Fishscale

I know Ironman and Supreme Clientele but for some reason never got around to Fishscale. As someone from Staten Island, grew up a big Wu-Tang fan. How did I miss this? Definitely will be keeping this in rotation for more listens.

Idk why but Ghost’s voice over these beats will never get old, no matter how many times I hear it. Classic voice, classic underrated album and shoutout to Ne-Yo for the classic hook!!

This came up in the randomizer in a surprisingly timely fashion. There's a commercial that's been airing during the US Open set to "The Champ", and it's the rare commercial that I want to turn *up* every time it's on. So of course I put the album on a couple of days ago, and of course it holds up. It will rightfully go down as the Last Great Wu-Tang Album, the final major peak of the collective's career of joint and solo records. There's a good chance it's the best album from 2006, even.

There's another coke-rap opus from 2006 I like more than this one, but the fact that I can say "coke-rap opus from 2006" to describe more than one album remains nothing short of incredible. Fuck it, it's a 5.

my favorite of the rap records so far

That was reeeeally good. I usually don't like albums longer than an hour but this felt so quick because of how much variety in the songs there is. The samples and features were great, the skits were entertaining even if a little ridiculous sometimes, and just overall really enjoyable.

Ghostface is one of the best to ever do it. This is an excellent record all around.

When I was a young Killer B, it was all Meth and RZA for me. Age and wisdom have shown me it was Ghostface all along.

What a record. Musically perfect end to end - first time listening to it and it blew me away.

This is the best album of former Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. Great rap album with lots of contributions of famous (Wu-Tang Clan) rappers (Raekwon, Trife, Cappadonna, RZA, GZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ol' Dirty Bastard, The Notorious B.I.G.). Some rappers improve with age.

As a group or individually wu tang and it’s meme era are the best to ever do it

Having experience from the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah knows how to make a good album. The MF DOOM produced tracks are sublime. "Fishscale" has a lot of classic guest artists like the rest of Wu-Tang. GK's verses are often brilliant. The skits aren't terrible either. 5 stars for this endeavour.

Rocky III gets some love. Respect.

GHOSTFACE KILLAHHH 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 one of the best to ever do it absolute classic 5/5

Best Wu album this side of 2000. Getting Dilla and DOOM is was absolute genius and Ghost face sails round the beats like the prizefighter he pretends to be early on on the album.

Soft 5

Loved this album in 06 and still love it now. The sampling is on point! It’ll make you get up and do the Damon Dash

I’m not much of a rap fan, but this was awesome! There’s clear talent here, and this stuff is always elevated by using real instruments.

How do you choose a single member of Wu-Tang to highlight and not then highlight every other one of them? In my opinion they’re the best collective in hip-hop. Every single rapper is a genius who helped craft the sound of 90s rap. And then how do you choose a single album in Ghostface’s enormous catalogue? He is so prolific, and really hasn’t taken a wrong turn. This album is excellent. Bring the ruckus.

This album is phenomenal, I was never a GFK fan growing up and I feel like I missed out. Everything song is unique and tells a great story, there are too many skits as always but some are pretty funny and The Champ is a certified banger and goes in the general playlist.

Rating: 9.5/10 Amazing album, my favorite album by Ghostface Killah. This album takes you on a journey and to me embodies all of Ghost's best characteristics and content matter: vivid storytelling, drug dealing stories, family issues/relationships, insane street slang, and all of this with clever wordplay, expansive vocabulary, great rhyming, and of course his iconic voice and delivery. There is an introspective and emotional aspect that this album does better than Ghost's others I think while still being amazing lyrically. The production is also great throughout, every song feels unique. Even though this album is over 25 tracks long it always passes by so quickly whenever I listen to it; a sign of a truly great album. Favorite songs: Shakey Dog, Kilo, The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, Beauty Jackson, Crack Spot, R.A.G.U., Whip You With A Strap, Back Like That, Be Easy, Jellyfish, Dogs Of War, Big Girl, Underwater, Momma, Three Bricks. Worst song: Clipse of Doom.

I was pleasantly surprised with how I’ve rated some of the other Wu Tang member’s solo albums, but this was fantastic. It had a variety of styles and did not overstay its welcome even though it’s a double LP (at least the extended edition is).

can't believe i've never listened to this before. compare yourself to david koresh and spongebob squarepants and sing about getting rid of posers by selling them on ebay and baby you got a stew going

Best old school hip hop I’ve ever hear makes biggie sound like a first grader who just learned how to rhyme

tour de force of an album

This was a surprise. Really good!

This album is sweeping in its scope and cinematic in its storytelling. Ghostface Killah is one of raps greatest lyricists and this album puts that on full display. The narrative about cocaine running is compelling and is so detailed that it’s going to take a few listens to get all the details. The music itself spans several decades and includes doo woo, lounge music, up through funk and R&B. Overall, a fantastic album.

Just brilliant. Kilo should have a single, it would have been one of the best of the aughts.

Dope

Ghostface might be my favourite rapper of all time. Also great to see Americans embracing the metric system.

I was legit sad when this album ended, it was so well produced and fit the vibe of the day perfectly. Will definitely return to this one!

Awesome album from beginning to end.

Kilo is a thousand grammes, easy to remember! I wasn't expecting to see a Ghostface Killah album come up, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. I would be hard pressed to pick just one of his albums to put in this list, but I guess if I had to choose, then this would be the one. Even though there's so many guest artists and producers, this is always a Ghostface album, and all the better for it. It was always a bit of a disappointment for me that some of the members of the Wu-Tang Clan went on to pretty dull solo work, but there was still plenty of good stuff that came of the project, Raekwon and GZA spring to mind, but Ghostface was probably the most prolific and also the best for consistent quality. Easy 5 star album that was a delight to listen to again after not hearing it in a year or three. I still sing "whips me with a strap" on a weekly basis.

Another solo wu tang album that is magnificently produced and has excellent flows. I still think I like liquid swords more but the first like 5 songs on this are all bangers especially shaken dog, the champ, and back like that. The sheer star power of both the features and the production are also insane and works as a great bridge between old school 90s rap and more melodic 00s stuff, back like that and it’s remix with Kanye come to mind the most. Idk if I’m getting softer with my 5s or getting a chance to listen to the album more and thus appreciate it more but after listening to this album multiple times throughout the day it’s pretty great all the way through and doesn’t really drag at all.

top notch. cohesive record that tells a story. i loved the skits, especially heart st directions and bad mouth kid. not a bad track, features were fire, production was beautiful. rhymes and stuff all very great!!

Man this was so good. Very well put together

The Wu-Tang Clan is one of my favorite rap groups, and Ghostface is one of its most talented rappers; his flow is impeccable, and his lyrics are often great to match. While this isn’t as good as, say, Supreme Clientele, it all comes through on this album. Just take ‘The Champ’, which is such an enjoyable song just because of how he raps. Definitely viable for inclusion, though it’s reasonable that they cut it in other editions.

sick

Loved this. It wasn't on my radar when it came out but this is absolutely what I loved in like 2003

This is the album that kept me from listening to the last 10+ days of 1001 assigned albums. This album absolutely floored me. I’ve listened to it countless times. The storytelling is so vivid, the wordplay so nuanced, and the production and sampling is just some of the best ever. I could go on…but it’s just all-time hip-hop album.

Amazing.

Great solo joint by Ghostface! It has a great mix of original Wu-Tang vibes mixed with new approaches to beats/production.

Perhaps the craziest thing about Wu-Tang was the number of incredible rappers and producers who were part of the crew from it's outset. Ghostface is a great example of that. He's one of the greatest rappers of all time, and yet when you list of the members of Wu-Tang who were most important to rap history, Ghostface barely sneaks into the top 5 (I'd put Rza, Method Man, ODB, and perhaps Gza in over him). Despite that, Ghostface clearly shows how well his style ages here. More than 10 years after 36 chambers, Ghostface comes in hot with Fishscale. It helps a lot that this album features some of the greatest producers of all time at the height of their careers. One of the coolest things about this album is getting to hear some of my favorite songs off of Donuts by J Dilla employed by a rapper whose style meshes well with Dilla's. I can't think of another rapper who can tell a story in verse the way that Ghostface can. His flow is incredible, but the way that he paints a picture while he does it is his true skill. I can't believe that I'm going to give another Wu-Tang rapper a 5/5 album, but here we are. This album is undeniable 5/5

Some of the best rap I've heard in a long time. Loved all of it. The flow, the samples (these guys love their comic books), the collaborations. All of it!

LOVE me some Wu-Tang, and Ghostface might just be my favorite member. In a group with no lack of hip-hop titans, Ghostface still manages to grab the spotlight and throttle it like it stole something from him. The man's a poet, plain and simple. "Supreme Clientele" gets a lot of attention (and rightfully so--it doesn't get much better than "Apollo Kids" and "Cher Chez La Ghost"), but "Fishscale" is my favorite Ghostface album. The skits are utterly skippable (ranging from the mildly amusing "Bad Mouth Kid" to the cringey "Heart Street Directions"), but basically every track is worthy of a place in my regular playlist rotation. And it's no wonder. Not only is he a master storyteller, but his fellow Clan members back him up regularly on this album (most notably on "9 Milli Bros."), and the tracks are produced by hip-hop greats like Pete Rock, J Dilla, and MF DOOM. I could list my favorite tracks, but it'd basically just be two-thirds of the track list, minus the skits. That's how solid this album is. Casual hip-hop fans might find this album a little inaccessible, but for those who appreciate the Wu-Tang style "Fishcale" is solid gold.

Massive energy. The backing is so full of hooks and great grooves, could listen to it spinning all day long. Lyrics are fast and furious with passion and feeling. Loved this album

Gimme a pen and pand

This album doesn't miss; not even mad about the massive runtime.

Sweet, hard-hitting rhymes with a lot of energy and genuine fun. And awesome beats!

I love this album. Surprised to see it on this list, but it's fantastic.

Abso loot LUV.

Loved it, I didn't think I would, But every track was strong and it worked together so well.

Happy birthday to me. Too many skits but every rap album from approximately 1994 to 2007 has that problem. This shit fucking bumps. He is an incredible lyricist, imposing, quick witted, detailed, hilarious. Speaking of skits, Heart Street Directions had me audibly laughing even though it's 7th grade humor. Be Easy is an immediate add to the rotation. Production is almost uniformly awesome too. J Dilla and DOOM RIP. "I muffle motherfuckers up like Meineke". "DIDN'T I TELL YOU DON'T TOUCH THE SIDES? I'M GOING BALD ON TOP". "SpongeBob in the Bentley Coupe, bangin' the Isley's".

Elskede den her som teenager og jeg havde fat i den lange ende! Næsten ingen filler, vildt fede beats

Pretty long, but most of it was very good. Trying to bump my average rating a bit here...

Never felt too long despite being a long album. Didn’t really notice the skits.

Im surprised by how much I am enjoying this - every song is so much fun to listen to if that's even the right word. I like this!

This felt like a chat with The Champ at the local Barbershop.

Classic Ghostface. 9 Milli Bros is an epic Wu posse cut. Same for Dogs Of War. Choice Dilla tracks. Clipse of Doom is wild. Gotta shout out Cappadonna, love whenever he pops up. Classic album.

Thank you Marvel Comics for inspiring autistic black men to have amazing rap careers

i liked this ehehe.

Some great stuff on here. Good mix of rap hip hop and storytelling.

I usually avoid all rap since around, say, 1990. But this was alright, and although a bit long, listened to it all this way through and found my self rather enjoying it. Fair play.

Ghostface is always a great rap storyteller, but the standout on this album is the incredible production. Dilla obviously kills on his tracks, but across the board the beats that are present for Ghost to work his magic on are excellent. Slightly too many features and skits and being slightly overly long brings it to a 4.

Seems cool on first listen. Never listened to any solo Wu Tang stuff before. Of course there are too many tracks and on future listens I'll skip the skits, but it's good.

I hate skits. Why was this ever considered a good thing? Other than that I actually liked this album maybe a bit longer than it needed to be.

A star studded line up from great producers such as Pete Rock, J Dilla, and MF to solid feautures from Wu-Tang Clan members, Trife da god, and even Biggie. Ghostface is able to execute a messy yet interesting collage of stories relating to drugs, women, and his alter ego as Tony Stark (Iron Man). He attempts to grab the attention of both the general public and hardcore hiphop fans, and I believe he was able to succeed in that through both his rapping and layout of the album itself. Although I am usually not a huge fan of interludes in general, there were definitely a couple fun ones in this album and they did help in the story telling of the album as well.

Overraskende godt og groovy!

kind of an overwhelming thing to get one's head around in 24 hours but luckily you've got Shakey Dog right out the gate, announcing to you that you're listening to something hugely special. bursting with detail, electric, Ghost's raps somehow even bigger than the massive beat, sticking out at wild, electrocuted angles. a brief survey of other things i love: the posse cuts, the tenacity to just rap over a straight-up unedited r'n'b song on Big Girl, the way Beauty Jackson just dissipates into the wintry air, Whip You With A Strap's nostalgia-poison, Momma's jazzy, mournful rawness, and the attempted invention of a new subgenre (underwater rap) in Underwater

The back-to-back of Carole King & Ghostface Killah gave me a laugh. Good album packed with solid songs & lyrics. I liked most all of it and can tell he was an awesome member of Wu-Tang. I used to play as Ghostface on the Def Jam Wrestling video game.

Excited for this album because I know it will be my style. Not excited because I can think of 10 better rap albums from the 2006 era that I’m pretty sure aren’t on this list but this one is. Into skit is fine. I don’t get the reference if it is one. Production on shakey dog is really really good. Love the horns. And ghostface can rap there was never a question of that. Really good story telling. Don’t like the beat as much on kilo. Very 90s. The champ is classic just blaze production. This song is really fun. Not sure about 9 milli bros. I don’t like the beat at all. Just a little repetitive. I’m such a sucker for skits and interludes. Not enough of those these day. Crack spot is much better. Cool production and again great story telling. Ragu is good not great. Another ok beat. I like when the sample comes in, those strings are really cool. Whip you with a strap is a banger. Sick beat and great lyrics. Love the piano on back like that. Good chorus too. This is a fun song again. Clips of doom is good wrapping but don’t like the production. A good bit of that on this album. Love jellyfish. Production is simple but works really well, sick bass line. Great bars again. Very interesting beat on dogs of war. I think Ikke it a lot. Cool sample too. Another good song. Barbershop is fine. Just a long interlude. Big girl🔥🔥. Another sick sample. And ghost face just keeps spitting. U like how it’s slow enough to understand. Underwater is good not great. Cool sounds but a little generic. Momma is an awesome closer. Sick beat, obviously I love the piano. Needed more r&b hooks like this. Overall I was blown away. I knew I’d enjoy it because I just like this type of music but didn’t think I would this much. Like I said at the beginning, there’s so many outstanding rap albums from this era and I thought since I’d never heard of this one it must be a tier below, it it wasn’t. It’s just another mid 2000s banger rap album. Not perfect, but a ton of really good songs. 4.1/5 stars.

enjoyable!

I enjoy albums like this but probably in the same way that someone that knows nothing about jazz enjoys jazz

I've never been a fan of Wu-Tang Clan so I wasn't expecting to like this one but actually it rules, would've liked it more without the guest tracks and skits though lol

Sympa!

Favorite Track: Back Like That

me ganhou nas beats pqp produção incrivel, meu casa assassinoh cara fantasma mandou demais nesse aqui

ou, esse eh bão hein. bem variado, beats fantásticos, bom uso dos samples, flow dum JOVEM vindo dum mano de 30 e poucos anos. bacana demais!!

Not as good as Methodical Man but it's WuTang. The Tony Stark storyline was interesting so I need another listen for that.

very dramatic kinda fun to listen to

The skits transition seamlessly, and the lyrics are definitely comical at times. Then, for whatever reason, the back half of the album blends in with just instrumental noises, and murmurs. I still don't know what to think of Ghostface Killa, but this is a great 2000s album, which unfortunately isn't common in this generator. Favorite Track: "Whip You With A Strap".

Actually vibed so hard lol

I enjoyed this more than expected. Clever use of rhymes and at times just plain funny (e.g., singing parts of The Champ as if Mr. T/Clubber Lang from Rocky III). Each song has its own distinct sound which made it feel more like a true album, unlike many others in this genre which sound like one long drawn out song that requires a lot of listening energy to get through. Not the case here. On top of that I learned a lot about cocaine. So, there’s that…

I was enjoying this quite a bit and then Biggie showed up in a later track and that sealed if for me. 3.75/5

Not the best, but still enjoyed it

Didn’t realize how much of this album I knew. This came out right when I started doing a hip hop deep dive and I loved it, haven’t listened in a loooong time.

Really great. The beats were nice and he’s a great rapper.

my man balls be around there love coke rap so much. so good

This was really good! Why haven't I listened to this more?

But why were the bonus tracks the best ones on the album?

I'm not a huge rap fan but this was absolutely solid if not a touch too long.

Pretty good for what it is. 3.6

I thought this was really solid, probably my favorite solo album from a member of Wu-Tang Clan that I've gotten so far. Ghostface Killah's delivery is great, and his storytelling is sharp. The beats were well constructed and added a lot to it too. Perhaps a bit too long, but that's all right.

Ghost is for the children

An education

We used to make hip hop in this country.

Hasn't listened to anything last the second generation of Wu Solo releases. This was good, very cohesive

ja, definitiv. 4

This is indeed the birth of cool

Was pleasantly surprised!

Was intimidated by the runtime at first, but the record turned out to be really great. Will return to.

No idea who this guy is and didn’t really listen to the lyrics but the flow and style I enjoyed a lot. Plus, that’s a great name, fits the music perfect.

The first half of this album - sounds off. The mix is super thin. It's missing mids and lows so it sounds tinny. Listened on a couple different sources (Spotify, YouTube). Really like The Champ - just wish the mix had the instruments, beats and bass more filled out. 9 Milli Bros is great. Be Easy is the first track that sounds more full - bass hits better. Love the keys on Jellyfish. Then the next track sounds thin again. Man. This would be fire. The mix is just thin. If it was full, this could be a 5. Still a great discovery for me.

3.5

Everything Wu-Tang touches is great. I've yet to find a counter example.

I don't know enough about modern hip hop. I never in my life would have decided to put on music by someone called “Ghostface Killah”, and not to judge an album by its cover, but I wouldn't ever have been enticed to pick this up in a record shop. Well, I would have missed out if it wasn't for this project. It's really brilliant stuff. Ghostface’s rapping is great, but those samples are something else. Absolutely fantastic old funk and soul samples are the building blocks for some really catchy tunes. It feels like a loose concept album too, more like a group of themes with a strong sense of place and time. It gives off retro vibes, like hip hop from the 80s blended with more modern styles. “Shakey Dog” is definitely my favourite track here, but there’s stiff competition from the likes of “The Champ”, “Be Easy”, “Jellyfish”, and “Dogs of War” to name but a few. You’ll notice that these songs all have something in common: amazing use of samples from old 70s funk and soul records. The musical patchwork that makes up the production is so good, at times it reminds me of Kanye. Before today, I didn’t even know who Ghostface Killah was (I didn’t realise he was a member of Wu-Tang until I read up on this album). This project has served well so far as a much needed education on jazz and hip hop. And without it, I’d likely never have discovered the excellent music of “Fishscale”.

Pretty sick

This album has so many little things in it that threw me back and it's classic early 2000s hip hop, complete with a "lost" Biggie verse. What sets it apart for me is the raw lyricism. He touches on quite a few topics (such as child abuse) that you don't hear much about in music. For being raw and honest I think it deserves a higher star than what I originally thought.

Flow starts off relaxed and slow, then picks up momentum. Each song has a different yet similar vibe (i.e. samples, genres, features), which I really love. I think "Fishscale's" forte is its ability to form a cohesive message within each unique sound. It continues the trend of 90s-aughts gangsta rap but with more storytelling than just straight up boasting. (4-4.5)

Len Houmous once ate 2kg of fish scales to impress a fisherman’s daughter. It worked. He married her. 4.2 27/27 Back Like That - Remix

Lowkey vivid.

Great album, truly a legend

Ghostface is my favorite WuTang member individual discography. GZA might have the best album in Liquid Swords, but GFK is all over Wutang's and everyone elses best tracks. This might be my 2nd favorite of his, after Supreme Clientele of course. The production is pretty consistent even though there's so many contributers, I recognized Dilla and DOOM, and great to know Pete Rock hands in a couple. The skits as usual are pretty distracting, but the highs are pretty high. If it were a little more concise it would be perfect. My favorite tracks are 9 Milli Bros, Ragu, Jellyfish and Three Bricks. Honorable mention the Biggie, Ice Cube and Ne-Yo features.

Strong 3,5

I love everything from the Wu-Tang and its various members and this is no exception. Fantastic production! So many good beats and, as always, great lyricism.

Very good!

A kilo is 1000 grams, it’s easy to remember.

Ghostface is definitely one of the most consistent members of the Wu-tang and his albums are always worth a listen. This is the first time I've heard this and I was aware that it was considered one of his best. And I can't deny that there's a lot of great stuff on this, albeit like many hip hop albums, it's too long! But I'm not sure why it's in the list over either _Ironman_ or _Supreme Clientele_, which I think are more pioneering and in many opinions, better albums. They were certainly more impactful for me although this could just be because I'm coming to this much later. Anyway, after much deliberation this sneaked into a 4 star rating.

I'm not usually a hard rap person but I enjoyed this album!

After a run of 9, that’s 9! classic brilliant albums I get this one. Know the genre and it’s not for me, but I really liked this, I thought the melodies and production were ace. Now I am actually thinking I will like Wu-Tang Clan if I get them. Who knew. I felt the skits detracted a bit from the album though. First skit – Return of Clyde Smith - What?! The second about directions to Heart Street and letting the young lady know it’s just off “D**k Lane made me nervous, until her well put “f**in pervert”, but the one about the kid swearing? Gosh this meme has been done to death, better than getting some poor kid to swear for your album would be to teach them how to spell. Its Killer not “Killah”.

The real hip hop

Enjoyed this album...need to relisten to it and explore more in this vein.

This one really took me by surprise. The production was incredible and didn't get bored during the hour. 4S

This was very exciting to listen to! I loved the sampling and the multidude of genres explored in here, and, therefore, the beats and the instrumentals overall are just great. The flows are incredible, and some bars in here are so funny or perceptive or memorable. Definitely a bit on the long side; 24 tracks is a lot to listen to and, of course, some were less memorable than the rest. Favorites: Kilo, The Champ, Beauty Jackson, Heart Street Directions (Skit), Clipse of Doom

The theme doesn't really do anything for me, but I love the sound of this record. Love the samples, love the flow. Of course Ghostface gets great guests, of course he gets some of the best producers. You got DOOM, you got J Dilla, you got early Kanye, you got Pete Rock... it's almost unfair. Easily one of the best rap records of the '00s.

# Album Name: FishScale # Artist: Ghostface Killah # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Some good beats on this album. I enjoyed it. One of the best rap albums ive heard on this list. It still suffers from the dreaded skits and long length though. # Top Tunes: Shakey dog / champ / 9 bro / bacl like that / be easy / doom / jellyfish / dogs of war # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Beats, flow, message

This is my first time listening to a solo Ghostface Killah album start to finish. When it comes to hip-hop, I'm the sort of listener who focuses more on the beats than the lyrics. And the beats on this album are quite satisfying.

Highly enjoyable, but too many sketches and too long

Trodde det skulle va skit men oväntat bra, diggar.

A surprising and often funny ride, with all sorts of different songs along the way.

not so much fan of rap but damn what's this, i loved it

Good

Pretty decent actually

Some great storytelling on this one. The beats are pretty great as well.

A fun listen today. Really good old school rap. I wasn't sure but then suddenly the album was over and I wanted more. The mixing and delivery are both great.

Really liked this! Lots of talk about drugs, but I’ll let it slide.

Very solid stuff.

I really liked this album. Classic late-90s East-Coast rap. Really creative choices used for the sampling and great engineering all around. It's a classic. Really enjoyable. "The Champ" and "Jellyfish" were the favorites off of this one.

Some music needs to be listened to in headphones. This is one of those albums. I think that’s fitting because this album feels like visiting someone else house. Small details of a person tucked into corners a behind doors. What that person shows to the world and what they choose not to. There’s elements to this album that are not my fav like all the misogyny, but it’s hard to escape that, especially in 2006. Fav tracks: bad mouth kid, whip you with a strap, be easy and barbershop.

Great east-coast rap album, with solid beats, spitting bars and insane range of collaborators. Can feel it instantly that he's a part of the Wu-Tang Clan. Favorite tracks: Champ, Be Easy among others

Nothin wrong with hip hop

With the lack of hip-hop on this list I was really surprised to see this gem show up. Ghost is my favorite lyricist from the Wu and this album is fantastic. Love the sample choices. Love Ghost's flow and his wordsmithiness. 8/10 Favorite tracks- “Shaky Dog” “Be Easy” “Barbershop”

AURA

Really good 3.75/5

Overall: 7/10 Not the best Wu-Tang solo album, and not the best Ghostface album, but a very solid effort with some great stuff on it. Loved the different features on this, not a big fan of the skits (don't really know why that's such a big thing in hip hop). Fav Song: Three Bricks

Ghostface's masterful rap coupled with immaculate production. There are some stumbles here and there, but Fishscale is a worthwhile listen.

kinda reminds me of biggie and Kanye circa graduation era

Honestly, I looked at this cover and the title and I groaned a little. I didn't really want to listen to this. The lesson is to never judge a book by its cover. This was a surprisingly good album. It's not knock it out of the park good, to be honest I'm kind of tired of listening to gangster rap, but it had some really good moments (I'm thinking Back like that). I probably won't come back it but it was pretty good

Pretty good.

This is exactly how you do a concept heavy record without it becoming a total chore to listen to. It’s gritty, smart, and is a hell of a ride from start to finish. Big fan of the craft on this one. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Kilo - The Champ - Back Like That - Be Easy

Of the Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang-adjacent albums we've heard so far, I enjoyed this one the most. The drug-hype lyrics get stale fast, but the varied sonics across the tracks more than make up for it. The many guest producers and performers keep things moving in interesting directions. Minus 90% of one star for skits. At best, they simply waste time and add nothing to the work. At worst, the skits bring the album's momentum to a screeching halt and take the listener out of the music.

Ghostface is one of the only MC's who deserves a post-mortem Biggie verse

Best Wu Tang stuff I've heard on this journey.

This is like a Wu-Tang album lite. One thing that dawned on me with this vs modern hip-hop/rap is that the level of creativeness on the samples and orchestration are infinitely more interesting on these 90s albums than today. Yeah you have your gems today but albums like this exemplify the creative boon the 90s provided. Ghostface is great, love the little excerpts too, and this album flew by.

Close to peak rap. Cinematic production, energetic bars, great storytelling. You got all of Wu-Tang, Biggie, Doom, J Dilla, Ne-Yo on this thing. And back when skits and features were a given, love the Wu tang style movie clips too. Maybe just a tad bloated but I really can't complain. Love this era of hip-hop

Some songs are way better than others and there are a few too many skits, but it's a good album overall. Much better if you have the lyrics pulled up as you listen.

As is always the case with 90s and 00s hip-hop, the skits are terrible. But just about everything else is great. This is complex, witty, interestingly produced, and ultimately up there with the best rap of its era.

i LOVEE abit of hip hop would of given 5 if less skits the kanye remix is soo good

Be easy is the jewel

So, Method Man and Rza may be the most famous, but Hip Hop heads know that Ghostface might just be the most talented Wu Tang MC. This is an excellent album, if a little overlong. I do not like skits, but they were the scourge of 90s hip hop, so I'm not going to ding it too much. It's probably a 3.5 album, but most of the people in this project are old white dudes that think music peaked in 1964, so I'm bumping it to 4 stars because I'm sure its global rating is a full star lower than it should be.

I’m surprised they picked this album over Ironman or Supreme Clientele but I don’t mind since it’s just as good as those two in my opinion. This was sort of the last great Wu Tang album unfortunately… Favorite track: Back Like That 3.5/5

Fight the power! NWA pre NWA. Solid precursor to revolutionary black hip hop

4/5

Barz

ΞΑΝΑ ΟΛΟΟΟΟΟ

I Fantastic album full of gems, just long, but that’s to be expected. Great features and classic Ghostface flow. Truly is a badass album.

Wu Tang is forever.

Listened to this many times today skipping, like, ten tracks, mostly skits. I don’t think I’ve heard any Wu-Tang adjacent that’s less than good. This was great

So close to a 5/5. Perfect old school vibe, lyrically excellent and no misses. Even got a bath and body work reference for Lucy 😂

Awesome production makes this album fly by even with it's hefty runtime

Really strong entry from another member of the Wu Tang Clan. Production was great on this, the beats were high-energy and super creative (MF Doom was heavily involved). Raekwon and Ne-Yo had good features. Tracks flow together well, but rappers were still doing “skits” in 2006 apparently. Other than that, I couldn’t find much fault with this hip hop album. 4/5, a really fun one if you enjoy well-produced gangsta rap

I always kinda thought of New York City rap as the jazz of rap, but overall this album feels like it has direction and purpose. Bonus points for this Biggie verse I’ve never heard before.

There were some really good tracks in here like Be Easy and RAGU but it feels slightly bloated, otherwise good album

Solid rap album.

I'm still not fully convinced skits make sense in an album, but this album has a great flow. The chorus of Be Easy is satisfying every time it hits and The Champ is golden. It goes on a bit long but this album has some real highs and some strong consistency.

Ghostface has top tier cadence when it comes to hip hop. Great production, great story telling. A cohesive album. Just an issue with quantity over quality.

I think that this is a pretty good rap album. It has the flows, the beats, the stories, the rhymes and the style.

This was catchy and upbeat hip hop (after a non coherent introduction). As much as I liked it, one issue I've had with hip hop albums on this list is that they just drag a little too much. Loved that song about the grams in a kilogram. 4 stars.

This album is like getting caught up in the underground world of bare knuckle boxing. At first you’re just counting money for the bookie, but gradually you move higher and higher in the ladder, and before you know it you are running the show. You’ve gone from a naive awakening to the violent underbelly of the city you live in, to being one of the big names causing the problems.

A mostly great hip hop album. What really stands out is the array of samples used to create beats with good backing melodies. Some good cameo appearances throughout. Some questionable lyrics and interludes. Plays well on a 2014 Chevy Cruze sound system.

All the stuff from the wu-tang guys around this time is pretty solid.

The Ghostface Killahhhhhhhhhhh. Did not expect to find this album on the list, but production on this is awesome.

65 minutes, 26 tracks, multiple tracks with "skit" in the title, and "The album follows an organized crime theme, and is named after a term for uncut cocaine": I couldn't have been less enthused. My scepticism lasted until about 90 seconds into track 2. This album has some fire tracks, and has some of my favorite elements of hip hop. However, I can't give it 5/5 because it's 65 minutes and has too much filler. There's an absolute classic of a 45 minute album in there though.

Very refreshing

pretty gooooood. liked the versatility because i feel like rap albums can get boring quite quickly

i didnt know what to expect but i really liked it! It just bloody breeze through despite having listening the expanded version that was over an hour long. The sequence of songs really helped, each one flowed well to the other and there were a good mix of slower to more punchy songs interspersed between each other. Was also quite personal with songs like momma introspecting on why his mum is the way she is. There were some hard hitting tracks as well that i enjoyed, the instrumentals was all good throughout. Some lyrics are a bit of its time i think and to be honest not really a fan of the casual misogyny a lot of rap albums have. Also the kanye west feature made me a little sad not going to lie given how he ends up being. Still i think this album does have a lot going for it and i am eager to pick out the lyrics and flow more in depth. If i could i would give it a 4.5 stars but it's 4 stars for now.

So many words. Two listens, then I checked the words for the first 3 songs. These are amazing stories, multi-character voices spitting out high speed Raymond Chandler literary dialogue of drug deals, double-crosses, perfect little movie scenes pictures. 4 for now, but I'm betting taking time for going deep on more songs bump it up to a 5.

I thought this was a pretty solid album. Some really cool songs and beats on here

Groovy buttery flow, funny skits, cracking up at the one of the kid cussing out Ghostface, and then the next song being about the strap. Enjoyed it, some classic old-school rap and hip hop. 8.5/10

RZA and GZA released my favourite solo Wu Tang Clan efforts. This is a solid entry. Ghostface always performs better with others. 3.5/5

Something about Ghostface Killah's vocal tone that makes the lyrics unusually easy to follow. Delivery brings a sharp focus and paints a clear narrative. Not relatable but hooks me in a way that other albums in the genre dont. Good balance of dark, gritty tunes alongside those more up-beat, catchier, more pop leaning songs with the hooks and the guest vocals. Tight production, impressive beats, riffs and sample choices. Im a sucker for a few skits. Genuinely impressive album i enjoyed more than i anticipated. Favourite tracks - Be Easy and Three Bricks. 8/10

Like most rap, VERY long. But this was pretty good overall.

Favorite Track: Back Like That

Great samples, silly skits, Wu-Tang is forever.

I'm happy to see Ghostface on this list, even if the album choice is debatable (Supreme Clientele is a much superior record in my opinion). Of all the Wu Tang crew members, Ghostface had one of the best solo careers (second only to Method Man), staying true to his gritty roots while producing a ton of bangers. Fishscale is a good example of that - released in a time when other rappers were all surfing on the bling / ego trip trend, it proudly maintains a cinematic street-level approach, carried by Ghostface's tormented voice. Thanks to his powerful flow, his great rhyming and storytelling skills and the top-notch production (J Dilla and MF Doom never disapppoint), this album stands out in the mid-2000s hip hop landscape as a particularly raw and authentic release. It's not a perfect album though, and there are still a few filler tracks of lesser quality. Ghostface doesn't have the enthusiasm of his debut album anymore, I really wish they had picked an earlier album from his discog. 8/10

2006 best hip hop album to me goes to j dilla donuts. However, this is solid, a great way to get psyched up! I want to hit something now, I want to get off my butt and do something, some days I need that beat. And this album is that beat. My favorite two tracks are: (momma), and (dogs of war).

Absolutely loving the production, storytelling and delivery on this album. Each song feels distinct from one another and the album flows really well track to track. My main gripe… and it's a gripe I have with a lot of rap albums… why is it so long? There are so many strong moments on this album and as a collective I like it, but if it was 30 minutes shorter I guarantee it would have left more of a long lasting impression.

Some really cool tracks on this one. Probably the most accessible gk album I’ve heard.

I have more solo Tony albums than any other Wu solo a nd whilst most are fabulous, he is capable of a clunker. My personal top tier Wu is probably GZA, ODB and GFK and of his albums, this is definitely a winner as well as Iron Man and particularly Supreme Clientele.

I was ready to write this off, til I read the lyrics to Jellyfish. They are ADORABLE, what a sweetie pie. Go read those lyrics before you rate this album. I guarantee it's worth your while.

Great samples and narriative storytelling. Love the album

Slamming

Really good

I was sceptical of the release date 2006, since i do not like 2000s hiphop, but I thought, hey. If anything would convince me otherwise it would be a Wu tang project. And yea, i loved most of this. Especially the first half. Some songs (bonus ones?) sound more like 2000s rap joints, but most of the record comes off more like a 90s record, which I love. Crazy rhymes, and lots of bangers.

Es una locura. Creo que no había escuchado nunca este disco. No tengo recuerdo de estas canciones. Me explico: yo había empezado a coquetear con el hip hop en la década del 2000. No me terminaba de enganchar. Es música demasiado norteamericana, me cuesta seguir las letras tanto por que me costaba entenderlos como por todas las referencias a cosas ajenas a mí. Posiblemente por esos años escuché Enter the Wu-Tang por primera vez. Pasamos al 2010. Mi buen amigo Rafaela me recomendó encarecidamente My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy de KW, y ahí sí todas las piezas hicieron click y comencé a escuchar hip hop de forma más masivamente. Allí me familiaricé con Wu-Tang Clan y fui empezando a escuchar las discografías de sus miembros: Ghostface, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon etc. pero 1. son MUCHOS discos, 2. son MUY largos, 3. la calidad de los discos de los miembros de WTC no es tan buena (y la de los propios discos de WTC tampoco, sinceramente), 4. mis gustos musicales me llevaron a prestarle más pelota a músicos del hip hop de la década de los 00s y 10s que a músicos de los 80s y 90s (con grandes excepciones: A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots - si bien prefiero lo que sacaron post 00s, De la Soul, etc.). Entonces mi acercamiento a estos discos fue dispar. Ghostface es el Wu Tang Clan que conservó el talento. Debería haberle prestado más atención a él, pero incluso su producción solista es abrumadora. Estoy mirando en wikipedia: aparentemente él sacó 13 discos solistas y 9 discos en colaboración. Y a eso tenemos que sumarle su trabajo en WTC. Es DEMASIADO, por más que haya discos que presumiblemente sean menores por definición a otros (por ejemplo, el mismo año en el que salió Fishscale sacó un segundo disco llamado "More Fish", que me imagino que son descartes o canciones extra que no pasaron el filtro de calidad para formar este disco), pero son MUCHAS canciones. Yo de Ghostface solo recuerdo haber escuchado Ironman, aunque es posible que tmb le haya dado masa a Supreme Clientele, que entiendo que es considerado su mejor disco. Ahora, posiblemente habiendo escuchado Fishcale por primera vez, me parece un disco BUENÍSIMO. También me aleja la duración: 24 tracks y más de una hora de duración. Por ahí eso hizo que en su momento no lo escuchara (tal vez lo puse de fondo, no me acuerdo), pero la verdad es que parece no tener relleno de ningún tipo. Solo desprecio los skits, que son una marca de género que para mi no tienen razón alguna de ser. Fishscale es un disco de Gangsta rap MUY superior a lo que suele escuchar del género. También parece sorprendentemente diverso, con beats duros como escuchamos en el género, pero también hay samples de soul y funk que le dan al disco momentos románticos y retros respectiamente. Esta diversidad se refleja en la lista de productores. Se destacan Jay Dilla (RIP), MF Doom (RIP) y Pete Rock (todavía vivo =D). Es demasiada música para asimilar y no puedo hablar de los 24 tracks (18 si quitamos los innecesarios skits), pero voy a destacar acá las que me volaron más la cabeza: "Shakey Dog" es la primera canción - 2do track después de un skit - y para mi debería haber sido el single del álbum: es un gangsta' rap sin contemplaciones. Producido por un tal Lewis Parker (no sé quien es); Clipse of DOOM, tal vez sea mi canción favorita del disco, construida alrededor del sample de una guitarra distorsionada. Producido por MF Doom, y se nota mucho. Todos los temas que produjo DOOM son buenísimos: Jellyfish, Underwater, y 9 Milli Bros (otro que podría haber sido single del disco: es más pop y aparece "Wu-Tang Clan": me imagino que es toda la pandilla menos Ol' Dirty Bastard. En otras canciones hace feats Raekwon). Si vamos a productores, todos los temas que hizo Pete Rock también la rompen muchísimo. Destaco a Dogs of War, con una guitarra funky que suena ominosa que está buenísima. Y también voy a resaltar el tema The Champ, otro que podría haber sido un hitazo, medio funk y atractivo. Y esto fue solo un poco de name dropping, porque todas las canciones son buenas, y digo, todas. Incluso canciones que podrían parecer poca cosa como Big Girl o RAGU están buenas. El disco solo pierde un poquito de gas al final, con la sensiblera Momma (que está bien, pero no me gusta para cerrar el disco). Después de este tema hay uno que en algunos lados aparece como bonustrack pero parece que está en todas las ediciones. Surge a partir de un par de segundos de silencio, por lo que está afuera de la narrativa principal (así que tiene sentido verlo como bonus, supongo) que también está bueno. Le pongo 4 estrellas (no me da para ponerle 5 en este momento con pocas escuchas), pero es un trabajo que va por más.

If you like Wu-Tang, you'll probably like this too. I do, and I did.

The album has a nice variety of beats, good MCs collaborating, and is generally very good.

I actually liked some of the rap on here along with the skits.

Just a dope product from Ghostface, per usual. There is a reason he has had the most consistency out of anyone from the Wu. All the features killed it too.

I'm very glad to see Ghostface show up on this list, but it's baffling that it's this album over Supreme Clientele, or even Ironman. That said, the beats are fantastic here and the flow is infectious.

I really really liked this. Momma almost made me cry at work. There's a lot of emotions in here that I'm gonna have to dig more into his discography to learn more about.

Solid NYC style hip hop album

A classic album, including badly done unnecessary skits. Versatile, bombastic, and of the era but good beats. Made me consider getting an oversized jersey and tennis hat.

1. "The Return of Clyde Smith" (skit) 2. "Shakey Dog" - 8/10, very energetic verses and lyrical performances 3. "Kilo" (featuring Raekwon) - interesting sample usage and Raekwon did his thing as per usual. 9/10 4. "The Champ" - 9.5/10, so high energy with amazing instrumentals that still refrained from over doing it 5. "Major Operation" (skit) 6. "9 Milli Bros." (performed by the Wu-Tang Clan) - 9/10 not much to say was really good 7. "Beauty Jackson" - 7/10 8. "Heart Street Directions" (skit) 9. "Columbus Exchange (skit) / Crack Spot" 10. "R.A.G.U." (featuring Raekwon) - 9.5/10, really fun, and the lyrics were funny, so that's a bonus 11. "Bad Mouth Kid" (skit) 12. "Whip You With a Strap" - 8/10 good rapping performance, but something that I didn't need to hear 13. "Back Like That" (featuring Ne-Yo) - 9/10, one of my favorite tracks on the album 14. "Be Easy" (featuring Trife) - not my favorite but great nonetheless, i did like that ODB reference (Shimmy Shimmy Ya) 8/10 15. "Clipse of Doom" (featuring Trife) - amazing song, the violent energy that the song gives is entrancing 9/10 16. "Jellyfish" (featuring Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs, and Trife), the singing was a bit off-putting, but it's in the same vein as MF DOOM (who also is sampled on this song), so it's not the end of the world, 8/10 17. "Dogs of War" (featuring Raekwon, Cappadonna, Sun God and Trife) - 8/10 no thoughts really 18. "Barbershop" 8/10 19. "Ms. Sweetwater" (skit) 20. "Big Girl" - I like the sentiment of this song, and it was kind of cool 9.5/10 21. "Underwater" - short and sweet and to the point, but also great nonetheless 8/10 22. "The Ironman Takeover" (skit) 23. "Momma" (featuring Megan Rochell) - my favorite track, it's my favorite type of rap song where the MC is forced to look inward and try to reconcile with their past. 10/10 24. "Three Bricks" (bonus track) (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Raekwon) - the song in and of itself is good, but it's kind of funny that it comes right after Momma, one of the lyrics in the first verse is "put a bomb in your mama's gas tank" 8/10 25."Be Easy (Remix)" (bonus track) (featuring Ice Cube and Trife) - I like Ice Cube's voice on this song, so it made it 9/10 26."Back Like That (Remix)" (bonus track) (featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo) - this was a bit better than the original 10/10

One of the better hip hop albums I've had - a great range of beats, cinematic storytelling with interesting flows, and more depth than the simple braggadocio you get from a lot of 90s rap. Back Like That is also incredibly catchy. Still drifts into some outdated misogyny, but all in all a great listen.

I really enjoyed this! Saved a number of songs to my favorites playlist.

This was a classic good album. I never listened to ghostface like that. It was on from the first sing

It’s an hour but it went by so fast I kind of wanted more

Ghostface deserves four stars for highlighting the virtues of the metric system to dumb Americans

It's still got that 90s feel to it, which I love for this genre. Dude is slick.

Instant Classic Best Song: Three Bricks OR Bad Mouth Kid (Skit) Rating: 8.5/10 Stars: 4

Wu tang

A bit too long, but pretty great. Top notch production, solid narrative.

Solid album, not exactly my thing though. "Be Easy" is a banger , can't believe I never heard it before. That said, this is easily a 4 star album, it's heat.

Great, a bit long, occasionally dives into incel territory.

Okay!

Cool

Underrated hip hop album of the mid 2000s. Gritty lyrics, killer rhymes and great stories

basically a mini wu tang clan album with higher fidelity production. Pretty fun.

French electro-pop

Good stuff. 4

Like the other Wu tang solo albums we've had this showed that the members of that group were the best of the time. First half of the album in particular was great with beats that allowed GK to show his best rapping. Album was too long though and gradually fell back on old tropes. Think the group album was better, think they are more angry than smug as a group. Still enjoyed this though.

Are we going to get a solo album from every member of wu tang? Im on board with that if so. Don't think I've ever heard any solo ghostface before. I'm ignoring all the stupid skits, for an album released in 2006, they make it feel much more dated. Although in it's defence it didn't have too much of the old gangsta rap tropes which distance it from a lot of the 90s stuff. Aside from the skits, I thought it was largely pretty good. It did have some tracks that were kinda more RnB, which I'm not a fan of. But, some of the rest of it was very good. I liked the ones with other wu tang members on. Liked the final track with the Biggie sample. Highlights: Sharkey dog Three bricks Dogs of war 9 milli bros Be easy 3.5

Благодаря этому списку я вник в лор Ву-Танг, и теперь с уверенностью могу сказать, что вот этот чел, - это Главный рэппер среди них. Биты супэр. Лучшая песня - Clipse of Doom.

"Shakey Dog" and "Three Bricks" are bangers, also really liked "Underwater."

Not a fan of east coast rap in general but there is no denying that this a great album. I'm not a fan of the skits and I feel like they clutter the album and prevent it from being a truly cohesive album, and the couple of remixes of songs already on the tracklist at the end are unnecessary, but otherwise its an enjoyable listen

72/100. Good record, always feels bad taking off points due to some of the skits, but I just didn’t like them and found them unnecessary. Rapping is strong as always with GFK and the features were good.

Pretty effin awesome!

The Champ // 9 Milli Bros // Whip You With A Strap // Back Like That // Be Easy //

One of the best rap albums!

I'm not a hip-hop aficionado - that being said, there is a reason Ghostface Killah has had such an illustrious career.

Some classic rap.

Solid, lyrics are full of purpose

Over a "sinister" beat, the song begins with Offset rapping in the chorus and first verse about his diamond jewelry and having shooters by his side, while switching his flow and using his signature triplet rhyme scheme. In the second verse, 21 Savage immediately compares himself to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a joke, while rapping about how he is still hanging out with the "killers" and "gorillas" with guns. The third verse finds Travis Scott in Auto-Tune laced vocals, referencing his drug use and being a "Nike" boy. I enjoyed this album. Lot of MF Doom samples. I really like the Special Herbs albums and the beats pop up in other hip hop songs. The Ne-Yo parts feel dated.

6/10

well, wait moment, this man knows it

Loved this album. Great contributors as well.

8/18/25. Really glad I came across this, shows that my Wu-Tang knowledge is nearly non-existant! Good storytelling, great beats, and hilarious skits throughout. Will come back to this.

This slaps!

Rips. So much variation in an albeit very long tracklist. Never felt bored or like it overstayed it's welcome like many other longer hip hop albums. 4/5

Don't know when I'll ever be hyped up enough for this album but its fun.

7.5.

This is why I use the 1001 albums generator. This album passed me by, and I loved listening to it. Great flows, good storytelling, and some varied, consistently high-end production.

A kilo is 1000 grammes. So simple.

ghost outta water

I liked this one more than the Raekwon album. Catchier songs.

This album is all vibe. High energy, delicious textures, beats and samples spread over everything like peanut butter, high energy party rapping with all the bros. Lyrics are meh but they aren’t the point. Good time contained herein.

3.7/i enjoyed. also wtf how is biggie on this

Wu Tang is the real thing. An extremely talented group that proved that its members were more than qualified to lead successful solo careers. At this point I’ve had GZA an Raekwon albums, and including this I have been convinced that NE rap was into something as it elevated the genre to impressive heights. GK has raw talent and a forceful energy in his raps, add to that some excellent production. This album is supremely complex and well made. Also it is goes hard.

It's good. I like some of it, I don't really care for some of it. Like a lot of hip-hop albums, it should be 10 songs instead of 27 (!!!!!!). I can see that it's influential, and I love the musicality of it. If this were tighter, and there were 4 or 5 great songs on a 10 song album, it'd be a 5/5. As it is, 4/5.

The purest crime-hyper bars of all time. A true master of his craft.

Nice listening to the end, the sound varied enough between songs to not get too stale and the production was satisfying

He's always been one of if not my favourite wu-tang member. This also has all of them on it, which is quite good, especially as its quite a lot later than their breakthrough albums. I think my favourite features are the Raekwon ones, as I think they compliment each other well, honourable mention to Masta Killa, who I think is very underrated. I think there's some kind of story, but I didn't fully catch it, although the themes and skits are quite immersive. I do think that he's an amazing lyricist, he's very good at describing stuff artfully and painting a picture (dare I say 'poetry'). Favourite songs: Kilo, The Champ, beauty Jackson, R.A.G.U, back like that, be easy, clipse of doom, Jellyfish, Dogs, of war, underwater, Momma

thoughts: this is such an easy listen but it’s just so much fun. the production is so slick, the samples are perfect, the storytelling is on point. “heart street directions” is the dumbest and funniest minute-long skit on an album i can remember. breaking it up halfway through with a ne-yo feature is so smart. MF DOOM and j dilla can’t miss songs: “shakey dog”, “9 milli bros”, “R.A.G.U.” rating: 8.1/10

I enjoyed this WAY more than I anticipated. Great beats and choice of producers, rock-solid flow and enough skits to normally make me go insane. Didn’t think I had pushed enough drugs or shot enough folks to get Fishscale, but somehow I do. Am I actually born for the streets? Tune is as I will write a very positive review of The Killers next. Now that’s what I call street!

Good album, love back like that

4.5. mediocre beginning, but gets really good

A classic. Few rappers can conjure up images like Tony Starkks and put them in nicely street style rhymes. However, it's too much of the same, broadly separated into street tunes and love tunes with some sprinkles of social critique that's not that deep. Also ghost really couldn't sing so we have no proper hooks by him (this would Indeed change later with Ghostsdini and shit). The production is in top and it helped for the sake of mixing it up a bit to hand not only RZA handle the production.

Not my favorite Wu Tang but still great Fav Tracks: Back Like That, Jellyfish

This album has a great flow from start to finish, Ghostface rides the beats with confidence and energy. Most of the production is fairly simple, but he makes it work with sharp storytelling and delivery. The biggest drawbacks are the skits, which kill the vibe, and the runtime... It just goes on too long. Trimmed down, this could’ve been a tighter, more impactful record. Still, there’s plenty of quality here.

Return to form from Ghost. Along with Ironman and Supreme Clientele, these albums will always be a showcase why he has an argument of most talented member of Wu-Tang. He sure can tell a story but unlike those first two albums, here he struggles a bit to maintain the quality through the full hour+ runtime and you wish that he would have trimmed a bit more. Still the first half is top form.

Listened in the truck via YouTube music Chose the expanded edition that had three bonus tracks on top of the twenty four original tracks. Lots of great production from Dilla, Doom, etc. First time listening all the way through a Gjost album. Definitely been missing out on this one at least. They definitely aren’t making rap albums like this anymore and deserves to be on this list.

Decent rap/hip-hop. Love the crisp drumbeats. Lyrical content a little off my radar but didn't ruin it

This was my favorite of the Wu Tang solo projects we've had so far. I liked the production a lot.

Banger!

Hard as hell. Not one to bump while the family are around, unfortunately. Some classy production, some unbelievable lines, delivered with panache. It's too long but it's still excellent.

A bit more gangster rap/heavily referencing drugs than I go for, but good to start listening to some Wu-Tang solo records. They’re all clearly great MCs but the ensemble stops any of them from shining fully. Ghostface is an amazing rapper.

Good. Too many skits though.

4.5 Chad

This record may not have the same renown as Ironman or Supreme Clientele, but it is just as good. In a time when Wu-Tang was inactive, the solo offerings from the Clan satiated our appetite. This record holds up today, even. "Shakey Dog", "The Champ", "Crack Spot", "Back Like That", and "Underwater" are standouts.

Var först lite skeptisk. Trodde alla låtar skulle låta som R.A.G.U. Jag har aldrig riktigt komma "in" på wu-tang clan. Men det var stor variation på denna skiva och det är mest riktigt najs. Alla "skits" kan man dock skippa - det blir otroligt tröttsamt, redan första lyssningen. Överlag finns många grymma låtar. Tre första låtarna är alla najs. Sen är det rätt smånajs. Men back like that är svinbra tycker jag. Skön röst på backup-sång-snubben. Be easy efter är grym. Det kommer nog bli lite mer av detta.

Крутой альбом, олд скул

Good hop hip

Really good but definitely a cultural gap here.

His voice reminds me of action Bronson and some of these beats got a nujabes feel.

I had never listened to him before. Decent rap, not as good as Snoop or Eminem for me but it did not bore me. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This is one of the best rap albums I’ve heard! The rapping is in your face, the beats slap hard and the production is great! The only thing I mind is the length. The album is so intensive that it wears me down about 3/4 down. I’ll revisit this for sure!

Good rap music.

Excellent hip hop release. Has 90’s feel to it but that’s not to say it feels dated in anyways. The flow, beats and rhymes delivered by Ghostface and crew are impeccable. The production is excellent, there’s a fullness to the sound that is just so impressive. Thought it had an MF Doom vibe to it a times so I wasn’t surprised to learn he was one of several producers on this. Couple favourites on this are Shakey Dog and the energy on The Champ won me over. Great stuff and didn’t feel overly bloated for its length either. 4 stars

I have no idea how to feel about the use of donuts beats in this album

Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.

I knew the champ and shakey from some spotify playlists. Good album, perhaps a bit long/a few not so strong tracks. Momma and the ne-yo track really dated this as mid-2000s. The kids are now singing the chorus to kilo around the house. I hope they don't repeat any of the other instructions to their teacher

Pretty good listen

Surprisingly sweet for mafiosa rap <3 Great old-school beats, fantastic flows, and skits I could probably do without.

> The Beatles

I love Ghostface. My favorite rapper Action Bronson essentially modeled his flows on old Wutang/Ghostface material. His voice is so cutting and New York-coded. This makes me want to run through a wall. I can forgive the skits.

I'd give this a 3.5, but I'll round up to 4, as I do think this is just a solid hip-hop album. I don't think it rises to some other level. It doesn't break a lot of standards or challenge much in the way of what Ghostface, Wu-tang, or hip-hop has done before, but it is just very solid and quality, real stuff.

It is definitely a little long and stuffed with songs but the varied production and flow keeps things interesting throughout. Ghostface is always a welcome surprise!

Really strong album from Ghostface Killah, but ultimately it is too bloated. The music starts to lose steam after Jellyfish and there are probably too many skits. That said, there were a lot of high points. Loved the beats on: Shakey Dog, The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, R.A.G.U., Be Easy. I could come back to those songs any day. I think it's a low 4 though I came close to knocking it down to a 3.