KEY POINTS:
After the triumph of his last album Fishscale, Ghostface Killah has a lot to live up to. And although his seventh album isn't as consistent, it's close. On the surface it's a celebratory album bursting with hooks, soul and Ghost's unrelenting energy. but don't be fooled by the sunny disposition of a track like We celebrate - "We 'bout to have a good year!" as he's still got enough weird, dark stuff going on up top to keep you guessing, whether it's a tale about a guy who hangs out with wild animals, a killer with regrets, or amusing interludes from a guy who spits them out as though completely oblivious to his comedic talent.
It also helps that his beat selection is faultless, another stylish selection taken from cinematic 1960s and 70s string-laden soul for the first half and everything from Latin brass, R&B and synth-funk on the second.
Things start to lag a little after the halfway mark when Ghost slips into after-hours mode but he's no less passionate. "I'm a man of my word," he raps on I'll Die For You.
And after the full-on intellectual assault that was Fishscale, it's almost a relief to hear him slow it down because, as he explains, "Might live longer, you feel me?"
Label: Def Jam/Universal
Verdict: Wu Tang's crack-obsessed rapper does funny lines
