ARTIST: Ghostface Killah
ALBUM: Apollo Kids
LABEL: Def Jam
RELEASE DATE: December 21, 2010
Keepin’ It Grimy
Photo by Scott Schafer
Written by Jeremy Weeden
Apollo Kids, the 9th studio album from Ghostface Killah, finds the Wu-Tang Clan member staying true to his grimy hip-hop roots. Whereas many hip-hop artists seem to be making a move towards pop in an effort to find a commercially successful middle ground, Ghostface seems to be deliberately going in the opposite direction. This album is a throwback to when beats and rhymes mattered more than radio appeal. One can hear the passion and emotion in his voice as he raps and it is made obvious he is putting his soul out there for the listener. The guest appearances are carefully chosen and with the exception of Jim Jones, feature underrated, but acclaimed rappers like Black Thought, The Game and, of course, the Wu-Brethren. While Apollo Kids does not break any new ground for the Wu veteran, it is a must buy for any fan of Wu-Tang and real hip-hop in general.
For some reason, within the rap world, the prevailing thought seems to be that after a certain age, rappers are “too old.” Ghostface quickly dispels this notion with the first track. “Purified Thoughts” is a hard hitting, soul-looped track produced by Frank Dukes, a rising producer out of Toronto, and featuring fellow Wu-Tang member GZA and Wu affiliate Killah Priest. From the first verse, with lyrics like, “Take my hands out my pockets, you can see my thumbs, both of them turned green, from counting the ones,” you can see Ghostface has not lost a step.
The good times continue on “Superstar,” featuring veteran rapper Busta Rhymes, who delivers a quality guest appearance with a smooth verse over a Roy Ayers sampled track. This is one of the better tracks on the album and would be a good single if Ghostface chose to push this album into the radio market.
The last two songs on the album are among the best ones. “Ghetto” features Raekwon, Cappadonna and U-God, while “Troublemakers” features Method Man, Raekwon and Redman. “Ghetto” features a verse from U-God that seems to be directed toward certain Wu-Tang members, primarily RZA. He speaks of their relationships and how the closeness between them had dissolved because of money and fame. “Troublemakers” is reminiscent of the original dynamic heard on early Wu-Tang albums. Ghostface teams up with Method Man, Raekwon and Redman over a horn-heavy beat from producer Jake One to deliver a classic sounding Wu-Tang track.
Overall, the album has a great flow and the songs are more of a cohesive nature, in lieu of multiple singles thrown together to form an album. Redman, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, U-God, Sun God, and many others, all deliver stellar verses alongside Ghostface Killah for a truly entertaining affair.
Apollo Kids was not widely publicized but it is great album for any true fan of hip-hop. The album is a short, sweet, tongue-twisting crime affair that will leave you hoping a Wu-Tang album is due somewhere in the near future.