Album Review: Ghostface Killah- The Big Doe Rehab
Ghostface Killah
The Big Doe Rehab
Def Jam Records
4/5
Written By Samir Siddiqui
The Wu-Tang Clan are years removed from their prime, both artistically and commercially, but one member of the Clan seems to forever be at his artistic best, continuously providing the rap game with the charisma and energy that only he can deliver. Ghostface Killah, who dropped not one, but two very good albums in 2006, returns just a year later after the release of More Fish to give us The Big Doe Rehab, and not surprisingly, Ghost doesn’t fail to impress.
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Ghost is joined by Beanie Sigel on the opening track “Toney Sigel,” and the two deliver a banger, and provide some political quips to boot, “They say that my project should undergo therapy, we never voted, we votin’ for Oprah, Obama, and Eric B…..I think with the wisdom of Malcolm, got the soul of a panther, so ‘by any means’ is the anthem, you gon’ have to cut me out the track like cancer.” Ghost, Method Man, and Rae put together a reflective narrative on the soulful “Yolanda’s House,” before Kid Capri hypes up the Hitmen (LV & Sean C.)- produced “Celebrate,” Ghost’s anthem for a good time.“White Linen Affair” is the Toney Awards on wax, as Ghost name-drops the ‘who’s who’ of the music and entertainment business, while adding his humorous two cents to the mix, “Paris Hilton and Lindsay, holding down Britney’s skirt, no more free looks, you gotta’ put in work.” But not all the tracks are as easy to like, as “Rec-Room Therapy” is overly casual and skippable, and “The Prayer” is aggravatingly out-of-place and unnecessary- Ghost isn’t even on the track, but instead Ox performs a cringe-worthy mini-song.
The Hitmen show up again on “I’ll Die For You,” where exquisite keys are layered perfectly over a sped-up-sample that voices the song’s name. It sounds like something off of American Gangster, but Ghost’s rhymes contain a vulnerability to them that only he could provide. The annoying repetitiveness of “Paisley Darts’” production is almost un-important, as Trife Da God and Method Man rip the collabo track with confidence. Next, the elegant, sweeping horns on “Shaky Dog Starring Lolita” provide an excellent base for Ghost and Raekwon’s back-and-forth- it sounds like a mid-90’s Wu-Tang track, as the smooth producing nicely contrasts the aggressive lyricism of the two emcees.
Aside from the unneeded skits and interludes, there is very little to criticize on The Big Doe Rehab. Ghost is clearly anything but lazy with his rhymes, and even more impressive, he continues to rap over production that blends the old-school Wu sound with the soulful and band-inspired sounds of modern hip-hop today. LV and Sean C. of the Hitmen provide five cuts here, and alongside lesser known producers such as Anthony Acid, Ant-Live, and Frequency, put together a set of beats that flow well without being repetitive. Ghostface was arguably the MVP of hip-hop music in 2006, and his performance here, combined with his efforts on the Wu’s 8 Diagrams, as well as his other guest appearances, put him in position to repeat in ‘07.
Suggestion Box
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Ghostface is just so Incredible. He should be one of the richest Mcs out right now cuz is soo damn talanted. He makes great Quality music and the mainstream ignores him. I will continue to Purchase this mans albums.
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:14 pm
he makes great music…just doesn’t sell records for some reason
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:29 pm
40,000-70,000 LIFETIME SALES.
WU?
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Great review. Big Doe Rehab is clearly one of if not the dopes album of the year. Every single track is a banger.
Big Doe Rehab > whatever you are listening to
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Ghostface is ‘prolly the most consistent rapper in the game.
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:09 pm
this shit was garbage
2/5
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Whats the sense reviewing an album that isnt going to persuade sales. Not saying that sales determine the potential of an artist but to me its the same material being put out since the beginning of his career. Good job rtny
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:41 pm
this was instally a classic i don’t think the album could have got any better this is real hiphop he killed this so big ups to ghost
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:03 pm
3 words “8 diagrams sux”
ghost is d truth
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:33 pm
I HEARD ALL OF THE SONGS AND QUITE HONSESTLY..THIS ALBUM IS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND EVERY BEAT SELECTION AND FLOW REMINDS ME OF THE 90′S AND LIKE SOME SORT OF GROOVE U FEEL WHEN U IN YOUR RIDE ON THE FREEWAY ALBUM..VERY GREAT ALBUM GHOST!! THUMBS AND PALMS UP ON THIS POTENTIAL CLASSIC AT THE RIGHT TIME!!
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 pm
its cause of some of the comments on here that classic albums like Big Doe Rehab doesnt sell.. It’s not about album sells.. i hate that hiphop has gotten to that point.. its about lyrics, beats, wordplay, the list goes on.. come on people, open up your minds and support it or the hottest hipHop will pass u by…..
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:01 am
Yo i got dis joint and its piff…..rae on the joint oh my word
thats what im tlkin about, slow down is a sick track too…beat is nasty and the rhymes are insane…..whole joint is fire…3 albums in what like 1 year that shit is insane…who dus that..
real hiphop my niggaz!! word up….waiting on raes cuban link 2
nasty!
real hip hop all day!!!
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:06 am
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December 3rd, 2007 at 8:09 am
The nigga Ghost outdid himself on this one…It’s so dope, I gotta go and cop the real one….
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 am
yo i don’t care about the sell fam he makes good music. every album he come out with i got.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:40 am
Go get it!
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
this is good hip hop
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:02 pm
[...] RealTalkNY: 4/5 Aside from the unneeded skits and interludes, there is very little to criticize on The Big Doe Rehab. Ghost is clearly anything but lazy with his rhymes, and even more impressive, he continues to rap over production that blends the old-school Wu sound with the soulful and band-inspired sounds of modern hip-hop today. [...]
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:35 pm
3 blocks from the gucci spot is were I trapped you.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
The Man is simply a genius.
December 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
this shit is way harder than that 8 diagrams bullshit, ghost came through wit this one!!!! Big Shouts to gfk
December 15th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
you people talk like 50 is rap god almighty but if you look its only his 3rd album
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Just be real ghost-dini will never sale millions.
But his story telling abilities and vivid word play
puts him second to only one… B.I.G.G.I.E.
If u think not just listen to Crack Spot and Wildflower
that should get u up to speed. Go get all his albums.
“Save hip hop”