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Ghostface Killah


Born: 1970
Location: Staten Island, New York, USA
Genre: Hip Hop, R&B
Years Active: 1991 -
Real Name: Dennis Coles
Meaning of the Name: Taken from a character in the film Mystery of Chessboxing. He wore a mask at the start of his career.
AKA: Tony Starks, Iron Man, Ghostdeini
Way of Working: Raps over a producers beats
Associated: Wu-Tang Clan, Shyeim

Essential Releases

Ghostface Killah - Iron Man

Iron Man (1996)

Solid debut solo album produced entirely by RZA.

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele

Supreme
Clientele (2000)

Masterpiece. Mixture of New York street rap and African fever dream.

Ghostface Killah - The Pretty Toney Album

The Pretty
Toney Album (2004)

Released without help from the Clan.


Starting his career in New York with the iconic hip hop collective the Wu-Tang Clan was only the start of Ghostface Killah's odyssey in hip hop. Following the triumphant success of their debut, Enter the 36 Chambers, the individual members soon pursued solo projects.

Ghostface partnered with Raekwon the Chef on the cinematic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995), a record that cast them as drug-dealing pimps determined to conquer the world. It became a cornerstone of 'coke rap', helping to define not only the fur coat with a doo-rag aesthetic, but also the storytelling elements of the genre.

With a flair for the dramatic, the record blurred the lines between reality rap and entertainment, presenting itself as an audio version of a Blaxploitation film. Raekwon was billed as the 'star', Ghostface as the 'guest star', and Wu supremo RZA as the 'director'.

While recording the album, Ghostface experienced worrying symptoms such as blurred vision, hearing voices, and light-headedness. This period also saw him develop his signature style of emotionally charged impressionism, which became a hallmark of his best work.

Just as impressionistic art uses soft brush strokes to create a blurring effect that evokes a powerful atmosphere, Ghostface's rhymes, with their half-finished thoughts and tangents, create a strong impression even when they don't make sense from a purely lyrical perspective. It's evident that the complications from his untreated diabetes contributed significantly to Ghostface's artistic output.

For instance, the line "Scotty Wotty copper tipped me, big microphone hippie hit Poughkeepsie, crispy chicken birds, throws up a stone, Richie" (from 'Nutmeg') works on the level of overall mood. The mystery of Richie's identity has never been solved and is, likely, irrelevant. While the lyrics fail to have a concrete meaning, Ghostface uses the visceral emotion in his voice to create a vivid feeling of unpredicatable chaos.

The rappers second solo album, Supreme Clientele (2000), on which 'Nutmeg' appears, was written in Benin, Africa, where Ghostface sought treatment from a bush doctor to cure his still rampant diabetes.

Much like the people he met in the motherland, the Clan, when united, were one, yet apart, they would define themselves as unique characters in their own right, shining as solo stars in rap for decades to come.

The group are rightly regarded as seminal figures in hip hop and the sheer depth of rhyming ability each rapper displays on their solo albums is a crucial part of this appeal. When the clan "form like Voltron", to put it in their own words, it's the hip hop equivalent of an All Star game.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
85

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
45

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
85

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
85

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
65

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
70

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
90

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
65

Rapping

i Technical attributes.
90

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
65

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
70

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
60

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
65

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
65

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
55

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards

Certifications >>>

  • Iron Man: Platinum in USA; Gold in Canada; Silver in UK
  • Supreme Clientele: #Gold in USA

Charts >>>

  • Iron Man: #2 in USA
  • Supreme Clientele: #7 in USA
  • The Pretty Toney Album: #6 in USA
  • Fishscale: #4 in USA

Critics >>>

  • About.com: Iron Man - Best Rap Albums of 1996: #4
  • About.com: Iron Man - Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time: #34
  • Complex: Supreme Clientele - Best Albums of the 2000s: #8
  • Pitchfork: Supreme Clientele - Best Albums of the 2000s: #11
  • Rolling Stone: Supreme Clientele - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020): #403
  • Rhapsody: Supreme Clientele - Best Hip Hop Albums of the 2000s: #2


CRITICISM

  • Served approximately six months in prison for attempted robbery.

  • Ghostface calls himself Iron Man after the Marvel character of the same name. In 2011, he was sued by the composer of the original Iron Man theme tune and lost the case.


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