10 September 2014
Alex Butler
Even by the extraordinary standards of the Wu empire, the career of the Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles was marked by highs and lows, twists and turns. Arguably the most influential lyricist of the clansmen, Big Ghost has always served a special position in the Wu-Tang matrix.
After Enter The Wu: 36 Chambers had bum rushed the show in 1993 with a hitherto unheard of pairing of rugged Shaolin street narratives, kung fu samples and ancient wisdom, Wu Tang Forever catapulted the clans’ core members onto a whole new plateau. Let’s face it, following the success of Raekwon’s classic Only Built For Cuban Linx and his solo LPs Ironman and Supreme Clientele Ghostface’s influence as a media icon was big enough to transform the Clarks Wallabee slipper into the most sought-after fashion item around.
Not many rappers (or pop idols per se) stick around after reaching these heights that have you pick a character modeled after you in your own PlayStation game, while being dressed head-to-toe in Wu-Wear. But for Ghostface, it was a different story. Steadily emancipating himself from the RZA template, he started working with producers like Dilla and Madlib, DOOM, Juju of the Beatnuts and later Adrian Younge, allowing his love for stream-of-consciousness lyrics and spot on storytelling to fully develop.
Becoming one of hip hop’s most confidently stylish beat pickers in the process, Ghost rejuvenated his career with lauded solo albums like Fishscale and Apollo Kids. Further, he never lost his gift for being the perfect collabo partner, as masterfully displayed on Rae’s Only Built For Cuban Linx 2 or Adrian Younge’s cinematic projects (and the DOOMSTARKS record we’re still eagerly waiting on). Like we said before, it’s been a rocky road for Ghostdini – but the victory lap just keeps going on and on.
