Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah, aka Ghostface, aka Tony Starks, aka Iron Man (born Dennis Coles, May 9, 1970, Staten Island, New York) is a rapper and member of the hip-hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan. His name is derived from the alias of the primary villain from the film Ninja Checkmate (aka The Mystery of Chess Boxing). After Wu-Tang Clan achieved breakthrough commercial success in the early 1990s, Ghostface, like his clan-mates, began a solo career, which turned out to be one of the most critically and commercially successful solo careers of the group members. Early in his career he would wear a mask during performances and photoshoots. It was rumoured this was because Ghostface was wanted by the police and did not publicly remove it until his name was cleared.

Biography

Ghostface Killah debuted on the opening verse of Bring da Ruckus, the first track from the Wu-Tang Clan's critically acclaimed debut, 1993's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Despite making little effort to appeal to anyone outside of his loyal New York street fan base, Ghostface continues to acheive surprising commercial success.

In 1995, Ghostface played a significant role on (fellow Clan member) Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and contributed songs to the soundtracks to Sunset Park and Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood. His first solo LP was Ironman in 1996 (see 1996 in music), which was successful in hip hop circles and debuted at #2 on the pop charts. It had more of a pronounced soul influence (particularly 1970s soul) than previous Wu-Tang solo releases, and Ghostface's future albums would continue this stylistic trait.

Ghostface became well-known for both his uptempo, seemingly indecipherable stream-of-consciousness raps and, later in his career, for his very emotionally charged delivery (first seen on the Wu-Tang Clan track "Impossible"). His follow-up to Ironman was Supreme Clientele in 2000 (see 2000 in music), which was critically acclaimed by both mainstream critics and hip hop enthusiasts. "Cherchez LaGhost", a single off the album, became a minor club hit, and the sentimental "Child's Play" brought Ghostface numerous comparisons with Slick Rick.

Ghostface wasted little time in recording his next album, the heavily R&B-influenced Bulletproof Wallets which was released a year after Supreme Clientele. He had another minor club hit with "Flowers" (meaning rappers, people who "flow" lyrically, rather than a reference to horticulture) which featured guest vocals from fellow Wu-Tang members Method Man and Raekwon.

In April of 2004, The Pretty Toney Album was released on Def Jam; it featured collaborations with Missy Elliott and Jadakiss and was Ghostface's first (and so far, only) album to be credited to "Ghostface" rather than "Ghostface Killah". "Tush" and "Run", two singles taken from The Pretty Toney Album, achieved moderate success in the clubs and the charts. The album was named 9th Best Album of the Year on Pitchfork Media's end of the year list. Ghostface also appeared on the track "On My Knees" by UK R&B group The 411 which became a hit in the UK and Australia, and released an album titled 718 with a group of his proteges, Theodore Unit. In November 2005, along with Trife Da God they released the joint project Put It On The Line. In 2006, Ghostface teamed up with underground favorite MF DOOM for an upcoming collaborative release entitled Swift and Changeable.

MF DOOM also produced several songs for Ghostface's latest album Fishscale, released under his original moniker "Ghostface Killah". The album debuted strongly, in the #4 position on the US Billboard 200 and at #2 on the R&B Charts: the rapper's most auspicious chart showing since the heyday of the Wu-Tang Clan and the release of his solo debut. Ghostface also embarked on a limited-date tour of U.S. venues in support of the album, performing several of his concerts together with most members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Ghostface is also due to release an action figure of himself in the near future. Besides the collaborative effort with MF Doom a second Theodore Unit album tentativly titled 718: Stapelton to Somalia is rumored to be in the works.

Technique

During Only Built 4 Cuban Linx he focused chiefly on imagery and the use of Wu-Tang's distinctive, half Five Percenter/half slang.

Ghostface is sometimes considered the least understandable lyricist of the Clan, as his verses are sometimes stream-of-consciousness rants. He developed this style and his storytelling while driving back and forth making drug deliveries using a hand held tape recorder and during the course of his solo career. Ghost also typically eschews the use of punchlines or similes for metaphors.

Jewelry

Ghostface has an eccentric collection of unique jewelry that he mentions frequently in verse and interviews. Items heavily referenced are his "Eagle bracelet" a golden eagle statuette worn on his forearm (which has since been melted down) as well as the "Versace Plate" medallion. He also has an affinity for wallabees. On the cover of his debut album, he is pictured wearing one.

Rivalries

• Ghostface has dissed Atlanta group D4L. They will not respond saying they have too much respect for Ghostface and listen to songs by him and Raekwon for inspiration.
• Ghostface & Raekwon may have subliminally dissed The Notorious B.I.G. in several songs, most notably on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' "Shark Niggaz (Biters)" skit, where the pair make angry reference to use of Nas' cover art aesthetics (a portrait of the artist as a young child or infant). Nas refers to this episode in his song "Last Real Nigga Alive" (on God's Son), where he confirms the tensions between Raekwon and the Notorious B.I.G. while not explicitly referring to Ghostface as an involved party.

(Note: On "Ice Water" off of "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." Raekwon says "To top it all off/beef with White (Frank White - Biggie's alias)/pullin' bleach out/tryna throw it in my eyesight" Biggie then responds on "Kick in the Door" by saying "Fuck that, why try? Throw bleach in your eye")

• It has been suggested that Ghostface and the rest of the Wu-Tang had a non publicized feud with 50 Cent. In 50 Cent's record "How To Rob" insults were aimed at high-profile rappers as well as Wu-Tang, and during an extended spoken-word "adlib" at the end of a radio freestyle. A supposed rejoinder that circulated the web in the beginning of 2001 was proven to be recorded by "The Cream Team" and not the Wu-Tang Clan, though a skit referred to as "Clyde Smith" on Supreme Clientele (2000) features a low-pitched recording of Ghostface's voice derisively making reference to 50 Cent's behavior and methods of attracting media attention to himself through publicized "beef" feuds with other rappers.

Aliases

• Ghost
• Ghost Deini
• Ironman (from the comic Iron Man)
• Pretty Toney
• Tony Starks (from the comic Iron Man)
• Wally Champ (from the Clark Wallabee shoe)
• Starkey Love
• Clyde Smith
• GFK
• Fat Ghost
• P.Tone
• Theodore Deini (from Bulletproof Wallets)
• Master Don (from Fishscale)

Discography

Albums

Album Name	Release Date	Status
Ironman	October 29, 1996	Platinum U.S.
Supreme Clientele	January 25, 2000	Gold U.S.
Bulletproof Wallets	November 13, 2001
Shaolin's Finest (a best-of collection)	August 1, 2003
The Pretty Toney Album	January 25, 2004
Put It On The Line (with Trife Da God)	November 18, 2005
Fishscale	March 28, 2006
More Fish	December 12, 2006
Swift & Changeable (with MF Doom)	February 2007

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions					Album
		US R&B/Hip-Hop	US Hot 100	US Hot RAP tracks	US Hot RAP Singles	UK Singles Chart
1996	"Daytona 500" (feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna)	-	-	- Chart did not exist	-	-	Ironman
1996	"All That I Got Is You" (feat. Mary J. Blige)	-	-	- Chart did not exist	-	#11	Ironman
2000	"Apollo Kids"	-	-	Chart did not exist	#32	-	Supreme Clientele
2000	"Cherchez LaGhost" (feat. U-God)	42	98	Chart did not exist	#3	-	Supreme Clientele
2001	"Never Be the Same Again" (feat. Carl Thomas & Raekwon)	-	-	-	-	-	Bulletproof Wallets
2001	"Flowers" (feat. Raekwon & Method Man)	-	-	-	-	-	Bulletproof Wallets
2003	"Guerilla Hood"	-	-	-	-	-	718
2004	"Tush" (feat. Missy Elliott)	-	-	-	-	#34	The Pretty Toney Album
2004	"Run" (feat. Jadakiss)	-	-	-	-	-	The Pretty Toney Album
2006	"Be Easy"	#91	-	-	No longer exists	-	Fishscale
2006	"Back Like That (feat. Ne-Yo)"	#2	#76	#2	No longer exists	#46	Fishscale
2006	"Summertime (feat. Beyonce)"				No longer exists

Appears On

• 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)

• 1995 "Brooklyn Zoo II" (from the Ol' Dirty Bastard album Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version)
• 1995 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (album by Raekwon)
• 1995 "Investigative Reports" & "4th Chamber" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
• 1995 "Right Back At You" (from the Mobb Deep album The Infamous)
• 1997 Wu-Tang Forever (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
• 1998 "'97 Mentality" (from the Cappadonna album ""The Pillage"")
• 1998 "Oh Donna" (from the Cappadonna album The Pillage)
• 1998 "Wu Blood-Kin" (from the La the Darkman album Heist Of The Century)
• 1998 "Spanish Fly" & "Holocaust (Silkworm)" (from the RZA album Bobby Digital In Stereo)
• 1999 "Run 4 Cover" (from the Method Man & Redman album Blackout!)
• 1999 "The Game" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)
• 1999 "Da Connection" (from the Beatminerz album Brace 4 Impak)
• 2000 "Your Child (Kiyamma Griffin Uptempo Mix)" (from the Mary J. Blige EP Your Child: The Mixes
• 2000 "The Heist" (from the Busta Rhymes album Anarchy)
• 2000 The W (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
• 2001 "Super Model" (from the Cappadonna album The Yin & The Yang)
• 2001 Iron Flag (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
• 2002 "Saviorz Day" (from the Sunz Of Man album Saviorz Day)
• 2002 "Silent" (from the GZA album Legend of the Liquid Sword)
• 2002 "Thrilla" (from the Cassius album Au Rêve)
• 2002 "Special Delivery Remix" (from the Bad Boy Records album P Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present: We Invented the Remix
• 2003 "Fast Cars" (from the RZA album Birth Of A Prince)
• 2003 "Missing Watch" & "Clientele Kids" (from the Raekwon album The Lex Diamonds Story)
• 2003 "Ooh Wee" by Mark Ronson featuring Nate Dogg and Theadore Unit
• 2004 "Afterparty" (from the Method Man album Tical 0: The Prequel)
• 2004 "On My Knees" (single from the 411 album Between the Sheets)
• 2004 "D.T.D." (from the Masta Killa album No Said Date)
• 2004 "Tony/Montana" (from the Cormega album Legal Hustle Vol. 1)
• 2004 "He Comes" (from the De La Soul album The Grind Date)
• 2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
• 2004 "Live From The PJ's" (from the X-Ecutioners album Revolutions))
• 2005 "Milk 'Em" (from the Symbolic One and Illmind album "The Art of One Mind")
• 2005 "Hideyaface" (from the Prefuse 73 album Surrounded By Silence)
• 2005 "The Mask" (from the Dangerdoom album The Mouse & The Mask)
• 2005 "Strawberries & Cream", "Real Nillaz" and "U.S.A" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)
• 2005 "New York" (from the AZ album A.W.O.L)
• 2005 "Spraypaint & Inkpens" (from DJ Green Lantern's Fort Minor mixtape Fort Minor: We Major)
• 2006 "Been Through" (from the M-1 album Confidential)
• 2006 "It's What It Is" (from the Masta Killa album Made in Brooklyn)

Misc

• Ghostface Killah appears as himself in the fighting game Def Jam: Fight for NY.

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

External links

• Ghostface interview with The Onion AV Club.
• Ghostface at Def Jam
• Ghostface Lyrics
• Ghostface Doll
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