Ghostface’s catalogue is always at war with itself, mostly because half of his fans think “Ironman” was his best CD and some think it was “Supreme Clientele.” But is “Clientele” really the best? Is “Bulletproof Wallets” really the worst? Let’s look at this.
Here’s my list of the Ghostface CD’s I own (own, not just heard) in order from worst to best with explanations of the placing (note that I will be including Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” since Ghost was on almost all of the songs anyway).
10. The Big Doe Rehab (2007)
Explanation: I don’t care what the critics (mostly) said about this CD - the only songs really worth listening to are “Yolanda’s House” and “Supa GFK.” More than just not having good songs on it, this is chock full of bullshit songs, like “The Prayer,” “Yapp City,” and “Paisley Darts.”
9. Ironman (1996)
Explanation: This is generally considered Ghost’s best or second best CD, but there are just way too many guests and Ghost barely holds his own. One of his few solo tracks, “Wildflower” just straight sucks. The beats mostly bang, but the rapping leaves a lot to be desired.
8. Live In New York (2006)
Explanation: This is a mediocre live CD, but it’s not awful. I place it low on this list mostly because there isn’t really any original material on it and the Clan yells too much in the background.
7. Hidden Darts: Special Edition (2007)
Explanation: This is a so-so compilation of the best songs released by Ghost in the mixtape circuit. It has some interesting songs, as well as some classics like “The Sun,” but a lot of the bootleg tracks are just qualified to be bootleg tracks.
6. Bulletproof Wallets (2001)
Explanation: This really is a good album, it just has a little too much filler in it. It’s definitely worth picking up, even if just for “Strawberry.”
5. The Pretty Toney Album (2004)
Explanation: It may be deep, moody, and harder than a motherfucker, but this album would be greatly improved if about 6 songs had been left out. A lot of the vocal samples Ghost flips on here are too pitchy and squeaky. They hurt the ears. You definetely need to download “Kunta Fly Shit” and “Run.”
4. More Fish (2006)
Explanation: If you overlook about 3 weed carrier tracks, you’ll see that this “Fishscale” sequel is bursting at the seams with great music. Highlights include “Block Rock,” “Outta Town Shit,” and “Greedy Bitches.”
3. Supreme Clientele (2000)
Explanation: Even without all of the annoying, lengthy skits, this album still comes up a little short. It’s good the first time through, but a few songs get grating the second or third time you hear them
2. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
Explanation: Again with the skits! This album is incredibly dense and cinematic, perfectly complementing Ghost and Rae’s mafia raps. There aren’t any bad songs on this, and this is also easily the second best Wu album, solo or group.
1. Fishscale (2006)
Explanation: This is one of those rare albums that you can play beginning to end over and over again without ever getting bored. The skits are tight and meaningful and the songs bang like glocks. Ghost is in rare form here. He’s gone downhill on his 2 albums since, so we may never get another classic outing like this from him. Enjoy it while you can.
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