"Born Into A World Where Violence, Death, and Destruction Surrounded Him At Every Turn...": 2013's First Few Great Albums, Part Two

2. Ghostface Killah/Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die

“He spares no one. He was forgotten; but he was someone. So beware of the stare of the Ghostface Killah.” And now Ghostface Killah is aping Charles Dickens – I’ve seen everything.

As rap goes these days, holy fucking shit does Ghostface Killah get it right this time, every time. Each track plays like a scene in the 70s horror gangster film that’s going on in Dennis Cole’s head every day. Tony Starks is the star, and Ghostface lives his Iron-Man fantasies out through our hero’s Blaxploitations. With Adrian Younge in the production booth, Ghostface’s alter ego has never had a clearer avenue or a freer arena to stretch his arms. There’s a bounce in the flows here, indisputable evidence of fun. Ghostface is flashing his talent. Not to mention his heat. Lots of people die in this joint. The Ghostface Killah lives up to his name over a backdrop of his best accompaniment since Fishscale. U-God and Inspectah Deck stop by on "Blood On the Cobblestones" to spin yarns of sneaking into your house—your house—disguised as women so they can slit your throat, for the fun of it. If you’re thinking, “Jesus,” then just think ‘Tarantino.’ Violence is a pretty damn effective subject to mine for masters like Ghostface Killah. There are more than bragging rights within violence; more than territory – there are stories. If Ghostface Killah is having nightmares about his nightmares fading away, Tony suffers the consequences. Tony Starks’s story plays with violence, revenge, drugs, anger, capitalism, revenge, fear, and, of course, death. Lots of death. Dude even comes back from the dead to exact revenge, and he brings O.D.B. with him for a track (in a sense—“Rise of the Ghostface Killah” turns Ghostface’s flow into a séance). Once everything is said and done, Ghostface rides off into the sunset, his path christened along the way by the blood of his enemies. Malevolent proclivities aside, this is an excellent fucking record.

Highlights include "I Declare War (ft. Master Killa)," and "The Sure Shot (Parts 1 and 2)." Think Swans meets Kool Keith meets Ennio Morricone. The record has passion and flare, style—grace, even. It is discrete as much as it is uncouth. Well made, well executed. Wu Tang Clan forever – but, damn, Ghostface Killah hasn’t lost his killing edge. Perhaps there aren’t any worthy adversaries left standing because Starks has killed them all. At least, for the record.