Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (2 LP)
- LP
- 2 piece(s)
- 2006
- 27 tracks
- 1 uur, 12 min
- east coast hip hop
Fishscale
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4.0
Average of 6 reviews
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Ghostface's new album is quite a departure from his recent "Pretty Tony" release. The overall vibe is more up-tempo, with soul samples still present but used in a fresh way. The lyrics are heavily focused on crack cocaine. Starting with the album cover, which depicts Tony Starks cleaning out fish filled with coke at night, it only takes three tracks for the first song about cocaine dealing to appear: "KILO." "A kilo is a thousand grams," Raekwon assists on the chorus of this energetic anthem, which was the lead single from "Fishscale." The next and even better track about crack comes with track number nine, "Crackspot." Here, Ghostface recounts an incident where "Tony Starks bought 10 pounds of raw fishscale from a local drug lord while in Bolivia." He then takes the listener to a stash house in NYC where he cooked uncut crack, hanging out with Raekwon and the heavily cocaine-sniffing Ol' Dirty Bastard. He offers a free hit of uncut crack to a local addict, who had already brought TVs, PlayStations, etc., to get more. After one hit, the addict collapses on the table and appears to be dead. Now everyone panics, and guilt sets in. How to explain this to his wife, etc.? Fear of undercover cops lurking around the house, etc. I'm really curious why Ghostface talks about such intimate and taboo topics. Maybe he wanted to purge those memories? Who knows if this story really happened like that? It sounds very authentic and makes "Fishscale" a compelling listen. What impresses me the most, though, are the beats on it. Five tracks by Metal Fingers, aka MF DOOM, and three fat old-school beats by Pete Rock showcase the extreme range of production on this album. The best tracks musically are "Back Like That" featuring Ne-Yo and the Pete Rock-produced "Be Easy." The use of drums makes this beat so dope. J Dilla contributes beats for two dope tracks. Most impressive is "Whip You With A Strap," a typical slow ballad with heavy soul samples from Ghostface's childhood in the '70s. Twenty-four tracks (minus four skits) give Ghostface plenty of room to deliver. Overall, "Fishscale" is a dope album, but the extreme sounds and the host's delivery make it hard to listen to just for fun. If you don't follow his delivery, "Fishscale" can get annoying. No party or feel-good material in sight.
I'm on the same page as the other folks here. This album is awesome, but the sound quality on vinyl isn't the best... it's not as good as other hip hop releases from VMP. My copy doesn't have any surface noise, pops, or anything like that though.
Ghostface's new album is quite a departure from his recent "Pretty Tony" release. The overall vibe is more up-tempo, with soul samples still present but utilized in a fresh way. The lyrics are heavily focused on crack cocaine. Starting with the album cover, which depicts Tony Starks cleaning out fish filled with coke overnight, it only takes three tracks for the first song about cocaine dealing to appear. "KILO" features Raekwon on the chorus, with the line "A kilo is a 1,000 grams," and serves as an upbeat anthem that was the lead single for "Fishscale." The next and even more compelling track about crack arrives with track number nine, "Crackspot." Here, Ghostface recounts an incident where "Tony Starks bought 10 pounds of raw fishscale from a local drug czar while in Bolivia." He then takes listeners to a stash room in NYC, where he cooked uncut crack, hung out with Raekwon and the heavily cocaine-sniffing Ol' Dirty Bastard, and gave a free hit to a local basehead who had brought TVs, Playstations, and other items in exchange for more crack. After one hit, the basehead collapses on the table, appearing dead. This sends everyone into a panic, worrying about how to explain this to their wives and fearing undercover cops. It's puzzling why Ghostface shares such intimate and taboo experiences. Perhaps he wanted to exorcise these memories? Who knows if this story is entirely true? It certainly sounds realistic and makes "Fishscale" a captivating listen. What stands out most to me are the beats. With five tracks produced by Metal Fingers Doom aka M.F. Doom and three fat old-school beats by Pete Rock, the album showcases a wide range of production styles. The most musically impressive tracks are "Back Like" featuring Ne-Yo and the Pete Rock-produced "Be Easy," with its dope use of drums. J Dilla also contributes beats to two standout tracks. The most striking song is "Whip You With A Strap," a slow ballad with heavy soul samples that hark back to Ghostface's childhood in the 70s. With 24 tracks (minus four skits), there's plenty of room for Ghostface's delivery. Overall, "Fishscale" is a dope album, but the extreme sounds and the host's delivery make it a challenging listen for pure enjoyment. If you don't follow his flow, "Fishscale" can become annoying. There's no party or feel-good material here.
I'm in line with the other feedback. This album is fantastic, but the sound mix isn't top-notch on vinyl... certainly not as impressive as other VMP hip hop offerings. My copy has no surface noise, crackles, or anything similar, though.
Bought my version second-hand. After hearing what others have mentioned about the sibilance. It's certainly there on a few songs. But it's not too awful for a rap record from this time period.
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