Supreme Clientele

In their continuous quest for world domination, the Wu-Tang Clan and its affiliated members have churned out albums over the last five years at such a rate that it has become increasingly difficult to keep track of the releases. And because the main focus is usually on Method Man, RZA and ODB, it would be quite possible for Ghostface Killah's new, second solo album to fade into the background. That would be a massive shame, because this is an excellent record.

Like the true pro he is, Ghostface rhymes effortlessly over a collection of smooth but always hard-hitting beats. Ghostface takes care of most of the vocals himself, but Clan members pop up here and there as usual. 'The Grain' is a ferocious vocal duel with RZA, and the ever welcome voice of Method Man adds weight to 'Buck 50'.

The production is immaculate. Samples are used cleverly and sparingly, there are solid and well-crafted harmonies backing up the beat assassination and the lyrical content aims for the same heights as the music. The talent that brought the Wu-Tang Clan to the forefront of the Rap scene is very much present here and there is an unmistakable air of originality and dedication pushing through in almost every track.

Ghostface Killah has shared some of the production work with RZA, but essentially this is his album. Even so, it has the unmistalkable Wu-Tang-Clan flavour. As such it will please old school fans who might have missed that in other Clan-related releases over the last couple of years.