Ghostface Killah

Staten Island’s Ghostface Killah joined the Wu-Tang Clan at the behest of group maestro RZA, appearing on their 1993 debut, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, and immediately marking himself as one of rap’s most vivid storytellers. As the Wu-Tang phenomenon grew, Ghostface became a standout feature on Wu-Tang tracks, making vibrant, idiosyncratic appearances on “Ice Cream” and “Criminology” for Raekwon’s landmark epic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Ghostface signed with Epic Records in 1996 and released his debut solo album, Ironman, followed by 2000’s Supreme Clientele, a monument of abstract lyricism. Those projects set a disparate tone for his boundless creativity: he’s just as likely to deliver a fantastic tale over an MF Doom beat on “Underwater” (from 2006’s Fishscale) as he is to explore romance on 2009’s Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City. Ghostface is still one of rap’s most inimitable figures, frequently collaborating with his Wu brethren and other artists across genres and generations.