Ghostface Killah bites his tongue for no one. If he said it, he meant it, simple as that. Still red-hot from doing his part in fellow Wu-brethren Raekwon’s critically-acclaimed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, Tony Starks is proceeding with his solo career without delay, releasing the colorful Ghostdini: The Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City.
In this extremely candid interview with TSS Crew’s TC, Ghost revels in his maturity as an artist, explains why fans should respect his latest musical endeavor and his future label plans. If you think the album is poetic, wait til’ you get a load of his candor.
TSS: So on Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry, you’re delving in the “Back Like That,” “Never Be The Same Again,” “Wildflower,” “Love Sessions” territory, correct?
Ghostface Killah: (Laughs) Yeah, it’s literally all of that. There’s nothing but poetry on that shit with all the different topics. It’s just something a nigga been always wanting to do. You know this will be my last album over here on Def Jam. So I was on some ol’ “Yo, you know what? I gave my fans samples, since ’92…I did albums B…I never really seen no money off the shit.” Just so my fans could fuck around and love me for my music as far as my lyrics. And I never got nothing from a bunch of ‘em…even as far as being in the red. And when I mean being in the red, I mean not recouping! Doing a bunch of other shit to make it right.
But this is what I’ve wanted to do…SINCE I did “All I Got Is You” [from Ironman] or “Never Be The Same Again” [from Bulletproof Wallets]. People always came to me like “Why don’t you do more songs like that?” because they like my stories, nah mean? Even if it’s a rap story like [on "Shakey Dog"] or whatever, they like stories. So what I did — I compiled a bunch of stories over nice beats.
TSS: Let’s say someone comes across the album in the store not having a clue what was on it. Because you know you can’t miss that green cover. Where would the music take them from a blind buy?
Ghostface Killah: It’s more mature and it’s more grown. It’s just another stepping stone for me but it goes in the archives for Ghost. And you know, I’ll catch niggas back on the other shit, street shit, whatever, whatever, whatever. Cuz I tell niggas like this: I’m a grown man B. I can’t be 25 years old all my life. There’s other shit that I wanna do. And if my fans can’t grow with me, then this album is not for you. You don’t have to buy it, you don’t have to listen to it. Just leave it alone. I’ll see y’all on the next shit.
It’s like a baker baking cakes and he come out with this red velvet shit, but niggas is so used to lemon cake, they don’t wanna fuck with the red velvet. They be like “Yo, yo, he coming out on some other shit, can’t get wit’ that.” But it’s like, nah nigga, when I come back to hittin’ that lemon cake, y’all niggas can get a slice of that shit. But right now, we puttin’ out red velvet.
TSS: And you proceeded with the album even though you said it may cost you some fans…
Ghostface Killah: Yeah, but you know what? It’s like if I lose some fans, y’all niggas was never my muthafuckin’ fans anyways. Because only a real fan can understand you as a person. Like Mary J. Blige for example. When she [made] No More Drama, muthafuckas was trying to diss her and diss her album, talkin’ bout it’s not What’s The 411? But Mary stopped wildin’, and being in clubs and doing drugs and all that other shit she was doing. She became a woman. And to this day, now those muthafuckin’ fans wanna try and act like they understand her now. Now they wanna be on her dick again.
And you never know man; these fans right now, they young fans… a lot of these niggas is knapsackers. And with me doing this album, questioning me and shit, I’m like “How do y’all niggas don y’all girl?” First of all, do y’all niggas got a girl? Because you not gonna understand these situations and what the fuck I’m talking about if you ain’t got no girl or ain’t never been through shit. Because on [Wizard Of Poetry] I ain’t just talkin’ no lovey-dovey smoochy shit. I’m talkin’ bout me getting a bitch pregnant…losing my muthafuckin’ girl! And my girl was the good girl! She was the one who stood by me, going to jail when she telling me to chill. NOW I’m pleading her for and shit like that. I did my girl so dirty, now I gotta another nigga wearing my robes, spraying my cologne, playing my CDs in his boxers in my muthafuckin’ crib. Now I’m lonely, on the outside lookin’ as lonely than a muthafucka. My kid tellin’ me “Yo, daddy! This nigga like his eggs well done and we watching surround sound on your shit!!!”
TSS: (Laughs!!!) I mean it does happen…
Ghostface Killah: Yeah, and don’t get me wrong, I still got the shit where I’m throwing my dart at the females — you know how us niggas do, we still shoot our gift and game and all that. It’s just all situations on some grown man shit.
TSS: The track “Guest House” with Shareefa & Fabolous is instantly a fan favorite. What inspired you to visualize that drama?
Ghostface Killah: I’m just a storyteller B. I had to write for three people on that joint. Fab was the cable guy. It’s Friday night and my girl acting like she went out to get some milk and all this other shit. Bitch ain’t never come back. I’m looking for her all in the house…I don’t see the bitch. I fucked around and went to the guest house and get my gun because I figured something happened to her…this nigga Fab in there fuckin’ my bitch! Oh shit! Now we on that Ron Isley/R. Kelly shit. Now we going back in forth…she on that bullshit like “It ain’t what you think!!!”We going back and forth.
These is just topics. Grown man shit! Niggas can’t write like I write!!! [Tone gets aggressive] Nigga I write movies! And for a fan to act like I’m losing them…? Those niggas can suck my dick, straight up. Because like I said: niggas know Ghost for talkin’ that shit “My ice is this…cars is this…my chain is this and that and the third…” I wanna see these niggas. What they listen to with their girl? Y’all niggas listen to Barry White or Marvin Gaye? What y’all ride to with her? They knew what I was doing with in the beginning when I kept saying I was coming with it so it’s like that. Y’all niggas wait for the next muthafuckin’ shit and we’ll get on the next train. Other than that nigga, don’t talk about my shit B.


Big respect for the interview. GFK is in my top 5 MCs and definitely number one in the rap game when it comes to entertaining interviews. Been listening to the album all week. Good stuff.
“I might have to fuck around…I don’t know…piss on her or something.”
i ♥ starks.
GFK = G.O.A.T
he will def be in Humboldt rockin it oct. 21! DOPE
I must admit that I’ve not copped Emerald City and doubt that I will (I’m saving up for the Trick r Treat DVD) and whilst I don’t believe he has really dropped a solid album since Bulletproof Wallets.
I can’t deny the man’s charisma and cadence on the microphone, even post Bulletproof Wallets, whilst the albums not quite solid, he has still dropped some rock solid tracks, with crazy concepts.
He’s pretty much the Colonel Kurtz of hip hop, he should that Enchantment Under The Sea Dance project, with all that stuff about mosques beneath the water, mermaids with Halle Berry haircuts and pederast octopus that look like Polanski.
Yeah, that should be his next joint, it would be solid. Jacques Cousteau Could Never Get This Low as ODB said it, Ghost should take that concept and drop a full length about beneath the sea life.
Solid interview TC, good looking out.
ghostface is the man. i mean, hes my fav rapper, i love his albums, but i couldnt stand wizard of poetry. to me, ghostface is at his best when hes raw and spittin. but i still give the man props for doing something new, and while its not my ish, im sure ppl who didnt previously like ghost will dig it.
Great interview. Ghost is crazy, b lol.
Not a huge fan of this new joint but I still fux with Starks.
good shit.
one of the most genuine cats in the game.
gotta dissect this interview properly in a few.
wizard of poetry 09, the yolanda’s house LP 2010
and then a third masterpiece/classic/wuiconicd
ironman, supreme clientele and another one
ghostface killah is justill legendary
new wu ! new wu ! new wu !
What’s that audiobook he’s talking about?
Only ghost would say,”You crab bitch, chickenhead ho eating heroes…”
To the regional inept: heroes=sandwiches. I still can’t get down with Philly calling ‘em Hoagies, no offense.
an “rkelly & ghostface” disc
fo those storytellers ish
wow back then damn sick
that would have been
justly epic !!!!!
Gotta say I lost pretty much all respect for Ghost after that youtube vid whining about how he’s got all these myspace friends, but that his album sales were very poor.
Came off like a bitch. Whining to his fucking fans? Pathetic.
Big Doe Rehab was terrible.
He’s the highest selling wu-tang artist, he puts out an album that tanks, and it’s his fans’ fault?
That being said, I’d still give a listen to anything he’s on, and the audiobook was hilarious.
No one can deny his skills as an MC. The writing just isn’t consistent these days.
Thanks for the interview TSS!
Honestly, I didn’t think Ghost was at his best on OB4CL2.
His verses added energy but it wasn’t the vintage Ghost that I’ve come to expect.
Ghost on Big Doe Rehab >>> Ghost on OB4CL2
the album is dope hands down.. not sure how much he sold but its still worthy of a purchase..
wu tang forever!!!
I bought the last 4 albums. I’ll pass on this and I’ll be there for the next one.
anything GFK touches, i’m supporting. i don’t care if it’s that negro reading the newspaper to some beats…i’ll buy it.
i’m a true fan…shit, he’s the only Wu cat that has been putting out consistent material since back in the day. shit, the wu owes him all due respect since he was the only one carrying the damn flag for them in high glory over the years.
dare anyone to challenge that statement. go ahead, i’ll wait…
Supreme Clientele Vs True Clientele
Congratulation !
^^^
LMFAO
Dope Session. Ghost wrecks shit every time… Live, on wax, whatever..
TONY FOR MAYOR!
i have to say that i strongly disagree with “ghost wasn’t at his best on obfcl II”… raekwon’s great, and the other guests were also, but ghost stole the show
Ghost all ways does great interviews. On that note I aint coppin the new album. I’ll cop the next hardbody Ghost joint when it comes out. I definitely understand his reason for putting this type of album out for real but I cant really fuck wit it because I still actually buy music! Even Stevie Wonder dropped a brick here and there tho’soooooo rarely.
Bulletproof wallets his last solid album *dead*. Fishscale? Fuck even more fish and big doe rehab were solid. This album is far from shite as well. If theres anything to be said about Ghost’s catalogue, it is that its solid as fuck. At his very worst he’s better than most.
LMAO good interview…dude is mad candid..
Good interview….dude is mad candid
Vic said it best.. “At his very worst he’s better than most”. Ghost has been and still is that dude.