Ghostface plays it safe on seventh solo album

1/29/08 - Ghostface Killah has just released his seventh solo album The Big Doe Rehab. As a member of Wu-Tang, Ghostface has also been working alone for the past 11 years putting out well-received album after album. Although this is his latest album, it doesn't sound revolutionary by Killah standards. But that is what keeps people coming back for more. Killah knows what he is good at and does not feel the need for fix something that isn't broken. If there's one thing he is good at, the man is an amazing storyteller, bringing the audience along with him for the drug and violence induced ride.

On the track "Walk Around" Killah tells the story of shooting a man at a corner store, and the emotional, frantic thoughts he had afterward. Most artists would start the song with the beginning of the shooting, but Killah brings the end of the physical drama to the beginning and the rest of the song captures his reaction.

With such lyrics as "I threw up all on his door, splashed his Gucci seats/ I couldn't speak, I'm in a state of shock," the audience feels Killah's anxiety after he just shot a man. He continues throughout the track to tell how the police are searching for him, almost making the listener feel somewhat sympathetic towards him.

"Manhunt, police searchers, SWAT ran in my crib/Battering rams, early morning, you'll awaken my kids," he rhymes. The track ends with Killah tweaking out under the pressure and convincing himself he is sane, which would be pretty difficult being that the whole song is basically him talking to himself.

Another noteworthy track on the album is "Barrel Brothers" featuring Beanie Siegel. This track is less sensual than usual and is almost like a slap in the face. Its raw feeling is layered with lyrics about how gangster Killah really is. With lyrics like "I'll stick a pick in yo gut at the chapel/I'll blow a n***a for a box of Huggies" I'd say he's hood enough for me.

But this has to be the most disappointing track on the entire album, after hearing it's like, "Yeah, he's gangster. I know." Yet Beanie Siegel saves what is left of the song and brings his own flavor to finish out the track.

Although the album is not as good as last year's Fishscale, Killah did not let his audience down.

Not many tracks on the album stick out to the point of putting them on repeat. Killah did what he does best, and that's all we can ask for. Just maybe next time he should leave out the fact that he would shoot someone for diapers ... and maybe talk about hos, everyone loves hos.