Founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop heavyweight GZA is headed to O2 Ritz Manchester.

Gary Earl Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group’s “spiritual head”, being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member. He has appeared on his fellow Clan members’ solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with Liquid Swords (1995).

His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as “armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow”. An analysis of GZA’s lyrics found that he has the fourth largest vocabulary in popular hip hop music. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop.

More Manchester Listings MORE

Manchester Wednesday 2 - Sunday 20 July

Liberation

How does a revolution begin and who are the people that keep it going?   Inspired by true…

Manchester Friday 4 - Sunday 20 July

FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE

Critically acclaimed queer Indigenous collective FAFSWAG take over HOME during MIF25 with a bold, immersive programme of digital…

Manchester Friday 4- Sunday 20 July

FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE – TALANOA (CONVERSATION)

Expanding the world of cultural storytelling explored in FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE, Talanoa presents a thoughtful programme…

Manchester Thursday 10 - Sunday 13 July

Juliet Ellis: A Symphony of Flesh and Bones

Immersive and dreamlike, A Symphony of Flesh and Bones is a deeply personal and contemplative new work by…

Manchester Thursday 10 - Saturday 12 July

FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE – SAUNIGA (CEREMONY)

Sauniga is a powerful cultural ceremony that invites audiences into the majestic world of our earliest ancestors –…

Manchester Wednesday 30 July

Black Creatives Social

Join Black Creative Trailblazers and Manchester Museum for an evening designed to reflect, recharge and connect. Taking inspiration…

Manchester Monday 4 - Sunday 10 August

FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE – FĀGOGO (EXHIBITION)

Fāgogo is a digital art exhibition that brings together powerful works from some of the Pacific’s most compelling…

Manchester Friday 3 October

Black Creative Trailblazers Showcase

A vibrant evening showcasing the finest Black Creatives in the North West through performances, fashion shows, spoken word,…