This is the 16th full-length solo record from New York veteran Ghostface Killah, the all-powerful Wu-Tang Clan veteran. He is one of hip-hop’s most prolific storytellers and the most consistent member of the tribe, including Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die, and Sour Soul, among others. Ghost’s last album, Ghostface Killahs, released in the fall of 2019, was one of the few flops in his discography, with More Fish & also found its way onto his Mass Appeal Records debut, Set the Tone” (“Guns & Roses”), hopefully he can make up for that.
Wu-Block segues into opener “6 Minutes,” in which Jim Jones skips over a lavish instrumental that gives contestants precise timing, while Method Man’s “Pair of Hammers” puts a warning on some corners that they’ll Putting people into comas and making vegetables is in progress. “Skate Odyssey” featuring Raekwon generally goes a smoother route, talking about how no one compares to them, but “Scar Tissue” featuring Nas brutally talks about the feeling of the sun rising to break up the day and holds up a Time brings us warmth.
“Kilo in the Safe” was jumbled into his hustler’s bag, and after the first sketch, “No Face,” starring Ye formerly known as Kanye West, was back in the pop so they both could Talk about having the ability to take down your entire being. “Champion Sound,” starring Beniton, goes from there with a nice mix of reggae that can be seen through a person’s character growing up on Fat Joe’s Before Joe returned to star in Cape Fear, their mother often kept them at home.
Following the second skit, “Plan B” brings more ambient vibes to the instrumentals, almost saying on wax that Ghost is no longer having children at this stage of his life, and “Plan B” starring Ja Rule “Bad Bitch” is probably my least favorite song on the album. It’s like a cheesy pop-rap ballad. “Locked In,” starring AZ, is another smooth conversation about lifelong connections, and after the final skit, “Touch You,” starring Shaun Wiah, is a fusion of pop-rap and R&B that once again showcases Starks’ romantic side.
“Shots,” a collaboration between Busta Rhymes and Serani, mixes hip-hop with dancehall for a generic club vibe, while “Trap Phone,” another weak track featuring Chucky Hollywood, has a dark trap vibe, just ask them A significant other who loves them as much as they do. After the ending skit, the bonus song “Yupp!”, the lead single with Remy Ma, gave me mixed feelings, from mediocre rhythm to hardcore lyricism.
Wu-Tang is my all time favorite group and anyone who has been following my platform for a long time can support me. That said, “Set the Tone” (“Guns & Roses”) is only a few steps above the last record we got from him five years ago. There are moments where the production can be commercial, but there are also moments where it sticks to the signature hardcore vibe that Wu is known for. Ghost sounded noticeably more focused than last time, and the guest performances were up to his level, though a few of them fell flat.
Rating: 6/10
