DJ Muggs vs GZA "Grandmasters" 2x LP VG+ Cypress Hill Wu-Tang Clan RZA Raekwon

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DJ Muggs vs GZA "Grandmasters" 2x LP Angeles Records/Up Above UPA 3115-1 (US)

Record is is VG+!!, Jacket is VG+

Out of Print!! Original Press!!

Track Listing:

Soul Assassins

In 1997, Muggs released an album under the name Soul Assassins. The album, Soul Assassins I, reached #86 on the Billboard 200 and earned critical praise.  Produced by Muggs, it featured Dr. Dre, B-Real, LA Tha Darkman, Mobb Deep, RZA, GZA, Goodie Mob, KRS-One and Wyclef Jean. In 2000 he returned to the Soul Assassins with Soul Assassins II, which reached only #178 on the charts but garnered similarly positive reviews. He also put out the record Dust, an atmosphere-heavy trip hop affair with Greg Dulli, Amy Trujillo and Everlast on vocals. After the 2004 album Til Death Do Us Part, which reached #23 on the Billboard200, Cypress Hill went on a hiatus from recording, enabling its members to focus more on their side projects.

Further solo projects and return of Cypress Hill (2005–2010)

In 2005, DJ Muggs teamed up with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA for the album Grandmasters, the first project released on his label Angeles Records. Patterned after a chess game, it received positive reviews; Muggs also announced a Soul Assassins III album, produced jointly by himself and Alchemist, reportedly to be preceded by a record called Cloak & Dagger, also featuring Alchemist. Instead, Muggs produced an album for Psycho Realm member Sick Jacken, Legend of the Mask and the Assassin two years later, in 2007. In 2008, Muggs announced that his album with California rapper Planet Asia would be the third Soul Assassins album,[10] but the two released Pain Language later that year as a simple collaboration.

Before the release of his solo album Smoke N Mirrors in 2009, B-Real reported that Cypress Hill has been working on an album for roughly a year. Currently in the mixing phase, Muggs has produced half of the album's material so far, going to DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Mike Shinoda for the rest. In 2009, Muggs entered the Gumball 3000 cross-country race, and on June 23, 2009, Soul Assassins: Intermission was released, featuring RZA, Prodigy, Evidence, The Alchemist and Bun B. The first single for the album was "Gangsta Shit," by Bun B and M1 of Dead Prez. Despite its high-profile guest list, the release was met with lukewarm reception, and Muggs later clarified its status as a preview before the release of Soul Assassins III, the next full-fledged installment of his Soul Assassins series.  Muggs plans next on recording his 5th V.S. album with group member B-Real. & in 2013 he confirmed a VS album with Meyhem Lauren as well.

On the Soul Assassins official website, it was also revealed that Muggs will contribute Production to the new album from rapper Apathy, "Honkey Kong" Due out in early 2011. The Track is Titled "Fear Itself"

In 2011, Muggs plans on releasing a new album called "Bass For Your Face" which he describes as a West Coast Dubstep album. Although he says the album will feature an extensive guest list, thus far the only guest named is London Grime MC P-Money. In October 2011, Muggs confirmed via his Twitter account that legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D would contribute to the album, and the lead single would feature UK artist Dizzee Rascal & Los Angeles upstart MC Bambu.

Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/?d??z?/ jiz-?) and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is known as the group's "spiritual head", being both the oldest and the first within the group to receive a record deal. He has appeared on his fellow Clan members' solo projects, and since the release of his critically acclaimed solo album Liquid Swords (1995), he has maintained a successful solo career.

In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.

An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has the second largest vocabulary in hip hop music, behind Aesop Rock, in a sample of 75 rappers. The Wu-Tang Clan, as a collective, and several of its individual members were also in the top 10.

Solo career

After appearing on the Wu-Tang Clan's second album, Wu-Tang Forever, GZA released Beneath the Surface in 1999. Grice put in appearances on The W, Iron Flag and some of his group members' solo projects, but did not release another of his own until 2002 with Legend of the Liquid Sword. The album was received well by critics, but did not achieve commercial success, failing to go Gold as his previous release had. GZA spent 2004 touring, both solo and with the Clan, and made an appearance with RZA in Jim Jarmusch's film Coffee and Cigarettes, opposite Bill Murray.

In 2005, GZA and DJ Muggs (the producer for hip-hop group Cypress Hill) released the LP Grandmasters. Muggs provided all the production for the album, which saw GZA using chess as a metaphor for the rap game.[7] The album received positive reviews and modest commercial success. He then partook in the recording of groupmate Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, originally stating that he was heavily featured along with Inspectah Deck, though he was later unsure about the status of his presence on the project.

In 2007, GZA teamed up with the Wu-Tang Clan to record the group album 8 Diagrams, and in the ensuing controversy, defended both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's rights to speak their mind, and RZA's production job on the album. In the summer of 2008, he released the album Pro Tools which featured production from Black Milk and past collaborators Jay "Waxxx" Garfield, RZA, Mathematics and True Master. A very controversial song on the album was entitled "Paper Plates" a smooth flowing response aimed at rival rapper 50 Cent. After the release GZA toured various parts of Europe on a "Liquid Swords Tour" where he performed songs from Liquid Swords as well as Pro Tools. He later toured parts of the USA. GZA also stated his wish to record another full album with RZA.

In 2009, GZA made appearances on two more Wu-Tang Clan albums. The first being on a song entitled "Stomp da Roach" on the album Dopium, by fellow clan member U-God, the other being appearances on the tracks "We Will Rob You", "Rockstars" and "House of Flying Daggers", on Raekwon's album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II. The Genius continued to tour during the year, appearing on the "Rock The Bells" lineup and also performing at the NXNE music festival in Canada. RZA confirmed that he will be producing Liquid Swords II: The Return of the Shadowboxer. GZA also made an appearance in a video for Devendra Banhart's song titled"Baby". GZA confirmed that Killah Priest will perform a solo song on Liquid Swords II, similar to "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)", to act as the closer to the album just like the original.

GZA has also begun work on a concept album called Dark Matter, which is based on a journey through time and space. He will also be appearing on the upcoming collaboration album between producers Pete Rock & DJ Premier V.S. album appearing on Premier's track. In a recent lecture, GZA also hinted at the possibility of an album "without a Parental Advisory sticker", after denouncing profanity in hip-hop as "filler which is not needed". GZA is currently working to improve science education in New York City through a partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University Professor, Christopher Emdin and website, Rap Genius. This initiative motivates young people to learn science through creating raps and engaging in a rap competition.

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