Grandmasters (album)
Encyclopedia
Grandmasters is a collaborative album by DJ Muggs
and GZA
released on October 25, 2005 on Angeles Records
. The album is the first in the "DJ Muggs vs. " series, followed by his 2007 collaboration with Sick Jacken, Legend of the Mask and the Assassin
, 2008s Pain Language
with Planet Asia
and 2010s Kill Devil Hills together with Ill Bill
. Grandmasters serves as GZA's fifth studio album.
, RZA
, Masta Killa
and Prodigal Sunn
as well as Cypress Hill member Sen Dog
. All of its tracks are produced by DJ Muggs. It has a theme of chess
as can be seen by the track names. Introductions featuring chess strategy, including instruction for a chess opening
using algebraic notation
, are within the album. The album was also released in 'Instrumental
s' and 'Remix
' versions. The latter containing a bonus DVD featuring world tour and studio footage.
Grandmasters Remix (ANG-1005)
DJ Muggs
Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
and GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
released on October 25, 2005 on Angeles Records
Angeles Records
Angeles Records is an independent hip hop record label. Its major signed artist are DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, GZA / The Genius and Mitchy Slick. It is a part of the Fontana Distribution group, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group....
. The album is the first in the "DJ Muggs vs. " series, followed by his 2007 collaboration with Sick Jacken, Legend of the Mask and the Assassin
Legend of the Mask and the Assassin
Legend of the Mask and the Assassin is an album by DJ Muggs and Sick Jacken of Psycho Realm, featuring Cynic of Street Platoon and Sick Symphonies...
, 2008s Pain Language
Pain Language
Pain Language is a collaborative album by producer DJ Muggs and rapper Planet Asia, released on September 16, 2008 on Gold Chain Music. The album is the third in the "DJ Muggs vs. " series, following his 2005 collaboration with GZA, Grandmasters, and his 2007 collaboration with Sick Jacken, Legend...
with Planet Asia
Planet Asia
Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
and 2010s Kill Devil Hills together with Ill Bill
Ill Bill
William Braunstein, better known as Ill Bill, is a American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Having gained notoriety in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his hardcore lyrics and as the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records...
. Grandmasters serves as GZA's fifth studio album.
Inspiration and album title
"ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
is the ultimate board gameBoard gameA board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
. MonopolyMonopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
is not in its league and Checkers doesn’t compare at all. It’s civilized war. It’s a mathematical thing, its science, and it’s strategy. That’s life all the time. Just planning your day, being ten steps ahead and seeing the moves ahead. That’s what chess is about. I’m not the greatest player. I’m not a master or a grandmaster. I lose a lot, but I learn. I’ve been defeated plenty times. I play online and I might have 900 wins and 850 losses but I play all the time. The game is fascinating and I am captivated by that. The album I just dropped is called Grandmasters. That’s the highest level you reach when playing chess and it’s also the highest level of emceeing, producing and deejaying. Most of the titles are chess slang ‘Queen’s Gambit,’ ‘Destruction of a Guard,’ ‘Unprotected Pieces,’ and ‘Illusionary Protection.’ I incorporate chess into certain rhymes. I use chess all time. Chess is a big part of what I do." - GZAGZAGary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
Album information
It features Wu-Tang Clan members and affiliates such as RaekwonRaekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, Masta Killa
Masta Killa
Jamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
and Prodigal Sunn
Prodigal Sunn
Prodigal Sunn is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur.- Biography :Prodigal Sunn was the only child of indigenous parents and grew up in Brooklyn. During his youth, Prodigal was known as the ‘Sun of Man’ and was later re-christened "Prodigal Sunn" by childhood friend Killah Priest in...
as well as Cypress Hill member Sen Dog
Sen Dog
Sen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
. All of its tracks are produced by DJ Muggs. It has a theme of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
as can be seen by the track names. Introductions featuring chess strategy, including instruction for a chess opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
using algebraic notation
Algebraic chess notation
Algebraic notation is a method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess. It is now standard among all chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers...
, are within the album. The album was also released in 'Instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s' and 'Remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
' versions. The latter containing a bonus DVD featuring world tour and studio footage.
Reception
- The WireThe Wire (magazine)The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
(p. 73) - "[T]here's a nice, hasty feel to the record, as though Muggs just threw a loop into the beat computer and GZA just started going....With Muggs's dirty, dashed-together beats and plenty of great guests."
- Vibe (p. 216) - "[With] the Cypress Hill vet's cryptic samples and glassy eyed grooves."
Track listing
Grandmasters (ANG-1001) / Grandmasters Instrumentals (ANG-1003)- "Opening" - 1:34
- "Those that's bout It" - 3:24
- "Destruction of a Guard" (feat. RaekwonRaekwonCorey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
) - 3:59 - "Exploitation of Mistakes" - 3:21
- "General Principles" - 3:39
- "Advance Pawns" (feat. RZARZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, Raekwon & Sen DogSen DogSen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
) - 4:02 - "Queen's Gambit" - 4:35
- "All in Together Now" (feat. RZA) - 4:24
- "Unstoppable Threats" (feat. Masta KillaMasta KillaJamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
& Prodigal SunnProdigal SunnProdigal Sunn is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur.- Biography :Prodigal Sunn was the only child of indigenous parents and grew up in Brooklyn. During his youth, Prodigal was known as the ‘Sun of Man’ and was later re-christened "Prodigal Sunn" by childhood friend Killah Priest in...
) - 3:44 - "Unprotected Pieces" - 3:29
- "Illusory Protection" - 4:27
- "Smothered Mate" - 3:12
Grandmasters Remix (ANG-1005)
- "Opening" - 0:28
- "Those that's bout It" - 2:55 (Remix by Dialekt)
- "Destruction of a Guard" (feat. Raekwon) - 3:27 (Remix by DJ KhalilDJ KhalilKhalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
feat. Ras Kaas) - "Exploitation of Mistakes" - 2:44 (Remix by James Alsanders)
- "General Principles" - 4:58 (Remix by LD)
- "Advance Pawns" (feat. RZA, Raekwon & Sen Dog) - 3:41 (Remix by King Karnov)
- "Queen's Gambit" - 3:39 (Remix by DJ SoloDJ SoloDave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...
) - "All in Together Now" (feat. RZA) - 3:29 (Remix by DJ Solo)
- "Unstoppable Threats" (feat. Masta Killa & Prodigal Sunn) - 3:18 (Remix by Lewis One)
- "Unprotected Pieces" - 4:23 (Remix by St. Louis)
- "Illusory Protection" - 3:00 (Remix by LD)
- "Smothered Mate" - 3:11 (Remix by Scoop DeVille)
Samples
- "Destruction of A Guard" - "Say the Word" by The DramaticsThe DramaticsThe Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. They are best known for their 1970s hit songs "In the Rain" and "Whatcha See is Whatcha Get", both of which were #1 R&B and Top 10 Pop hits.-Career:The Dramatics originally formed in 1962 recording as the...
. - "Unstoppable Threats" - "Look Up, Look Down" by Soft Touch.
- "General Principles" - "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" by Jerome RichardsonJerome RichardsonJerome Richardson was an American jazz musician, tenor saxophonist, and flute player, who also played alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet and piccolo...
. - "All In Together Now" - "Hippa To Da Hoppa" by Ol' Dirty BastardOl' Dirty BastardRussell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
.
Personnel
- Gary GriceGZAGary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
- Main Artist, Rapper, Writer - Lawrence MuggerudDJ MuggsLawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
- Producer, Keyboardist, Writer - Corey WoodsRaekwonCorey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
- Rapper, Writer - Robert DiggsRZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
- Rapper, Writer - Senen ReyesSen DogSen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
- Rapper, Writer - Elgin TurnerMasta KillaJamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
- Rapper, Writer - Vergil RuffProdigal SunnProdigal Sunn is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur.- Biography :Prodigal Sunn was the only child of indigenous parents and grew up in Brooklyn. During his youth, Prodigal was known as the ‘Sun of Man’ and was later re-christened "Prodigal Sunn" by childhood friend Killah Priest in...
- Rapper, Writer - Daniel Seeff - Bassist
- Mike Simz - Guitarist/Pianist/Keyboardist/Bassist
- Rob Hill - Guitarist/Strings
- Dontae Winslow - Trumpeter
- Ina Williams - Background Vocalist
- Ern Dog - Guitarist/Bassist/Organist
- DJ SPR4 - Music Recorder
- Rob Hill - Music Mixer
- Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo - Music Mixer
- Ernie Medina - Engineer
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner - Music Masterer
- Mike "Fatoe" Orduna - Art Director/Designer
- Joey Castillo Jr. - Art Director/Designer
- Robert Johnson III - Photographer
- Dina Nadezhdina - Spoken Word Interlude Speaker