Dec 3

Dec 3 Review: GZA at Eulogy

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Malice of the hip-hop duo Clipse reflected on his group’s long-awaited comeback in 2025 and addressed the eternal question of whether or not rap is a young man’s game.

“i like to think that we slammed the door on ageism in hip-hop,” he said. “That’s a stigma that probably never should have existed, and hopefully that’s done away with.”

While Malice and his brother Pusha T broke through in 2001 with their Neptunes-produced single “Grindin’,” they have roots in the early ’90s Virginia Beach rap scene. And their fourth studio album, Let God Sort “Em Out — which is deservedly up for Album of the Year at next year’s Grammys — speaks to that experience while still feeling wonderfully fresh.

Indeed, it’s a good time to be an OG. Just before Thanksgiving, De La Soul released its first album in nine years, featuring collaborations with fellow veterans Q-Tip, Black Thought, Slick Rick, Common, Killer Mike, and Nas — the latter of whose long-awaited album Light-Years with DJ Premier will be out Dec. 12.

So it’s only appropriate that, for two nights in late November, the legendary GZA performed sold-out shows at Eulogy to honor the 30th anniversary of his landmark sophomore album, Liquid Swords, an LP that remains one of hip-hop’s shining stars. Brooklyn-based artist Skyzoo — who has honorary NC status via his numerous 9th Wonder and Justus League collaborations — and his St. Louis labelmate Landon Wordswell paid homage to this legacy with their own energetic sets, hyping up attendees with creative flows, witty lyrics and, in Wordswell’s case, joining fans on the floor to boldly perform multiple numbers.

Just before 10 p.m., the main event walked out on stage to thunderous cheers. And true to his original moniker, The Genius, this ageless wonder from the Wu-Tang Clan confidently and seemingly effortlessly spat complex rhymes from across the collection — though not in track-by-track order, a choice equal parts refreshing (a good set list yields more mystery and drama than a mere “predictable” performance) and frustrating (we came to see Liquid Swords, not a mixtape).

Smoothing out any wrinkles that arose from this decision were the dialed-in sounds of backing band The Phunky Nomads, a talented quartet featuring GZA’s cousin — and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s oldest brother — Ramsey Jones on drums and PhearNone on multiple instruments, namely violin, which he bent to his will to recreate iconic samples from the MC’s catalog. Though it took a few songs for the sound mix to adjust and not drown out GZA’s vocals with the band, the venue’s technicians soon found the proper balance for the rest of the evening.

Much to the delight of the reverent, largely Gen X and Y crowd, the headliner also worked in takes on Wu-Tang classics “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Triumph,” and “Reunited,” plus solo hits by his group-mates Raekwon (“Criminology”) and ODB (“Shimmy Shimmy Ya”). But this was a celebration of Liquid Swords and the set-closing rendition of the title track — complete with intriguing insights into the chorus’ creation, long ago with his cousin RZA — further cemented the lyricist’s greatness and that of his crowning achievement.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)