The Wu-Tang Clan universe is a large and intimidating one. The number of side projects and solo LPs within The Wu’s orbit is astronomical, and we’re thankful for it. The number of illustrious careers born from RZA’s drum machine is a miraculous feat of modern art that deserves any accolades thrown its way. Thankfully, Wu had an unquenchable work ethic and didn’t stop until each member had a solo debut that made as much noise as the last. For Ghostface Killah, crafting his voice came naturally. His rhyme schemes can border on otherworldly and the flows he delivers them with are even more alien, never before or since has there been another Ghostface.
The legend of Ghostface Killah began with his solo debut Ironman which was released in 1996. Entirely produced by RZA himself, the album sky-rocketed Ghostface into the spotlight. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard chart and was praised by critics as the best Wu-Tang solo album. No one knew that Ghostface already had another classic LP up his sleeve. In 2000 Ghostface released Supreme Clientele, easily one of the best albums to come out of the Wu-Tang universe. The album had Ghostface’s cartoonish style emphasized and boosted with production help from artists outside RZA like fellow Wu member Inspectah Deck and producers outside of Wu like JuJu and Haas G.
While we’re stepping outside of what is credited as the “Golden Age” for our video today, it is a rare piece of Ghostface you can’t miss. In 2004, Ghostface Killah sat down with AOL Music to discuss the art of freestyling. In the video, Ghostface answers a few questions before launching into his signature style which allowed him to withstand the test of time. The neat part about this particular freestyle is that Ghostface is rapping over Jay-Z’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” instrumental. The beat was produced by Just Blaze for Jay-Z’s 2001 classic The Blueprint. Ghostface’s vocal temperament is perfect for the soulful samples and neck-breaking drum patterns.
