FishScale

FishScale is the fifth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released March 28, 2006 on Def Jam in the United States. The album features guest appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as Ghostface Killah's Theodore Unit. It also features production from several acclaimed producers, such as MF Doom, Pete Rock, J Dilla, and Just Blaze, among others. The album follows an organized crime theme, and is named after a term for uncut cocaine, fishscale.

Fishscale sold nearly 110,000 units in its first week of release, and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it the highest charting Ghostface Killah album since his 1996 debut, Ironman.^[1] The singles "Back Like That," and "Be Easy" entered the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with the former peaking at the 14th position.^[2] Upon its release, Fishscale received positive reviews from most music critics, with many applauding the album's cohesiveness, lyricism, and production.

Background

In January 2006, a sampler was released containing full versions of "Be Easy," "Back Like That," and "Kilo," as well as shortened versions of "Big Girl" and "Charlie Brown". It also included an alternate version of "The Champ". "Charlie Brown," which was produced by MF DOOM, contained a sample from Caetano Veloso's "Alfomega" that did not ultimately receive clearance, and the song did not appear on the final album. Similarly, "The Champ" was not cleared and an altered version found its way on to the album.

J Dilla created his two productions for Ghostface, but also used them on his instrumental album Donuts; MF DOOM's productions are taken from his Special Herbs series of albums.

As of November 2009, the album had sold 332,000 copies.^[3]

Reception

Critical response

Upon its release, Fishscale received favorable reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 88, based on 32 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".^[14] Robert Christgau from The Village Voice was especially favorable, awarding an A+ rating and likening the album to Public Enemy's universally hailed It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.^[5] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Raymond Fiore graded the album an A- and commented "He may not be reinventing himself with Fishscale, but as a must-hear street storyteller, Ghostface Killah's still at the top of his game."^[6] Matt Barone from XXL gave Fishscale an XL rating and stated "Possessing a unique pedigree of prose, and unbridled lyrical passion, he is the reigning king of consistency. With a few forced collaborations being its only flaw, Fishscale is Ghost’s most addictive dosage post Supreme Clientele. Packed with vivid street tales, comic relief and straight spittin’, the album continues his standard of excellence."^[15] Giving the album a 4/4 star rating, Steve Jones from USA Today wrote "Few rappers are as consistently compelling as this Wu-Tang Clan member. With his fifth solo album, Ghostface takes a timeworn hip-hop theme — dealing cocaine, and creates a riveting listening experience. He doesn't so much deliver rhymes as narrate graphically detailed scenes, rife with violence, passion and a little humor."^[13] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman wrote in his review "...Ghost responds by pouring all that he has, both lyrically and vocally, into every track on the album. The scenarios he recounts are as detailed and off-the-wall as ever, elaborate screenplays laid out with a vocal style that's ceaselessly fluid and never abrasive."^[4] In his review for The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin wrote:

"In contrast to his aggressive delivery on The Pretty Toney Album, Ghostface is far more relaxed, confident, and eclectic here. One of rap's most cinematic and sophisticated storytellers, he fills his pulp narratives with so much novelistic detail that it's impossible to catch everything on the first listen. Thankfully, the kaleidoscopic, soul-drenched production by Doom, Pete Rock, Jay Dee, Just Blaze, and others make repeat listens seem tempting, even downright irresistible. Sure, Fishscale has its share of pointless skits. But that's what the fast-forward button is for, just as the play button seems to have been designed specifically to let people listen to Fishscale over and over again."^[16]

—Nathan Rabin

Accolades

Fishscale was ranked as one of the best albums of the year by many famous publishers.^[17] It also appeared on several lists for best albums of the decade, with Stylus Magazine ranking it number eleven.^[18] Uncut ranked it number 62 on their 150 Best Albums of the 2000s,^[17] while Pitchfork Media ranked it number 75 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s, stating "History will remember Fishscale as Ghostface's Magical Mystery Tour: an artist convinced of his own genius empties every chamber on a batshit, pseudo-conceptual headtrip."^[19] In 2009, Rhapsody ranked the album at number nine on its "Hip-Hop’s Best Albums of the Decade" list.^[20]

Track listing

• * Signifies bonus material

Personnel

Charts

References

External links

• Fishscale at MusicBrainz
• Fishscale Reviews at Metacritic
• XXL article
• Accolades at acclaimedmusic.net