Words from the Genius

Words from the Genius
Studio album by The Genius
Released February 19, 1991
Recorded 1990–91
Genre Hip-hop
Length 63:39
Label Cold Chillin', Reprise, Warner Bros. Records
Producer Easy Mo Bee, Patrick Harvey, Jesse West
The Genius chronology
Words from the Genius
(1991)
Liquid Swords
(1995)
Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology
Words from the Genius
(1991)
Prince Rakeem: Ooh I Love You Rakeem
(1991)
Alternative cover
Words From The Genius (1994 re-release)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Music City(favorable)[2]

Words from the Genius is the debut album by the American rapper GZA, under his previous stage name "The Genius". The album was released on February 19, 1991. It is historically significant as one of the only albums released by a Wu-Tang Clan member before the founding of the group in 1992, and only one of 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).

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.'"[3]

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Come Do Me"  Jesse West 4:47
2. "Phony As Ya Wanna Be"  Easy Mo Bee 5:04
3. "True Fresh M.C."  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"  Patrick Harvey 4:34
7. "Feel the Pain"  Easy Mo Bee 3:39
8. "Those Were the Days"  Easy Mo Bee 4:37
9. "Life of a Drug Dealer"  Easy Mo Bee 3:39
10. "Stop the Nonsense"  Easy Mo Bee 3:41
11. "Living Foul"  Easy Mo Bee 4:22
12. "Drama"  Easy Mo Bee 3:59
13. "Stay Out of Bars"  Patrick Harvey 3:55
14. "What Are Silly Girls Made of"  Patrick Harvey 4:32
15. "Superfreak"  Patrick Harvey 4:38

References

  1. Jason Birchmeier. "Words from the Genius - The Genius | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  2. "Genius - Words From The Genius : the album description, tracks, reviews". Music-city.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  3. Select, January 1996
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