Fishscale

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Fishscale
Studio album by Ghostface Killah
Released	28 March 2006 (US) 3 April 2006 (UK)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	65:00
Label	Def Jam
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link XXL Magazine [1] AllHipHop.com link 14 April 2006 CokemachineGlow (83%) 27 March 2006 Dusted (favorable) 6 April 2006 Entertainment Weekly (A-) 24 March 2006 LAUNCH (9/10) 12 April 2006 NOW 13 April 2006 The Observer (favorable) 9 April 2006 The Onion A.V. Club (A) 11 April 2006 Pitchfork Media (9.0/10) 28 March 2006 Prefix Magazine 28 March 2006 RapReviews.com (8.5/10) 28 March 2006 Robert Christgau (A+) [2] Rolling Stone 20 March 2006 Stylus (A-) 28 March 2006 HipHopDX.com link
Ghostface Killah chronology
The Pretty Toney Album (2004)	Fishscale (2006)	More Fish (2006)

Fishscale is the fifth solo album by Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. The name is a reference to a potent form of cocaine named Peruvian Fishscale. It was released by Def Jam on March 28, 2006. The single "Back Like That" reached #39 on the US hip-hop charts, while "Be Easy" reached #100.

A sampler was released at the end of January 2006 that contained full versions of "Be Easy", "Back Like That", and "Kilo", as well as shortened versions of "Big Girl" and "Charlie Brown" (the latter of which was produced by MF DOOM and did not end up on the album). Upon release, the album received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. The album contains many collaborations with Theodore Unit and the Wu-Tang Clan members, however, the album contains only one Wu-Tang in-house beat, which is by Ghostface himself, making it Ghostface's first RZA-production free album.

It should be noted that J Dilla's productions are taken from his album Donuts, and that MF DOOM's productions are taken from his Special Herbs series of albums.

Contents 1 Critical acclaim 2 Track listing 3 Production 4 External links

[edit] Critical acclaim

Critics received the album extremely positively. Many cited Ghost's near-surgical wordplay and frantic yet careful flows as being in top form on the album. Much acclaim was also directed towards the variety of topics Ghost addresses, from grand crime dramas based on the lives of drug kingpins (as in "Kilo"), to the frantic lives of street hustlers ("Shakey Dog"), childhood ("Whip You With a Strap"), love ("Back Like That", "Jellyfish"), and pure surreality ("Underwater"). The album also ventures into genre exercises, approximating a club banger with "Be Easy" and battle rhymes with "The Champ."

Critics also cited the album's heavy reliance on soul samples, and Ghost's comfort in their context, as a great strength. Production credits include the late J Dilla, MF Doom, and Pete Rock among others. Finally, many thought the guest spots on the album, particularly from long-term collaborator Raekwon, gave the album a stirring chemistry.

As with all of the acclaimed Wu-Tang solo releases, Fishscale renewed enthusiasm for other future Wu projects, including upcoming albums from Raekwon, Masta Killa, and Method Man. Though there is typically a steady interest in Wu-Tang projects, interest had lulled as many critics and fans considered recent efforts by other members of the Wu-Tang conglomerate as somewhat lackluster.

[edit] Track listing

1. "The Return of Clyde Smith" (Skit) – 1:04
2. "Shakey Dog" – 3:44
3. "Kilo" featuring Raekwon – 4:00
4. "The Champ" – 4:09
5. "Major Operation" (Skit) – 0:06
6. "9 Milli Bros." featuring Wu-Tang Clan – 4:14
7. "Beauty Jackson" – 1:32
8. "Heart Street Directions" (Skit) – 0:54
9. "Columbus Exchange" (Skit) / "Crack Spot" – 2:21
10. "R.A.G.U." featuring Raekwon – 2:39
11. "Bad Mouth Kid" (Skit) – 1:10
12. "Whip You With a Strap" – 2:51
13. "Back Like That" featuring Ne-Yo – 4:02
14. "Be Easy" featuring Trife – 3:19
15. "Clipse of Doom" featuring Trife – 3:09
16. "Jellyfish" featuring Theodore Unit (Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs & Trife) – 3:50
17. "Dogs of War" featuring Raekwon & Theodore Unit (Trife, Cappadonna & Sun God) – 4:04
18. "Barbershop" – 1:56
19. "Ms. Sweetwater" (Skit) – 0:14
20. "Big Girl" – 3:35
21. "Underwater" – 2:03
22. "The Ironman Takeover" (Skit) – 0:05
23. "Momma" featuring Megan Rochell – 4:49
24. "Three Bricks" (bonus track) featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Raekwon – 4:58

[edit] Production

• Tracks 6, 15, 16 & 21 produced by MF DOOM
• Tracks 10, 14 & 17 produced by Pete Rock
• Tracks 7 & 12 produced by J Dilla
• Track 2 produced by Lewis Parker
• Track 3 produced by MoSS
• Track 4 produced by Just Blaze
• Track 9 produced by Crack Val
• Track 13 produced by Xtreme
• Track 18 produced by Studio Steve
• Track 20 produced by Ghostface Killah
• Track 24 produced by Cool & Dre

[edit] External links

• Fishscale at MusicBrainz