Hip Hop and Breakz

After the relatively disappointing Wu Tang album it was comforting to see that Ghostface was releasing his 11th (Damn) studio album on December the 9th.  This is a concept album based around Tony Starks' return to Staten Island after nine years away from the Island,  he is after a quiet life but of course that would not make for a good album.  The album itself is fourteen tracks long and released on Tommy Boy.  Production is supplied by a number on non Wu producers and features guest spots form AZ, Kool G Rap and Pharoahe Monch amongst others.  This album follows on from his 2013 concept albums "12 reasons to die" which was a strong original album that deserved numerous listens. The first track is called "The Battlefield" and is produced by MOP's Fizzy Womack and the Revelations.  Kool G Rap, AZ and Tre Williams all join Ghostface on the Mic for a heavy track.  It features a mid tempo drum break and a nice electric guitar loop.  Tre Williams ...

In late 1993 The Wu-Tang Clan unleashed their debut 12", "Protect Ya Neck" Bw "Method Man" on an unsuspecting Hip-Hop world and with the help of Nas brought back hardcore Hip Hop to New York after its long hiatus on the West Coast.  From there the Wu Tang Clan went onto own the 90s as far as Hip Hop was concerned with two group albums (One of them a double and it really was a double, not a single with a shitload of filler), more than fourteen solo albums, countless guest spots, soundtrack appearances and also side projects like Gravediggaz and The Redman and Method Man collaboration Blackout.  It is easy to forget how powerful the Wu-Tang Clan were in the nineties; artists never game themselves Mafioso pseudonyms until the Wu Tang came along, everyone was scrabbling to get a guest spot from anyone even closely associated to the Wu-Tang, they were independent before it was cool to be independent and that dusty distorted production was frowned upon until it wa...

Twelve Reasons to Die is the tenth studio album from founding Wu Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. It is a concept album based on a comic book of the same name, it is based around Ghostface Killah's alter ego, Tony Starks as he reads the comic and writes songs to it.  The story is set in 1960s Italy, in which Starks fights against a crime organization, falls in love with the kingpin’s daughter, and seeks revenge when he is murdered. The album is entirely produced and composed by Adrian Younge, and executive produced by the RZA. The album was released on April 16, 2013 by the RZA's Soul Temple record label. It is a relatively short album made up of 12 tracks and coming in at just under forty minutes. Ghostface has been my favourite Wu member since he dropped his first solo album prior to that he was really just another background voice on the multitude of Wu albums. With Ironman I really started to take notice of Ghost but Supreme Clientelle I became a major Ghostface fan an...

Two of my favorite Hip-Hop artists are back together again, MF Doom and Ghostface Killah with the first track from the DoomStarks LP due later this year on Nature Sounds. The first official release from DOOMSTARKS is the limited edition picture disc 12" with "Victory Laps" on one side (Vocal, Remix, Instrumentals) backed with Serato Control Tones used to DJ with Serato Scratch Live software. Expected ship date is September 13th. Available for pre order from Stonesthrow.com DoomStarks

As anyone who has seen my Last.fm chart (the blue list on the right hand side of this page ) will tell you that Ghostface is my most played artist (Closely followed by Al Green and Gangstarr.) that is why when I heard he had a new album dropping I started to look forward to December the 21st. When I heard the album was named after one of Ghostface's best tracks, Apollo Kids I knew it had to be a dope album just to pay homage to the original song from Supreme Clientele. For a fan of NY Underground/ crime rhyme / Wu-Tang music Apollo Kids does not disappoint. Although there is an absence of The Rza and some of the other Wu producers the album's production works very well. I was hoping to hear another MF Doom beat or two but Ghostface opts for some newer producers whilst picking a few choice underground beatsmiths; the Chocolate Boy Wonder Pete Rock along with up and coming producers Jake One and Scram Jones. The rest of the production duties on the album fall to; Frank Dukes...

While everyone is waiting for the Ghost and Doom LP (at one time rumored to be titled Swift and Changeable) to drop the two masked men have contributed a track to the Grand Theft Auto : Chinatown Wars Nintendo DS game. The game is already out and is the typical gang related violence we've come to expect from the GTA franchise and as usual they've gone and hooked up a dope lil' soundtrack. Not only do we have a Ghostface and Doom Collaboration produced by Oh No but we've also got a remix of it too. Both are dope and well worth checking as is the game if you're a DS fiend. Check the link below. We Run these streets like a renegade

Ghostface Killah is back with a new album set to drop on December the 16th of Def Jam. The set will be available as a single CD or bundled with a DVD chronicling the artist's recent tour. "GhostDeini" is a compilation of rare, unreleased and new tracks similar to 2006's More Fish. It includes "Ghostface Christmas," a remix of "Be Easy" featuring Ice Cube" and a remix of "Kilo" with Raekwon and Pusha T. "Slept on Tony" is a new song. Also featured are remixes of "Run" with Jadakiss and Lil Wayne, "Back Like That" with Kanye and Neyo, the Ghostface-dominated version of the Amy Winehouse hit "You Know I'm No Good" and the Mary J. Blige-featuring "All I Got Is You." As usual it should be well worth picking up a decent addition to any hardcore hip hop fan's collection. Heres the listing "Slept on Tony" "Run" remix (feat. Jadakiss, Lil Wayne, Raekwon, Freeway...