The GZA at Pitchfork

The command came from the stage: "Put your Ws up!"

And several thousand white kids obliged, arranging their hands in the shape of a W, signifying their allegiance to the visionary rap collective Wu-Tang Clan. With that, one of the Wu's most acclaimed contributors took the stage: Gary Grice, also known as the Genius, also known as the GZA.

He was the second of three acts to perform entire albums Friday at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago (Slint and Sonic Youth were the others), offering a take on his seminal solo album, "Liquid Swords."

Backed by a DJ and an assortment of hype men (one of whom was associate Wu member Cappadonna, in town for his own gig later that night), the GZA rhymed with astonishing ease. His flow and lyrical dexterity were  effortless, and he was good-natured about the occasional miscue.

"You ended that [expletive] too early!" he protested at one point to his DJ, who inadvertently cut off a tune before the MC had done his last verse. "Put that on again!"

He quickly put to rest speculation that other Wu-Tang members would join him on stage, announcing that he was missing a Wu-Tang concert in Amsterdam to perform at Pitchfork. The GZA's set did include a tribute to deceased Wu-Tang member Ol' Dirty Bastard, however, and the Genius said the next Wu-Tang album, "Eight Diagrams," will be ready by fall.