Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by the American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film Shogun Assassin and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout, incorporating lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy. Liquid Swords features numerous guest appearances from the other eight members of Wu-Tang Clan along with Wu-Tang affiliate Killah Priest.
Walter Reed, better known by his stage name Killah Priest, is an American rapper, a member of Sunz of Man, and a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his intensely spiritual lyrics, containing religious references and metaphors. He is connected to the Black Hebrew Israelites through his rhymes, and is known for his controversial and political subject matter. He is also a part of supergroup the HRSMN along with Canibus, Ras Kass, and Kurupt.
Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) are an American underground hip hop group from Philadelphia, founded in 1996 by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. In 1999, rapper Jus Allah joined the group to record their second studio album, Violent by Design. Jus left the group shortly after, but returned in late 2006 and began working on the sixth studio album, A History of Violence. In 2011 Stoupe left the group because "his heart wasn't in making JMT records anymore". In 2013, Jus split from the group indefinitely, and Stoupe returned in 2015.
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
Army of the Pharaohs is an American underground hip hop collective originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks founder Vinnie Paz in 1998. The collective has strong links to other underground east coast groups such as OuterSpace, Snowgoons, La Coka Nostra, Demigodz, 7L & Esoteric, and JuJu Mob. AOTP's affiliations and member roster has changed several times since its formation.
Derrick Harris, better known by his stage name True Master, is an American hip-hop record producer and rapper, known for his affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan.
Violent by Design is the second album by underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Despite never reaching any Billboard album chart, the album sold 50,000 copies in its first week on shelves. The album was originally released on JMT's self-run Superegular Records on October 3, 2000. JMT's previous label, Babygrande Records, re-released the album on May 25, 2004. The original vinyl release featured twenty tracks, while the original CD release featured two extra tracks: the "Heavenly Divine Remix", originally released on the B-Side to JMT's "Heavenly Divine" single, and "War Ensemble", originally released as the B-Side of the Army of the Pharaohs Five Perfect Exertions EP. Babygrande's Deluxe Edition featured three more bonus tracks: "Untitled", "Retaliation Remix" and "Blood Runs Cold", the latter two originally featured on the "Retaliation" single. The Deluxe Edition also included a bonus DVD, featuring a video scrapbook from their Visions of Gandhi tour, and the music video for the group's 1997 track "I Who Have Nothing".
Out of Business is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. The album was originally scheduled for a December 1998 release under Def Jam Recordings, but had been delayed numerous times as a result of a merger between Seagram's PolyGram and Universal Music Group's MCA Records, combining Def Jam and Island Records' operations together under the Island Def Jam Music Group. Ultimately, the album was released on July 20, 1999. It is the first official Def Jam album released under the newly-formed Island Def Jam Music Group and the group's last album released under the label as they left the imprint a year later before going inactive for the second time.
James Bostick, better known by his stage name Jus Allah, is an American rapper from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known for being a former member of Philadelphia-based hip hop groups Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) and Army of the Pharaohs (AOTP).
Lorenzo Dechalus, known professionally as Lord Jamar, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he discovered Dead Prez and got them signed to Loud Records.
Vincenzo Luviner, better known as Vinnie Paz, is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He is also the frontman of the hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs.
The 5% Album is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Lord Jamar. It was released on June 27, 2006 via Babygrande Records. Production was handled by DJ Preservation, Gensu Dean, Big Throwback, Bronze Nazareth, Reality Allah, Young Justice, and Jamar himself, who also served as executive producer together with Chuck Wilson. It features guest appearances from 40 Bandits, Horse, Kasim Allah, Popa Wu, Prodigal Sunn, Queen Tahera Earth, Raekwon, Reality Allah, RZA, Young Dirty Bastard, Young Justice, Lord Jamar's son Young Lord, and fellow Brand Nubian members Grand Puba and Sadat X. The album peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Understand This is the third solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Grand Puba. It was released on October 23, 2001 through Koch Records. Recording sessions took place at Acme Recording Studios in Mamaroneck, New York. Production was handled by Grand Puba and Lord Jamar. It features guest appearances from Tiffany Johnson, Khadijah Mohammed, The Restless, and fellow Brand Nubian members Sadat X and Lord Jamar. The album did not reach the Billboard 200, however, it peaked at number 32 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 12 on the Independent Albums charts in the United States. The album produced three singles: "Understand This", "Up & Down", and "Issues".
Blue Sky Black Death was a production duo with ties to the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Washington. It consisted of Ryan Maguire, better known by his stage name Kingston, and Ian Taggart, better known by his stage name Young God, or, later, Televangel. They are known principally for their hip-hop and instrumental music, made with a mixture of live instrumentation and sampling. Their name is "a skydiving phrase alluding to beauty and death."
The RZA Hits is a compilation album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, composed of songs featured on the first Wu-Tang album and its first round of solo albums. All songs were produced by member RZA, apart from "Brooklyn Zoo", which was produced by Ol' Dirty Bastard and True Master.
The Book of Shabazz (Hidden Scrollz) is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Shabazz the Disciple. It was released on October 7, 2003, through Battle Axe Records. Recording sessions took place between 1995 and 2003 at Firehouse Studio, D&D Studios and Streetlight Studios in New York City, at Buhdha's House, at House Of Hits in Chestnut Ridge, at Tucan Studio in Kornwestheim, at YB Studios in São Paulo, and at Frico's Lab in Leonberg. Production was handled by Baby J, DJ Irfane, Lord Jamar, Carlos Bess, Dams & Sla, DJ Friction, DJ Skinny, Jose "Choco" Reynoso, MistaJam, The Prunes, Zé Gonzales, and Shabazz himself, with Madchild serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Freestyle, Killah Priest, Lil' Dap, Lord Jamar, Poetic, R.H. Bless and Young Anutt.
Necronomicon is a 2006 album by The Devil'z Rejects, a duo consisting of Jedi Mind Tricks member Jus Allah and Boston rapper Bomshot. The album was allegedly released without the knowledge of Jus Allah and many of the album's contributors. It's been rumored that Bomshot, a former label-mate of Jus on Virtuoso's Omnipotent Records, stole the masters for Jus' original unreleased version of All Fates Have Changed, and crafted the album himself. The album features production from Kingston of Blue Sky Black Death and Snowgoons, and guest appearances from GZA, U-God, Snacky Chan, Chief Kamachi, Shabazz the Disciple and Virtuoso. The album received moderately positive reviews, due to the production and Jus' vocals. Necronomicon received little attention, but sold moderately well online, reaching the top 10 on the bestsellers list for both January and February 2007.
Blue Sky Black Death is a production duo based in Seattle, Washington. It consists of Kingston Maguire, better known mononymously as Kingston, and Ian Taggart, better known by his stage name Young God. They are known principally for their hip hop and instrumental music, made with a mixture of live instrumentation and sampling.
No Said Date is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa. The album was released on June 1, 2004, by Nature Sounds. The album features guest appearances from Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Street Life, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Allah Real, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and GZA.
