Rapper's Delight: Apollo Kids
posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists
Ghostface Killah has garnered a lot of respect in the world of hip hop over the last fifteen or so years, largely because of his role in the Wu-Tang Clan, but also for his illustrious nine album solo career. His sophomore solo album, Supreme Clientele, is often noted as the album that saved the Wu-Tang empire after weak releases from several other Wu-Tang members. Apollo Kids, his most recent release, reinforces his nickname “Ironman” with another solid and consistent delivery. Apollo Kids is a step back from Ghostface’s previous album, Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, which featured an R&B style approach with contagious and borderline easy going beats. Apollo Kids is a return to his raw, in-your-face flow and the aggressive demeanor of his early Wu-Tang sound that we all love. Oh yeah, and it’s chock-full of collaborations with legendary emcees such as GZA, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Redman and Method Man, just to name a few.
The album starts off with a track titled “Purified Thoughts”, which is a hard-hitting introspection featuring Killah Priest and GZA. Their verses are broken up by the soulful, albeit eerie, crooning of Them Two as they ask “Am I a good man? Am I a fool?.” You might expect this introductory track to set the tone for the album, but overall Apollo Kids lacks a sense of continuity. Ghostface and Busta Rhymes immediately dive into the funky and bodacious “Superstar” right after and the rest of the album continues down the path of divergence. Two things that hold steady throughout the album, however, are the level of quality and the level of energy. Ghostface goes at it like it’s his last album; his lyricism and drive can really only be described as relentless. Overall, the fire and fury behind his words haven’t faded with time and we can’t wait for his two upcoming releases: Blue & Cream and Supreme Clientele Part II.
