Ghostface Killah : Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
When the Wu-Tang’s grimy New York tales first barged into rap music, it was not exactly clear how interested—or how efficient—they were at getting girls; sure, they utilized a few soul samples, here and there, but even those were subverted to better deliver the Clan’s autonomous kung-fu metaphors. As time went on, Method Man remained very straight-forward about his love of comic books, wrestling and smoking pot while Raekwon concocted high-art but immensely violent, mafioso rap and RZA merely wanted to out-esoteric everyone else in hip-hop. However, Ghostface Killah laced every release he did with a plethora of cryptic references to pasta and soul music. Even when bragging about his efficiency in selling drugs, he somehow made it romantic. Ghostface liked the girls.
The topic of sex in rap has always had a bad rep. The primary reason that rap-sex offends people is that it’s always suspected as having clandestine motives and merely a tool in exerting power over women. Ghostface’s latest effort, his soul-music inspired Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry In Emerald City swooningly bucks this trend. “Stapleton Sex” is raunchy, chaotic, explicit, but above-all, the carnal lust which is graphically described, is mutual. Also significant is that sex is presented in a vacuum, that is, not being had for either party to brag about but because it feels right and is powered by solely by collaborative physiology. Also significant are Ghostface’s desires, which appear to be monogamous on the album. In fact, the only infidelity perpetrated is by females on tracks like “Guest House” and “Lonely” and it’s typically Ghostface’s sensitive side that’s thrust into a state of melancholy on said-tracks.
The album’s one true flaw is that he employs the pipes of several modern day crooners, however, none of which effectively capture the vintage sensibility that Ghost has always championed. Sometimes, Ghost doesn’t even get the girl but still revels in the ability to muse about how great it would be if he did. That being said, Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry In Emerald City is a joint that less-than-prolific hopeless romantics can stare into the starry night to, along with a rap album self-respecting women and feminists can give a nod to.
Similar Albums:
Ghostface Killah – The Big Doe Rehab
Method Man and Redman – Blackout 2
R. Kelly – Double Up
If a meteor was just hours away, Paul Glanting would recall that he has been in a Lil Wayne music video and has a 4.7 (out of 5) on Rate My Professor. He is at work on his first novel, Adjunct Megafauna.