Ghostface Killah – Fishscale

Blew my mind. I had read about how good this album is, but the 30-second samples I’d heard hadn’t convinced me. Good thing I bought the album anyway. It’s tremendous. There’s an awesome soul feel to the album, but at no point does the production sound like Kanye West. Don’t get me wrong—I like Kanye. But his work always sounds shiny and polished. This album does not. It’s got a gutty, gritty soul feel that’s perfect for Ghostface’s raspy delivery. The first two songs (after the intro) are my favorites. “Shakey Dog” sets the tone for the album with some awesome horn hits and a lurid tale of ghetto thievery. “Kilo” is more of a sing-along, with the backup singers delivering the memorable couplet “All around the world today / the kilo is a measure / a kilo is 1,000 grams / that’s easy to remember.” Nuff said.