Similar Albums:
- Artist: GZA/Genius
- Rating:
- Release Date: June 29, 1999
- Type: Contains explicit content, Enhanced CD-ROM
- Genre: Rap
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, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Intro | GZA | (1:17) | |
| Amplified Sample (Lyrics) | Killah Priest, GZA, |
(3:31) | |
| Beneath the Surface (Lyrics) | Killah Priest, |
(4:29) | |
| Skit #1 | GZA | (:37) | |
| Skit #2 | GZA | (:31) | |
| Crash Your Crew (Lyrics) | GZA, |
(3:07) | |
| Breaker, Breaker (Lyrics) | GZA | (3:38) | |
| High Price, Small Reward (Lyrics) | Masta Killa, |
(1:43) | |
| Hip Hop Fury (Lyrics) | (3:44) | ||
| Skit #3 | GZA | (:47) | |
| 1112 (Lyrics) | Killah Priest, |
(4:18) | |
| Skit #4 | GZA | (:45) | |
| Victim (Lyrics) | (4:04) | ||
| Publicity (Lyrics) | GZA | (2:37) | |
| Feel Like an Enemy (Lyrics) | Killah Priest, GZA, |
(3:12) | |
| Stringplay (Like This, Like That) | Method Man, |
(3:18) | |
| Mic Trippin (Lyrics) | GZA | (2:59) | |
| Outro | LA the Darkman, GZA, |
(4:04) |
