Ghostface Killah Album: “Hidden Darts”

Ghostface Killah is one of the illest emcees to ever live. There's no denying that. With a constantly changing flow, raw emotions, and stream of consciousness lyrics that challenge any emcee who has ever spit for the throne, Tony Starks has constantly etched his name into the hip-hop landscape. I've displayed my affection for Ghost on my Fishscale and More Fish reviews, so I'll spare you the lovefest for this review.

Hidden Darts: Special Edition isn't an album of entirely new material. In fact, most of it is taken from the earlier days in his solo career. While I was reluctant to check out this album for that fact alone, I finally caved in, realizing that a collection of Ghostface outtakes, remixes, and collaborations are probably better than most emcee's studio albums. I was correct. While this album lacks cohesiveness(it's a compilation of tracks that span Ghost's solo career, after all), it is consistently dope from track to track; something that's not surprising when you take into account who is featured.

The track that finally influenced me to pick up this album is Wise; a song that was released earlier this year as a hype track for the compilation. This track alone is honestly enough reason to warrant a purchase of Hidden Darts; the production is dope, and Ghost's trademark whiny flow push the track well above average. This track shows why Ghostface is the undisputed King of Soul, as no one could've wrecked such a soulful beat with the presence that Ghost did.

Raekwon can be found on five tracks on this album, all of which showcase the amazing chemistry he and Ghostface have always shared. Belt Holders and The Watch are both infinitely ill, and The Sun, also featuring Slick Rick and RZA, is an amazing cut from four hip-hop legends; even if it is a revisit from Ghost's Bulletproof Wallets. That's basically all that's keeping this album from five-star status; there's just a little too much rehashed music to put this in the same league as the two Fish albums. While the material found within is equally dope, there's a bit too much 'been there, done that' to make this a classic; though, I don't know if anyone was expecting a classic from an album full of unreleased tracks and collaborations independently released by Ghost himself.

This is a must-have for Ghostface fans, and provides even more uncut dope to Ghostface fiends. Pick it up if you need even more Ghostface to tithe you over until his next project.

This is an awesome Ghostface album that is not to be missed by any fan of the Wu-Tang Clan. Lyrically the whole album is on point. Ghost really shines as he tears every track to shreds, and his lyrics are reminiscent his older albums Ironman and Supreme Clientele. The cameos on this album are fantastic as well. Raekwon has some nice origional material on the three tracks he is on, my favorite being "The Watch", and Method Man seriously kills it on "Drummer". Trife da God & Wigs both impressed me on this album, and are in my opinion better represented here than on "More Fish".

Unfortunately, there are a few things that I was slightly disappointed in. First of all, theres a couple songs where there is some recycled lyrics, namely "Hidden Darts", "CheChe la Ghost (Remix)", and "9mm" (which is a remix of "9 milli bros.". Really this doesnt hurt the album, because Ghost spits some origional stuff on those tracks too. "When You Walk" is a song that I already had, downloaded from the offical website, but its still a 5 star track so it doesnt hurt either. On the track "The Sun", Slick Rick appears in his old school style form, but RZA says like 4 bars...bummer. Cappadonna's lyrics weren't that great on "Odd Couple" IMHO, which is too bad because that is the only thing holding that beat, and Ghost, back from a 5 star song. I also could have done without Keyshia Cole on "Mama", the remix of "Momma" on the "Fishscale" album.

Overall this album is better than the last, and it seems Ghost cant be stopped, even if hes underrated.

Lyrics: 10/10 ~Ghost gets better and better.

Production: 9/10 ~Mostly bangers, but a couple fall short.

Content: 9/10 ~Nearly every track is hot.

Top 5 Tracks:

1. "Return of Theodore Unit" feat. Wigs & Trife

2. "Drummer" feat. Meth, Street Life, and I think Trife too.

3. "The Watch" feat. Raekwon

4. "Heard it All Before"

5. "Late Night Arrival" feat. Trife & Wigs

FYI: This album doesnt come with any track info or ghost thankyous, only a track listing...

Everything about this disc screams 'cheap bootleg B-side moneymaker.' Then again, that's what I thought when I bought 'More Fish,' and it was almost as hot as 'Fishscale.'

With this release, which I believe is a sort of career retrospective of b-side tracks, I'm drooling all over myself in anticipation of Ghost and MF Doom's forthcoming collabo. The beats are a tad rougher and less polished than the last two albums, but it's all to the good. The this-just-in opener moves along nicely, followed up by two always-welcome collabs with Raekwon. I swear 'Murda Goons' is an MF Doom loop, and the 'Cher Chez La Ghost' remix here takes a loop that's been used a million times, but still sounds hot with Ghost's flow.

Not to mention the heavy-soul 'The Sun,' featuring nice verses from Slick Rick and the RZA.

With these last few albums, Ghost has reached Redman-like status as an artist who is consistently entertaining enough that even occasionally mid-level production can't bring him down. Props.

The 4th album that Ghost has been a part of in the past 17 months is "Hidden Darts", while a lot of these fake phony limited skill rappers out now drop song after songs of garbage, Ghostface shows here why he is one the premier MC's, cause all 4 of the albums he was part of in the past year and a half are better than almost everythig thats comes out now. With 22 songs, you get a lot of some of the more rare tracks from mixtapes and ones that didn't make his albums. If you're a fan of the Wally Champ you've more than likely heard some of the songs (a few from "Fishscale", "More Fish", Theodore Unit's "718", and his collabo album with Trife "Put it on the Line", and a few others from mixtapes) (I've heard 11 of the 22 before). Guests are on a little over half of the songs and almost all are from the Wu or Theodore Unit. Of the 22 songs, 1 is a near classic, 13 are good or real good and 8 are decent, like always he has no bad songs on here. A must have from one of the most consistant lyricists of all time.

#1 - 9.5

#2 - 8 (f/ Raekwon)

#3 - 7.5 (f/ Raekwon)

#4 - 7 (only 16 bars)

#5 - 8 (f/ Street Life & Method MAn)

#6 - 8

#7 - 8 (f/ Cappadonna)

#8 - 8 (f/ Raekwon & American Cream Team)

#9 - 7.5

#10 - 7 (only 16 bars)

#11 - 8 (f/ Shawn Wigs, J-Love, Trife da God)

#12 - 8.5 (f/ Wu-Tang Clan (all memebrs)

#13 - 7.5 (f/ Raekwon, Slick Rick, RZA)

#14 - 8 (f/ Keyshia Cole)

#15 - 6.5 (f/ Shawn Wigs)

#16 - 7.5

#17 - 7.5

#18 - 8

#19 - 8.5 (f/ Method Man, Street Life, Trife da God)

#20 - 9 (f/ Shawn Wigs, Solomon Childs, Trife da God)

#21 - 8 (f/ Trife da God)

#22 - 8.5

Dennis Coles -- b. 5/9/around 70 -- Stapleton, Staten Island, NY

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ALOT OF THESE SONGS WERE RECYCLED FROM THEODORE UNIT AND OTHER ALBUMS. GHOST SHOULD'VE OFFERED IT AS A FREE DOWNLOAD.

THE LAST SONG AT THE END, HEARD IT ALL BEFORE MADE ME LAUGH, BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE GHOST WAS RAPPING OVER THAT SUNSHINE ANDERSON SONG.

WHICH WAS IRONIC TOO, BECAUSE JUST ABOUT EVERY SONG ON THIS ALBUM I'VE HEARD BEFORE.

(I FELT CHEATED OUT OF MY MONEY)