Jesus Christ, brothers around here stick together like cheap rice
So run little doggie, wolves is comin’
Tell him London, he get done in
Flame boy to his brains, hangin’ out his onion….
(“Kunta Fly Shit”)
The Pretty Toney Album, the fourth solo studio album from prominent Wu-Tang Clansman (and my personal favorite), Ghostface Killah, celebrated its 13th anniversary last week. Released nearly three years after Ghost’s previous solo effort (Bulletproof Wallets), this is Tony Starks’ first of several albums to be released by storied hip hop powerhouse label Def Jam Recordings, but don’t get it twisted; as Ghost states in the album’s intro, he doesn’t switch up or water down his style just because he’s on a new label. On Pretty Toney he’s still the same wild, clever, street-oriented and hilarious Ghostface we all know and love, and as always he delivers with another impressively consistent project containing descriptive tales of crime and sexual encounters delivered with raw emotion, conviction, humor and head-scratching slang.
Ghostface’s penchant for rhyming over old school soul samples is in full effect on Pretty Toney, especially on songs like “Holla” (in which Ghost continues his tradition of straight up jacking an unaltered old school classic (in other words, just letting the original song play, vocals and all) and spitting over it; in this case, The Delfonics’ “La-La (Means I Love You)”), the K-Def-produced gems “It’s Over” and the hilariously raunchy “Last Night” and the thrilling heater “Beat The Clock” (produced by Minnesota). Additionally, on the self-produced “Save Me Dear” Ghost spits over sampled portions of Freddie Scott’s irresistible ’60s soul gem “(You) Got What I Need”, which most hip hop heads will remember as the basis for Biz Markie’s classic 1989 crossover rap hit “Just A Friend”.
There are curiously no guest features from any of Ghost’s Wu-Tang brothers (not even Raekwon!), though RZA does produce the minute-long “Kunta Fly Shit” and album highlight “Run” (which contains an outstanding guest verse from Jadakiss of The Lox/D-Block); remaining Lox/D-Block members Sheek Louch and Styles P turn up on the No I.D.-laced “Metal Lungies”, ultimately displaying an early foreshadowing of Ghost and Sheek’s street chemistry that would culminate in the stellar Wu Block collaborative project in 2012. Versatile hip hop/R&B/pop star Missy Elliott teams up with Ghost on the club joint “Tush” (renamed “Push” for the single; fuck censorship, man), while longtime Wu-Tang affiliate True Master laces the grimy opening street banger (and one of my personal favorite tracks on the album) “Biscuits” (featuring Trife Da God) and Nottz nicely chops up some more ’70s soul on “Be This Way” and “Tooken Back” (featuring Southern female rapper Jacki-O). The uplifting album closer “Love”, another No I.D.-produced joint, is a mellow, heartfelt number featuring neo-soul sensation Musiq Soulchild that has Ghostface fittingly paying tribute to all his loved ones, both living and dead.
You can chalk The Pretty Toney Album up as another admirably well-balanced and thoroughly entertaining solo outing from Tony Starks (in a catalog already containing few missteps, if any) and an excellent launch to his solo career on Def Jam, which has since proven to bear nothing but the most juicy, sweet and soulful of fruit for your ears. The homage to old school hip hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick on the album cover (featuring Ghost rocking actual jewelry borrowed from the latter) doesn’t hurt, either.
Happy Wu Wednesday y’all….
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJPuOk2jYhg?ecver=1]
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