Ghostface Killah: Fishscale

Release Date: 03 April 2006
Reviewed By: B.Scott

With the Wu-Tang era firmly in the past, Ghostface, the man with more aliases than you’d care to shake a stick at, has long since emerged as the one to bank your money on. Hip hop has been waiting with baited breath for his latest offering since the excellent ‘The Pretty Toney Album’, but is it worth parting with those pennies that you grafted so hard for?

There’s much to be excited about on this album, but the bad news first. The lead single ‘Back Like That’ featuring Def Jam’s most recently acquired crooning wonderboy, Ne-Yo, is coated in more sugar than a kid’s mouth on their birthday, and listening to it you can almost see Jay-Z peering over Ghost’s shoulder, expectantly waiting for some extra sales out of it. Elsewhere, we are put through ‘Three Bricks’, the ‘bonus’ track featuring Biggie…hmm. This track is decidedly fishy; that fish being the commonly spotted make-bucks-outta-tacking-a-revered-dead-rapper-on- your-song – wack, wack, wack! But enough with the grumbling, ‘Fishscale’ is everything you’d expect but in a (really) good way.

Early on, Just Blaze hits us, to great effect, with ‘The Champ’. This tune bangs hard with its screaming sax, heavy beats and cowbells and guitar laced breakdown replete with dialogue from the ‘Rocky’ films. As our man goes for the title we are treated with his pot-shot at what he sees as undeservedly successful pop-hop with the dope lines: “Revenge is my arts is crafty darts/While y'all stuck on ‘Laffy Taffy’/Wonderin' how y'all niggas get past me/I been doin’ this before Nas dropped the Nasty.”

For fans of the Wu-Tang, ‘Fishscale’ offers a special treat with a long-awaited reunion on ‘9 Milli Bros’! There’s something deeply warming about hearing all of the clan back together, particularly over a great piano driven beat, courtesy of Doom. What’s more, with the crudeness of line,: ‘Ya’ll be nice to the crackheads, everybody listen up/I shot one of my bitches, the hoe ain’t trick enough’ announced in that familiar blare that can only belong to our leading man, aficionados won’t be disappointed.

What makes Pretty Tone really great is that he’s not afraid to deal with topics that other rappers either decide not to or simply don’t even consider. ‘Whip You With A Strap’ uses a Luther Ingram vocal sample, thanks to J Dilla (R.I.P), to compound the message that nowadays kids are too spoilt and don’t get the disciplinary beatdown they deserve once in a while.

The list really does go on and on. With 17 tracks, not including skits, produced by the likes of MF Doom, Pete Rock and the late J Dilla, this LP is nearly flawless. Basically, ‘Fishscale’ is pure, uncut dope. Aside from the great production and the high-pitched, seamless raps we know and love, it simply feels like a logical progression in the rich line of work we have already been allowed, from 96’s ‘Ironman’ onwards.

So, back to the original question, is this album worth parting with those pennies that you grafted so hard for? In a word, yes. For fans, whether avid or slight, it is a must. For those that are indifferent, it’s definitely worth thinking about. And for those unfamiliar with Ghostface Killah, this is as good introduction as any.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Top Three Tracks:

4) The Champ
2) Shakey Dog
14) Be Easy

Album Track Listing

1. Return Of Clyde Smith

2. Shakey Dog

3. Kilo

4. Champ

5. Major Operation

6. 9 Milli Bros

7. Beauty Jackson

8. Heart Street Directions

9. Columbus
Exchange/Crackspot

10. Ragu

11. Bad Mouth Kid

12. Whip You With A Strap

13. Back Like That

14. Be Easy

15. Clipse Of Doom

16. Jellyfish

17. Dogs Of War

18. Barbershop

19. Ms Sweetwater

20. Big Girl

21. Underwater

22. Ironman Take Over

23. Momma

24. Three Bricks