A Goodnight Story

Ghostface has outlasted just about everyone reading us bedtime stories of guys named Ricky selling crack behind the store on 115th, a pistol fight gone wrong or a chick with a devil pussy. He’s a wizard on the mic, really but I don’t know what he’s saying half the time. He could be speaking Chinese for all I know… I never read too much into Ghost though. I could tell you his angle on “Yolanda’s House” or I could give him a blue ribbon on personal introspection on “Walk Around” but the beauty of Ghost’s music is listening, learning and feeling the vibes on your own.

He always brings the layered rhymes, descriptive stories and the heart. He never seems to disappoint either. But he never strays from his formula either. I, as well as everyone else, could care less. The theatrics he delivers every time out is more than enough to provide newness. While he may lean on vicarious experiences to tell his stories, when you hear personal notes, you sense the crick in his throat. The straight Hip Hop beats are another reason to envy a Ghost listening session. While it’s the producers who create, Ghost picks the perfect match of old soul to match his new age raps. I could let the instrumentals play and still have a good time (and I’m still waiting for the Big Doe Rehab beat tape, damnit!).

Most songs on Big Doe Rehab hit me all the same: average… but in a good way. Every song has its moments: “Celebrate” is a fun and with slick rhymes all over; “Yapp City” is the East Coast grit I reminisce about; the background sample on “Supa GFK” provides Ghost ample room to get his groove on; “Slow Down” is clearly my favorite and is what Big Doe Rehab was all about. However I didn’t care too much for “White Linen”. The features work as usual (and Meth is back!?!) but again, I gripe about hear too many other people on Ghost’s album. BDR is a good listen but when I heard of the title, I expected more “Mirror, Mirror” moments involving redirecting interests after wilding out on money/fame. While it doesn’t top Supreme Clientele or last year’s Fishscale, BDR still lets the world know Ghost still has it.