Zack: I’ve thought a lot about who my favorite member
of Wu-Tang is. I’ve gone through and given senior superlatives to pretty much
all of them. And I’m sure I’ll delve more into some of them when we listen to
albums by Raekwon, Method Man, and GZA, all of whom I have hot rap takes on.
But Ghostface Killah takes the crown for me, and I don’t even think it’s
particularly close. Tony Starks is the only one who can drop an album in 2015
and people’s ears perk up, for one thing. Seriously, I love Cuban Linx as much
as the next guy, but I didn’t bother giving F.I.L.A. a chance because I can’t
take any more disappointment from Raekwon. But Ghostface is still churning out
concept albums about supervillains that are solid at worst. Hell, he’s already
dropped two good albums this year and may still have a collaboration with MF
Doom coming before 2015 is up. Even within Ghostface’s stellar catalogue,
though, Fishscale is something special. Not many artists hit their stride on
album five, but I firmly believe Starks did exactly that here. Iron Man is
great, as is Supreme Clientele and The Pretty Toney Album. But Fishscale
combines Ghostface’s incredible storytelling and unique (until Action Bronson
anyway) delivery with some top-of-the-line, not-just-RZA-or-RZA-knockoff beats.
The list of producers behind Fishscale reads like an All-Star team. J Dilla,
Just Blaze, and Pete Rock pop as the big 3, but Doom’s work here can’t be
overlooked. The result is polished, but not commercial. And Ghostface sounds
like he’s out to get the most from each and every song. It’s funny to think
about how different a place Starks was in here than when he was recording his
verses for 36 Chambers, which just makes it even more impressive that he was
able to come just as hard.
Favorite Tracks: Kilo; 9 Milli Bros.; Momma
Emily: Unlike Zack, I haven't put much (read: any) thought into my favorite member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Most of my interaction with Wu-Tang is through Zack's excitement about them or Buzzfeed articles filled with pictures of children wearing Wu-Tang shirts. Appropriately, though, I'm pretty sure I know the most about Ghostface Killah. Not about his music, of course, but about his reality "performance" on Vh1's Couples Therapy. Appearing alongside such distinguished figures as Jon Gosselin and Teen Mom (and porn star) Farrah Abraham, Ghostface and his girlfriend Kelsey (whose hair can only be described as a horse mohawk) participated on the show in order to work on their relationship (/get on TV). Among the fun facts revealed during the show were that Kelsey used to be a stripper (which Ghostface didn't like) and that Ghostface had another girlfriend who also ended up on the show in a group therapy session with Ghostface, Kelsey, and Dr. Jen. Really classy stuff. And I also don't really understand why Ghostface was on the show in the first place. Unlike the washed-up reality "stars" seeking to extend their 15 minutes of fame, Ghostface is a bona fide rapper and musician, and a prolific one to boot. Fishscale is his fifth studio album, and according to Wikipedia he's released seven since then. He's an acclaimed storyteller working with high-profile producers, and as much as I enjoy reality shows, I think Ghostface is much better served staying off TV and getting in the studio some more. And if that includes a Vh1 diss track, so much the better
Favorite Tracks: Momma; Kilo; Be Easy
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