Ghostface Killah

Crackling samples, loose soul loops and doo-wop harmonies waft through the mix as Ghost pleads, coos and threatens on vignettes "Beauty Jackson," "Crackspot" and "Big Girl." The LP is bathed in shadows and dread, and populated with characters held hostage by cruelty and obsession, making Fishscale the equivalent of postmodern urban noir. Another classic from Ghost.

With the crack trade making its hip-hop comeback, Ghost fashions a trend record that ranks with any Biggie or Wu CD. Morally, it's a retrospective--there's no attempt to convince us that he's still in the game or wants to return. But neither will he countenance doubt that he knows whereof he speaks. The stories are as vivid, brutal, and thought-out as any noir, with details that both encompass and surpass the wisdom of "pyrex scholars." This is a guy with a bald spot who likes cranberry Snapple, Larry King Live, and women who work for JetBlue. When he asks his boo to turn the flame down a little, he says thank you. His high wail renders extreme anxiety beautiful. And before the music settles into a powerfully souled and sampled Clan-type groove, its screeching intensity has a Nation of Millions feel. (Grade - A+)