Countdown to 8 Diagrams, Part 3: Ghostface.

For the low-down on how ML is celebrating the Wu’s double-dose return to record store shelves, check out Parts 1 (U-God) and 2 (Raekwon). It’s required reading before proceeding. Seriously — there’s going to be a test later. There’s not going to be any grades given out or anything, and there’s not going to be an actual test, but… you know what, let’s just move on.

Today’s honoree: man of iron, face of ghost, Mr. Toney Starks. The Big Doe Rehab in stores today — Ghost would probably prefer that you pick that up over 8 Diagrams.

Gotta respect the work ethic — dropping a solo album and contributing to a Clan album, both of which are coming out within a week of each other? After dropping 2 albums in ’06? The only way I could be any less amped was if the solo LP was called Even More Fish (not because More Fish wasn’t dope, but because that’d be an ever lamer title than More Fish was).

Download: Ghostface – “Guerilla Hood (Original Version)” featuring Solomon Childs (unreleased, 2004)

A different version of this song appeared on the Theodore Unit’s introductory mixtape/album (or would that be “mixtape-album”?) 718, only without Solomon Childs’ chorus, which I always felt was a strong aspect of the song — that, and the extended shit-talking at the end (“Spit in ya girl mouth, bitch!”). Ghost rips this gutter beat to shreds, and adds a little bit of crooning to the intro for good measure.

Download: Wu-Tang Clan – “Babies” (off Iron Flag, 2001)

A lot of people dismissed Ghost’s style around the time of Supreme Clientele — you know, that album that Superb supposedly wrote yet no one believes him because he’s a liar (speaking of which, Tony Yayo can eat a fat dick, according to Ghost) — as being nonsensical gibberish. It’s really too bad, because Ghost had plenty of great storytelling verses that likely got overlooked by many as a result. His verse on “Impossible” (“Call the ambulance, Jamie been shot…”) got “Rhyme of the Month” honors in The Source back in ’97, and, on this track from the Wu’s 4th LP, Ghost weaves together an intricate tale of a mysterious murder and a crooked cop.

Download: Masta Killa – “D.T.D.” featuring Raekwon and Ghostface (off No Said Date, 2004)

Let this be “Exhibit A” of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. When the tracklisting for No Said Date first got released, many saw a track titled “Do That Dance” and had nightmares of Puff Daddy riding a jet ski in a swimming pool. Fortunately, there was no dance to be done to this track — just tight shit all around, with Ghost finishing things off in typically-impressive fashion. I still love that “I don’t go to Chinatown for my fireworks” line.

Download: Charli Baltimore – “Stand Up” featuring Ghostface (off Cold As Ice, 1999)

It’s tough to take a female MC like Charli seriously when her hair’s ridiculously flopping around like it is in the video for this track. It’s even tougher when she thinks she can hold her own against Ghost over a RZA banger. Judging by how close she and Ghost are in the video, perhaps the song isn’t the place where Ghost smashed her. HI-YOOOO!