It's August 21, 2025, 04:45:20 PM
Ghostface Killah’s Nearly Mythical Album “Supreme Clientele 2” Gets Release DateIt looks like Ghostface Killah will release Supreme Clientele 2 on June 19, his long overdue sequel to the 2000 original. It will arrive as part of the Legend Has It…album series presented by Mass Appeal.Supreme Clientele 2 has been a topic of anticipation for nearly a decade, while Supreme Clientele remains a Hip-Hop classic, applauded for its artistic innovation and revitalizing impact on the Wu-Tang Clan’s solo legacy. Ghostface’s up-tempo, stream-of-consciousness lyricism, paired with RZA’s cohesive and soulful production, created a sound that was at once nostalgic and forward-thinking. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and quickly achieved gold status, although its influence extended far beyond commercial success.Widely regarded as Ghostface’s best work and one of the greatest solo projects from any Wu-Tang member, its dense, abstract wordplay and vivid imagery set a new standard for lyrical creativity. The album’s use of soul samples and cinematic storytelling inspired a generation of producers and rappers, with figures like Kanye West and Just Blaze citing it as a direct influence on their own work, particularly in shaping the sound of early 2000s Hip-Hop. Critics lauded the album for its authenticity and emotional depth, with many noting how it helped shift the genre away from commercial trends toward a more raw, expressive approach.
Ghostface Killah Breaks Down New Album, $2M Wu-Tang Record, Altercation With Bone Thugs At DefJam, TRIUMPH, Diddy Blocking Wu & The Final Chamber
not a big fan of the first album, but i like gfk!so i waitin for this one too!
A deep retrospective of Supreme Clientele - the album that saved the Wu-Tang.At the turn of the century into the year 2000, amidst all manner of change and advancement, the Wu Tang Clan were stagnant. It had been 7 years since their seminal debut, but maybe more importantly, it had been 4 years since any of the members had put out a strong album. Reviews on their work in that time ranged from tepid to outright dismissal, and to put further strain on the group, they had to watch several other hip hop acts ascend into the winner's circle that had eluded them for the past half-decade. Outkast reached stardom. Dipset were growing rapidly. Jay-Z reached superstardom. If 6 months is considered a lifetime in Hip Hop, It wouldn't be a stretch to say that with another couple of poor releases, the writing would be on the wall.Inspiration would come though, slowly but steadily over the course of a trip to Africa. Ghostface Killah and RZA retreated to the birthplace of man for months, and were left amongst different people, cultures, and landscapes. Why did they choose Africa? Who knows. Some speculated that Ghostface was seeking alternative treatment for his diabetes. Your guess holds as much merit as mine. But one thing that didn't have to be left to theorizing, was the shift in their attitudes as they emerged from their self-imposed exile. They were ready not just to invite themselves back to a seat at the dinner they helped prepare, but to relegate everyone back to the children's tables. Ghostface told The Source Magazine in 1999: “With Ironman, I was going through a lot of trials and tribulations. But with this joint I’m trying to be a little bit more reflective and introspective.”He gave this interview early in '99. We know that Supreme Clientele was released in early 2000. Did that mean that Ghost had disappeared halfway across the world for a few months, began working on the project for another few moths upon returning, and it wouldn't end up coming out for another year? He was really sitting on this for almost two years? Well yes, I suppose. But it didn't unfold in the way that you think. Way back on a January evening in 1995, at a nightclub called the Palladium, had you been present, would have resulted in you seeing an excitable Ghostface Killah. You might have been tempted to go up to him and introduce yourself, then maybe ask for an autograph. That would have been a very bad idea. Because what put Ghostdini in such a riled up state, was the realization that his tires had been slashed. One thing led to another, and the night culminated with Ghost laying a beating on the valet who was supposed to be watching his wheels, and then relieving the man of $3000 dollars. 4 years later, the case rattles down the judicial pipeline just in time to halt whatever progress he's made on the record. Before you know it Ghost is being called before a judge, and almost immediately... "copped out the six, five years probation." -Ghostface Killah, Saturday Nite, Track 4 of Supreme ClienteleCops out to 6 months in jail, and 5 years probation. He's immediately sent to the infamous prison Rikers island to begin his sentence right away. Separated from the studio and the rest of his ten-man team, his days spent are a reminder of the time that he's wasting. So he began to write. Penning lyrics to no music in his cell, many of these verses ended up on the album, comprising entire songs. The result was songs like the opener Nutmeg, in which he sounds like he's treading water on the beat, head above the waves and belting out his lines seemingly as they occur to him. That being said, Nutmeg is a perfect place, both stylistically and tracklist-wise, to begin the actual album's analysis.Breakdown Robotic, let's think optimistic You probably missed it, watch me Dolly Dick it. -Ghostface Killah, Nutmeg, Track 2, Supreme ClienteleThe opening verse of the opening track to open the new millenium. And he's taunting you already. " You probably missed it." With the slang, double entendres and references so obscure he might as well be talking to himself, Nutmeg is like baked ziti. Ghost's words at first glance are the cheese that layers the top, inviting and rich. Dig past it and only then do you realize how deep the dish goes, and that you couldn't possibly digest it all. Like with good ziti though, even full to bursting, you couldn't be more satisfied and content, a feeling we can attribute to the soulful production envelloping you. The song samples Eddie Holman's "It's Over", with the primary melody being a flute pitched to sound like a human's voice. Light, airy, and with subdued percussion, the instrumental takes care not to overpower Ghost. That appears a stylistic choice that makes the tempo of the forthcoming track One, that much more immediate. Trauma, hands is like candy canes, lay my balls on ice The branches in my weed be the vein. -One, Track 3, Supreme ClienteleThe lyrics somehow, seem even less tangentially related, with Ghost maybe seeing the need to cut out any unnecessary lyrics to match the extra kick over the more assertive beat. Leaping from giving dick to Oprah to referencing DC's mayor's craving for crack, and stringing it along naturally, is only possible because Ghost completely disregards conjunctions or any association whatsoever. His stories are lively as ever, and each verse births a dozen vignettes, welded to chaotic cohesion. Saturday Nite, the song that follows, is a prime example of this. A snapshot of a wild Saturday for Ghostdini, spirals out of control as the Feds step in. His bars are dense, and while he isn't rapping quickly, the frantic Frank Zappa-like production behind him makes it feel that way. This song is the closest you'll get to a central plot over the entire tracklist, and he still makes it feel like you're translating runes. This initial pace finds itself dissipating slowly though, as Ghost settles into the more soulful pocket with tracks 5 & 6 Ghost Deini and Apollo Kids. Everybody break bread, huddle around, Guzzle that, I'm about to throw hair on your back, Since the face been revealed, game got real, Radio been gassing niggas, my imposters scream they're ill. -Apollo Kids, Track 6, Supreme ClienteleIf Ghost Deini is water unbroken and holding the sun's glittering reflection, then it would be apt to call Apollo Kids the wave that drags you down into Ghost's world. The soul influence becomes even more pronounced towards the middle of this album, but a smart Raekwon verse prevents Ghostface's voice from getting stale. These two tracks back to back do much to cement this album's sound, outside of any emotion an individual track may carry. Apollo Kids is definitely maximalist, with diverse instrumentation supporting Ghost's first verse assertions that now matter how hard you try and emulate his style, you're really not coming close. Track 7, The Grain, takes the album slightly off course, with a sort of inversion of the record's first song. Instead of the subdued percussion on Nutmeg, We see the kicks carry the beat, like blows to the stomach. Much like what Kanye did on the song Gotta Have It 11 years later, RZA's production manipulates the Rufus Thomas sample into the drum pattern itself, making for unique texture over the piano loop. Buck Fifty, a reference to catching a slash to the face, is the next song, coming with one of the larger feature lists on the project. Red, Meth, and Cappadonna pass the baton between each other seamlessly, with zero lack of chemistry. Their braggadocio suits the upbeat instrumental, which is short lived before we see the sound head off in a murkier direction with Mighty Healthy. Both hands clusty, chilling with my man Rusty, Low down, blew off the burner kinda dusty -Mighty Healthy, Track 9, Supreme ClienteleMighty Healthy sees the return of the classic Wu Tang sampling of martial arts movies. 1979's Shaolin Rescuers kicks the track off, with the vocal sample warning of how easy it is to kill once you've got the taste for blood. Ghost, who is at this point a serial killer for what he's done to the past 9 beats, ignores this sound advice and lays waste to another. It's fitting that this is the track that we see the implementation of the old Wu love for kung fu flicks, as it's reminiscent of the 36 chambers in many ways. Cold and gritty, it serves as a sharp break from the previous tracks, which played like The Supremes had gone onstage with dime-pieces in their Wallabies. A quick skit follows, painting the picture of an increasingly frustrated Ghost dealing with one of his crackhead clientele, and it's off to the races again with Stay True and We Made It, respectively. Here once more, Ghost follows a lighter song, with the hard hitting, brash, horn filled We Made It. The contrast makes it feel stronger by association, drawing your ear in further as Ghost meditates on his life after success. Superb delivers one of the best features on the album, speaking to some gritty depictions. That being said it's nowhere near as harsh as track 13, Stroke Of Death. Thank God for my Wallabee shoes, they done saved me, Up three-nothing and Salt Lake City, Burgundy minks, whips with sinks in 'em Brocolli blown, illa disease breath, elephant skin. -Stroke of Death, Track 13, Supreme ClienteleInfamously described by Chris Rock as "so gangster it makes you wanna stab your baby sitter", Stroke Of Death has a beat that really leaves you questioning how it even sounds so good. It's plays like a loud microwave being brought back every two bars by a record scratch, without a drum presence. And it works. This track shines an important light on how strong Ghostface's aura is when he steps up to a mic. RZA does more than hold his own with the final verse on the song, getting his signature off-kilter flow to mesh wonderfully with the grim beat behind him. A skit succeeds this song, which is in turn succeeded by Malcolm, a track that interpolates a Malcolm X speech, woven into Ghost's interpretation of his philosophy. The instrumental is airy in a way that's not dissimilar to Nutmeg, while maintaining its own sound all the while. Another skit follows, with the clan discussing which celebrities they'd fuck, appearing as an odd choice for discussion when it's leading into the most heartfelt and intimate song on the project, Childs Play. Puppy love, gorgeous face, amazed by lip gloss, Cherry scent, when the princess spoked yo it bounched off, Mole like Marilyn Monroe, threw a rose in her mouth, Wherever God go will be Mrs. Cole, -Child's Play, Track 17, Supreme ClienteleA rarely unguarded Ghostface invites you to take a trip down memory lane with him, as he speaks to common childhood experiences like infatuation and standardized testing. The piano heavy beat works beautifully, and we even see Ghost try his hand at singing a bit. It's a great song, and does wonders in establishing how well rounded the project is, inviting the listener deeper into his world than just bravado. The softer track trend continues with the next song, Cherchez- La Ghost. A bouncy melody, and whispering percussion, along with the RnB hook establishes Ghost's experimentation with club music. Sampling “Cherchez La Femme” by Dr Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, this song charted highly for Ghost, proving his adaptability. The lyrics are driven to a club audience as well, but that doesn't mean we don't see the lyrical stylings that makes Ghost unique. As much as we've been appreciating the tender tracks in this little run in the listing, Ghost swoops in one last time to remind us why we loved him in the first place, with a few Clan members in tow, on Wu- Banga 101. Bottles goin' off in the church, we broke the wine, Slapped the pastor, didn't know Pop had asthma, He pulled out his blue bible, change fell out his coat, Three condoms, two dice, one bag of dope. -Wu Banga 101, Track 19, Supreme ClienteleThe Wu Tang Clan assemble like Voltron on the last track of the album, with GZA kicking things off with a great verse. Ghost, Rae, Masta Killa, and Capadonna follow, spitting true to form over a classic Wu-Tang beat. Goes to show you, that no matter how fancy the meal is, sometimes you just want to close it out with some vanilla ice-cream.And that's it. A distorted Raekwon dissing 50 Cent gets a track to itself after this, and one of Ghostface's classic Iron Man skits straight from the comic books, closes out the album. The album dropped, and the success was immediate. Supreme Clientele was met with instant acclaim and strong sales. Considered fun and witty, while still gritty and original, the record ushered in a new era for Wu relevance. Albums like Fishscale and OB4CL 2, were successes in the new millennium, partially because the Clan were able to hold onto their listeners by proving themselves as able to reinvent their sound. There is no doubt that this album saved the Wu Tang Clan.
Ghost's solo debut 'Iron-Man' to me is his best, that's sounds like the true b-side sequel to 'Only Built For Cuban Lynx'.But SC is an outstanding classic too, there is some really really incredible shit on there.
his big 3 = supreme clientele, ironman, and fishscale
GFK / RAEKWON - "Bulletproof Wallets" Real Wu-Tang heads know that the final retail version of Ghostface Killah's final album for Epic Records, "Bulletproof Wallets", had little to do with how the project originally was conceived. Label policts, sample clearance problems and even lost sample sources transformed what could have been GFK's third classic LP into a rather mediocre affair; even prompting the emcee to leave the label before his contract was even fullfiled. When it was first released in November 2001, I bought the album but the tracklist on the back cover was a far cry from what was actual on the disc. In fact, this "bogus" tracklist is much more representative of what GFK originally intended. A while ago, I got more or less obsessed with the way Ghost had intened his ill-fated third LP, going over singles, rare promo vinyls, the "original" tracklist on the retail cover, interviews and other sources. I eventually think I came very close to what Ghost originally had in mind, and since then I have never played the retail album again. The original link I posted a while back, has been deleted, and due to heavy demand on a re-up; once again, I present to y'all one of my favorite The Lost Tapes compilations/alt. versions.Maybe Ghostface nr. #1 masterpiece; the preceeding "Supreme Clientele", was hailed everywhere as a true return to form for the Wu-Tang Clan and their solo releases. It was not fully produced by The RZA, but instead RZA and GFK, who received beats from the likes of Allah Mathematics, Carlos Broady and JuJu to name a few, but the two arranged, co-produced and executive produced all songs on the project to give it a cohessive sound. The same formula was used for "B.P.W.", RZA produced about five beats but he and Ghost picked out and arranged beats by Allah Mathematics, Davel 'Bo' McKenzie, Alchemist, Carlos Broady, and Digga. Some interesting trivia is that the recording sessions fully took place in Miami, featured Chef Raekwon heavily and was even conceived as a sequel to "Cuban Linx...". Maybe due to the warm Miami surroundings, the music recorded ended up a bit warmer and toned down than its original predecessor; needless to say the title was changed to "Bulletproof Wallets". On the original version that I preseent here, Raekwon was however still featured heavily, sometimes spitting full 16:s, i some cases a few short bars and sometimes only a hook or intro. The album Ghost handed in to Epic in the beginning of 2001 was the perfect follow-up to "Ironman" and "Supreme Clientele". Ghost proved once again that he was one of the absolute top emcees in the game; RZA's production and arrangements were straight up incredible, and it was great to hear Raekwon and GFK back together. Unfortunately, Epic Records managed to fuck up the album quite heavily, switching the track sequencing, and completely deleting some of the highlights like "The Sun" (which Coles recently revealed had to be deleted since RZA couldn't find the original record he had sampled), the memorable concept joint "The Watch", Digga's TV-show theme sampling "Good Times" and replaced the RZA's feel-good track "Flowers" with an almost unlistenable watered down version. The result was that the cohessiveness and album flow was completely destroyed.So, if you are one of the people that were strongly dissapointed in GFK's third opus, make sure to listen to this from front-to-back. Even if you heard many of the songs before, the sequencing here really adds to the overall experience. One more thing; the outro "Street Chemistry" I believe was a last minute addition, so it's a big possibility that this would not have appeared on the intended version; all tracklists and promos I've seen end with "Strawberry". But it's such a dope jam, and is a great album closer but if you want to keep it 100% let the album end after track #16. Oh well, enough talk, so enjoy, turn it up and WU-TANG for life!01. "The Sun" (Ft. Raekwon, Slick Rick & RZA)02. "Never Be The Same Again" (Ft. Raekwon & Carl Thomas)03. "The Forrest"04. "Theodore" (Ft. Trife & Twiz)05. "Interlude #1" (Ft. Raekwon)06. "Flowers" (Ft. Raekwon, Method Man & Superb)07. "Ghost Showers"08. "Maxine" (Ft. Raekwon) "The Watch" (Ft. Raekwon)09. "Walking Through The Darkness" (Ft. Tekitha)10. "Interlude #2: ICE"11. "Teddy Skit"12. "Jealousy"13. "The Juks" (Ft. Trife & Superb)14. "The Hilton" (Ft. Raekwon)15. "Good Times" (Ft. Raekwon & Superb)16. "Strawberry" (Ft. Killa Sin)17. "Street Chemistry" (Ft. Prodigal Sunn & Trife)
"Supreme Clientele was a frame of mind and era in time. You could never duplicate that feeling, but you can tap back in,” Ghostface Killah said of of the upcoming project in a statement. “We dug in the files from years ago and pulled together a Clientele that is Supreme! Get ready: Supreme Clientele 2 is now.”
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