GZA has announced the news that the “Liquid Swords” UK tour will be rescheduled until 2022. The legendary artist’s 25th-anniversary tour has been postponed due to COVID restrictions.
The American rapper, actor and songwriter is best known as a founding member of the pioneering hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. The “Liquid Swords” tour is to celebrate 25 years since the release of the artist’s second solo studio album Liquid Swords, the album was released on 7th November 1995 and has remained a vital part of HipHop’s cannon.
The tour was meant to start this March with the original first date at Electric Brixton located in London, the tours initial last performance was to be held in Edinburgh. However, due to the ongoing impact in which COVID-19 has had on live music and social events, the tour will now start in February 2022. Consisting of eight dates, the tour will commence with a set in Brighton on 25th February as well as a newly included performance in Sheffield.
Liquid Swords has been certified platinum and features samples of dialogue taken from the famed martial arts film Shogun Assassin, released in 1980 the film was directed by Robert Houston and David Weisman. The album also features guest appearances from Wu-Tang Clan members and the group’s extended member Killah Priest. Sometimes referred to as The Genius, GZA has remained the eldest member of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as the group’s first member to obtain a record deal. The artist’s original talent is recognised through his individualistic lyrical topics which include philosophical themes, the rapper’s lyrics hold the second-largest vocabulary within HipHop
Wu-Tang Clan consists of nine members including GZA and is known as one of the most influential groups in music. The group comprises of HipHop’s most distinguished artists, RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa. The collective was formed in 1992 within Staten Island by GZA and his cousin RZA, the group are an essential part of the East Coast Hip Hop style and are regarded as a pioneers within the genre. In 2019 tragic news was announced that the group’s mentor and long-term collaborator Popa Wu had passed away at the age of 63, GZA and other members posted emotional tributes to the artist.
The group’s first studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was released on 9th November 1993 via Loud Records and was produced by RZA. Similar to Liquid Swords, the group’s initial release takes inspiration from two martial arts films, Enter The Dragon and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, both films acted as inspiration for the album’s title. The album further popularised hardcore Hip Hop within the 1990s and is recognized for leading the way into the East Coast Renaissance, a movement that paved the way for the next generation of East Coast Hip hop rappers such as The Notorious B.I.G and Nas.
The group are also known for their philanthropic acts, last year Wu-Tang Clan released the campaign “A Better Tomorrow” in aid of the charities Ottawa Mission, the Ottawa Food Bank and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The collection included two products, the printed guide entitled “Protect ya’ neck against Coronavirus” and a hand sanitiser called “Protect ya Hands”.
It has been announced that the original tickets bought for the tour will be valid for the rescheduled dates next year. Full details of the UK tour can be found below.
25/02/2022 – Concorde 2 – Brighton
26/02 – Electric Brixton – London
27/02 – SWX – Bristol
28/02 – Riverside – Newcastle
01/03 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
02/03 – O2 Ritz – Manchester
03/03 – Belgrave Music Hall – Leeds
05/03 – Foundry – Sheffield
