| Beneath the Surface | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by GZA | |
|
Released |
June 29, 1999 |
|
Recorded |
August 1998 - March 1999 |
|
Studio |
Allen Flyers |
|
Genre |
|
|
Length |
48:41 |
|
Label |
|
|
Producer |
Arabian Knight, GZA (exec.), Inspectah Deck, John the Baptist, Mathematics, RZA (also exec.) |
| GZA chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Liquid Swords (1995) |
|
Next |
Legend of the Liquid Sword (2002) |
Beneath the Surface is the third solo studio album by American rapper GZA, released in June 29, 1999 on MCA Records. Recording sessions were occurred at Allen Flyers and Battery Studios in New York City and Patchwerk Recording in Atlanta from August 1998 to March 1999. It features guest appearances from Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, RZA, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, Timbo King, Dreddy Kruger, LA the Darkman, Res, Santigold, Njeri Earth, Trigga, Prodigal Sunn and Joan Davis. The album was primarily produced by Mathematics and Arabian Knight, with additional tracks produced by Inspectah Deck, RZA and John the Baptist.
The album peaked at #9 on the US Billboard 200, and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. To date, it is GZA's only album to peak at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while it ties his previous effort Liquid Swords as his highest charting album on the Billboard 200.
Track listing[edit | edit source]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | - | - | 1:16 |
| 2. | "Amplified Sample" | GZA | Mathematics | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Beneath the Surface" | GZA, Killah Priest, Res | Inspectah Deck | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Skit #1" | - | - | 0:37 |
| 5. | "Skit #2" | - | - | 0:31 |
| 6. | "Crash Your Crew" | GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard | John the Baptist | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Breaker, Breaker" | GZA | Arabian Knight | 3:38 |
| 8. | "High Price, Small Reward" | GZA | Mathematics | 1:43 |
| 9. | "Hip Hop Fury" | GZA, RZA, Hell Razah, Timbo King, Dreddy Kruger | Arabian Knight | 3:44 |
| 10. | "Skit #3" | - | - | 0:47 |
| 11. | "1112" | GZA, Masta Killa, Killah Priest, Njeri Earth | RZA | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Skit #4" | - | - | 0:45 |
| 13. | "Victim" | GZA, Njeri Earth | Arabian Knight | 4:04 |
| 14. | "Publicity" | GZA | Mathematics | 2:37 |
| 15. | "Feel Like an Enemy" | GZA, Hell Razah, Killah Priest, Trigga, Prodigal Sunn | Mathematics | 3:12 |
| 16. | "Stringplay (Like This, Like That)" | GZA, Method Man | Arabian Knight | 3:18 |
| 17. | "Mic Trippin" | GZA | Mathematics | 2:59 |
| 18. | "Outro" | - | Arabian Knight | 1:34 |
