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Mathemetics, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Jason Hunter, ComposerLyricist - Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Santi White, ComposerLyricist - Killah Priest, FeaturedArtist - Jason Scott "Rebel-INS." Hunter, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Walter Reed, ComposerLyricist - Inspectah Deck, Producer - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
GZA, Producer - Unknown, ComposerLyricist - NONE, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
GZA, Producer - Unknown, ComposerLyricist - NONE, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Ol' Dirty Bastard, FeaturedArtist - Russell Jones, ComposerLyricist - Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RZA, FeaturedArtist - John Hitchmon, Jr., ComposerLyricist - John Hitchmon, ComposerLyricist - John the Baptist, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Sulayman Ansari, ComposerLyricist - Arabian Knight, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Elgin Turner, ComposerLyricist - Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Masta Killa, FeaturedArtist - Ronald Bean, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Mathematics, Producer - Mathemetics, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Robert Diggs, ComposerLyricist - Robert F. "Prince Rakeem" Diggs, ComposerLyricist - Dreddy Kruger, FeaturedArtist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RZA, FeaturedArtist - Sulayman Ansari, ComposerLyricist - Hell Raizah, FeaturedArtist - Tim Drayton, ComposerLyricist - Ch'Ron Smith, ComposerLyricist - Jason Dockery, ComposerLyricist - Timbo King, FeaturedArtist - Arabian Knight, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
GZA, Producer - Unknown, ComposerLyricist - NONE, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Elgin Turner, ComposerLyricist - Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Masta Killa, FeaturedArtist - Robert Diggs, ComposerLyricist - Killah Priest, FeaturedArtist - Robert F. "Prince Rakeem" Diggs, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Walter Reed, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RZA, Producer - Njeri, FeaturedArtist - Kristal Moss, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
GZA, Producer - Unknown, ComposerLyricist - NONE, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Sulayman Ansari, ComposerLyricist - Njeri, FeaturedArtist - Kristal Moss, ComposerLyricist - Joan Davis, FeaturedArtist - Arabian Knight, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Ronald Bean, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Mathematics, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Killah Priest, FeaturedArtist - Walter Reed, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist - Hell Raizah, FeaturedArtist - Ch'Ron Smith, ComposerLyricist - Trigga, FeaturedArtist - Prodical Sun, FeaturedArtist - Virgil Ruff, ComposerLyricist - Thomas Cassidy, ComposerLyricist - Mathematics, Producer - Mathemetics, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Clifford Smith, ComposerLyricist - Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Method Man, FeaturedArtist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Sulayman Ansari, ComposerLyricist - Arabian Knight, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Gary Grice, ComposerLyricist - Ronald Bean, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Mathematics, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Royal Fam, FeaturedArtist - Lason Jackson, ComposerLyricist - GZA/Genius, MainArtist - Sulayman Ansari, ComposerLyricist - Tim Drayton, ComposerLyricist - The Darkman, FeaturedArtist - Arabian Knight, Producer
℗ 1999 Geffen Records
Album review
There were so many Wu-Tang-related projects released during 1998 and 1999 that listeners -- and even fans -- could be forgiven for a bit of apathy regarding the second solo effort by Wu-Tang's Genius/GZA. The collective's trademark detuned strings had gone from de rigueur to downright dated by mid-1999, and except for a well-received RZA solo album earlier in the year, the lead in hip-hop's hype game appeared to have been taken over by Timbaland's brand of future funk. It may not have proved the commercial smash of a proper Wu-Tang LP, but Genius/GZA's Beneath the Surface is a worthy continuation and development of the Wu-Tang Clan conglomeration. The best tracks here, "Amplified Sample" and "Crash Your Crew," are quintessentially Wu-Tang, but with important tweaks to the trademark sound. The crisp, clean production -- by Wu associates Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, and Arabian Priest -- sounds much better than any project that had been recently issued (even RZA's Bobby Digital), and GZA's raps prove he's the most innovative and talented vocalist Wu-Tang had to offer. The only failure (at least in terms of sound) is "Victim," a cloying track with a bit of scratched acoustic guitar and some X Files-styled strings. Other than a few "skits" that disturb the flow, Beneath the Surface is arguably the best thing to come out of the Wu camp since their second proper album, Forever.
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 00:46:08
- Main artists: GZA/Genius
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen*
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 1999 Geffen Records ℗ 1999 Geffen Records
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