GZA the Genius, a master lyricist in the Wu-Tang Clan, came to U of T to speak on consciousness, creativity, and music on Friday, November 15 at the Earth Sciences Centre. The event was hosted by Project Freedom, a Scarborough-based student group. The Project is run by Jo’el Douglas and Falak Mujtaba who aim to motivate uninspired youth by incorporating curriculum that they argue will have greater relevance to students than much of what they learn in the classroom.
The problem in schools today, said Mujtaba, is that: “Students are unengaged because the curriculum isn’t designed for them. It’s a euro-centric curriculum.” Douglas and Mujtaba are working to bring in Afro-centric history and music classes in an effort to make learning more relateable to students. GZA is known as one of Wu-Tang’s brightest MC’s, and has been using his influence in a positive way to encourage youth to bring rap music back to what it once was by creating thought-provoking music with intellectual raps relatable to everyone.
“Wu-Tang’s music is a combination of chess, martial arts, sports, political and social issues, violence, creativity, struggles, heartaches, ups, downs, winnings and losings. It’s important to use music as a form of social dialogue,” said GZA. Since his Wu-Tang days, he has been pursuing the study of astro-physics, which he says is a result of consciousness, creativity, and music. For GZA, science is a way of becoming more in tune with the world around him, and awakening his consciousness.
GZA has been involved with Project Freedom since its inception, and acknowledges the effect music can have on young students. “While I don’t know many kids who love science, I know many who love hip hop.” GZA spoke of a friend who is a teacher at a school in New Jersey. He raps science lectures to his students as another ground breaking method to educate youth about science. Together, they launched a program called Science Genius in 10 schools to help students explain science concepts to their class.
The auditorium was well over capacity. Every seat was full and eager attendees sat on the stairs and in front of the stage, while others stood in the back and listened from outside the open door. Throughout his speech, GZA incorporated relevant rhymes from classic Wu-Tang lyrics. Each time he did so, the crowd would break its hushed silence to speak the words in unison.
GZA is working on a new album called Dark Matter encouraged by his scientific studies. The name Dark Matter is also a personal metaphor for GZA in relation to the darkness of the mind, and the birthplace of thought and imagination. In his closing words, he performed a few lines from his new album:
“ Literally a beginning/ this cosmic clock was ticking/ and allowed space to flow while it was spinning./ Everything we see around us/ the sun the moon the stars is a world that will astound us. / The universe inside is hard to fathom. /It was composed of a region small as a single atom.”
GZA attributed his scientific inspiration to scientists like Stephen Hawkings who help to explain science in a relatable way.
