Third studio album by Ghostface Killah. RZA handles most of the production, Tony Starks produces two beats under the GFK moniker, the other beats are created by LILZ, PLX, Chris Liggio, Al Chemist, Carlos Brody and Underdawgz. The guests are Raekwon, Method Man and The RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Killa Sin of Killarmy, Trife of Theodore Unit, Superb of American Cream Team, Takitha, Twiz, Carl Thomas and Ruff Endz.
The album opens with "Intro - Stairway to Heaven", soft bass line, minimal downtempo drum, sweet strings in crescendo, sample from a homonymous song by the O'Jays. Spoken intro by Raekwon together with Ghost. Ghostface Killah comes from two direct, consecutive classics. "Ironman" (1996), "Supreme Clientele" (2000). Now he comes out with a third album, while for the second the fans have waited four long years. The boy has arrived. He feels he has arrived. As well as the others. Look at Raekwon, GZA, Meth, Ol' Dirty. All with a personal classic in their pocket. In addition to "36 Chambers" (1993). In addition to "Wu-Tang Forever" (1997). I could also include Cappadonna, who has not done badly in these four years. Tony knows that now it's done. Lex also points this out in this introductory skit because yes, we start again from here, from this status, because everyone has relaxed, even themselves. What's next? After having published or taken part in a seemingly endless series of classics lined up one after the other for eight long years. Ghostdeini is not on "Tical" (1994) by Meth, but otherwise he is everywhere. Starks announces that it is not over yet. But in reality he basically said that the streak of classics ends here for Wu-Tang and it ended precisely with "Supreme Clientele".
If you still don't believe these words, you will soon change your mind when the first track of the album begins — the entire album originally has a different tracklist, so "first", "second" and so on do not really make sense. In any case, the officially released version starts with "Maxine". Funky bassline a little weak, poor sounds, midtempo drum a little weak, doesn't hit, doesn't beat, poor samples, really cheap rhythm. The production credits say that the author is The RZA. The same RZA of all those classic albums mentioned above who didn't even make a mistake where to spit until a few years before. He was practically flawless for most of the nineties. Now he's transformed into Swizz Beatz. This can't be the work of the same person who created songs like "Daytona 500" or "260" to stay with the same protagonists. Intro by Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, Rae returns on the cover to support Ghost like in the debut, there's no Cappadonna this time. The boys tell a detailed story about friends Pam and Maxine who are caught stealing money from one of them's boyfriend. Starks' first verse on this questionable beat, good flowing flow with energy as the Stapleton emcee provides one of his signature detailed narratives. Lex Diamond enters the cut with energy on the heels of Ghost's verse and continues the narrative, leaving room for the lead rapper to deliver the closing stanza. Even a year ago this would have been a classic track, but now Rae & Ghost are forced to save the cut from a bad beat.
RZA is still behind the keys on "Flowers" and he's starting to be a problem, the main problem of this record. Bobby Digital also messes up this beat. Bass line too stiff and harsh, thick midtempo drum, random strings, violin loop too tight, piano scale that for some reason doesn't work. Raekwon is in charge of the first verse on this track too. Usually The Chef flies on The Abbot's production, but in this case his wings are clipped from the first moments. The rhythm starts badly and continues worse. Shallah Raekwon still delivers with a good flow and style, going against the beat, which never helps him. The rhythm is pretty bad, but what happened here? Here's what happened. There's a promotional mixtape for the record. In this mixtape, among many, there's also the original version of "Flowers". It's crazy because this version is a classic. RZA finally sounds RZA. Steelz takes a sample of "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James and flips it into a masterpiece: timeless soundscape, effervescent bass in the background, minimal uptempo drums, tight choked violin loops, resounding piano keys, bells. Raekwon flies back on a Bobby Digital production, but Method Man comes in right after and DESTROYS the rhythm with the best flow you'll ever hear from an emcee, sweeps everything away and devastates the cut. Lex Diamond returns for a short contribution that precedes a sort of hook recited by all the performers that seems subtly addressed to Jay-Z, accused of quoting his late friend Biggie a bit too often.
Lord Superb of American Cream Team, Raekwon's group, in the fourth verse has the honor of reciting a couple of bars in Ghostface's new album, launching the latter in the final verse, Ghost also flows like water on a production finally worthy of the name of RZA, that is, of very high and valuable quality. Unfortunately, the guys are unable to clear the sample and to keep the track with the original rhythm in the final tracklist, having to fall back on that scandalous production. Ticallion also tears up the beat that ended up in the album, Superb's contribution is positive and Ghost closes in style, but the rhythm with Bob James' sample is something else and deserves to be listened to by fans.
At track number four comes the long-awaited (?!) love ballad by Ghostface Killah. Sweet synths courtesy of Brian "Liz" Palmer and Sergio "PLX" Moore to accommodate the intro by GFK and the honeyed hook by Carl Thomas, guest vocalist on the track. Soft bassline, dusted cymbals, hinted piano, strong, dry, hard, midtempo drum. In order to create a contrast with the track, Ghostdeini goes hardcore and keeps the listener's attention high with a narration about his girlfriend cheating on him while he's out of town. Killer hook by Carl Thomas that makes the track if it weren't for Tony Starks dropping some of his best lines on the album here, both of which are great. Ghost also starts singing, then Raekwon comes in and closes out this radio-oriented tune. The music video for the track is a masterpiece. RZA is also credited for the second skit on the record, "Teddy Skit", Lord Superb delivers a couple of nostalgic lines with Ghost over a good beat from "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes feat. Sharon Paige.
Mathematics creates the beat for "Theodore", pick number six on the tape. The beat is worth it, it sounds classic. That boyish descending piano loop is simple and mesmerizing, samples from 40,000 Headmen's "Blood, Sweat & Tears", razor sharp bass line, dry, hard, midtempo drum, no concessions. Intro by Twiz. Ghostface rap, sharp like that bass, smoothness, energetic, dope flow. Chorus cheerfully sung in a carefree way by Pretty Tony, inside Trife in the second verse with a great flow, punctual, confident, dirty. Twiz aka Baby Thad of American Cream Team in the final verse with good energy, messy, fast, fine contribution. "Ghost Showers" features Madame Majestic as a guest vocalist to introduce the track on a production by Chris Liggio and Tally Galbreth. Boom bap, good bass line, urgent samples, uptempo drums, frenetic delivery by Ghost. The rhythm is a bit chaotic, not good, it's hard to manage. There's a melodic bridge on Madame Majestic's chorus. Three stanzas by the author to bring home the track on a beat to be reviewed and get to the eighth piece. The choice is inspired by "Sunshower" by Dr. Buzzard, artists already honored by the rapper in "Supreme Clientele" for the hit "Cherchez LaGhost", so this track is a sort of sequel.
Mathematics quickly returns behind the keyboards on "Strawberry", at this point you might expect the quality to show up in the production again, and to some extent it does. Not entirely. Samples from David Porter's "Storm in the Summertime", thick bass line that gets a bit hidden in the mix, crunchy midtempo drum, boom bap that sounds made on first listen. From subsequent listens it starts to get boring, it can happen even to apparently good beats. This one is not totally so despite the talent of Mathematics. There's no need to despair because at the mic come two of the best ever from Staten Island: the Killarmy column Killa Sin in the first verse eats the rhythm with one of the most pleasant flows of the entire album, understands the rhythm and wraps it with a dope style for his gangsta battle. Then comes an interlude of RZA and a second boy (sometimes believed to be GZA), both uncredited, Ghostface enters and gives a vivid, lascivious and vicious narration.
"The Forest" is close to being one of the strongest cuts in the vast and deep catalog of Starks, but for lots of aficionados it is not, despite the performers. In production the credits say Alchemist. Beatless intro by Raekwon taking Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and making his own version of it to introduce the track, the beat comes in, supported by a wonderful sample of The Imaginations' "Ballad of Matheia": cheery flute loop, tight violins, rich rhythm, the bass only comes in after being escorted by the violins and it's a worthy precious bass line, deep trumpet loop, trombone in the background, fantastic orchestral boom bap, the drum is dirty, grimy, dusty, perfect, wonderful samples, could easily be one of the best beats of the year. Sample from "Ballad of Matheia" by The Imaginations. Alchemist didn't even manage to make the beat in the studio with Ghost, but look what came out of it, an immortal work. Short hook by Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, then Ghost comes in and tears the cut with some sick lyrics recited with a silky, dirty, velvety, absolutely dope flow. The boy fantasizes admirably about some cartoon characters and gives us one of his best tracks of his career, and also for this we love him. There are some of the most memorable lines of the album here, the first verse would have deserved the "Quotable" of The Source. Ghostface also comes down with a second verse totally sick as the first and takes the cut, magnificent. Thank you Alchemist, Thank you Ghostface. Raekwon is still there to put his signature. Classic. Everyone go home. To appreciate this piece you have to listen to it at least 10 times. Beautiful.
The Alchemist stays behind the keyboards for the next joint, "The Juks": from the first moments it's an untouchable classic. Sample from "Dos Amores Desiguales" by Chucho Avellanet ft. Sophy. Electric guitar licks, roaring bass line, delicate piano, thick midtempo drum, great samples. Ghostface drops a first verse with a powerful, irregular, shouted, dramatic, dope style. Simple hook by Superb that enters the cut with a slow, irregular, effortless, not excellent, forgettable second verse. Hook, then Trife Diesel of Theodore Unit enters hardcore with a good energetic flow and delivers the piece among the best of the album. RZA produces "Walking Through the Darkness", a sort of remix of the homonymous song by Tekitha included in the soundtrack of the film "Ghost Dog", several years before. The beat is the same, derived from a sample of "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack and Peace. Intro and verse by Tony Starks over a sparse production, poor drum, good bass line, nice samples, banjo, dusty strings, smooth hardcore energetic rapping by Ghostdeini. Long soul chorus by Tekitha, driven by strings. Then Ghost rips this uptempo beat with a hardcore ragged delivery.
A skit follows whose beat is credited to Bobby Digital again: Ghostface talks for a minute about jealousy over a sample of Ann Peebles' "It Was Jealousy". The next choice is produced by Carlos "6 July" Broady who takes a sample from "Maria" by Michael Jackson to build the musical carpet of this piece and transforms it into a tight chipmunk soul loop. Raw bass line, rough dry uptempo drum, tight strings, good samples. The performers engage in a narrative in which they both save themselves from an assassination attempt in a hotel. Hardcore energetic delivery by Ghostface, during his verse there are also a couple of short back n forth with Raekwon. Urgent hook by Starks on tight strings, hardcore energetic verse by Lex Diamond in one of the tightest narrative pieces of the album. There's a chipmunk soul sample derived from "She Is My Lady" by Donny Hathaway for the interlude "Ice": only verse by Ghostface on a sublime production by Rsonist, perfect midtempo dusty drum, dirty strings, good bass, great rap by the author who tears the beat. Ghostface delivers his lyrics in a calm, almost spoken word style in the following track, "Love Session", a love ballad in which the boy is joined by the rnb duo Ruff Endz for the hook. Light production, soft tender bass line, quiet downtempo drum, hinted piano, song later included in the soundtrack of the film "Barbershop" (2002).
It closes with a strong point, perhaps the best cut of the entire project. Inside Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man and TMF in what is also one of the best Wu pieces of the decade. The Alchemist arrives with his third production and blesses the album with yet another untouchable soundscape. The beat starts immediately, chipmunk soul sample reverberated in a fantastic loop, taken directly from a section of "In Just a Little While" by The Second Coming, a piece from the late seventies. Guitar riff, dusty drum, the loop is wonderful, but it ends after a few seconds, because a second loop enters, from the same song: a few piano keys, synth, perfect midtempo drum, splendid fat phat bass line. Ghost Face Killer flies on one of the best productions ever in his catalog, dropping a battle with a hardcore smoothness dope rapping in which he announces both the release of his new album and his retirement from the scene. At the end of his verse the first loop returns, Alchemist is a genius. The rhythm breathes briefly, then Prodigal Sunn attacks the beat and offers one of his best contributions with an energetic battle bravado. Trife Diesel has the honor of the third verse, he delivers with energy, confident, with a more calm style than the previous two and with a battle thug full of gangsterisms fueled by the first heavenly loop. The joint seems destined to end, but Tony Starks decides to return to glide on the rhythm like a killer eagle dropping the last bars of the record.
Final Thoughts
Third studio album by Ghostface Killah, almost two years after the previous one. The artist from Stapleton becomes the second member of Wu-Tang to release three solo albums after GZA. Ghostdeini comes from two classic albums, the debut "Ironman" (1996) and the recent and not yet fully assimilated "Supreme Clientele" (2000). Unlike his second LP, the author relies more on narrations and leaves aside the stream of consciousness a bit. The original version of the album would be his third clean solo classic, without too many maybes: the songs "The Watch", "Good Times" and "The Sun" are excluded from the final tracklist. For this last one, RZA forgets what he sampled for the beat, so it's not possible to cleared it in time for the album's release. The aforementioned tracks are then included in the Ghostface compilation "Hidden Darts", also "The Sun" appears also in "Put It on the Line", a collaborative effort between Ghost and Trife Da God. Tony Starks is at his best both lyrically, even in songs where you don't expect it like commercial ballads, and in terms of the choice of rhythms, often impeccable. With just over three quarters of an hour of listening, the album maintains a remarkable replay value, featuring members of the Wu-Tang Clan and affiliated groups Sunz of Man, Killarmy, Theodore Unit and American Cream Team, each bringing their own contribution to the project.
Released by Epic with Sony distribution, the CD is well received by critics and a little less well by fans, this also due to the confusion in the tracklist and in the liner notes. The singles, both aimed at a female audience, do fairly well in the charts although not well enough and the album doesn't achieve the sales that the label expects, which is why Epic decides to end its relationship with the rapper, despite the effort being one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of the 2002 season and reaching the second place in the hip-hop charts within weeks of its release. Essential listening for East Coast fans, full of often overlooked and forgotten gems in Ghostface's extensive discography.
Rating: 8.3/10.
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