“When you get a new Ghostface Killah album, the only reasonable reaction is to get lost in it,” said the New York Times of Ghost’s last full studio album, ‘06’s instant classic Fishcale. And with the December ’06 release of More Fish and Ghost’s near-constant touring in ‘07, his legions of fans have been happily lost in the World According To Pretty Toney. Now, with a new Def Jam album – The Big Doe Rehab – set for release on December 4th, his current tour with Rakim, and a coffee-table book set for release on January 8th through MTV Press, the devoted will be positively delirious.
Fishscale, Tony Stark’s return to vivid street tales and gripping narratives of the drug trade, was greeted with universal acclaim and topped crtitcs’ year-end lists unanimously: Rolling Stone (5), Blender (5), and Spin (4) all anointed the return of the Wu’s greatest banger. The Big Doe Rehab finds Ghost and company still in razor-sharp form, weaving a rich, complex tapestry from tales of drugs, violence, paranoia, love, hate and humor over gritty, soulful beats. The lead single “We Celebrate” featuring Kid Capri is a party on wax, with Ghost proclaiming “Tony Starks just won an Oscar, y’all!” and Capri hyping up the crowd over Rare Earth’s classic “I Just Want To Celebrate.” Elsewhere, Ghost’s partner in crime Raekwon shows up on two of the album’s standouts “Yolanda’s House” and “Shakey Dog Starring Lolita,” an epilogue to the Shakey Dog story on Fishscale. On ‘White Linen Affair (Tony Awards),” Starks and Theodore associate Shawn Wiggs host through a hilarious, star-studded white linen and “Evian water” affair, complete with the requisite A-list – Janet & Jermaine, Kanye & Keyshia, etc. Ghost truly shines on the album’s quieter, darker, more introspective moments, “Walk Around” and “I’ll Die For You.”
