Ghostface Killah: Fishscale

To put it in simple terms, Fishscale is one of the best hip-hop albums I have ever heard. Maybe it took a bad release, The Pretty Toney Album, to wake Ghostface up. With the release of Fishscale, Ghost let the world know that he was back and hasn’t lost his touch. 10 years after he dropped his classic debut, Ironman, Ghost took us back to the roots and gave us a fourth classic in five releases.

It’s hard to pin point the best tracks on this album, but I can try my best. “Kilos” is exactly what you expect to get from Raekwon and Ghost. The flow and lyrics are more pure than the cocaine they are referring to in the song. “The Champ” hits hip-hop where it hurts. Just Blaze supplies a perfect back drop for Ghost’s rage. Ghost knocks out all the competition and reminds us that the champ is still here and can’t be touched. The J Dilla produced, “Whip You with a Strap” is a highlight on this album; storytelling like we haven’t heard in a while. I don’t think any other artists could have done what Ghost did with that track. It seems like Dilla had Ghost in mind with this one. “Back Like That” featuring Ne-Yo was the single off of this album. But just like “Never Be the Same Again’ off of Bulletproof Wallets, this song was so far from what you expect from a single. But Ghost gives us a song that many people could relate to. His girl fucked around on him and Ghost is not having that at all. Plus Ne-Yo was still new and fresh, so that added to the track. “Barbershop” is great. Can’t say too much about it except that Ghost gets a haircut and he walks us through it. The Megan Rochell assisted “Momma” is a perfect way to end this album. Ghost pays homage to all the mothers out there and it is very inspiring and good to hear.

2006 saw a trend in hip-hop begin which involved every rapper confessing to being huge drug pushers and street generals. So what does Ghostface Killah do? He drops an album that personifies everything every rapper was trying to do. Fishscale is hip-hop in every sense of the term. From the gritty drug tales to the introspective songs, Ghostface shows us how it is supposed to be done. This album can only be described as cinematic. It reminds me of a movie; just throw it in and let it play. Every song is a small piece of a larger picture. The intro to “The Champ” may explain it all. “He’s an animal, he’s hungry. You ain’t been hungry since Supreme Clientele“.

Overall score: 4.7/5

Standout Tracks:

Kilos

The Champ

Whip You With A Strap

Momma