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Ghostface Killah - Big Doe RehabAlbum Review by:
Slav Kandyba
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
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In a a genre whose finicky fan bases place premiums on beefs rather than clever rhymes and soulful beats, the Wu-Tang Clan still holds sway, as evident this past summer when it headlined Rock the Bells Tour. But, it's greatness as a group may be a thing of the past, as each member have long ago carved their own path in the industry, especially Ghostface Killah, whom even Nas admitted to have “borrowed” styles from. Few rhymers have been as successful at straddling the underground and mainstream fan bases as Ghost, undoubtedly due to the Def Jam machine firmly behind him on Fishscale and More Fish, two consistent showcases of Ghost's clever lyrical wordplay.
The old adage that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' applies to Ghost's new effort, Big Doe Rehab. The album is vintage Ghost in every way. Fresh off Hov's American Gangster, LV and Sean C. of Diddy's The Hitmen help lay the muscular sound terrain beneath Ghost's storytelling on two of the album's signature cuts, “The Barrel Brothers” and “We Celebrate.” On both, The Hitmen supply rock guitar riffs that drive the lyrics of gun play and other such exploits. Beanie Siegel and Ghost make a nice tandem when they trade war stories on “Barrel,” while the Rare Earth sample on “We Celebrate” is sure to make the joint a staple on the palates of DJs across the world.
Big Doe Rehab features most of Ghost's Wu breathren and members of his clique, the Theodore Unit, but not to the album's detriment. In fact, The Hitmen-produced “Paisley Darts” drips with a soulful bassline and sample while Raekwon, Sun God, Method Man, Trife Da God and Cappadonna drop solid verses. One of the better songs on the album is one of the two bonus tracks, “Killa Lipstick,” co-produced by Ghost and Anthony Acid and featuring Method and Masta Killa. The breezy bassline and the memorable hook from Meth make the track a well-put together one.
You'll undoubtedly read in other reviews that Big Doe Rehab is one of the year's best albums, if not the best. Not so. The album is great if you can appreciate Ghost's colorfully cinematic thug stylings over 70s soul samples, which you should as a matter of appreciating good music. Technically, though, that makes this album a throwback and there's nothing wrong with walking down a well-walked path, except that it's just that – a well-walked path.
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