He is considered to be one of the best MCs and lyricists because he is "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow", and has been noted for his lyrical style, which often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies. An analysis of GZA\'s lyrics found that he has the second 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.\n', '

Gary Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the early 1970s. He was involved in breakdance, graffiti, and DJing. Early on he developed an interest in writing, studying Mother Goose and nursery rhyme. In 1974–76, he listened to The Last Poets; however, he was attracted by profanity rather than content, and didn\'t understand the underlying messages until many years later. The Last Poets, as well as songs by The Isley Brothers, the Commodores, and the O\'Jays had a big part in his early life, especially regarding the tone and cadence of speech. Later on, he began to listen to hip hop and R&B, for example by Secret Weapon and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.\n', '

He formed a three-man group with his cousins, Robert Diggs and Russell Jones, who would later be known as RZA and Ol\' Dirty Bastard. At the time he didn\'t like the sound of his voice. The group, FOI: Force of the Imperial Master, and later All in Together, saw the three rapping and DJing, switching names and performing local shows; since they lived in different boroughs, GZA and Ol\' Dirty would travel from Brooklyn out to Staten Island to meet up with their cousin RZA, after which the three would travel across New York City and challenge other MCs to battles. He left school in the 10th grade, but nurtured his affection for science as he developed his skills as a lyricist.\n', '

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