Supreme Clientele＜完全生産限定盤＞

ウータン・クランのメンバー=Ghostface Killah(ゴーストフェイス・キラー)
2000年発売 2枚目のソロ作『Supreme Clientele』25周年記念盤(アナログ盤)

ニューヨークのスタッテン・アイランド生まれのGhostface Killah(ゴーストフェイス・キラー)は、一世を風靡したヒップホップグループ=ウータン・クランの一員。1996年には、ウータン・クランの総師=RZAによるレーベル、レイザー・シャープからソロ・デビュー作『Ironman』をリリースし、全米チャート1位獲得、1000万枚以上を売り上げた。2009発売作品『The Wizard of Poetry』まで、計8枚のソロ作品をリリース。今作は、ソロ作2枚目『Supreme Clientele』25周年記念盤は、RZA、メソッドマン、キース・スウェット、ビートナッツ豪華ゲスト多数参加。RZAとゴーストフェイスが監修、11組と多くのプロデューサーを迎えた作品。大ヒットしたセカンド・シングル『 Cherchez LaGhost (feat. U-God)』収録。

Most of the members of rap's Roman Empire, the Wu-Tang Clan, experienced sophomore slumps with their second solo releases, whether artistically or commercially (usually both). The second offerings from Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, GZA, and Raekwon featured some of the old Wu magic, but not enough to warrant a claim to their once total mastery of the rap game. Just as the Wu empire appeared to be crumbling, along came the second installment from the Clan's spitfire element, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks, aka Ironman). Every bit as good as his first release, Supreme Clientele proves Ghost's worthiness of the Ironman moniker by deftly overcoming trendiness to produce an authentic sound in hip-hop's age of bland parity. Some of the Wu's slump could be contributed to Wu-Abbott's (aka RZA) relative sabbatical. This album has RZA's stamp all over it, but the guru himself only provides three tracks. On this effort, the Wu-Pupil producers at times seem to outdo their teacher. RZA's best composition is the piano-driven, double-entendre-laced childhood retrospective "Child's Play." But of the many standout cuts, it's the slew of disciple producers paying homage to the Wu legacy that truly makes this album fresh-sounding: "Apollo Kids" (Hassan), "Malcolm" (Choo the Specialist), "Saturday Nite" (Carlos "Six July" Broady), "One" (JuJu of the Beatnuts), "Cherchez la Ghost" (Carlos Bess), "Wu Banga 101" (Allah Mathematics). While the album is complete and characteristically Wu-sounding, each track is distinctive lyrically, thematically, and sonically. Ghostface's Supreme Clientele is a step toward the Wu-Tang Clan's ascent from the ashes of their fallen kingdom. The once slumbering Wu-Tang strikes again. ~ M.F. DiBella