Fishscale

Penúltimo día de julio y toca hip hop. No ubico al artista pero sí al colectivo al que pertenece, sólo por cultura general. Disco chill. Me lo imagino también para entrenar, ya sea levantar peso, ya sea practicar box. Hasta mañana, último día del séptimo mes.

3.5 A great album for sure, wondering why it isn’t one of his 90s albums which are usually considered his best, but whatever. GK has one of the greatest rap voices of all time, it just sounds right. Overlong as most rap albums of this era are, thankfully pretty light on skits. Amazing samples, pristine production. A great listen.

Shakey Dog grabs you! The beginning of the album feels like a journal from the street. The flow and rhythm—combining elements from ‘70s R&B—highlight the talent of Ghostface Killah. Kilo continues the groove and proto-documentary of street life. Somewhere around Beauty Jackson I started loosing interest. I think it was all the skits, which seem excessive here. RAGU tries to take it back with powerful lyrics and a slow beat, but then seems to feel long. In truth, I was listening to the extended version. Overall, it’s of mixed feelings. Culturally: not mine. Musically: respect. He deserves to be in the pantheon of rap.

Random thoughts: * I liked the samples and music feel. Very soulful. I haven't listened to much Wu-Tang or all the solo albums. * "Whip You With a Strap" really caught my attention. I'm not sure what he is saying or is just relaying his upbringing. Is he advocating for whipping kids? I'm not sure but it definitely was something. * "Kilo" was a funky jam and I nodded along to that one too. * Overall, pretty good!

Nobody does that 'flipping through early seventies radio/TV late at night' sampling like Wu-tang, and this is a very solid solo effort that perhaps lacks the mystery and crazy mythology of the very best of Wu, while bringing plenty of the gangsta chicks, guns and drugs stuff.

zwei bis drei

It was interesting to listen to this after listening to Straight Outta Compton 2-3 weeks ago. Although it felt reminiscent of that album at times, it felt more developed and much less self-parodical (naturally, having come out 18 years later).

Pretty good hip hop album, especially the beats and music. Ghostface is a pretty good MC just. Just doesn’t really have a lasting impact? And the topics are pretty generic and boring. Tricky to rate

aggressive clean old school, not bad

Sketch quantity aside, a fun album and great flow from Ghost - didn't expect to like it as much as I did

A bit of a slog at first, but got into it when I gave it a chance later in the day. Definitely asks for some focus to pay attention to the lyrics. All the diverse ft.s and production personnel really help for the variety, which is crucial. Some of the beats and samples are awesome (it felt like J Dilla was all over it but I guess he only did like one song). Hard to find credits for exactly who worked on each track, but the collaborative space is where any wu tang adjacent effort shines. And they seem to known it. Definitely made me appreciate Ghostface more, where he normally sat in the shadow of ODB, RZA, and Method in my mind. Fav tracks: Champ, 9 Milli, RAGU, Back like that, Dogs of War

Not my thing, but well constructed. Flowed well. Decent mowing music.

Not my favorite Wu-Tang-affiliated record, but it's fun enough.

Fishscale is nearly 15 years away from Wu Tang's golden years, and while I don't think this is essential from front to back, Ghostface Killah does prove that he sort of still has it. He has super dynamic flows, and really engaging story-telling across Fishscale. And the beats here have a lot of variety, with a few incredible selections, and a few that don't do it as much for me, but I think that the beats are much better than they aren't. While talking about the overall aesthetic here, this album is stuck in a weird place, in some ways it's stuck in the '90s, but there are some 2000s-isms, like a lot of the beats. The best instrumental showing here may be from J Dilla, who produced Whip You With A Strap. Ghostface is also in incredible form on this song, he pulls off vulnerability very well. Some of my other favorite beats here are on Shakey Dog, R.A.G.U., Dogs of War, and the end of Barbershop. These are also songs where Ghostface is pretty incredible too. I'd also like to mention 9 Milli Bros, which features a rare (and exciting) Wu Tang reunion. We also have a rare and similarly exciting Biggie feature on album closer Three Bricks. The biggest problem I have here is just the consistency. This album is over an hour long, and it isn't really a slog or anything, but it is certainly a little bloated. Some songs here are kinda whatever to me, and a lot of the skits don't do all that much for me. But the core is here, and Ghostface Killah makes himself heard, he's (more or less) still got it, we we get a pretty great album out of it.

Highlights: The Champ, 9 Milli Brothers, Kilo. In a nutshell: the gathering of the rap tsars. "We got a history, full of lightning victories/ Conceptual breakthrough/ it ain't no mystery/ Long vision, from giants in every way/ Rap czars, magnificent flows for every day/ From the east to the ville, from the west to the hills/Incredible rhymes, encouraging skill..." GZA, 9 Milli Bros Impressive rhymes and storytelling, expert flow, good use of samples...but there are skits, ugggggghhhh 🙄 At a staggering 64:01, it is a lot to take in for hip hop learners like me. Fellow Wu-Tang Clan mates GZA, SZA, Raekwon and Method Man have their own albums on the list too, so as to some or all are essential remains to be seen. Overall: 5/10

I remember vibing to this moderately. Not too intensely. 3.5

I will forever die on this hill. I love me some samples! I was surprised that this didn’t sound like a Wu Tang album minus that clan. Sure there are appearances but this is really Ghostfaces album. It serves its purpose. I’m not mad that this album is on the list. Choice cut: The Champ

It's no Ironman. Has it's great moments (Clipse of Doom, Dogs of War, and Three Bricks are certainly standouts) but for the most part it fails to really impress. Another victim of quantity over quality.

It’s ok

Liked the variety, but too long, no standalone bangers, too many n bombs, and bravado

The Good: An album for people who like symmetry! The Bad: That’s not why it’s called fishscale… The Ugly: Realizing that the album refers to some desease you get from oral sex… I just made that up… you can’t get a venereal desease from eating fishscales… I think. What fischscales refers to is a different musical scale, one that doesn’t stick to a set norm… one that allows people to sing so off key that it is considered an art-form! For those reading one of my reviews for the first time; I hate rap music… except, it seems, when it’s Em or any one related to WuTang… Don’t know what it is with Ghostface Killah, but he just makes me ignore my hatred for rap, and I will actually dish out a 3*...

Good

Each song is distinct, it's not a mushy bleed-together of left-overs to pad the length. But the production is consistent and each song obviously belongs on this album.

Rap, entspannt - aber nicht komplett meins

Bon, hier était pas un réel miracle, mais j’aime le croire, ok? Laissez-moi en pleine désillusion! Faque, ça c’était un autre gars du Wu-Tang? Voyons, ils étaient combien? Pis pourquoi tout leurs albums de wannabe gangsters pow pow tout juste correct sont dans la liste? Définitivement, je comprends pas le hip-hop

Good, but not my preferred hip hop/rap. 3/5

It was an okay album. I liked a few songs but it felt lacking without the rest of the gang.

More enjoyable than what I was expecting. Ghostface isn't super high on my Wu-Tang list, and I didn't love Supreme Clientele my first few listens. That being said, I enjoyed this from the storytelling perspective. Kinda like watching a Ghostface movie for an hour.

Its not bad. Too many skits... Lots of MF Doom beats but honestly they were better as instrumentals.

I’d never heard of Ghostface Killah before this challenge, I enjoyed the album

Nice

It's cool. Like the stories, but honestly nothing too crazy here.

I'm not a huge fan of rap but I really liked the beats and song composition. The guitar was a really interesting thing to add, it made the album really unique. Rating - 6.5

3/5

I like most of it if I don't listen to the lyrics too hard

3.3 stars rounded down.

There's a noticeable '90s sound combined with the sound of the 2000s. Decent album, not his best work though.

Didn’t rock like yesterday’s GZA did, so it suffered from being the second in a two-in-a-row Wu-Tang sequence. Still liked it, though. Maybe more into the Wu-tang universe than I thought.

Alright. Not offensive, not emotional. Fine

Not super my thing, but it was a decent listen.

I liked a few of the songs a lot and the whole thing was listenable. This style of rap isn't my favorite though.

I'm not really a fan of this genre at all, but I do enjoy this album. There's enough variety in styles to keep it interesting throughout. While I usually can’t stand the dumb skits that so many hip-hop albums include, most of them here actually serve the narrative pretty well. That said, Heart Street Directions is an exception—I'm all for lowbrow humor, but that track feels like the creative peak of a 13-year-old.

Have you ever thought “damn I really want a dozen skits in the album I’m about to listen to?” If so, this is for you. Unfortunately I’m not that person. Some of the in between songs were good, but I never feel as if the skits add to an album

Another Wu-Tang Clan member appears on the 1001 Albums list—there really are quite a few of them! I’ll admit, I tend to struggle with this genre; the gangster rap themes don’t particularly resonate with me, and with 27 tracks spanning 1 hour and 12 minutes, this is a long listen. Wish me luck. Fishscale has its moments. It leans heavily on collaborations—perhaps a bit too much at times—but those features often end up being the highlights. Tracks with Ne-Yo and Raekwon, for example, really stand out. The flow is smooth, the production is tight, and the lyrical delivery is sharp—even if the subject matter isn’t quite my thing. One thing that really surprised me was the number of writers credited on each track. It genuinely took an army to put this album together. Favourite track: I really enjoyed “Big Girl” and “Back Like That,” but if I had to pick one, I’d say “Back Like That” takes the top spot. Least favourite track: I actually felt the album improved as it went on. It started off a bit weak for me, and I didn’t enjoy the tracks that leaned heavily into gangster themes. Album artwork: That stare on the cover is intense—I feel like I’m being personally challenged just by looking at it!

Every other hip-hop fan seems to rate Wu Tang, but their stuff never really clicks for me. This album has a pretty solid sound. Production credits include Pete Rock and MF DOOM, as well as UK boom bap mainstay Lewis Parker. Some of these tracks have a killer sound. Ghostface has a fairly enjoyable flow, and I can see what people like about his cinematic, storytelling flow. However, if this were a piece of cinema, it would be 80% action sequences, with no attempt to really convey anything meaningful to the audience. Some of the tracks have an emotional depth in the lyrics, but lots of the songwriting is just a dull fantasy about being a drug dealing kingpin. Something about this style of mafioso rapping just never speaks to me - it doesn't give me anything to hold my attention. Having said that, there are a few great tracks here and the overall sound is solid. 3.5*

This slapped, but I would give it a better rating if it didn’t have all of the skits

was ok but went on way too long. could only get expanded edition on spotify and wish I could have at least had the original

Very inconsistent album. Some really great tracks woth fantastic mid-2000s beats and verse, but a lot of forgettable filler thay does bog the album down. More than a few hidden gems, but a lot of skippable songs. Top tracks: The Champ, R.A.G.U., Clipse of Doom

A bit heavy in a good way at times

Some solid hardcore rap from the 2000s. Didn't know a single one of these songs because I am guessing these could not be played on radio. Some of them hit for me and some did not. Still don't fully understand the appeal of every rap album it seems to have skits throughout the album. This is a high 3, not quite a 4

3rd of the solo albums by a Wu-Tang member that incorporates every member of Wu-Tang. For the Children. Love me some fishscale. Kilo is a measure. Portugal. The Man used to cover this at every show and it was incredible. 9 Milli Bros is pretty sick with all the Wu members. This one started pretty hot but went on too long and faded out for me. Ghostface does kill it though whenever I was super tuned in.

A quality album that is pushing the definitions of coarse and raw. Pretty much what you should expect from someone with such deep Wu Tang roots.

I would have given Supreme Clientele a 5 and maybe thinking about this in the context of that and all the other excellent Wu-Tang solo albums is a bit unfair. Some of the skits are over long, as was the style at the time, but the density of absolute bangers on this album is excellent.

Sometimes I'm unimpressed by the grandstanding in rap, sometimes I'm bored of the never ending womanizing and drug glorification, and sometimes I like it....I can't figure me out. I'll let you know in 200 more albums.

The production is fantastic (got some DOOM on here?) and Ghostface can rap. The album is a bit too long.

Now this was a classic, old school hip hop banger. Awesome storytelling, great flows and iconic singles. I can see why this is here. "Back Like That" might now be one of my favorite Hip-Hop songs ever.

I don't know why I dig Wu Tang more than other money drugs hoes rap, but, darn it, I just do.

2.94

WuTang!

I'm not a good judge of hip hop albums. This one is ok, some melodic elements I really enjoyed.

GFK rules

Mostly, it’s just kind of average. Nothing all that special. It’s frustrating. I keep waiting for it to kick off or something, but it’s just not getting there. There’s a lot of potential, but not much payoff.

I had only heard one song from this album before today. The rest of the album is pretty good too. I really like how it tells a story, it's always nice when the artist makes a cohesive story. I'm sure I will listen to this one again.

Too long, but great storytelling and mostly fun to listen to. Except the skits.

Not a fan of the genre but I like this album.

Decent

Good record. Skits were annoying, bit too long.

Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, hate the skits so probably wont listen to the album again in its entirety

Enjoyed this but it’s a bit long

Sehr sehr solides album

i liked it but didn’t feel like anything special to me also….

Ganz nice aba toooo fucking horny

A solid 3 from me. I was listening to Brother Ali a bit at this time and I got a similar vibe from this. My hip-hop friend called this 'New York' and I can see that distinction. This didn't really impress me in any way but I would be happy to hear it again if someone put it on and might recognize some of it also.

The more I listen to music, the more I realize that the classic vinyl 40-minute format makes the most sense for compilation-style albums. I don't have anything against longer records, but I think that if the required time commitment exceeds 40-45 minutes, the album needs to justify it (like having an overarching narrative/some other sort of progression, or a lot of variety). An hour of standalone songs is just a bit too long for me. And it's not like the songs here are impressive. Don't get me wrong, they're pretty good overall, but aside from The Champ, none of them are all that memorable. I would rather artists make shorter releases but focus more on quality. And interludes... Don't, just don't. 7/10

Pretty, pretty cool all round. Killah has an excellent flow, and there's shades of Arrested Development or even De La Soul in the backing. There's a ceiling to the score, because this woke white kid doesn't like hearing the N word, even if it's being reclaimed in rap. But regardless, this is a fun and funky album.

Cons Overlong, skits, overly sweary. Pros Well produced. Sime of is more Kanye than Wu-Tang. Meh

Tiene su onda. Igual, no soy nada fan del género pero no me la pasé mal.

album by wu tang band member Favorite track: Champ other picks: 9 million bros, be easy, momma

Känn mi gar nüd uus i däm Musig-Genre. Natürli sind Eastside/Westside Usenandersetzig und dUshängeschilder vo de entsprächende Labels en Begriff. Spannend, wie sich d Lieder extrem verändered je nach Colab. Shakey Dog findi s beschte Lied. S ganze Album isch doch sehr kreativ.

shakey dog isch seehr geil ich lieb en hiphop beat mit changes. aso de beat wechslet irgendwie noch 16 täkt uf en andere akkord und s het uhuere effekt. kilo au wieder insaane beat. ok und er cha au reime. wiso bruchts zwüsched jedem song en skit? ha immerno freud ade beats. the champ au hammer. han irgendwie nöd d energie zum mega uf de text lose. 9 milli bros goht etz glaaaub um pistole hä? jo ok au wieder harde beat halt. und au mega en posse track jede macht vier bars und verpisst sich wieder. machts nöd kohärenter defür abwechsligsriich. back like that isch die art r&b woni nöd mag. be easy bumpt uhuuere clipse of doom au wieder harde beat, aber cha etz mit de ziit nüm soo viel mit dem ganze afange. oke s reims alles uf e da isch schono hard. jede rapper wo finnicky imne song brucht findi recht cool. heter etz uf jellyfish gmacht dasch cool. barbershop isch au wieder afoch en skit, die nerved mi langsam. ich check wölle immersiv sii und so aber sie verlängered s album sooo fest. und de effekt vo zerst tönts wie usme radio und denn hesch die voll bandbreiti funktioniert au nöd meh als 3-4 mol ufme album und wird huere schnell usglutscht. waaaaass biggie uf three bricks huere crazy. he ich glaub es isch e starks 3 oder es schwachs vier. scho z lang und mit de ziit chli streng. aber au meeega geili beats uhuere gueti reim und easy guets storytelling.

hammer skit moll hahaha ich faste mal min seatbelt, danke fürd warnig! najaaa rhe champ findi de beat sehr cool aber s passiert chli vill find de flow woner het cool aber s blibt iwie wenig hänge heart street😃 ragu het seehr en geile beat! hahah whip you with a strap isch seehr cool damn back like that richtig schön? hä entweder gets bim album en switch geh oder bi mier oder beides, uf jede fall fühlis jz easy! jz wieder chli aggr jellyfish sehr komisch sber ich hans na gern? ja wie so hüfig isches eifach viiill z lang ja am ahfang hanis nöd würkli gern gha, nach einige lieder hets aber klick gmacht iwie. füres 4i langeds aber nöd, désolé

I've liked most of the hip hop albums on this list so far, but this one was just okay. Too many skits (not a fan of those) and a lot of the songs were average. The Champ is a banger though, remember that one from WWE SvR 2007 video game.

Action Bronson definitely stole the guy's voice. I loved a couple songs but hated most of them. RAGU and Be Easy have such solid beats that you can say pretty much anything and it would sound good. That being said, I didn't care for Ghostface's flow in general. It felt like he said a lot without saying much somehow. It's a difficult one to rate for me.

has some bangers tbh

Listened to the edited version by choice instead. Didn’t care for the skits.

3.5*

Album wasn’t for me, but I can see how someone who is in to R’n’B would enjoy it. Not bad!

Hip hop continues to not really be my thing. But this was enjoyable for many tracks. The skits are all bad. It’s also WAY too long. However theres some good stuff here. 3/5

this is my kind of hip hop

Not sure Fishscale qualifies as an album that needs to be heard prior to one's expiring, but it's solid hip-hop.

Starting this album with "Shakey Dog" and "Kilo" is diabolical. The lyrics are incredible and the beats are outrageous. Throw in "The Champ" as the third song, and it's off and running. Unfortunately, these three set the tone for the album and it can't really keep the pace or recover. I lost interest pretty quickly. I hate hate hate the early aughts pattern of rappers throwing in unfunny skits in between songs...just give me the music. As much as I love Ghostface - probably in my top 2 or 3 of Wu-Tang, I'm a little unimpressed with this album as a whole. If the tracklist was moved around and the skits were dropped, it'd be a 4.....as it stands, 3.5 rounding down. Footnote: "Kilo" might have one of the greatest samples ever: https://youtu.be/XMOp7YXYqvc?si=9AYPQfdINDPYaO5W

Ghostface Killah's music can be quite challenging. Sometimes when I listen to it, I find it incredibly captivating, while other times I don’t enjoy it almost at all. There isn't much wrong with this album overall, but I wish there were more standout tracks. I feel that the skits are unnecessary almost by default. I would give this a 3, and it was likely the last time I listened to this.

Not really my thing but its ok. best bits are the samples and bits of old songs they nicked. all a bit misogynistic, gangsta and all about the cash which is very much not my vibe. sort of thing that 'cool' wanna be gansta's would make/listen to.

“‘Round the world today, the kilo is a measure, A kilo is one thousand grams - it’s easy to remember“ This is exactly the sort of wholesome educational content that the youth of America needs to hear more of.

It was alright but I didn't get into it enough for a higher score.

I kinda liked it, the skits were fun and the music was good but it didn't do a lot for me.

A kilo is a thousand grams, that’s easy to remember. “R.A.G.U” has a great beat, love the way it fades out at the end. “Whip You with a Strap” was too real. The last two songs are probably the best. Overall, I like hip-hop in general but the lyrics, I can not approve of.

Didn’t know of this album before, the cover made me expect an average album but it was better than I expected. Still not my cup of tea though.

A few cracking tracks on here amidst some mediocrity

Not a rap fan but this was ok

This is #day147 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... this is how I learned that Ghostface Killah is a member of Wu-Tang Clan, a group I’ve never really listened to. I know Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and its place on this list, but somehow, it never was on my radar. My teenage hip-hop phase was more about Eminem, some 50 Cent, and a little Dr. Dre... I also enjoyed some alternative hip-hop like Fort Minor and still do. As for this album, it was kind of okay, but it felt too long, even for a rap record. Not sure it'll be something I revisit, though I can try to appreciate its place in the early '00s hip-hop context. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day148.

It has a few decent tracks...would put it somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3

Like the music and flow, no denying his talent, the coke dealing street life, it’s not my world though and It’s akin to watching a movie, enjoyed but not likely to go back again.

I like Ghostface but this album is mid. 3/5

Decent. Made me revisit some Wu Tang :)

This was a pleasant surprise. Everything about this screamed 1 star rating to me: the name of the album, the album art, the genre,... However I quiet enjoyed this. If it wasn't this long I would've probably given it a 4 star rating.

Not my genre, but a pretty fun album

It was fine. Have heard better hip hop from this list, but didn't hate it.

Not sure what to say here. Not my bag but seemed good for what it was?

This was fun. Great beats, great features. Love love J Dilla “Donuts” should be on this list if it isn’t. Its a 3 for me because as a whole it was long and the songs that didn’t hook me were hard to get through. I also am just not a fan of skits/long intros of talking

Kilo, hit me with the strap and that skit with the sweary kid caught my attention. Jellyfish was solid too, lots of little references there. And three bricks is such a great closer. Still lots of the others were forgettable 3/5

The Return of Clyde Smith (skit) n/a Shakey Dog 3 Kilo 2.8 The Champ 2.8 Major Operation (skit) n/a 9 Milli Bros. 3 Beauty Jackson 2.7 Heart Street Directions (skit) n/a Columbus Exchange (skit) Crack Spot 2.7 R.A.G.U. 2.9 Bad Mouth Kid (skit) n/a Whip You With a Strap 2.9 Back Like That 3 Be Easy 3.1 Clipse of Doom 3.1 Jellyfish 3 Dogs of War 3 Barbershop 2.8 Ms. Sweetwater (skit) n/a Big Girl 3.1 Underwater 2.8 The Ironman Takeover (skit) n/a Momma 2.7 Three Bricks 3.2 Be Easy (Remix) 3 Back Like That (Remix) 3.1 Score: 2.935

Ihan mukiin menevä, mutta ei sillai järistyttävä 3/5

I was not excited for this. But it turns out that the day you find out Trump is going back into office is a good day for some angry rap. But god I hate the “skits” in between. Maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention or something but they’re never good on any album.

First listen of a Ghostface Killah album. Produced fairly well and has good musical diversity throughout. Unnecessary shit ton use of the N-word though which got a bit old. Great storytelling otherwise.

Я не фанат хип-хоп жанра, но Ghostface Killah меня удивил. Довольно хорошая читка, сэмплы неплохо подобраны и скомпонованы в композициях, в текстах чувствуется искренность пережитого опыта, хоть и тематика меня не сильно привлекает. Но половина альбома прям совсем не зашла, так как было меньше ритма, очень много треков, скитов и проходняков, как по мне. Наличие и качество скитов в альбоме вызывает сомнения. Некоторые из них довольно хороши, но их как будто слишком много, музыкальной ценности они почти не представляют, но неплохо раскрывают темнокожую жизнь. Отдельно хочу отметить чувство ритма MC, как в компоновке семплов и подборе общего ритма, так и в читке. Отдельно для себя отметил треки The Champ, Kilo, Whip You With A Strap

I really don’t understand the appeal of the lame ass interlude. Why do so many hip hop albums wedge this shit into their records? It’s never worth it. Like, bitch, I’m here for your music. I don’t want to hear your friends mumbling over shitty sound effects. Please kill this trend. This record is alright. There are a few fun tracks. Some is a bit same-y. Some songs are nicely mixed. Others are annoying. Mostly, it’s just kind of average. Nothing all that special. It’s frustrating. I keep waiting for it to kick off or something, but it’s just not getting there. There’s a lot of potential, but not much payoff.

The crazy amount of features on this one kind of saved it, because Ghostface's style is a bit much for me

Not my cup of tea.

Another day, another Wu-tang clan album. Fishscale is my second album by a member in this hip-hop group the first being Liquid Swords by GZA and unfortunately, this album doesn't hit the highs that one hit. The production, like the last album, was actually pretty good for the most part with some pretty funky beats and samples that were well put together even if they weren't as interesting as Liquid Swords'. The main thing that holds this one back though is the lyrics which are often the same format of racial slurs and sexual references. There are some smart lyrics but there are way more dumb ones which make the 60 minute runtime seem a little long. This album is not bad but not up to the standard of the other Wu-tang clan member album i have looked at. Best Song: Be Easy Worst Song: Whip You With A Strap

I kind of have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I really don't like the violent and misogynistic lyrics on this album. On the other hand, I love how this album sounds. It flows so well and the rhymes are good. Musically, it's a very fun album to listen to. Some of the skits were kind of funny too. I think I'd give this a 3.5 but I'll round it up to 4.

A few standouts. Probably with a closer listen I would get more from it so might come back to it. 6/10

Better than expected!

Ghostface Killah got a sense of humor. And a legit album! Shakey Dog is great, the rest of the album is good. Fades a bit and songs get similar by the end, but not bad. Enjoyed the experience. (3.1*s)

This album is decent but runs a bit long. There's a few tracks I recognize and like but a lot of it is also missable. Ghostface has some skill but this isn't an album I would necessarily put on. I do like the piano on "Back Like That" and most well-known to me "Whip You With a Strap." I don't really care for skits in any rap albums and this one's no different. It's better than all the mumble rap and it tells a decent story. 2.55.

Of the Wu-Tang crew, Ghost face is my least fave. That being said, he's still good and shows you the power of the Wu (expect a lister). When GK is amped up his flow sounds too strained, like he's on the brink of throwing a tantrum. I prefer when he slows it down so you can hear the skill. A lot of the album is typical gang-banging but there are also some tracks with deeper meaning, fun skits, great production, and collabs. My fave is the "Bad Mouth Kid" to "Whip You With a Strap" combo. All I all the Killahs killin' it...3.35.

I wouldn't consider myself a rap fan but I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Ghostface is a little manic but it kinda works. I enjoyed the collaboration with the rest of the Wu Tang clan when they appeared on tracks. 2.68 stars

Cool album, too long though

My favorite Wu Tang album I've listened to to date (226 albums into the project). Lots of good tracks here, in particular the sampling leads to a lot of great hooks that I find missing on so many Wu Tang albums. If there were half stars on this I'd give this 3.5.

Pretty solid rap. Flow was on point. Way too many skits, I hate those lol.

solid album, wasn’t too long and had some good tracks

I don't have enough of an ear to tell what's special here. That's on me I think and not on Ghostface.

Not my scene, at all.

This is the kind of hip hop I'd discovered when I still listened to hip hop!

Come non conoscitore dell’hip hop i primi album del genere che sono stati proposti erano fresh e una novità e li apprezzavo molto. Ormai mi sembrano tutti uguali

It's fine but the songs all get repetitive really quickly. Lyrics are a bit corny by today's standards. Highlight of the album was the chorus of Kilo. "A kilo is a thousand grams, it's easy to remember." A+ lyrics right there. Best song on the album was "The Champ" but I prefer the extended version without the voiceover.

Favourite song - back like that

Adictivos

I don’t know that I’ve listened to a Ghostface album. He’s always been a feature on other tracks, but this album isn’t bad! He’s got a really good flow. I could do without all the skit tracks and it’s a bit long, but I enjoyed it.

I was very happy with this, this feels so much more cohesive than other wu tang clan members projects.

It was pretty good all the way through. There was a lack of variety that did make the whole thing feel a bit labored, but overall it wasn't hard to get through.

Any member of the Clan gets an auto bump just because. Another solid effort from one of the Wu Tang. 3.5 maybe a 4

Wu-Tang forever. Great album.

Ghost is always a classic in hip hop. One of the few Wu members whose solo records are mostly all quality. I’m more of an Ironman and Supreme Clientele guy myself, but Fishscale has its highlights. Taking production from Dilla and Doom is certainly a couple of those highlights. Guest appearances in full strength too. Solid Ghost record.

Some Hip-Hop/Rap again. Usually not my style, but this was fine.

3.5/5

Op zich wel cool, goede Wu-Tang vibe, maar ook weer niet geweldig, of baanbrekend

Hiervoor kreeg ik Common geserveerd. Ongeveer het tegenovergestelde van de schijf van vandaag. Common was braaf. Dat kunnen we toch niet van Ghostface. Er wordt toch echt teveel getierd. Natuurlijk, hij laat soms merken dat het allemaal een grapje is. Maar wel een heel puberaal grapje dan. Common was heel eentonig. Nu een punt in het voordeel van Ghostface. Want eentonig kunnen we dit niet noemen. Als Wu-Tang-lid ben je wel in het voordeel natuurlijk. Hulptroepen zat. En dan kan er ineens een pop-nummertje als Back Like That tussen staan. Uiteindelijk zijn de losse nummers niet bijzonder goed. Maar is het die afwisseling die het interessant houdt om een keertje te horen.

F* dit, N* dat.. Het begint al gelijk goed. Als Roel al niet bij voorbaat bij de naam van deze artiest was afgehaakt, dan is hij dat wel binnen een minuut na die skit. Spookgezicht laat gelijk horen dat we waarschijnlijk weer een kinderachtig plaatje vol stoerdoenerij en borstklopperij voorgeschoteld krijgen namelijk. Laat ik dus maar niet te veel naar de teksten luisteren en meer naar de flow en de samples. Wie weet dat er dan nog enige plezier aan beleefd kan worden. Spookgezicht staat wel al met 2-0 achter, benieuwd of meneer de moordenah dat nog goed weet te maken in het restant van de uiteraard weer veel te lang durende plaat. De muziek: ik hoor wel aardige samples. De flow is een beetje zoals (Kan)Ye, dus daar is op zich niks mis mee. Er komt een keer een scratch voorbij, een gitaarlickje, een breakbeatje, een basloopje. Ook allemaal niks mis mee. Het is eigenlijk best wel leuk haha. Ik moet toegeven dat ik me er aardig mee vermaak. Er zit echt genoeg muzikaliteit en afwisseling in. En het lijkt ook wel enig plezier uit te stralen. Spookgezicht weet er met zijn Wu-Tang vrienden toch een vermakelijke 3 uit te slepen nog.

Killah teki töitä... hyvä..

Kilo Be Easy Dogs of War What a great album to hear so many great artists on. I’d consider this a passive listen. Got a good vibe but it didn’t draw my attention too much so I could kinda zone out listening to it

Bit of fun eh

j dilla and mf doom production on the same album is crazy. over all though it's alright

Interesting, great in places, average in others

It was alright Rating: 2.8

Not really my thing. But Ghostface Killah has a way with building up a narrative that's impressive. Musically it's fairly diverse and moves along at a brisk pace. Way too many skits and short tracks that don't really add value to the album.

Mids

Me: ChatGPT, write a positive review of the Ghostface Killah album "Fishscale" in the narrative style of Ghostface Killah's raps. ChatGPT: Yo, yo, yo, check it, check it, yo, This is Ghostface Killah, comin' straight at ya With that Fishscale vibe, yo, listen up! Picture this, yo, it's a cold winter night Streets lit with neon lights, everything's right I pop in Fishscale, let it spin, let it ignite Ghostface on the mic, yo, it's outta sight From track one to the end, it's a lyrical thrill Flow so smooth, it's like I'm movin' in silk Each verse like a story, each beat like a thrill Got me nodding my head, can't stand still "Shakey Dog" got me gripped, like I'm in the flicks Riding shotgun with Ghost, dodging all them hits Then "Kilo" comes in, with that smooth-ass mix Talking 'bout the streets, the hustle, the tricks "Underwater" got me diving deep in the zone Ghostface paintin' pictures with words, on his throne And "Back Like That"? Damn, that beat's so prone To make you move, to make you groove, on your own Don't even get me started on "Be Easy" That track's like a masterpiece, making it look breezy Ghostface Killah, man, he's never sleazy Just droppin' truth bombs, making it look easy So if you're looking for a ride, a lyrical thrill Ghostface's Fishscale is the pill To take you on a journey, to give you the chills Yo, Ghostface Killah, he's the real deal! Okay then...

Goodness, I thought that might never end. It's fine.

I quite enjoyed this album, and I do like the genre of Gangsta rap. I had never heard this album before and didn't know Ghostface Killah was a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Solid listen!

This one was enjoyable - not an album or artist I think I'd heard before (except in Wu-tang Clan). I don't think it'll get much of a repeat listen from me - the lyrical content is still very much out of my wheelhouse of interest, though it's a little more nuanced than some of the gangsta style rap we've had in the 1001 list so far.

He’s the motherflipping Ghost!

Not my thing, but I appreciate the depth

It's not bad. I guess I don't love the whole "Wu Tang" thing. But there are a few bangers on this album.

I didn’t realize Ghostface did Back Like that. Also that he had so many albums? Definitely has that WuTang sound

Had a couple moments I got into the vibe but overall a pretty average album for me. 3.5

OK musically save for a few tracks with monotonous, never changing beats behind the lyrics.

I don’t think I was in the mood for this one, but I don’t know what the right mood would be.

Great production. Killer flows. I enjoyed most of this

Skit skit skit Shakey dog - great Momma - good Too many skits, too long, pretty good 3

Meh.

I'm getting caught up because Album Generator says "my friends miss me."

I liked some of the songs, but some of them were pretty boring.

I respect this, but it’s not my taste.

Nice enjoyable album. A lot of times with my hearing I have a hard time with lyrics, so it’s more about the music. And this doesn’t translate too well with rap/hiphop. Nice variety of hooks, cool to hear so many different artists on here too. 3/5

Heyrðu, þetta er fínt. Ágætis sömpl á bakvið og nokkur eftirminnileg lög. Dansar á milli þrists og fjarka.

'Killah' production and lyrical flow. I think I still slightly prefer Sour Soul tho

"Fishscale" is a highly collaborative project from Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. This album received critical acclaim for the production quality, with several guest appearances, including the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and the contributions of many well-known producers. Each individual track has a unique sound which is still cohesive to the album as a whole. However, the skits and irrelevant banter interrupts the flow and really detracts from the overall experience.

I think if I listened again I’d get light early Kanye vibes

In places, this album was pretty good, but there were definitely misses too. I prefer more lyrical material and a more positive message.

good running album but nothing stand out

I had given up on Wutang adjacent albums by the 2000s so I missed this one. Mistake on my part, not a perfect album but it might be the only successful former wu member to have an album still retain some of the RZA sound but evolve to other producers (helps when you work with Just Blaze, Pete Rock, Dilla, Doom). 3.4

Great hip-hop/R&B album. I liked it more than I thought

Solid album, great lyricism

Interesting

Meh, didn't hate it, didn't love it. A solid 3 stars, I suppose.

Did not expect to enjoy this at all, but yet I found it listenable.

A lot to digest and take in on a first listen. Couple of times around really enjoying. Would revisit.

Decent old school vibes

A rap album with more of an R&B vibe. I liked a lot of the beats and grooves. I really liked Back Like That, but mainly for Ne-Yo. He made the song. Also enjoyed Megan Rochelle in Momma and thought the song was pretty good. Cool to hear Notorious B.I.G. too. Not really my thing, but this wasn't so offensive I didn't catch myself moving in my seat every now and then. And I admit, Heart Street Directions made me laugh. F that Kanye dude. Overall, I though this was decent. 3

3.5 I wasn’t expecting much out of this one given that I wasn’t overly impressed with fellow Wu-Tang Clan member GZA’s solo album, but as I started listening to this, my first thought was “Damn, this is a solid track”, followed by “Damn, what another solid track”, and then “Damn, this is a REALLY solid track” (shoutout to The Champ - probably my favorite here). That to say, this album starts crazy strong. Like, honestly, if this thing ended after Back Like That, it would have easily been a 4 - maybe even 4.5 - in my book. Aside from the painfully unfunny, cringeworthy Heart Street Directions skit (which at least has the Bad Mouth Kid skit to help balance it out a bit), I really didn’t think there was a single skip in the first half of this album - even Whip You With a Strap, which has a message to it that I don’t really support, but it’s too catchy for me to care. But then, it keeps going… and going. This album is ten minutes shorter than Stankonia but somehow felt twice as long. The only bright spot for me in the whole back half was Jellyfish, which has a fantastic lo-fi keyboard thing to it that I loved and a lyric that made me debate moving this whole thing up to a 4 (“Sweet sexy LaShawn, she got body like whats goin’ on/On some Marvin Gaye shit like lets get it onnnnn”), but man, everything else surrounding it is so mid. Each time I listened to this album, I just kind of found myself waiting for it to end after Jellyfish - hearing the Sly & The Family Stone sample on Dogs of War was neat at least, but it still wasn’t quite enough to sell me on the track. The only other thing that stood out to me in the back half was the closer, Three Bricks, but really just because I had to do a double take when I saw that it had a Notorious B.I.G. feature. While it was cool to hear, I gotta say, it seems a touch distasteful to me to use archival material of a dead artist in that way - I know Kendrick Lamar’s TPAB does the same thing with Tupac, but he was at least going for something insightful there. Granted, I have no idea what went into clearing and using the sample here, so maybe there is a personal, respectful reason associated that I’m unaware of. Anyway, half of this album is great and made me want to bust out the ol’ skateboard so I could cruise the streets of North Hollywood, the other half is unfortunately not. So, I wouldn’t go as far as to call this a great album, but I do think Ghostface’s beats and flow here are incredible across the board - I’m definitely walking away with an appreciation for the dude and a handful of tracks that I’ll be coming back to.

Good for outside my genre. Especially the Ice Cube Track.

Rap is connected to hip hop which is connected to trip hop which connects to house which connects to techno and all of them intermix here and there. I like the beats and if the lyrics are clever I am in. This album gves us little treats with the "skit" sections, of which I love the one with the foul mouthed kid... I laughed out loud quite a bit and rather enjoyed this album.

Wu-Tang as a whole holds a unique spot in my heart. Yet, this album shows how talented they are individually as well as together.

Lyrically very dense with nice, bouncy beats. Very much a Wu-Tang solo album. Would listen again.

- I like his flow, reminds me of Action Bronson - solid beats and features

I could understand all the words. I liked the beats. Still not comfortable listening to music with 'nigga' all over it.

3.3 - enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to, not quite sure about parts and I’m not a fan of sketch songs in general but yeah not bad

Very medium rap album. Few standout tracks, but also thought most were decent. 3.1/5

More musical than I expected out of a rap album, so that was a nice surprise. Not my style of music, but I didn't outright dislike it. What is the obsession with Iron Man / Tony Stark? I think I heard at least ten references on this album.

Wears out its welcome toward the end but enjoyable.

3 Don't care about the lyrics but the music and the production is interesting!

Oldschool good rap

Guter Rap

Helt bra, int min genre o känns lite långt. Många bra biisin dock

apparemment je l'ai écouté

It was alright.

Nice vibe. Not really my jam. Which is understandable given that I’m a 63-year-old white woman. Didn’t care for the skits. But I do like the vibe. Back Like That was my favorite.

This album contains some interesting tracks, and it's clear that the artist is a prolific rapper. But there's also shit tracks and too many skids.

Meh. Fun but a slice of hip hop i was never overly interested in

One of the better albums in the genre we've had so far, great beats, atmospheric, passionate delivery and flow. A few lulls and unnecessary skits stop it getting a 4 but it's a high 3.

Too bloody long. Feels quite dated too - style of the album is much more 90s, apart from a couple of the more soulful tracks (Back Like That probably the highlight, more because I really like Ne-Yo's voice than GK's rapping in this one). Quite a bit of variety, to be fair to him, and decent production, which gets this album up to a 3, but nothing more.

One likes the more soul music-y cuts – "With a Strap," and "Back Like That" – and "Jellyfish" is great. But one feels a lack of knowledge re Wu Tangiana to get all the jokes. Just pretty good, really, and makes sense as an "ex."

Erstaunlich abwechslungsreicher Hip-Hop!

Nice soul samples but too many cringe skits and too long just like every other fucking hip hop album on here

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Hip hop, rollo.

December 15, 2023 HL: “9 Milli Bros”, “RAGU”, “Whip You With a Strap”, "Back Like That", "Dogs of War" Obligatory “I saw the Wu-Tang live this year” reminder. First off, I didn't expect how sunny this album sounds? The contrast between the soul/r&b samples and the gritty mafioso lyrical content creates a tension that might help hold the album together. Looks like 'rateyourmusic' favourites MF Doom and J Dilla produced some of my favourite tracks. It's past time that I checked them out 3.5 (for now)

Really solid rap album, no hits that I've heard of

It felt very average: I think I am listening to these albums completely wrong. I don't remember any of this whatsoever. Was it good? I am not completely sure. I did like elements, it sounded quite nice at parts and others it felt mid. I'll say it's average and if it's anything better than I'll come back to it another time.

Starts well but becomes a bit of a slog towards the end, the harmonies are nice

All very exciting, but is in the immature end of this genre

Cool production and beats. not a fan of the skits.

The back half of this album was cooler than the first half. Minus points for that skit about going though the bottom to the mouth or whatever that was

Треки в конце спасают положение, но вообще скучновато.

I little bit too stuck in its time for my taste, but nothing bad either.

Seuraavaks räppiä itärannikolta. Hyvää, muutama kappale meni kakkoslistallekkin

Yup. I'm not into hip-hop.

Хороший альбом о братьях наших водоплавающих 7/10

Covers a pretty wide range of mid 2000s hip hop and r&b sounds. A couple standouts

Alright but not outstanding.

The album doesn't get off to a good start as the opening skit is (fill in blank). There are some songs where the background music really makes the song  move. Ditto background singers. Also, some of the lyrics deal with important subject matters. I can imagine someone who isn't me really liking this.

Two rap LPs in a row! Though not so hard to take since you can hear how far the production progressed in less than 2 decades. I like the song with singing, "Back Like That". My nephew Dylan was crazy about this guy.

N this n that with some of them funky beats you don't get anymore

Dated, but decent

Not his best album, but it's still very solid.

I still don’t like Rap that much but this record was ok most of the time. But the gangster rap tack at the end killed it for me

Overall nice flow, although I'm losing attention here and there.

3.5 stars. Felt cohesive throughout, good production value. The Wu-Tang member packs a punch from start to finish. Skits didn't ruin it like they are prone to. Standouts are "The Champ" and "Be Easy".

6.5/10

Apart from the misogyny, violence and drugs it's good. Great rhymes, good samples and witty. I enjoyed it, but didn't approve.

I didn’t like the skits. When he referred to himself as Iron Man/Tony Stark it confused me. Vulgarity bothers me more than it used to in music, but this was still mostly fun to listen to. Kilo, Jellyfish and Back Like That were standouts.

I'm not usually much of a fan of Wu-Tang albums, but this was impressive. The production (by MF DOOM among others) was stellar. I hated the skits (which comes with the territory for WT albums), but the beats and the vocals were top-notch. It could be a 4, but the gangsta shit and all the casual misogyny prevents me from fully enjoying this.

Not too shabby

This aight

top

Thanks to its fantastic production, this gangsta rap album sounded fresh despite being released in 2006.

GFK absolutely skewers on this. He’s always been an underrated members of Wu-Tang. With this one he says what he wants to say and through skits and spits sends a message that he ain’t done yet.

This is an odd choice, I'm a big Wu-tang guy but this isn't one of the better solo efforts, not even Ghostface's best. It's strong enough with a wide mix of guesting MCs but not worth shouting about.

Hip hop, rollo.3

Again, hard for me to really judge. Feel a bit bad for just giving 3-stars to these rap albums.

Not really my taste in music, but it has some okay songs and it was enjoyable at times. Not a fan of the "skits", annoying more than anything and it was way too long. I was getting tired of listening to this and checked to see if it was near the end, ugh, it wasn't even halfway through. I did stick it out until the end, barely!

Surpassingly good. As a Wu-Tang fan I checked out the solo work of members and this rates well.

Not really my cup of tea - though I do like other similar albums from that era this one didn't really do it for me.

Not a huge fan of the subject matter, but a pretty good hip hop album.

I always liked WuTang, but never listened to any of the members’ solo projects. The first thing I noticed about this one was that it was released in 2006, at the height of the “bling era” of rap. I was intrigued to see if Ghostface would follow that sound. He definitely stuck to his gangsta rap roots on this one. However, there are some drawbacks. I think this album is way too long. There are also a lot of skits - which I think were outdated by this time? In my opinion, this album was carried by immaculate production. Seriously, the beats and sampling on here are phenomenal. What a time for rap producers.

Pretty fun, but I want to fight the evil wizard forcing hip hop artists to stretch their albums to 70 minutes and break his hex. Stop with the skits, my guy. Please.

first listen more misses than hits, some great sample work

PREFS : Shakey Dog, Kilo, The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, Be Easy, Jellyfish, Dogs of War, Underwater MOINS PREF : Whip You With a Strap

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it’s long but some great wordplay and features throughout Favourite song: Track 24 - Three Bricks

I get why its good, not really for me though

The album definitely is not bad, but it definitely did not grip me in any meaningful way either. Favorite track: The Champ

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

I find it so funny that this album starts with an intro spoken word track that talks about how tough he is, how he went platinum and how he'll shoot you, etc etc. It's so ridiculous to me. What's tougher than telling someone you are tough? I'm trying to think about this in terms of a different music genre that doesn't have this ubiquitous tough guy ego act. I'm writing an album and a few times I have some strings and orchestral moments; should I have an intro before they enter and say something like "check out the upcoming strings listen to how I ripped off Bach to make this fire counterpoint it's going to fuck your ears up when you hear a Neapolitan 6th chord in indie rock"? Or should I just let the music do the talking? Regardless, I find it hysterical. I did actually really enjoy his flows and I think the music should do the talking more. I think a lot of rappers were influenced by him and I can definitely hear some Kendrick and Nas specifically in his flow (I don't dare speculate on who influenced who because I'm not knowledgeable enough about these time periods) but I think that's sick. Production is tight. MF DOOM forever. Truly a terrible album cover but wonderful in it's own way.

Soild hip hop album

Just rap, nothing more.

I remember really enjoying this when I first heard it a few years ago, but on a relisten it does feel excessively long. The production is fantastic throughout and Ghostface’s energy is really impressive (the most consistent solo Wu Tang member by quite some way imo) but it gets a bit tiring after a while

Pretty solid rap album

Not really my taste, but interesting to listen to once. Kinda feels like a musical at some parts.

More explicit than I can enjoy on a normal day. Maybe I’m getting old. Not all bad though. Lyrics weave a strong narrative which is nice - if you can follow it.

While not for me as a genre, this album had great variety. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was shorter and it didn't impress me as much as other hip-hop albums that have been on the list so far, but it was entertaining

Pretty enjoyable rap

I find him really likable, and I enjoyed some of the features. Broadly, I didn't really connect with it. The skits feel unnecessary. A long album to listen to, especially considering I wasn't that into it in the first place.

It's fine. Some interesting instrumental flourishes at times but not a huge style of the cadence, I can see why people would really like it though, but ultimately not my thing. By god do I hate the skits though. Also Ghostface Killa loves referring to women as "females". Bro.

There is a nice variety of sounds and styles driving the tracks on this album. I really like this one. My ears were engaged in the music and the lyrics are a mix of really hardcore, tough, deep stuff, tons of profanity, and some fun stuff. Great energy in this album. The songs are very well arranged and orchestrated, too.

I wrote out a really long review but it got lost so the brief version: I love how we get so many sides of Ghost on this album, from “Shakey Dog” to “Momma” and topping it off with “Three Bricks” we ride through his past, his present, his daydreams. The storytelling is excellent, it makes me feel like I’m hanging with him, really getting to know him. We see production from some HUGE names. Pete Rock, DOOM, Dilla, Just Blaze (“The Champ” has one of my favorite lines “My arts is crafty darts, why y’all stuck on Laffy Taffy? // Wondering, how did y’all [neighbors] get past me? // I been doing this before Nas dropped the Nasty“) We get some skits like the opener with some very silly Tom Cruise lines about slashing a dude’s face with Vanilla Sky reference thrown in. We get the Wu (including ODB) on “9 Milli Bros” with some classic mic passing. My only gripe with this thing is that it is a little long. These tracks are insane don’t get me wrong but there were a few that I personally don’t think I’d mind living without. Giving this one a 3/5 because I do feel like the length got to me and distracted me enough to dock a point but it is so so so damn close to a 4. Still, I gotta stick to my guns with this limited review system.

Great beats like most early hip hop, but the length made them blend together. Comparing it with the last album, the grooves were overall slightly worse but I couldn’t really hear the lyrics so they didn’t put me off

This is good! I should have been listening to Ghostface Killah way more when I was in the phase for this, somehow his solo work completely blew me by. It's moving, his verses really pull you right into a vice grip with their imagery, the skits are wild and funny. Pretty much everything I could hope for from a release like this. I just didn't enjoy myself too much... this album kind of made me stressed. Usually there's enough balance in the production, or enough funny, to offset this, to make something more colorful. There's a little bit of balance on this album, but for me not enough. Some of the productions are amazing, however, great examples of the period. 3/5

viel Text sehr 2000er

Relatively interesting, with a few first-rate cuts, but not massively engaging or super intriguing.

aight

Very Wu-Tang-ish, true to the roots, including a couple of Features.

Nice album de hip-hop, on voit pourquoi c'est parmi ceux de Wu Tang qui ont eu les meilleures carrière

A few collaborations kept this from 2 stars

A pretty decent record in my opinion, but not so impressive.

The first half dozen tracks, which were very much about drugs, didn’t thrill me greatly. Then the extremely funny skit Called Heart Street Directions made me laugh so much (as did the Bad Mouth Kid skit a bit later) & it seemed that the music just got better from then on. I particularly liked RAGU, with it’s Look Of Love sample, Whip You With A Strap, Jellyfish, Momma, with cool vocals by Megan Rochell, & Three Bricks, with its Biggie samples. A really great listen.

Another Wu-Tang album. OK, I like the woozy and gritty lo-fi funk feelof the backing tracks of this album; the opening salvo of Shakey Dog, Kilo and The Champ is a fantastic opening. There are a zillion producers across this album, but there is a consistent feel across the album. I suspect that is the influence of Dilla. even though he only produced two tracks, the fingerprints of his time technique is all through this record. And it has the trademark Wu-Tang grittiness and cinematic scale; check out the horn stabs and soulful wailing on Shakey Dog. That said, this has the weakness of most hip-hop albums of its vintage; too long, too many skits, casual misogyny, and I am bored to death with lyrics about drug dealing. There are a few weak tracks in the back end of this record that could easily be edited out, along with all the skits. What is the obsession with skits on hip-hop records? They are NEVER good. Not even the skits on "3ft high and rising" But I will give this three stars for that opening run of songs, which I really dig.

music is pretty good, quite psychedelic in places and with fun samples. Vocals are unfortunately really cartoonish so overall it's not really for me. Who gives a fuck about Tony Stark?

A little too rappy for my old school self but enjoyed listening.

Quite old school. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but very nice to find this sort of street rap 3/5

I quite enjoyed songs like Champ, Back Like That and Be Easy due to Ghostface Killah’s flow and rhythm. There is interesting use of sampling, which helps to add texture to the songs. This album could have easily gone without the skits, as it was already suffering with a bloated tracklist.

So much rap and hip hop lately. This was better and more creative than I expected it to be. I didn’t hate it but I can’t say I’d listen to it again.

Not a bad album but also without any highlights or justification why it needs to be on this list

-The chorus of "Back Like That" is a catchy kind of R&B thing -Shoutout to "Kilo" for spreading awareness of the metric system. As they say "A kilo is 1000 grams / It's easy to remember" -The guitar on "The Champ" is sweet -"Three Brick" is about bricks (epic) and it's pretty cool, especially Biggie's verse -Overall the album didn't blow my mind but it was nice enough

Enjoyable, liked the wu tang guest tracks.

no es lo mío pero me gustaron algunas cosas ah 7/10

Filling in missing reviews brought me to a trio of Wu-Tang solo albums, best discussed together in a 3-in-1 review. Already having reviewed “Return to the 36 Chambers” and GZA’s “Liquid Swords,” how do these other Wu-Tang efforts hold up? While these are regarded as solo albums, the members’ first solo albums were all produced by RZA and each feature many Wu-Tang members. They even battled each other for RZA’s best beats - these are solo but Wu-Tang was still very much a collective. But they each have their own style that distinguishes them. Method Man’s “Tical” is my favorite of four solo albums - he brings the right amount of whimsy and fun to some otherwise hard-edged music, and it’s more about getting high than violence. He also keeps things concise - it’s much shorter than the other two, which have a large collection of decent tracks without hits. Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” is solid, but lacks the charm found on “Tical.” Ghostface Killah’s “Fishscale” is from later in his career - it's still filled with Wu-Tang cameos, but isn’t produced by RZA. I’m curious how it might compare to his solo debut, “Ironman” (which was RZA-produced). Ultimately, it doesn’t do it for me as much as the earlier Wu-Tang offerings. I do love how self-referential all the Wu-Tang members’ solo work is, though. RZA’s shaolin fixation still pops up, Method Man’s Tical concept (“taking into consideration all lives”) keeps popping up, Ghostface drops Iron Man references, and more - it’s all over, and it helps make it all feel very cohesive.

Sounded like the 90's to me, surprised it came out in 2006

Return of the hip hop comedy sketches!

this album was fine. even good. sounds a bit outdated but there was some good stuff in there. it's just... surely there are better rap albums that could have been selected over this.