Ghostface Killah is the most consistent member of Staten Island\u2019s Wu-Tang Clan. With thirteen solo albums and countless guest appearances in a career spanning more than 30 years, the GFK\u2019s penchant for detailed crime narratives and sparse stream-of-consciousness rhymes delivered with a pitched emotional flow have made him a fan-favorite. Given his love for mob motifs, if his 1996 debut album can be considered \u201cThe Godfather\u201d, then its 2000 sequel \u201cSupreme Clientele\u201d is \u201cThe Godfather Part II\u201d. In many ways, Ghost\u2019s sophomore album outdid \u201cIronman\u201d with cohesive sound and lauded reverence. Twenty-five years later, and part of Mass Appeal\u2019s \u201cLegend Has It\u201d marketing campaign, comes \u201cSupreme Clientele 2\u201d. Of course, this is promotional strategy: Titling the album after a certified classic decades later to garner consumer interest. Is it effective? Yes, even on those who are aware of such tactics. Does \u201cSupreme Clientele 2\u201d hold up to the original? No, but it has its moments.<\/p>\n
The introduction of the album is helmed by Redman before \u201cIron Man\u201d makes its grand entrance. With a beat courtesy of Chedda Bang, Ghost wastes no time in laying down a heavy load of lyrics laced with brand fashion and material references. \u201cSample 420\u201d features M.O.P. over Duf\u2019s soul sampling production. The presence of Lil\u2019 Fame and Billy Danze matches the intense energy Ghost brings to the mic. The opening dialogue on \u201cCurtis May\u201d reminds me of 2006\u2019s \u201cKilo\u201d and the subject matter in the lyrics doesn\u2019t stray away. Also, Styles P. from The L.O.X. and Griselda member Conway the Machine guest appear on the track and with the order of appearances, what you get is three generations of east coast hardcore rhymers. The 4th Disciple-produced \u201c4th Disciple\u201d is a short first-person narrative from Ghost about a friend who was shot and killed. Ghost has always had a passion for vintage soul albums and he co-produces \u201cWindows\u201d with Scram Jones, re-working a Tom Jones sample into a fast-paced noir backdrop. The first skit \u201cPause\u201d is a comedic take on the overuse of the titular term.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeorgy Porgy\u201d is like something straight from a Donald Goines novel, and shows Ghost\u2019s faculty for honed storytelling as he raps about a home invasion over a self-produced upbeat production.
The purpose of the eighteen-second \u201cForce MD\u201d skit is to announce \u201cBreak Beats\u201d. Also produced by Ghostface, he manages to stay on beat even with the shifts in production. \u201cBeat Box\u201d is a mish-mash of samples from golden era rap songs and shows Ghost\u2019s fondness for that period of hip-hop, as does his storytelling ability which shows him to be a devout student of Slick Rick. The \u201cSale of the Century\u201d skit has a game show theme featuring Dave Chappelle vocal samples and \u201cThe Trial\u201d is a posse cut detailing a court case involving homicide with the parts played by Ghost, Raekwon, Method Man, The GZA, Reek da Villain, and PILLS. Arguably the first Wu-Tang track on the album, this point in the album forced me to discover that it has no RZA productions. The single \u201cRap Kingpin\u201d has Ghost spitting over a sample of Eric B. & Rakim\u2019s \u201cMy Melody\u201d, weaving sports and crime references into a seamless verse:<\/p>\n
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The Rose Royce-sampling \u201cLove Me Anymore\u201d has Ghost rapping a loose narrative about his younger days along with crime ambitions and beating court cases via bribery. Nas is featured as well, but keeps his rhymes tied to the present, especially with references to Project 2025. \u201cSoul Thang\u201d is the second posse cut and features DriZ, Nems, ICE, Supreme-Intelligence, Sun God, PILLS & Reek da Villian. Nems (aka Mister FYL) has some hilarious bars like \u201cMike Tyson hooks, plus a duck, uppercuts \/ All these fuckin\u2019 diamonds in my chain, that\u2019s a clusterfuck\u201d. The second single \u201cMetaphysics\u201d sounds like it would have pop appeal with its easy production and pop references and name checks on Kendrick Lamar, Gary Coleman, Naughty By Nature, et. al.:<\/p>\n
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Sean C. & L.V. of the Hitmen lace the conceptual \u201cCandyland\u201d, in which Ghost uses different candies and sweets as an extended metaphor for drugs. It\u2019s similar to what fellow Wu-Tang member GZA does regularly (like with \u201cAnimal Planet\u201d or \u201cFame\u201d). The last two remaining skits, \u201cLenny Green\u201d and the album closer \u201cKnuckles\u201d, are skippable. \u201cThe Zoom\u201d is an old school love jam with its Lionel Richie sample and the similar \u201cYou Ma Friend\u201d is a treatise on friendship. It also features Method Man and his guest verse shows that he just gets lyrically better with age. As stated, \u201cSupreme Clientele 2\u201d does not exceed its predecessor. It\u2019s rare that a sequel surpasses the original in quality decades after the fact. While it could\u2019ve benefitted from at least one RZA-produced track, I will say that with the production and trademark rhymes, Ghostface Killah has given one of the more unmistakable New York City rap albums for 2025.<\/p>\n
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