Ghostface Killah is a Wu-Tang rapper who has released timeless albums. His most recent release, Set the Tone, demonstrates that he is still relevant today. It makes sense that someone who has performed at the highest level in hip-hop history would have thoughts about the direction the genre is taking. In a May 22 Rolling Stone interview, Ghost criticized the current generation of rappers for lacking one particular skill: narrative. Tony Starks wants to hear more stories spoken with musical accompaniment. He believes storytelling is a crucial element in rap music that is often overlooked in today’s mainstream scene. Ghostface Killah’s passion for preserving the art of storytelling in hip-hop is evident in his music and serves as a reminder of the genre’s roots.
Ghostface claimed that his generation of hip-hop artists was the last to tell stories. He went so far as to use some of his fellow Wu-Tang Clan members as instances. Rapper cited the urge to write songs popular in clubs for this shift away from storytelling. Ghostface believes that the focus on making club hits has taken precedence over the art of storytelling in modern hip-hop. He argues that rappers in his era, like his Wu-Tang Clan comrades, were especially adept at weaving intricate plots into their songs.
He lamented,
“I don’t hear n**gas doing storytelling no more, man,” “There might be Nas. You might still got [Slick] Rick out there doing it, Raekwon [and] GZA.”
“A lot of stuff be regular darts, regular raps,”
“Everything with this new generation is about clubs.”
Ghostface Killah aimed at the new generation of female rappers, critiquing what he perceived as a preference for flash above content. He compared this to the careers of well-rounded performers from the 1990s, such as Foxy Brown and Lauryn Hill. Although he didn’t mention names, his songs can be taken as a jab against Sexxy Red. Ghostface Killah’s comments sparked a debate about hip-hop and the evolution of female representation in the genre. Some fans defended his critique as a call for more substance and authenticity in music.
He told Rolling Stone,
“The Lauryn Hills of this sh*t [are] gone,”
“Even the Foxys and sh*t like that, like a lag came over it. But all this other ‘lick my a*s,’ ‘my butthole brown’ sh*t, it’s like … it’s too much.”
During a recent interview with Juan Epstein, Ghostface Killah expressed his admiration for Kendrick Lamar, identifying him as the one modern rapper who has impressed him the most. According to the Wu-Tang rapper, Lamar has elevated his game and has been responsible for creating some of the most ambitious concept albums in hip-hop history. Ghostface Killah’s admiration for Lamar’s artistry highlights the respect and recognition within the hip-hop community, where talent is acknowledged and celebrated.
Ghost recalled,
“That’s why when I did the record with Kendrick, it was like, ‘Okay… I sat with it and was like, I sent him two verses,” “I sent him a ‘just in case’ one. Like, ‘N**ga, if that don’t go, this one [will] .'”
https://x.com/RollingStone/status/1792704357198426184
https://x.com/KwanLi_/status/1711750451123675543
