In 1996, the Wu-Tang Clan laid down their philosophy on Ghostface Killah's seminal 'Ironman' album: "We eat tossed salads and make rap ballads." And it was the easiest, most laid back, deep and complete album that the Wu-Tang Clan made during their glory period and the collective's last great album. It's been downhill since with regular flashes of glory keeping us hanging on for another masterpiece. So what are we to expect from the return of Ghostface Killah?
Well, firstly, he's not got Raekwon and Cappadonna at his side this time and, as with all Wu productions these days, it's the work of a motley selection of different producers and not the single-minded vision of the RZA. On the whole though, this is pretty impressive. Putting aside the excesses of overblown tracks like 'Apollo Kids', the soul man is still alive and the album is littered with samples from Rufus Thomas to Isaac Hayes.
In the past, RZA's proteges tended to be little more than plastic imitations of their master but when he delegates production here, the job is done very nicely indeed. Piano licks from classic soul and jazz are built around harsh beats and deep, humming basslines and Ghostface's street slur. If there is a complaint with the majority of this album, it's Ghost's insistence on keeping the guest emcees to a minimum in a bid to shine alone. This just winds up in the album lacking the dynamic interaction that he used to thrive on with other Wu emcees, especially Raekwon. However, it's great to hear GZA back in the cut on 'Wu Banga 101'. Time to dig out all those old Wu-Tang albums for a reappraisal…
