GZA Performs for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert

GZA graced the stage for a rare performance for the latest installment of NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" series. The Wu-Tang member was joined for some live instrumentation by 8-piece band The Soul Rebels and performed three tracks from his iconic Liquid Swords.

The 51-year-old sets the tone with a deep cut from his 1995 classic "Living in the World Today" giving fans a dose of nostalgia. He later moved into "Duel of the Iron Mic," where the Brooklyn native took on the role of his late cousin, Ol' Dirty Bastard, rapping his brash hook as tribute.

By the third song, GZA was sweating profusely and requested a towel to cool off for a bit. He later detailed the origin story behind how Liquid Swords' title track came together. "This was a song recorded in Staten Island. We were in the slums of Shaolin in the basement. I was with RZA and Master Killah. We were drinking 40s, there was a little smoke in the air and we were playing chess and strategizing," he recalls.

"RZA said, 'I got this beat I want you to hear and see if you could rock to it.' He said, 'You should rock that routine we used to do back in the day.' This routine was about ten years old and something we were doing when we were teenagers," GZA recollects before culminating the great experience.

Things apparently aren't all good on the Wu-Tang Clan front. U-God recently released his memoir which took aim at RZA's mismanagement that he claims led to fractures within the group, who still occasionally perform together over the years.

Check out GZA's performance at NPR in full below.

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Filed Under: GZA