The 12 Hours of Wu-Tang: #1 - My Gut Reaction: Ghostface Killah - The Lost Tapes (September 26, 2018)

When it was announced out of the blue earlier this year, The Lost Tapes seemed like the perfect convergence of events. A new album from Dennis “Ghostface Killah” Coles, the Wu-Tang Clan rap veteran who was still in the phase of his career where he essentially does whatever flight of fancy interests him at the time, resulting in many different full-length collaborations with artists such as Adrian Younge, CZARFACE (oh wait, that comes out next year, shit) and BADBADNOTGOOD? An album fully produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the blogger-turned-respected producer whose entire shtick back in the day was pretending that he was Ghostface Killah on social media? It sounded fascinating enough to work despite its mysterious origin. I mean, Big Ghost still hasn’t revealed himself to the public – for all we know, it really was Coles just fucking with the Interweb for his own amusement, although if that were the case, I have to respect the long con of handling the beats for artists such as Westside Gunn, Crimeapple, and Ankhlejohn all for the sake of a prank.

Now it’s been a while since I’ve touched any Wu-Tang intellectual property, so let’s unpack this one a bit further. Any new Ghostface project is sure to be reason to celebrate, right? Fuck no it isn’t. Regardless of the goodwill the man has carved out for himself with the Twelve Reasons to Die series (in which I sincerely hope there’s a third chapter, and the bad guy should just be Nicolas Cage at this point. Not the actor playing a character – just Nicolas fucking Cage. You know that shit would be awesome), the crime saga 36 Seasons (I still contend that AZ was the real star of that project, but it wasn't credited to AZ, so...), and his earlier work back when the Wu were still hopping on each other’s albums like it was their job (I mean your Ironmans, your Supreme Clienteles, your Bulletproof Wallets, etc.), it’s not like the man has never committed his atrocities to wax. Just look at Sour Soul, his collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD where the music is first-rate, but his performances are all the way past not giving a fuck, or Ghost Deini The Great, Def Jam Records’ sorry-ass excuse for compiling random remixes and other shitty shit together in the interest of making a buck off of Wu stans. Ghost also has that R&B album where, even though it didn’t completely suck, it’s not exactly “good”, either. Let’s face it, the man has a spotty track record: don’t let his work with Younge trick you into believing that he’s always been fantastic.

The Lost Tapes is a album that, inexplicably, sounds worse and worse with each accompanying detail. Similar to the Nas album of the same name, The Lost Tapes is purportedly made up of songs Ghost had recorded for another album (or albums, it’s hard to tell at this point): the man himself makes it a point to tell his executive producer, M80 (a longtime Wu affiliate who actually presented an EP that I reviewed on this site a long fucking time ago from something called the Iron Cladzmen – yeah, sorry, I don’t remember them either, although I vaguely recall Canibus being all over that project for some reason), that he’s located his “lost tapes” during the introductory track, setting up the album for… what exactly? There is no thematic consistency between songs, other than Ghost boasting and bullshitting in his “I don’t give a good god damn” mode a la Sour Soul, which was an immediate red flag for me.

Because it is never made clear just what these songs were originally intended for, if anything, The Lost Tapes can’t help but come across as a compilation of crappy leftovers Ghost felt weren’t good enough for public consumption. Which helps explain my second red flag: the volume of guest stars on this project is fucking massive. When Big Ghost released the tracklisting online, I was immediately reminded of The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones, an “album” compiled by whatever the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s record label was at the time made up of random verses and such while the man was serving time, with various guests used to pad the running time and to create the illusion of it being an actual body of work. (Which leads me to my next question: has Ghostface Killah been in prison for the past two years and we just didn't know? Sure, some of the artists named were cats that Ghost would absolutely have worked with. Raekwon and Cappadonna? Sheek Louch? Killah Priest? Sure, definitely. E-40? Big Daddy Kane? KXNG CROOKED? Vic Spencer? Chris Rivers? Now shit’s getting kind of weird. The fact that every single goddamn fucking song on The Lost Tapes features multiple guest stars is incredibly worrisome, and not just because our host’s viewpoint could potentially be buried by the verses of others: it's increasingly likely that Ghost had nothing to do with the production of this album aside from handing over some of his unused verses.

Let's speak on those collaborators a bit more. Big Ghost had mostly worked with up-and-comers in the underground scene up to this point - how the fuck did he score Big Daddy Kane and Raekwon to drop verses? My theory is: he didn’t. The man was simply handled acapellas and charged with fucking with his equipment until he made decent-enough songs out of them. I have zero proof that this is how it happened, mind you, but Ghost and M80 haven't been especially chatty about the project – hell, Ghostface himself has hardly acknowledged the album’s existence even though he’s also listed as an executive producer. The fact that the majority of these songs appear with different instrumental backing on full-length remix projects handled by producers Bronze Nazareth and Agallah, released at the very end of November, only furthers my belief that Big Ghost didn’t work with the vast majority of cats that appear on The Lost Tapes. (The release of those two (two!) remix albums also inadvertently undermines Big Ghost’s accomplishments, which is unfair to him, and it also makes Bronzey and 8-Off look like dicks even though they likely had no say in when their projects would drop.)

So it’s safe to say I had very little faith in The Lost Tapes when I pushed ‘play’.

1. INTRODUCTION (FEAT. MICHAEL RAPAPORT)

Already regretting my decision to sit through this album, and I have eleven more to do today? Fuck. Why is Michael Rapaport reading his lines as though the phrases “Ghostface Killah” and “lost tapes” were added in ADR? You’re an actor, god damn it: at least try to make this sound like a natural pairing. (Note: Ghostface Killah and Michael Rappaport never share the same room. In fact, you’ve never seen them at the same place and at the same time. Hmmm…)

2. BUCKINGHAM PALACE (FEAT. KXNG CROOKED, BENNY THE BUTCHER, & .38 SPESH)

And the first legitimate Wu-Tang Clan song I listen to in three years is… this shit. “Buckingham Palace”, which is never actually mentioned at any point so who the fuck knows why they ran with that title, features a Ghostface that sounds generally annoyed to have to be here, his claim of being “colder than a glass of ice cubes” (no, really, that is a sentiment he puts out into the universe) betrayed by his lack of investment in what is ostensibly his song. Ghost says a bunch of nothing on here, and then caps that off with an overly-wordy chorus that has fuck-all to do with the nothing he’s already talked about. Big Ghost’s beat isn’t bad, for what it’s worth, but it’s too grandiose a backdrop for this crap. Guests .38 Spesh and Benny the Butcher, the latter of whom I quite like, are forced to share a single verse, which goes about as well as you’d imagine, while Crooked I dominates the proceedings with a closing stanza, and does so without even really putting that much effort into it. Gee, I sure do hope I have a lot more of this to look forward to today.

3. MAJESTIC ACCOLADES (FEAT. PLANET ASIA & HUS KINGPIN)

This one wasn’t too bad, although if Ghostface had his way, it would have collapsed underneath the weight of his sheer apathy. I get that he probably doesn’t feel the need to try anymore, and he has nothing left to prove, but dear Lord, act like you still give a damn, man. Atop an admirably Wu-esque instrumental, our host proclaims that “all [he] hear[s] is the Genius on this beat”, which makes zero sense if this album were truly made up of “lost tapes” that Big Ghost crafted his music around, and his verse somehow gets worse from there. So far The Lost Tapes ranks right there with Sour Soul for bullshit Ghostface performances where he just doesn’t give a flying fuck. Better news can be found with guests Planet Asia and Hus KingPin (the latter of whom has worked closely with Big Ghost in the past), as their contributions sound like they’re coming from a place of genuine excitement, as though they were happy just to be nominated. So roughly two-thirds of “Majestic Accolades” sounded pretty good to me.

4. COLD CRUSH (FEAT. LA THE DARKMAN, RAS KASS, CHRIS RIVERS, & HARLEY)

Although Dennis sounds like he’s trying too hard to recreate the man he once was, overall I found myself enjoying “Cold Crush.” Big Ghost’s loop sets the proper tone for a posse cut featuring artists selected via lottery, and everyone receives their opportunity to shine. La the Darkman, the is-he-or-isn’t-he Wu-affiliate who, to this day, has only released one lone album, turns in a decent verse, one that evaporates when places against those of Rassy, Chris Rivers, and Ghost himself. Speaking of which, I know Rivers is the son of the late Big Pun, but his flow brought to mind that of a younger Dennis Coles, which was kind of interesting, I guess? Regardless, this wasn’t bad.

5. PUT THE GHOSTFACE ON IT (INTERLUDE 1)

Ah yes, one of those interludes that affixes a false sense of importance to the project you’re currently listening to.

6. SAIGON VELOUR (FEAT. SNOOP DOGG & E-40)

Snoop Dogg seems to be entirely out of his league sonically, but otherwise “Saigon Velour” worked for me, too. Big Ghost’s instrumental does a lot of the heavy lifting here, admittedly, but Ghostface sounds decent, although he is upstaged by E-40, who also appeared on The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones, so he has a history with these weird collaborations that only take place via studio trickery. The song title is both stupid as hell and entirely on-brand for Pretty Toney, so I’ll allow it, especially as the music itself is much more soulful than it has any right to be. I’m trying very hard to not get my hopes up for the rest of this shit.

7. CONSTANT STRUGGLE (FEAT. KILLAH PRIEST & BISHOP LAMONT)

Welp, that was quick: I could never hear “Constant Struggle” again during my lifetime and it would still be too soon. The instrumental is simplistic and built around a vocal sample that gives the track its name, and by itself it isn’t bad, but for a song with a more spiritual bent, Tony Starks sure does spend a lot of time complaining about being famous. I think I may have honestly stopped listening to anything from Killah Priest from, I don’t know, 2009 forward?, so it was strange hearing his voice again, but not unwelcome, as his flow and general sense of being is a perfect fit for the music. Also, former Aftermath artist Bishop Lamont is here, too, although unlike the obvious connection between Ghost and Priest, this may just be another one of those random occurrences that are littered throughout The Lost Tapes. Our host sounds fucking terrible, though: he couldn’t even be bothered to stay on beat the majority of the time. And yes, I’m aware that he likely never recorded to this instrumental in the first place – that just pins some of the blame for the awful performance on the producer as well. Ugh.

8. DONE IT AGAIN (FEAT. BIG DADDY KANE, CAPPADONNA, STYLIZTIK JONES, & HARLEY)

Kind of like Ironman’s “Camay”, except with a goofier guest list. Ghostface is no stranger to rapping over soul samples, of course, and Big Ghost finds a doozy for him, looping up The Charmels’ “I’ve Done It Again”, and even though his flow seems more forced than I would like, at least he sounds engaged this time around. He’s accompanied on this love rap by Styliztik Jones (a dude I only remember from random appearances on songs by Tha Alkaholiks and Tash), who does okay; fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Cappadonna, who must have sold off his gypsy cab in order to pay for performance lessons because he sounds great on “Done It Again”; and hip hop legend Big Daddy Kane, whose inclusion is puzzling, but is treated as the milestone event it is as the instrumental seamlessly shifts into a more upbeat use of the same sample, which fucking bangs. The hook was kind of awful, but if that’s my only real complaint here, then you know this song is worth your time. The fuck is even happening right now?

9. REFLECTIONS OF C.R.E.A.M. (INTERLUDE 2)

I understand what our host was trying to say on here, but is it bad that the rap nerd in me feels the need to point out that Ghostface Killah didn’t even appear on “C.R.E.A.M.”, so he shouldn’t really be speculating on how poorly it would perform had it been released today?

10. WATCH ‘EM HOLLA (FEAT. RAEKWON, MASTA KILLA, CAPPADONNA, & DJ GROUCH)

Sure, Big Ghost himself released this song earlier in the year as his remix to Forever M.C. & It’s Different’s Wu-Tang Clan-credited “Piranhas”, but just because you may have already heard this track doesn’t make the newly-christened “Watch ‘Em Holla” suddenly terrible. It’s not. Eschewing the original song’s dramatic flair and odd dubstep diversions, the instrumental adopts a soulful boom bap that Raekwon and Cappadonna’s vocals both take to naturally. Rae, in particular, is the most alert I’ve heard him be in a long while. Masta Killa’s guest verse is awkward, but he didn’t actually record to this beat, so we’ll let it slide. Ghostface’s verse is all over the map, though, even with the rest of his Wu brethren sticking to a theme (this is some crime rap-type shit, folks), so he turns in the worst performance. Having Rae and Cappa bookend the piece was a brilliant move, though.

11. I THINK I SAW A GHOST (FEAT. SHEEK LOUCH, VIC SPENCER, REIGNWOLF, & LUKE HOLLAND)

This would be the absolute worst song on The Lost Tapes had it not been for perennial overachiever Sheek Louch’s contagious enthusiasm. Over an awful guitar-driven instrumental with percussion provided by guest Luke Holland, Ghostface Killah kicks off “I Think I Saw A Ghost” (what the fuck is with that title?) name-dropping a bunch of unrelated rock acts “with all them fly names”, leading into a perpetually shitty verse where he admits that he gets aroused by vehicles he categorizes as “sexy”. Or something. This was just fucking dumb, as was the chorus, provided by Canadian band Reignwolf, which sucks. Vic Spencer’s middle verse is decent and deserved a better showcase, but Sheek is the standout, delivering an adrenaline shot to the heart with a stanza that ends with a quick reminder that he’s still one-half of the duo Wu-Block alongside Ghost himself. Whatever happened to that follow-up album, Sheek?

12. OUTRODUCTION (FEAT. MICHAEL RAPAPORT)

Meh.

The following is labeled as a bonus track.

13. SAIGON VELOUR (REMIX) (FEAT. SNOOP DOGG, E-40, & TRICKY)

The finale of The Lost Tapes is a remix to the earlier “Saigon Velour”, one which merely tacks on an additional verse to the pre-existing track, same instrumental and all. That beat was pretty solid, though, so I’m not complaining. What’s utterly batshit crazy about this bonus track is how said additional verse comes from British producer-slash-rapper Tricky, whose overly-dramatic, outright creepy-ass flow flat-out doesn’t fit anything else about the song (or the album, if we’re being honest). What a strange artistic choice. At least Tricky gets to mark off another box on his Wu-Tang Clan Collaborations bingo card (having already worked with The RZA (with the Gravediggaz) and remixed a Method Man song (“Judgement Day”) in the past). This plays more as Big Ghost showing off his (possible, if you ignore my above theory) industry connections more than it does an authentic posse cut. Ah well.

THE LAST WORD: Thankfully, The Lost Tapes isn’t as bad as I had feared when it was first announced. It’s terrible as a Ghostface Killah project, as the mere presence of multiple guests on every track overshadows him at every turn, and his verses would have sounded like throwaways even without the likes of Ras Kass, Big Daddy Kane, or Tricky (I’m still scratching my head over this one) popping up for odd one-off cameos. There’s no cohesion, and if we were to judge Ghost by this album only, he wouldn’t be rated very highly. What saves The Lost Tapes, and not in an insignificant manner, are the beats: Big Ghost Ltd. comes through with some game attempts at mimicking the feel, if not the exact style, of the early Wu-Tang Clan sound, and while not every song works, the ones that connect all of the dots are pretty fucking good. The man's rants online prove him to be a scholar of our chosen genre, and his work behind the boards is an extension of that, which is commendable. I’ll likely never know what the true origin of The Lost Tapes is, and I think it’s weird that Ghostface would work as an executive producer on a project that makes him sound terrible behind the mic, but at least this wasn’t The Trials and Tribulations of Dennis Coles. I do wish there weren’t so many goddamned guest stars, however, as they steal the focus from the alleged star attraction more often than not, and I’m not convinced that Ghostface Killah would actually choose to work with some of these cats if given a choice in the matter. I have zero interest in writing this exact same review two more times for the Bronze Nazareth and Agallah versions of the project, but just know that they exist and can provide alternative viewpoints on most of the songs Big Ghost worked on here. (One tidbit: Agallah comes up with the very best version of "Buckingham Palace”. You should definitely track that one down.)

-Max

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Seriously? I’ve obviously written about Ghostface Killah in the past.