Hear What I Mean About Ghostface Killah

07/17/07 | by KingEd

I know we've got a lot of hip tastemakers wandering through the Halls of Rock, but I'm gonna assume that there aren't a lot of you who own this Ghostface Killah album, More Fish, that my buddy dropped on me. I don't say this to brag and to pretend that I have any hip-hop cred, but to introduce four songs from this album that I want you to hear. Check 'em out. The first one begins with a good 2 minutes of X-rated "What's Going On"-type banter. To save Mr. Moderator the task of crafting another warning, let's just say these songs are best checked out in seclusion. (And if it starts to get too hot in the kitchen, click on the video, above.)

"Ghost Is Back"
"Miguel Sanchez"
"Good"
"Josephine"

As I wrote earlier, compared with the depressing Young Jeezy and the cynical Nas, this foul-mouthed CD from Killah was a breath of - if not fresh - organically pungent air. All the stuff I objected to in the other CDs - the bitches, the hos, the ice, the F-bombs, the N-grenades - went down relatively easy because the music is so good and the guy's delivery is so confident, so together. I couldn't help but think that it's all about the music, it's only rock 'n roll, more or less. If all that socially inappropriate stuff that's in Killah's music is a part of the groove, is an integral part of what he's putting out there, then maybe there's no point in worrying. Crap is crap or crap can be valued as fertilizer depending on the context.

9 comments » •

9 comments

Comment from: saturnismine [Member]

if it's all about the music n shit...

i don't kow much about ghostface's entire body of work, and i don't know about as much about rap and hip hop as i'd like.

i was never a fan of rapid fire delivery. i don't have the kind of ear / brain connection that lets me catch enough meaning.

and ghostface tends to do the rapid fire thing as a default. he departs from it very little on these tracks. and often there's no space between verses. it's just one long stream. even his presences on the relatively mellow "josephine", where he's offset by more melodic vocals (is that Trife?), is a machine gun delivery.

i don't think the beats are all that imaginative, either.

so i'm not hearing alot i like here.

07/18/07 @ 07:18

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

I think this guy's stuff is pretty cool. A friend burned me a CD's worth of Wu Tang Clan a few years ago, and I always thought that was cool too. I'll have to pull that old mix out again.

07/18/07 @ 08:43

Comment from: KingEd [Member]

Wonder what's getting more play, Killah's tracks or the video clip? Who can stand the heat?

07/18/07 @ 09:21

Comment from: general slocum [Member]

The more I hear of recent-issue rap, (I default to the outsiders' generic, unable to differentiate between hip and hop. Am I as frozen out of the nomenclature as I am out of calling a black man a nigger with neutrality?) the more it sounds to me like the 21st century's dysfunctional take on putting a zoot-suited Step-and-Fetchit on a bling-encrusted pedestal, enabling a 540 degree turn on cultural condescension. My approximately properly fitting clothing, my hat facing forward, my pants pulled up, my carseat in the upright position, my hands decorously unengaged in my crotch, all conspire to make it seem as false to make this music my own in any way, as it would be to stand on the corner at 8th and Butler making that scowling, rakish, 2-fingered pistol gesture at police cars.

OK. But seriously. Sometimes it's just music, right? When it is, it has been a very long time since any of it has drawn me in on those grounds. And Mr. Killah does nothing new for me on those grounds. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to evaluate a marching band playing the theme from Star Wars. If I was standing in front of said marching band in my town, I'm sure I could empathetically come up with some encouraging words.

07/18/07 @ 09:27

Comment from: saturnismine [Member]

i'm thinking that kool keith's dr. doom character doe smore for me in this vein, with a greater variety of emotions and devices, while still managing to get me in the gut.

mod, wu-tang are the shiz-nit, yo!

07/18/07 @ 09:52

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

KingEd, a quick look at the site's user stats confirms your suspicion that the David Soul video is getting more play than the Ghostface Killah songs themselves.

07/18/07 @ 11:10

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

UPDATE: Views of the David Soul video continue to outnumber times the Killah tracks have been downloaded.

07/18/07 @ 14:56

Comment from: 2000 man [Member]

· http://www.whammoblammo.blogspot.com/

I'm not too impressed so far. I may not get through all four songs. I can't understand whatever it is he's bitching about. The x rated thing at the beginning sounds like an episode of Flavor of Love, and that's just embarassing. Plus is he really namechecking Ruben Studdard? And something about I Can't Believe It's Not Butter? The life he sings about in Miguel Sanchez sounds boring, and I don't like the sound effects.

Like Mr. Horse on Ren and Stimpy says, "No sir. I don't like it." Two songs is enough. I give up.

07/18/07 @ 19:02

Comment from: KingEd [Member]

Thanks for the feedback. Sorry no one shares my enthusiasm, but at least you guys gave it the college try and probably didn't feel the need to cool off with some David Soul. Did the rest of you enjoy that Soul music?

07/18/07 @ 21:59

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