Ghostface Killah – “Supreme Clientele 2” review

New York veteran Ghostface Killah of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan with his 17th solo LP. One of hip hop’s most prolific storytellers & easily the most consistent member of the Clan exemplified by Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. Ghostface Killahs in the fall of 2019 stands as one of the only few duds in his discography along with More Fish & the Mass Appeal Records debut Set the Tone (Guns & Roses), continuing the Legend Has It series with Supreme Clientele 2 finally seeing the light of day.

After the Redman intro, the first song “Iron Man” opens with a boom bap instrumental talking about having Wall Street bugging over helium stocks whereas “Sample 420” featuring M.O.P. sees the trio coming together for a fly gangsta rap cut. “Curtis May” featuring Conway the Machine & Styles P talks about their bars being prescribed out here like it’s medicine while “4th Disciple” dustily tells the story of a homie of his losing his life in a shootout.

“Windows” embraces a more soulful direction stylistically talking about his crew mobbin’ & him dartin’ but after the “Pause” skit, “Georgy Porgy” exuberantly clarifies that he ain’t here to play no games. After the “Force MD” skit, “Break Beats” jazzily flexes that he can get right with God & go back to Hell just before the funky “Beat Box” talks about a shawty who happens to be in her own lane.

Scram Jones producing the lead single “Rap Kingpin” sampling “My Melody” by Eric B. & Rakim for a sequel to “Mighty Healthy” while “The Trial” featuring GZA, Method Man, Pillz, Raekwon & Reek da Villain after the “Sale of the Century” skit vividly portrays themselves in a courtroom with a judge. Nas joins Starks for the soulful “Love Me Anymore” talks about how foul people can be while the crooning “Soul Thang” featuring DriZ, Iceman, Pillz, NEMS, Reek da Villian, Supreme-Intelligence & Sun God finds everyone going back-&-forth with one another.

“Metaphysics” was a tight remix to “Typhoon Rap” by Meyhem Lauren featuring Action Bronson while the soulful “Candyland” unpacks tons of candy & drug wordplay. After the “Lenny Green” skit, “The Zoom” samples “Zoom” by the Commodores for a passionate love ballad & the final song “You Ma Friend” featuring Method Man ahead of the “Knuckles” outro finishes with an ode to friendship.

The 3rd entry in the Legend Has It saga & the Yapp City Records founder’s 2nd offering under the Mass Appeal umbrella redeems Ghostface Killah from the mediocrity of Ghostface Killahs & Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) by presenting itself as an echo of a chamber that never dosed although I’d prefer both Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, Pt. II & Muddy Waters 2 when discussing sequel albums. One of hip hop’s greatest storytellers who’s seen it all & lived it twice feels more like his vintage self than his last couple albums except he’s sharper, looser, freer & finding new ways to flip the script.

Score: 4/5

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Raekwon – “The Emperor’s New Clothes” review

Raekwon is a 55 year old MC from Staten Island, New York known for being a member of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. His solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & it’s sequel are both some of the most beloved albums in all of hip hop, with the overlooked Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang falling right behind them. I.M.M.O.B.I.L.A.R.I.T.Y. (I Move More Officially By Implementing Loyalty And Respect In The Youth) as well as The Lex Diamond Story & The Wild all left people divided for their own different reasons & of course F.I.L.A. (Fly International Luxurious Art) being the worst in his discography. Signing a new distribution with Mass Appeal Records however, the Ice H20 Records founder continues the Legend Has It series with his 8th album.

After the intro, the first song “Bear Hill” opens with a bit of a lounge vibe getting bricks from Hitsville as well as staying fresh & crisp for more money whereas “Pomogranite” featuring Carlton Fisk & Inspectah Deck finds the trio over a boom bap instrumental talking about Dons never bowing. After the “Veterans Only Billionaire Rehab” skit, “Wild Corsicans” featuring Griselda blends chipmunk soul & boom bap together to discuss lives being lost because they ain’t moving right while “1 Life” produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League talks about hip hop being exploited for profit.

“Open Doors” following the “Barbershop Bullies” skit works in some horns dedicating itself to the type of people who be blowing their nose in the flyers horns just before Swizz Beatz pulls from orchestral music during “600 School” featuring Ghostface Killah & Method Man bringing the trio together to get on some gangsta shit. “The Guy That Plans It” returns to the boom bap with an interesting Marvin Gaye sample talking about Rae preferring to be revered than be feared at the beginning & the end, but then “Da Heavies” moderately throws it back to the Lex Diamond era.

After the “Officer Full Beard” skit, “The Omerta” featuring Nas finds the pair over a Nottz beat talking about being examples of who they said they were while “Get Outta Here” featuring Ghostface Killah soulfully breaking down the billionaire lifestyle. After the “Sober Dose” skit, “Debra Night Wine” featuring Marsha Ambrosius opens up about a woman who ended up playing him while “Mac & Lobster” featuring Ghostface Killah finishes The Emperor’s New Clothesexplaining that nobody want it with them & having big plans being dreamt of.

Pushing the Legend Has It saga forward, the Chef’s official Mass Appeal debut makes us wait a little longer for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… III by pushing the message of valuing truth over trends & blocking trends from controlling your authenticity. It’s more polished than his most recently material with the production being the strongest since Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang & a majority of the guests are more well picked out than The Wild was enhancing the aggressive wordplay use to get it’s theme across.

Score: 3.5/5

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Masta Killa – “Balance” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee Masta Killa of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan dropping his 5th studio LP almost a decade after his last one. Becoming the final member to branch out on his own 21 years ago this weekend, No Said Date today remains the most underrated solo debut from any swordsmen with Made in Brooklyn & Selling My Soul becoming more moderately received. Loyalty is Royalty came in the fall of 2017 following numerous delays & is finding Balance ahead of the Wu’s upcoming farewell tour this summer.

“Hip Hop Forever” is a boom bap intro that Easy Mo Bee laced talking about the culture we’ve all come to know & love living eternally due to it’s global connection whereas “Eagle Claw” featuring Cappadonna & Raekwon keeps it in the basement instrumentally seeing whose sword is the sharpest. “BK Harlem” was a dope homage to 2 of the 5 boroughs of their state regardless if I wasn’t too big on Head I.C.E.’s performance, but then “Building with the Abbott” featuring & produced by RZA takes it back to Prince Rakeem’s chipmunk soul roots speaking wisdom.

As for “City”, we have Jamel Irief telling us that he’s still here doing it for what the late Guru of Gang Starr used to call “The Planet” over 3 decades ago while “Glad to Meet You” featuring Method Man & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg charmingly links up talking about catching rides instead of feelings. “It’s Been a Long Time” feels reminiscent of “Queen” off No Said Date with its romantic content leading into “Trumpets” featuring AZ, N.O.R.E. & Uncle Murda bringing some mafioso vibes.

“King Custom” continues the 2nd leg of Balance with a weird reggae/hip hop crossover that feels off-the-cuff & Jamel slightly using a fake patois almost like Drake used to on Views almost a decade ago with the only exception of it not sounding commercialized thanks to PF Cuttin’ behind the boards. The closer “Again” featuring AB Money & Big Bub is even worse, giving me flashbacks of “Trap Phone” off of Ghostface Killah’s latest album Set the Tone (Guns & Roses).

Arguably the swordsmen with the most refined flow of the entire Clan, the wise words Jamel offers with a diverse cast of MCs by his side further proves his sword is sharper than ever giving what the world & the musical universe desperately needs. The production is vintage New York hip hop at its finest & even if a couple features punch under their weight, Killa still consistently captures a wide spectrum of moods & content in a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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Wu-Tang Clan – “Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsmen” review

The Wu-Tang Clan are the greatest hip hop group of all-time from Staten Island, New York consisting of one of my top 10 producers the RZA, the GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard & their deejay Mathematics. Originally a trio under the All in Together Now moniker, their 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) became an east coast hip hop landmark & their 1997 sophomore effort Wu-Tang Forever is the greatest double disc hip hop album ever. The W was significantly less polished than most of what came of that era in the Clan & Iron Flag divisively revisited old sounds. 8 Diagrams stirred more controversy due to RZA embracing a experimental, orchestral & more universal production style with A Better Tomorrow during my senior year of high school being regarded as their worst even if “Pioneer the Frontier” has always stood out to me personally. Mathematics would fully produce The Saga Continues… & is doing so again for the Wu’s 8th album preluding their upcoming farewell tour. Not even gonna waste my breath on Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.

After the “Sucker Free City” intro, the first song “Mandigo” is this boom bap opener with 4 of the 9 remaining swordsmen talking about their style taking a strong back & total breath control whereas “Roar of a Lion (The Lion’s Pit)” by RZA & U-God featuring Kool G Rap finds the trio giving middle fingers to all their enemies. “Claudine” by Ghostface Killah & Method Man featuring Nicole Bus crosses over hip hop & soul trying to fight for love while “Shaolin vs. Lama” by Inspectah Deck & Raekwon talks about holding your head.

“Executioners from Shaolin” keeps it rolling by sinisterly cautioning that nobody want smoke with them in a battle just before “Cleopatra Jones” by Masta Killa & Raekwon sees the pair breaking down the affection each of them have a woman who goes by that name. “Warriors 2, Cooley High” by Method Man featuring Benny the Butcher absolutely delivers as a big fan of both Wu-Tang & Griselda just before “Let’s Do It Again” by RZA following his role as Bobby in the A24 Films surrealist comedy drama Problemista featuring RJ Payne, Willie the Kid& 38 Spesh talks about getting stronger as life becomes more difficult.

Cappadonna, Masta Killa & U-God all link on up “Dolomite” for another hardcore boom bap track justifiably boasting that you can’t tell ‘em shit since they’ve been around longer than the 80s crack epidemic & going deep enough in the projects where no one else can go, but then the “Trouble Man” outro shows off Kameron Corvet’s skills through a brief verse. “Charleston Blue, Legend of a Fighter” by Cappadonna featuring KXNG CROOKED officially ends the album with the latter talking about fatherhood & Cappa penning an open letter to his mother while the bonus track “Sinners (Mo’ Better Blues)” by the Def Squad was a cool reunion minus Redman.

7 & a half years since The Saga Continues…, the Clan homages the blaxploitation & martial arts genres of films that shaped them 5 decades ago. I appreciate that all 9 members were able to contribute lyrically testing each other’s swords unlike U-God being the only absentee on the predecessor & some of the finest in the underground today joining them felt like a rewarding passing-of-the-torch moment. 1 final noteworthy mention has to be Mathematics displaying his growth & development as a producer with the selection of beats he’s arranged.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ghostface Killah – “Set the Tone (Guns & Roses)” review

This is the 16th full-length solo LP from New York veteran Ghostface Killah of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. One of hip hop’s most prolific storytellers & easily the most consistent member of the Clan exemplified by Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. Ghost’s last album Ghostface Killahs in the fall of 2019 stands as one of the only few duds in his discography along with More Fish & went into his Mass Appeal Records debut Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) here hoping he would make up for that.

Wu-Block links up for the opener “6 Minutes” featuring Jim Jones jumping over a lavish instrumental giving competitors that exact amount of time whereas “Pair of Hammers” featuring Method Man works in some horns cautioning that they throw people in comas & make vegetables in the process. The self-produced “Skate Odyssey” featuring Raekwon with October London on the hook takes a smoother route overall talking about no one comparing to them, but then “Scar Tissue” featuring Nas ruggedly talks the about sun rising to break the day & lifts for a while to give us warmth.

“Kilo in the Safe” chaotically gets in his hustler bag & after the first skit, “No Face” featuring Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West returns to the boom bap during the DONDA 2 sessions so both of them can talk about having the ability to take down your whole entire squadron. “Champion Sound” featuring Beniton picks up from there with a decent reggae fusion being able to tell by one’s persona that their mommas used to keep them in the house a lot when they were growing up just before “Cape Fear” featuring Fat Joe brings back the keys, kicks & snares calling themselves the finest in New York.

After the 2nd skit, “Plan B” comes with more of an atmospheric vibe instrumentally to pretty much say on wax that Ghost is done having kids at this point in his life while “Bad Bitch” featuring Ja Rule might be my least favorite song on the album coming off as a tacky pop rap ballad. “Locked In” featuring AZ gets the ball rolling once again smoothly talking about being connected for life & after the final skit, “Touch You” featuring Shaun Wiah fusees pop rap with R&B showing a romantic side to Starks once more.

“Shots” featuring Busta Rhymes & Serani mixes hip hop with dancehall resulting in an average club banger while another weak song on the album “Trap Phone” featuring Chucky Hollywood goes for a cloudier trap atmosphere asking their significant others who else loves them the way they do. After the outro skit, the bonus track “Yupp!” featuring Remy Ma was a lead single that I had mixed feelings over from the mediocre beat to the hardcore lyricism.

Wu-Tang is my favorite group of all-time & anyone who’s been following my platform long enough can back me up on it. That said. Set the Tone is only a couple steps above the previous LP we got from him 5 years ago. There are moments where the production can be commercial, but there are others where it’s sticking to the signature hardcore vibes the Wu is known for. Ghost noticeably sounds more focused than he did last time & the guests perform on his level although a couple of them are lackluster.

Score: 3/5

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RZA – “Bobby Digital & the Pit of Snakes” review

This is the 5th EP from New York emcee, producer, actor & filmmaker RZA. Widely known as the de facto leader of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan, he was actually the 2nd & last person of the group following GZA to come out with a solo effort before their full-length debut Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers by dropping his debut EP Ooh I Love You Rakeem under Tommy Boy Records just 5 months after The Genius put out his full-length debut Words from the Genius under Cold Chillin’ Records. The Abbott eventually put out his own debut album Bobby Digital in Stereo in the fall of ‘98, which I personally think gets criminally overlooked because people were expecting The Cure & I think it’s safe to say it’s never seeing the light of day at this point. Digital Bullet was a worthy sequel too, but I can’t say the same for Birth of a Prince or Digi Snax. He returned from a 14 year hiatus back in March to drop the DJ Scratch-produced Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater & I still maintain that it’s RZA’s best solo effort since Digital Bullet even though the overall reception was mixed, so I was definitely curious to hear how Bobby Digital & the Pit of Snakes would play out especially since he’s back on the boards for the whole thing also.

“Under the Sun” is a guitar-driven opener talking about how we are all 1 whereas “Trouble Shooting” mixes boom bap & rock to confess that trouble keeps finding him. “Something Going On” has a grander tone to the instrumental as RZA talks about not wanting to die alone just before “We Push” works in some pianos to remind everyone that there’s more to the story.

The track “Cowards” brings back the rock influences which is nice except that the singing throughout is absolutely God awful while the penultimate song “Fight to Win” shoots for a more solemn aesthetic striving for victory. And prior to the “Live Your Own Rhythm” outro, “Celebrate Life” finishes the EP with a colorful ballad about commemorating our time here on planet Earth.

Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater might be a tad bit better in my personal opinion, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Bobby Digital & the Pit of Snakes for what it is because RZA really did drop 2 great EPs back-to-back. The whole concept of him figuring out the nature of his reality & himself is well thought out with him continuing to evolve as a producer & actually suiting him compared to the Wu sounding like they didn’t fit over a majority of the beats that he cooked up for the Clan’s last 2 group albums 8 Diagrams & A Better Tomorrow.

Score: 3.5/5

Method Man – “The Meth Lab 3: The Rehab” review

This is the 7th full-length album from Staten Island’s very own Method Man. Coming up as a member of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan, he would go on to have a very successful career of his own on top of that whether it be albums like the solo dolo Tical & the Redman-assisted Blackout! or appearing in movies like How High or shows such as Power. He’s already dropped the first 2 installments of The Meth Lab trilogy to mediocre reception & is already closing it out by dropping The Rehab.

“Stop Crying” with Cappadonna is a soulful opener encouraging that there’s no room for bitching in this game whereas “Butterfly Effect” with RJ Payne finds the 2 over some airy boom bap production talking about being in the public eye. Hanz On tags along for the rock-tinged “Black Ops” taking shots at those who thinks they can be a music critic just before the grimy “Guillotine” produced by Rockwilder reminds everyone how raw Meth is with the lyrics.

Meanwhile on “Live from the Meth Lab”, we have Redman & KRS-One accompanying Meth over some dusty drums declaring themselves as the ones leading into Jadakiss as well as Eddie I & 5th Pxwer coming into the picture for “Switch Sides” talking about they can’t be around those who change up over a crooning vocal sample. 5th Pxwer sticks around for the Bollywood-influenced “Act Up” laced by Erick Sermon telling everyone to move back from them, but then “Training Day” takes a more morbid route thanks to the homie Blizzard welcoming listeners to such.

“King of New York” with Carlton Fisk & Chunk Bizza finds the trio on top of an eerie instrumental advising no one wants trouble with them while the song “Find God” with Intell incorporates some more rap rock production talking about either becoming a born again Christian or grinding hard. The penultimate track “The Last 2 Minutes” is a boom bap banger with a haunting sample saying he’ll give you the world & “K.A.S.E.” with Carlton Fisk & Hanz On ends the album with some social commentary over some more traditional East Coast production.

I didn’t go into this album with the highest expectations given how lackluster the previous 2 installments were, but it’s probably my favorite of the trilogy albeit not by a whole lot. The features are pretty uninteresting for the most part & Meth can still rap his ass off much like the predecessors, but the production is a tad bit better.

Score: 2/5

Ghostface Killah – “Ghostface Killahs” review

7670549 Ghostface Killah is a 49 year old MC that came up as a member of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. He’s easily the most consistent member of the group with albums like Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. He just dropped his Big Ghost Ltd. produced comeback The Lost Tapes about a year ago & to commemorate it, he’s teaming up with Danny Caiazzo to release his 15th album.

After the intro, we go into the first song “Me Denny & Daryl”. Where Ghost gets murderous with Method Man & Cappadonna over an instrumental with the vintage Wu-sound. The track “Burner to Burner” with Inspectah Deck & Cappa sees the 3 going at their competition over a grimy guitar lead while the song “Flex” speaks for itself over a mellow instrumental. After the “News Report” skit, the song “Conditioning” finds Ghost goes back at his competition over a flute-heavy instrumental.

“Fly Everything” with Shawn Wigs & Sun God of course finds the 3 boasting over a lavish instrumental while the song “Party Over Here” is a bland club banger. The song “Pistol Smoke” with Shawn Wigs of course spits that gun talk over a suspenseful beat & after the “Revolution” skit, the song “New World” gets conscious over a funky bass-line.

The track “Waffles & Ice Cream” featuring Cappadonna is a modern bastardization of the iconic Raekwon joint “Ice Cream” while “The Chase” with Sun God is pretty much a boring remake of “Run” off of The Pretty Toney Album. The album then closes out with “Soursop”, where Ghost links with Masta Killa & Solomon Childs to deliver a painfully trite reggae fusion.

Not sure what else to say, this is just so average on all fronts. The Wu will forever be all-time favorite group & Ghostface is defiantly the most consistent member, but the beats & the lyricism on this new album are so mediocre. However my biggest issue with this album is that it sounds rushed, as it’s only 33 minutes long. Hopefully, he’ll take his time with the next album.

Score: 2.5/5

Inspectah Deck – “Chamber #9” review

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Inspectah Deck is a renown MC & producer from Staten Island, New York that came up as a member of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. He’s delivered some of the group’s best verses ever from “Cold World” to “Triumph”, but it wasn’t until 1999 that he would make his solo debut with the underrated Uncontrolled Substance. His 2003 sophomore effort The Movement as well as his 2006 debut mixtape The Resident Patient were both solid in their own rights also but I can’t say the same for Manifesto back on 2010, Deck’s last full-length solo outing. The Rebel has since been focusing on CZARFACE with 7L & Esoteric throughout this decade but almost 5 months after the release of the CZAR’s collab album with Ghostface Killah entitled CZARFACE vs. Ghostface, we’re finally getting Rollie’s 4th full-length solo album.

It all kicks off with “Shaolin Rebel”, where Deck brags over an alluring beat. The next song “No Good” reflects on his criminal past over a luxurious beat while the track “Russell Jones” gets gutter over a perfectly grimy beat. The track “Can’t Stay Away” talks about his love for the culture over a soulful beat while the song “Na Na Na” is a mesmerizing party anthem with a hypnotic beat.

The title track boasts about his prowess with an epic beat while the song “Certified” is of course about his legacy over some strings & saxophones. The track “24K” with Cappadonna & Hellfire is filled with battle bars over a sinister beat while the song “What It Be Like” talks about the rough life in the streets over a somber beat.

The track “Game Don’t Change” is of course about drug dealing over a boom bap beat akin to the Wu’s signature sound & while I can appreciate the grinding dedication with the song “Dollar Signs”, the female vocals do get annoying after a while. The penultimate track “Who Run It?” with Hellfire & Streetlife see the 3 talking about their skills over a jazzy beat & then the album ends with “Fire”, where Deck & Trife Diesel spit just that over a boom bap beat with some plinky keys.

For a 9 year wait, it’s a pretty passable comeback. Inspectah Deck definitely proves that he’s still the best Clansmen in terms of lyricism & I can appreciate that he kept it at a respectable length in comparison to Manifesto, but the production (mostly handled by Danny Caiazzo) is just decent as is the feature choices.

Score: 3/5

Wu-Tang Clan – “Of Mics & Men” soundtrack review

The Wu-Tang Clan. What can be said now about the iconic New York hip hop outfit that hasn’t been said already? From their iconic first 2 albums Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) & Wu-Tang Forever to the countless classic solo debuts like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & Supreme Clientele, they’ve always been rightfully regarded as the greatest hip hop outfit of all-time. Last time we heard from them collectively in an album capacity was in 2014 with A Better Tomorrow & with a SHOWTIME documentary being recently released, they’re coming together with the help of Nas’ Mass Appeal Records to deliver the soundtrack for it.

The soundtrack kicks off with “On That Shit Again”, where Ghostface Killah & RZA sound vengeful over a piano & some drums. The next song “Seen a Lot of Things” with Ghost & Raekwon pretty much speaks for itself over a prominent electric guitar & after the “Project Kids” skit, we go into the RZA solo cut “Do the Same as My Brother Do”. Where the Abbott kicks some knowledge over a punchy yet orchestral beat. After the “Yo is you Cheo?” skit & before the “1 Rhyme” outro, the final song of the EP is the title track. Where RZA gets with Cappadonna & Masta Killa boast over some prominent drums.

As much as I loved the documentary, this was a decent soundtrack. Most of the performances are fantastic don’t get me wrong, but it sounds like the Clan could’ve fully fleshed it out.

Score: 3/5