GZA/Genius kills it at Foufounes

Posted 28 Jan 2010 in Music,Shows

Need we say more? We were lucky enough to see GZA, aka Genius, the founding father and mastermind behind the Wu Tang Clan, at Foufounes Electronique last night. For those of you who are unfamiliar with his work, the GZA is one of the most influential hip-hop producers and rappers of the last 20 years. Along with bringing together the legendary Wu Tang Clan, the GZA has had his hands in different projects for years, including his 6 solo albums and those of his fellow clansmen. His years of performance experience were clear from the moment he walked on stage. The lights went down, the chilling introduction from “Liquid Swords” (lifted from the Kung-Fu cult classic Shogun Assassin) came through the speakers and the crowd went berserk. GZA came out and ripped through about half the Liquid Swords album, seamlessly switching from one song to the next, making it perfectly clear that the veteran has done this more than a few times. From there he went in to some Wu Tang classics and some newer material, at points even rapping other member’s parts. He didn’t miss a beat all night, and his preparation and skill came through both in his tremendous stage presence and in his ability to keep the crowd going wild all night long.

I feel as though a note about the venue is in order at this point. For those of you who have never been to Foufounes, believe me when I say it’s not a big club. The dancefloor was packed to the gills and there was still a crowd of people outside trying to get in to the sold out show. The floor was shaking at more than one point, but despite the crowd, the performance still had an intimate feeling to it, everyone in the room recognized that they were up close and personal with the Genius. (Much crowd surfing ensued, some of it with less than spectacular results.) Montreal, you never fail to impress, and last night it was pretty clear that, even after all these years, Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothin to fuck with.

We’ll leave you with some tracks, and if you haven’t already, get your hands on Liquid Swords (1996), it’s definitely one of the all-time classics.