By Tim Lee

Ghostface Killah was once a name synonymous with great hip hop. His work with Wu Tang Clan and his first two solo albums are roundly considered some of genre’s most essential releases.

But with his last two efforts, 2004’s mediocre Pretty Toney Album and the ill-advised Bulletproof Wallets, Ghostface clearly wasn’t firing on all cylinders, a fact he alludes to on “The Champ”, where a boxing trainer admonishes him, bellowing “you ain’t been hungry since Supreme Clientele.”

Fishscale, a slang term for high quality cocaine, is ripe with raw and gritty subject matter. Songs such as “Shakey Dog” are written on such a cinematic and grandiose scale that a music video would seem redundant.

The album hits hard and is a definite throwback to Ghost’s original style, many of the beats on the record are reminiscent of classic Wu Tang tracks. The entire group (including the now deceased Ol’ Dirty Bastard) even manages to have a reunion on “9 Milli Bros,” one of the album’s many high points.

Ghostface’s lyrical flow on Fishscale is as sharp as ever. He crams more syllables into one rhyme than rappers like Lil Jon will on an entire album. Always a master of wordplay, he’s in full effect with rhymes like “Ya’ll starin’ at the angel of death/ liar liar pants on fire/ you burnin up like David Koresh” on “The Champ”.

This isn’t as much as an album as a notice to anyone who thought Ghostface would never make another classic. While it lacks commercial radio value, Fishscale is an instant classic, an album that should be considered essential listening for hip-hop fans.

Ghostface Killah’s new album a throwback to his original style.