By Josiah HughesLet's face it: at some point, all of us who love rap music have wished we were a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Chances are, that'll never happen, but now GZA is offering the next best thing with the opportunity to win a spot rapping on his new album.
Pitchfork reports that the rapper will launch a website next week where fans can "put their MC skills to the test." The contest is called "Duel of the Iron Mic," taking its name from a GZA track.
Like many things Wu, this contest involves a series of "chambers." The first "chamber" requires contestants to record themselves rapping the first verse of "Liquid Swords," upload it to Vimeo and post it on GZA's site. The next steps in the contest will be revealed at a later date.
GZA will eventually pick the winner himself, and he or she will appear on his next album, which is called Dark Matter. GZA explained his inspiration for the project with the following statement:
This contest was inspired by my countless tours all over the world where I would see my fans, many of them non-English speakers, reciting every lyric of the song back to me. It's become clear to me that my music is appealing to a whole new generation: I've had a bunch of people tell me that they first heard my album because their parents listened to it. That might make some artists feel old but I'm happy that my music is still relevant today. I am honored that Liquid Swords the song and album have been so widely embraced for so long. This contest is one way of giving back to my fans, of letting them share their take on the record.
Keep an eye on this URL for the contest to launch next week.
In other GZA news, the rapper recently quashed any excitement about a full-on Wu-Tang reunion, telling Rolling Stone, "We haven't been on the same page in years... It is what it is. Sometimes that match burns out... I don't feel bad about it. It's good. I'm grateful for everything we have done throughout our careers and if there's nothing else to put out, then there's nothing to put out."
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