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Fishscale
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Fishscale is the fifth solo album by Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. It was released by Def Jam on March 28, 2006. The single "Back Like That" reached #39 on the US hip-hop charts, while "Be Easy" reached #100. The LP sold over 110,000 units in first week. Fishscale debuted at #3 and was largely overshadowed by the release of T.I.'s King, which came out in the same week.
A sampler was released at the end of January 2006 that contained full versions of "Be Easy", "Back Like That", and "Kilo", as well as shortened versions of "Big Girl" and "Charlie Brown" (the latter of which was produced by
MF DOOM and did not end up on the album, the song contained a sample from Alfomega by
Caetano Veloso and apparently did not pass the
sample clearance). Upon release, the album received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. The album contains many collaborations with
Theodore Unit and the
Wu-Tang Clan members, however, the album contains only one Wu-Tang in-house beat, which is by Ghostface himself, making it Ghostface's first RZA-production free album (though the RZA appears on "9 Milli Bros." with the Clan as a whole).
It should be noted that J Dilla's productions are taken from his album Donuts, and that MF DOOM's productions are taken from his Special Herbs series of albums.
Critical acclaim
Critics received the album extremely positively. Many cited Ghost's near-surgical wordplay and frantic yet careful flows as being in top form on the album. Much acclaim was also directed towards the variety of topics Ghost addresses, from grand crime dramas based on the lives of drug kingpins (as in "Kilo"), to the frantic lives of street hustlers ("Shakey Dog"), childhood ("Whip You With a Strap"), love ("Back Like That", "Jellyfish"), and pure surreality ("Underwater"). The album also ventures into genre exercises, approximating a club banger with "Be Easy" and battle rhymes with "The Champ."
Critics also cited the album's heavy reliance on soul samples, and Ghost's comfort in their context, as a great strength. Production credits include the late J Dilla, MF DOOM, and Pete Rock among others. Finally, many thought the guest spots on the album, particularly from long-term collaborator Raekwon, gave the album a stirring chemistry.
As with all of the acclaimed Wu-Tang solo releases,
Fishscale renewed enthusiasm for other future Wu projects, including upcoming albums from Raekwon,
Masta Killa, and
Method Man. Though there is typically a steady interest in Wu-Tang projects, interest had lulled as many critics and fans considered recent efforts by other members of the Wu-Tang conglomerate as somewhat lackluster. Fishscale was voted by numerous hip hop magazines as the best
album of the year (
2006).
Fishscale was Certified
Gold on
January,
2007.
Tracklisting
| #
| Title
| Length
| Performer(s)
| Songwriters
| Producer(s)
| Notes
|
| 1
| "The Return of Clyde Smith"
| 1:04
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 2
| "Shakey Dog"
| 3:44
| Ghostface Killah
|
| Lewis Parker
|
- Contains sample from The Dells “I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue” (1968)
|
| 3
| "Kilo"
| 4:00
| Ghostface Killah, Raekwon
|
| MoSS
|
- Contains sample from Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronymus " I Weigh With Kilos” (1976)
|
| 4
| "The Champ"
| 4:09
| Ghostface Killah
|
| Just Blaze
|
- Included on Smackdown vs Raw 2007, and also EA's Def Jam Icon
|
| 5
| "Major Operation" (Skit)
| 0:06
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 6
| "9 Milli Bros."
| 4:14
| Ghostface Killah, Wu-Tang Clan
|
| MF DOOM
|
|
| 7
| "Beauty Jackson"
| 1:32
| Ghostface Killah
|
| J Dilla, RUDi
|
|
| 8
| "Heart Street Directions" (Skit)
| 0:54
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 9
| "Columbus Exchange" (Skit) / "Crack Spot"
| 2:21
| Ghostface Killah
|
| Crack Val
|
|
| 10
| "R.A.G.U."
| 2:39
| Ghostface Killah, Raekwon
|
| Pete Rock
|
|
| 11
| "Bad Mouth Kid" (Skit)
| 1:10
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 12
| "Whip You With a Strap"
| 2:51
| Ghostface Killah
|
| J Dilla
|
|
| 13
| "Back Like That"
| 4:02
| Ghostface Killah, Ne-Yo
|
| Xtreme
|
|
| 14
| "Be Easy "
| 3:19
| Ghostface Killah, Trife
|
| Pete Rock
|
|
| 15
| "Clipse of Doom "
| 3:09
| Ghostface Killah, Trife
|
| MF DOOM
|
|
| 16
| "Jellyfish"
| 3:50
| Ghostface Killah, Theodore Unit (Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs & Trife)
|
| MF DOOM
|
- Contains sample from Dennis Coffey “Never Can Say Goodbye” (1972)
- Contains sample from Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973)
- Contains sample from Ray, Goodman & Brown “Special Lady” (1979)
|
| 17
| "Dogs of War "
| 4:04
| Ghostface Killah, Raekwon & Theodore Unit (Trife, Cappadonna & Sun God)
|
| Pete Rock
|
|
| 18
| "Barbershop "
| 1:56
| Ghostface Killah
|
| Studio Steve
|
|
| 19
| "Ms. Sweetwater (Skit) "
| 0:14
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 20
| " Big Girl"
| 3:35
| Ghostface Killah
|
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
| 21
| "Underwater "
| 2:03
| Ghostface Killah
|
| MF DOOM
|
|
| 22
| "The Ironman Takeover (Skit) "
| 0:05
| Ghostface Killah
|
|
|
|
| 23
| "Momma"
| 4:49
| Ghostface Killah, Megan Rochell
|
| Sean C & LV
|
|
| 24
| "Three Bricks"
| 4:58
| Ghostface Killah, The Notorious B.I.G. & Raekwon
|
| Cool & Dre
|
|
