Ghostface
“The Pretty Toney Album”
Def Jam
Who could have seen this coming 10 years ago? With the Wu-Tang Clan now in its second decade, the only member still releasing consistent solo material is none other than Ghostface, who has now dropped “Killah” from the end of his name for his Def Jam debut. And though the name and label may be different, fans fearing a shift toward more “mainstream” hip-hop have little to fret about, as Ghostface delivers some of the most inspired material of the year with “The Pretty Toney Album.” The album is not without its share of filler – the ill-advised collaboration with Missy Elliott, “Tush,” sticks out in particular – but for the most part the beats and rhymes remain inventive throughout. Despite the current trend in hip-hop toward sped-up soul, Ghostface goes old school, rapping directly over entire chunks of soul on “Save Me Dear” and especially “Holla,” a brilliant reinterpretation of The Delfonics’ “La-La (Means I Love You).” As usual, Ghostface brings out strong production from his beatmakers, including No I.D. and the RZA – the Jadakiss collaboration “Run” may be the RZA’s best beat in years. Still, the album fails to match the creative peaks of previous efforts “Ironman” and “Supreme Clientele.” Part of the reason lies in rumors that Ghost’s new label was unwilling to shell out the money to clear samples for songs eventually cut from the album. Unreleased material on mixtapes and Internet leaks confirms as much; nevertheless, “The Pretty Toney Album” proves that Ghostface remains one of the very best creative forces in hip-hop. -By Alfred Lee