Ghostface Killah Album: “Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City”

Ghostface returns after 21 months to bring a more R&B focused album (though he raps on every song almost all of them have R&B hooks and guests on them). This is Ghostface's 9th solo (if you couny his "Hidden Darts Special Edition" album), and he has been a part of probably over 20 albums (Wu-Tang album, Rae's Cuban Linx albums, Theodore Unit, his album with Trife da God, and a few mixtapes with Rae) so the man is a hip-hop vet. The album though not his best, is still a nice one and he is one of the few rappers that can pull off an R&B based album (he has done R&B geared songs very nicely over the past 9 years). This one has 14 songs, 1 is almost a classic, 4 are ok, the other 9 are good. Guests are on 11 songs and only 2 of the guests are rappers, the rest are R&B singers. Production is pretty good as well. Sean C & LV do 4 songs, Scram Jones, Watts & Ringo, Skymark, Mahogany, Bei Maijor, Justice League, Anthony Acid, Xtreme, LT Moe and Clyde & Harry all do 1 song. A nice album for fans of Ghost Dini to have, even if it is in the bottom of the pack as far as his albums go.

#1 - 9 (f/ Shareefa -- nice beat)

#2 - 8.5 (f/ Raheem DeVaughn)

#3 - 8 (f/ Raheem DeVaughn)

#4 - 7.5 (f/ Jack Night)

#5 - 8.5

#6 - 7.5

#7 - 8 (f/ Estelle & Vaughn Anthony)

#8 - 9.5 (f/ Fabolous & Shareefa -- tight beat)

#9 - 9 (f/ John Legend -- nice beat0

#10 - 7.5

#11 - 8.5 (f/ Adrienne Bailon)

#12 - 8.5 (f/ Lloyd)

#13 - 6.5 (f/ Ron Browz with the trendy and annoying talkbox hook, Roger Troutman pulled this off well years and years ago but PLEASE stop using this on every song)

#14 - 8.5 (f/ Kanye West & Ne-Yo -- also on his "More Fish" album)

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

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I was stoked to get the new Ghost album, but some of the negative reviews had me anxious. What if he sold out? What if he's all autotuned up, singing corny ringtone jingles? Could it be? Ghost gone soft? Ha, you're dreaming!

Ghost is still as real as it gets, adding a touch of sophistication like "pardon my gangsta" and bringing a whole new sound that is catchy, deep, rich, and honest at the same time. The production is top notch - the horns bring that layer of class and polish, and the singing collaborations are spot on. Crooners like John Legend, Raheem and Lloyd smooth things out, while Ghost keeps it hard and potent.

Ghostface described this album pretty accurately in a recent interview - imagine a song like the old Ice Cream joint (french vanilla butter pecan chocolate deluxe), take it to the next level, and create a whole package, a complete album that explores various romantic themes and scenarios from the sophisticated gangster's point of view.

If you only like punch you in the face, grimy staircase crack rap, you probably won't dig this album. But if you understand that The Wu is not limited to one style or one sound, and have enjoyed the clan's soulful side in the past, this album will quickly become a new favorite. Just let the man speak for himself:

"You know how I do when I come through, shut the whole block down like I got something to prove"

...once you step through the gates, your walking on gold! Ghost bends R&B to make it his own, laced with soulful beats and his on-point "Poetry". The only track that doesn't seem to fit in this city is "Stapleton Sex", the others are worthy.

I wouldn't call this a dissapointment from Ghost by any means, but I hope his next move is another rap epic with the likes of "Supreme Clientele" and "Fishscale"!

As a Wu Tang fan since the get-go, this was a complete disappointment. This was an attempt at R&B, which is not what Wu Tang listeners want. I want lyrics that rip your insides out and stomp you in the face. I don't want to be serenaded and made love to. Stick to what you know. You know?

For years, Ghostface Killah mulled over the idea of doing an R&B album. Dabbling in R&B is nothing new to Ghostface, after all on his 1996 debut album "Ironman" he collaborated with Mary J. Blige and the Force M.D.'s. On the one hand, this was a theme that was prevalent in his music, as he worked with Amy Winehouse, Ne-Yo, Jodeci, Musiq Soulchild and Carl Thomas. On the other hand, people were understandably skeptical being that everyone knows what happened the last time a rapper made an R&B album (The atrocity known as Big Daddy Kane's "Prince Of Darkness" comes to mind).

In 2009, he releases the album "Ghostdini: The Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City", a heavily influenced R&B album that comes as a surprise to no one. The album has a wide range of guest appearances such as Raheem DeVaughn ("Do Over" and "Baby"), Fabolous ("Guest House"), John Legend ("Let's Stop Playin'"), and even Adrienne Bailon of The Cheetah Girls ("I'll Be That"). Even Lloyd makes an appearance on the album sounding rather Michael Jackson-esque on the song "Goner". There are a couple of setbacks on the album, however. The club ready "She's A Killah" is the musical equivalent to fingernails on a chalkboard. Also, the three year old remix to "Back Like That" is unnecessary- as it originally appeared on his 2006 B-sides compilation "More Fish". The amusingly raunchy "Stapleton Sex" seems out of place and temporarily ruins the flow of the album. For the most part, it's a good album from Ghostface- a lot better than it looked on paper.