Third in the series, this time Ghostface. Easily the best discography in Wu, but how does he stand up to the greats??

Top 3: Nutmeg, Apollo Kids, Buck 50
Worst Song: NA

My opinion tends to switch between my two favourite GFK albums, usually depending on which one I’ve been (over) listening to. The reason I put this at the number one spot is because this album far more than Ironman shows GFK’s personality and range whereas Ironman feels like far more of a Wu collective album (although that’s not a criticism). There are so many iconic songs, verses and lines on this album it almost sounds like a best of and when this dropped he was really the only Wu member still making great music!


Top 3: All that I Got is you, Poisonous Darts, Winter Warz
Worst Song: NA

I feel this album doesn’t get the shine it deserves when compared with Liquid Swords and Cuban Linx. Very rarely will this album be mentioned in someone’s top 3 Wu solos but it’s every bit as consistent as the Raekwon and GZA efforts. Even though we get glimpses of what was to come from Ghost with the introspective storytelling on All that I Got is you, (while still brilliant) I feel this album didn’t quite convey Ghost’s personality quite as well as SC (he isn’t even on two tracks), which is why it’s at the number 2 spot. As a front to back listen though this album is essentially flawless.

Top 3: Shakey Dog, The Champ, Whip you with a Strap
Worst Song: Three Bricks

To me Ghost came correct with the album before this but at the time his prior two albums were seen as a little bit of a dip in form, with this album he came back even stronger, spearheaded by the hit single Back Like That the 25 track album is amazingly consistent and entertaining, showing all the different facets of GFK’s personality, the humour, tough talk, s*** talk and introspection he’s renowned for… even the skits are entertaining as hell! The only reason I have this placed in the number 3 spot is because I don’t feel like some of the features on the second half of the album are on the level of his first two albums, but that (very small) complaint aside, all of his top 3 albums are out and out classics with replay value second to none and quite honestly you could argue any of his top 3 albums being in the number 1 spot… and you’d probably be right!

Top 3: Run, Holla, Beat the Clock
Worst Song: Tush

His Def Jam debut briefly saw him removing the “Killah” from his name and (save two RZA beats) having a complete lack of Wu features and references. As expected when dropping on a major label there are a couple of tracks that aim for mainstream success with features accordingly assigned (Tush) but for the most part it’s exactly what you’d expect from a GFK album complete with soul samples and really great story telling. This is one of my personal favourites in his discography, I love the samples and the fact theres not a lot in the way of features from the usual suspects, Raekwon isn’t even missed on this on in all honesty.

Top 3: Flowers, Ghost Showers, The Hilton,
Worst Song: Love Session

I think most are aware of the sample issues that meant the version we got wasn’t quite what Ghost had in mind. Essentially we missed out on two unbelievable tracks (The Sun and The Watch) and ended up with a hatchet job on the version of Flowers and The Forrest that made the album. These changes don’t mean that we got a bad album they just mean we could’ve got an even batter album than we got, I still don’t think it’d made it into the top 3 GFK albums but would’ve quite possible tipped it above Pretty Tony. The fact that all 5 of his first albums are in my top 5 really shows you just how hungry Ghost was out the gate and the unbelievable consistency he had during the first part of his career!

Top 3: Ghost is Back, Alex, Block Rock
Worst Song: Gotta Hold On

The main thing that keeps this album out of my top 5 GFK albums is that it’s pretty much a Theodore Unit album (even has it on the cover) with features from Trife, Wigs, Sun God and/or Cappadonna on over half the tracklist. There is a lot of quality on here but for the most part it does feel like a collection of songs that either weren’t good enough to make Fishscale or just wouldn’t have fitted in the tracklist, still an unbelievable album of quality that shows just how much of a zone he was in during these sessions.

Top 3: Yolanda’s House, Walk Around, Supa GFK
Worst Song: White Linen Awards

I didn’t really appreciate this album when it dropped, and to be fair it’s a bit of a step down from his first 5 albums, but in hindsight and assessing it within the context of the discography as a whole this may have been the last time we got this version of GFK. Following this release he seems to lose if of the unique qualities that made him so special.

Top 3: Do Over, Baby, Guest House
Worst Song: She’s a killah

Ghost is kinda known for having this type of song on his albums… Never be the Same, Back Like That etc. the type of song where he discusses relationship issues in the presence of an R&B artist, he decides to go all out on this one though and make an entire album of them. I really wasn’t a fan when it dropped and some songs are still a bit much, but you’ve really gotta admit, the way he tells the stories is really cleverly done and vivid (too vivid in the case of Stapleton Sex). Guest House is the highlight for me, but as a whole I appreciate this album so much more than I did when it dropped even though the lack of variety of subject matter means playing is through in its entirety can get a little tiresome, but dipping in and out (not a Stapleton S***pun) it’s a good listen.

Top 3: Purified Thoughts, Ghetto, Trouble Makers
Worst Song: Handcuffin’ Them Hoes

This album feels like a bit of a statement following his foray into the R&B rap genre, the album title, the simple cover with rhyme book and pencil and a some homage to hiphop past. Some tracks don’t hold up quite so well and some of the features fell slightly misplaced but as a whole it’s a great addition to his discography even though it feels like he’s taking himself a little more seriously and it also doesn’t quite have the soul or storytelling of past GFK releases, but it’s a very consistent album that preceded a 3 year break during which time his voice changed markedly.

Top 3: Six Degrees, Ray Gun, Food
Worst Song: Street Knowledge

Ghost over live instrumentation and lacking a strict narrative like the other albums he dropped in this era allowed him the freedom to just make some good music again, still lacking some of the extravagances and humour that made him such a unique artist but with some of the emotion returning to his delivery this one gives us just enough to remind us just how much of a great artist Ghostface actually is.

Top 3: Return of the Savage, King of New York, Blackout
Worst Song: Rise up

Easily the best of the three concept albums Ghost made during this era, his voice sounded a little better (for the most part) and the Raekwon features are a very welcome addition. The only reason to put part one above this is originality, but this one does everything the first one did but better with better features and narration from RZA.

Top 3: Beware of the Stare, Blood on the Cobblestones, Enemies all Around Me,
Worst Song: Revenge is Sweet

I think a lot of people see this as a return to form, and on paper it is. The concept is strong, the producer has some interesting instrumental choices, it’s very cohesive, but as much as he was a a bit if a one trick pony on Ghostdini on here it’s even more noticeable but a lot more monotone and uninteresting, he also just sounds off, his voice, his lack of energy on his delivery, the lack of humour and personality. The album isn’t bad, it’s just not a Ghostface Killah album, or at least not a GFK we recognise from the first half of his discography.

Top 3: Watch Em Holla, Saigon Valour, Constant Struggle
Worst Song: Done it Again

Ghostface teams up with Big Ghost on this one for a studio album that had most people thinking it was a collection of “lost songs” that didn’t make prior albums, but instead it’s an entirely new collection of songs absolutely littered with guest verses, most of which very unconventional for a GFK album. Not one of my favourite underground producers but it’s better than expected even though it’s an album I can’t say I have really returned to.

Top 3: Love Don’t Live Here no More, Double Cross, Emergency Procedure
Worst Song: Pieces to the Puzzle

The middle of a trilogy of concept albums, another album that on paper sounds like my kinda album, the recurring features (AZ and Kool G Rap) had me excited but Ghost’s voice and delivery is still off and it suffers from the same pitfalls as 12 Reasons. One of my least played GFK albums.

Top 3: Me Denny & Daryl, Conditioning, New World
Worst Song: Flex

Ghost’s voice is largely back on this one, unfortunately Danny Caiazzo just isn’t up to the job of providing interesting instrumentals and Ghost either seems out of ideas or is just plain uninspired. At this point in his career I feel like ghost (especially now he has his old voice back) needs to work with someone like madlib and get some interesting beats that inspire him to make good music with personality again because he really feels like he’s lost his uniqueness as an artist over the past decade.

carti better

Yb better

If we're simply going with quality and quantity, yes.

GFK is #1 in terms of catalog.

On a side note, there's not many Rap albums that can go toe to toe with Supreme Clientele.

yeah he up there

ironman (my top3 rap album ever), supreme clientele (my top 10?), sour soul, more fish -- all great albums

wizard of poetry in emerald city should be a blueprint for any established rapper trying to do rnb off of rough image (Freddie Gibbs better take notes)

no

Stapleton S***is an insane track, NOBODY, and I mean not a single rapper in the history of the genre would be able to get away with it except ghost, much less make it entertaining

I don't think his catalog is as strong as Nas or Jay's but he's top 10 level in that way

Your moms better

The Forest a hack job?

Sour Soul is straight fantastic album. always thinking good thoughts whenever I have it on my mind. not a straight off classic just a really really really great album

Apollo Kids surprisingly has my favorite verse Game has ever done lol

Bulletproof Wallets could've been greater.

Bootleg > Official version

Appreciate the share

Unbelievably put together in all honesty, but listening to it and the imagery you get in your head

I think the main issue with this discography is that there’s no late career redemption story album (yet at least). in general all his best albums are at the first half of his discography and all his latest albums are in the bottom few. We really need him to come back strong if his discography is to hold up to the greats imo

Def top 10 hiphop discography

Him and Scarface are the most underrated imo when it comes to discography

Yeah although GFK >>> Scarface discography. GFK’s top 5 albums are insane

Just wait til he drops supreme clientele 2 in February…

Is that actually confirmed? Been talked about for years just like Cuban Linx 3

Nah I was joking he announced that in 2021 LMAO

Produced by Kanye so basically it’s never dropping

Easy top 5

Wu Massacre and Wu Block are worth mentioning as well, Ghost went crazy on Wu Block.

I just do solo studio albums in these threads. The Theodore Unit album is solid too though

His 1996-2006 run certainly is. I also like a lot of the stuff he did from 2013-2019 especially Sour Soul and Twelve Reasons to Die