Background
"Chess is the ultimate board game. Monopoly 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 ‘Illusory Protection.’ I incorporate chess into certain rhymes. I use chess all the time. Chess is a big part of what I do." - GZA[5]
Track listing
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1. | "Opening" | 1:34 |
2. | "Those That's Bout It" | 3:24 |
3. | "Destruction of a Guard" (featuring Raekwon) | 3:59 |
4. | "Exploitation of Mistakes" | 3:21 |
5. | "General Principles" | 3:39 |
6. | "Advance Pawns" (featuring RZA, Raekwon & Sen Dog) | 4:02 |
7. | "Queen's Gambit" | 4:35 |
8. | "All in Together Now"" (featuring RZA) | 4:24 |
9. | "Unstoppable Threats" (featuring Masta Killa & Prodigal Sunn) | 3:44 |
10. | "Unprotected Pieces" | 3:29 |
11. | "Illusory Protection" | 4:27 |
12. | "Smothered Mate" | 3:12 |
Personnel
- Gary Grice - Main Artist, Rapper, Writer
- Lawrence Muggerud - Producer, Keyboardist, Writer
- Corey Woods - Rapper, Writer
- Robert Diggs - Rapper, Writer
- Senen Reyes - Rapper, Writer
- Elgin Turner - Rapper, Writer
- Vergil Ruff - 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
References
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Studio albums | |
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Singles | |
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Collaboration albums | |
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Solo albums | |
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With Soul Assassins | |
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Vs. Series | |
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Collaboration albums | |
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Related articles | |
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