How much is GZA worth?
| Net Worth: | $19 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Rapper |
| Date of Birth: | August 22, 1966 (age 56) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m) |
About GZA
GZA is the stage name of Gary E. Grice. He’s an American actor, director, rapper, and songwriter. His career started in his late twenties during the 1990s. He founded the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan and became the first member of the group to receive a recording deal with a label. Shortly after, he embarked on a solo career and went on to release thirteen singles, five studio (two of which gold-certified), and one collaboration albums.
GZA attained mainstream attention with his debut solo album Words from the Genius, released in 1991. Gary was born on August 22, 1966, in New York City, New York. He developed an interest in the hip hop music during his pre-teen and teen years.
At the time, he attended multiple parties and freestyle battles that sparked his interest. In addition to this, he also became involved in graffiti, breakdance, and DJing. In the late 1970s, inspired by Mother Goose and nursery rhyme, he began writing.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gary began listening to not just hip hop and R&B artists but also various soul artists and groups such as The Last Poets, The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, and The Commodores. He has stated multiple times that other artists and bands that influenced him from that period are Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, as well as Secret Weapon.
The eminent rapper became rich after he embarked on a solo career. In the early 1980s, Gary formed his own hip hop trio with his cousins Robert Diggs and Russel Jones (now known as RZA and Old Dirty Bastard). He eventually dropped out of high school in tenth grade to pursue his music career. In 1990, his talent was recognized by the label Cold Chillin Records who signed him to a contract.
Almost immediately after he was signed by the record label, Gary developed the nickname GZA and began working on his debut solo album. The album was titled Words from the Genius and it was released in February 1991.
Although it never chartered, the hip hop project was still met with overall positive reviews and helped the rapper receive some popularity across the States. Apart from failing to promote his first album, the label also failed to sell it and GZA then decided to leave it. The following year, he and his cousin RZA were some of the founding members of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan.
What makes the hip hop superstar so successful are his very well-known rapping projects. Throughout the 1990s, in addition to releasing his own projects, GZA played an important role in the mainstream success of the hip hop group. He has high-profile appearances in the debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and in several other albums and singles. Even at the beginning of the new century, he continued to contribute to the success of the Wu-Tang Clan, which went on to release multiple gold and platinum-certified albums and become one of the most influential hip hop groups in the past century.
Concurrently with creating commercial hits with his hip hop group, GZA continued to release solo projects. In 1995, he released his sophomore album Liquid Swords, which was a commercial success that topped several music charts. It also remains one of his two solo studio albums (alongside his third Beneath the Surface album) to receive a gold certification by the RIAA. His album as a solo rapper was Pro Tools from August 2008. Since then, he has been proactively touring the world and has been included in multiple soundtrack albums of the likes of Meed Dave, Smoking Aces, and Nerve. GZA released Tanzen 2, in 2020.
GZA’s Total Net Worth
GZA has earned estimated total career income of $36 million dollars. As GZA lives in the state of New York, he will have had to pay around 44% in taxes on his career income. After tax, it is estimated that his career earnings are at around $20.16 million dollars, having paid $15.84 million dollars in taxes.
GZA is not married and has no children. In his personal life he has likely spent $2-3 million dollars of his career earnings but also earned $3-4 million dollars from his investments. He will have also had to pay around $2.5 million dollars in business related costs. Therefore, it is estimated that GZA has a net worth of a rounded $19 million dollars.
Summing-Up
GZA is is a multi-skilled rapper who most recently began working in the film industry. Apart from becoming an actor and voice actor, he has also directed and produced several music videos and television projects. He first started his career as a founding member of the legendary hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s.
After the release of many indie hip-hop records, the underground sensation rose to prominence with his sophomore album. Since then, he has continuously created new music projects for both himself and the hip hop group, and, now, with a net worth estimated to be $19 million, he remains one of the most successful rappers to emerge from the 1990s.
