GZA

GZA
GZA at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022
Background information
Birth nameGary Eldridge Grice
Also known asThe Genius
Born (1966-08-22) August 22, 1966
New York City, U.S.
GenresEast Coast hip-hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active1990–present
Labels
Member ofWu-Tang Clan
Signature

Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈɪzə/ JIZ) and the Genius, is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member. He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with his second album Liquid Swords (1995).

His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow". An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has one of the largest vocabularies in popular hip hop music. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop.