Following in the footsteps of his Wu-Tang brothers, Ghostface Killah is back in the hip hop scene with his first solo album since 'Iron Man'. His album, 'Supreme Clientele' marks yet another solo effort by a member of the famous Wu-Tang Clan. In the past year clan members including Ol Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Gza, Rza and Raekwon have all put forth new albums. And with another Wu-Tang Clan album rumored to be in the works, you have to wonder if they're building a legacy or breaking it down. Which brings us to the item at hand: 'Supreme Clientele.'

Ghostface Killah marred what could have been a much better album because he didn't tie up loose ends. Point at hand: the freakin' songs aren't named or numbered correctly!! This follows in the footsteps of fellow Wu-Tang clan member, GZA, who also buffed in the numbering of the tracks on his album, 'Liquid Swords.' Some grade 2 numbering lessons are in dire need by these two delinquents. Trying to figure out the song listings was like trying to solve a rubic cube. That solved, 'Supreme Clientele' on the whole, was average.

Ghostface has a laid-back rap-over-the-beat style. The production is at times unique and interesting, but for the most part just average. These production credits prove quite diverse. As per the standard, Rza produces four tracks, while Inspectah Deck, The Beatnuts and Allah Mathematics also lend a helping hand. Featured artists are plentiful, but barely extend beyond the Wu-Tang Connection. Rza, Method Man, Raekwon, Redman, Gza, Masta Killah & Cappadonna round out the most notable appearances. I might note that this album had far too many skits. The skits were less than entertaining, way too long and just not worth putting on this album.

"Cherchez Laghost" is an impressive track. It intermingles mesmerizing female vocals with much faster rap, which provides a roller coaster feel. Placed over a fairly simple but catchy tribal Africa-type beat. "The Grain" supplies an extremely original beat with Ghostface ripping the lyrics, but it's the Rza's lyrical entrance that makes this song great. "Buck 50", "Apollo Kids", "Wu Banga 101", and "Saturday Night" are other impressive songs. "Saturday night" features some of Ghostface's greatest lyrics of all-time, taking his verses straight from the song "Impossible" which appeared on Wu-Tang's "Wu-Tang Forever" album. You'll probably recognize them.

Overall this album was average. It had it's bright points, but wasn't very fluid. Ghostface should have cut a lot of the skits, fixed up the poor sound quality on songs like "Apollo Kids", numbered the songs correctly. Then this album might have proved more appealing. The songs and Ghostface Killah's style tend to grow on you, but his flow wasn't always in sync with the beat. In other words, it didn't always feel like the songs were on point. If you're a diehard Wu-Tang fan, then this album is a must get. Otherwise, maybe hold off a couple weeks and see if anything more appealing gets released.

www.brockwayent.com

(Originally posted on HipHopCanada.com)

This review was written February 17, 2000