I'm back!
Following a highly productive 2004 in which he released his excellent Def Jam debut and introduced his new crew Theodore Unit, Ghostface Killah was back in the eyes of the public, the rap game like putty in his hands once more after a few years absent from the game. And like the noble gentleman he proved himself to be on records such as "Wildflower", Ghost decided that his next move should be to put on one of his homies, and since Trife Da God happened to be rolling his blunts in the studio that day (while muttering to himself about guns of course), he decided that was whom his protege would be. I mean, the guy did appear on a top 10 Ghost song ("Biscuits", you can fight me on that in the comments), so it was only right that Ghost returned the favour. He even got Koch Records to release the project, which some fans may have argued was a bad thing, but I digress. Everything was on track for Trife to get his chance at the big time.
Unfortunately, Koch being the unfaithful bastards they are, Ghost was forced to place his own name on this album cover and record songs for it, so as to make it a far more marketable collaboration between the two MCs rather than a Trife solo. And then, Koch dropped the project altogether for some unknown reason, possibly so they could run off to try and save Xzibit's rapping career, which by now was on life support. This left Ghost to release this project independently on his own label, which is why it's likely that a lot of readers probably don't even know this existed, and would much rather read a write-up on Fishscale.
And as much as I'd love to talk about an album that people actually give a singular shit about, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I did this Ghostface discography out of order. Also, this album really isn't that bad. So, without further ado, here's the first acknowledgement of Put It On the Line since Max of Hip Hop Isn't Dead's excellent write up way back in 2008. And if you're lucky, I might write about Fishscale next. We'll see...
1. Cocaine Trafficking (prod. Anthony Acid)
Immediately, Ghost and Trife let us know that this album is going to have a completely different sound to the 2004 Theodore Unit album 718, which Put It On the Line is pretty much a spiritual successor to. The instrumental on here is aggressive, hardcore, and not chilled out in the slightest, with some slow paced piano keys and loud drums making for a dramatic entrance that really doesn't sound like a lot Ghost had done in the past - it's much more similar to stuff we would hear on his next three albums. And that's a good thing, as Ghost shines through on here with aggressive delivery and reasonably engaging lyrics that unfortunately only last for the first verse - remember, this was supposed to be a Trife solo, so you can expect him to have much more screen time than Pretty Toney on here. And for what it's worth, Trife sounds more at home here than on almost any of his performances on 718, with a chorus and verse that both sound tailor-made for the beat - sure, his lyrics are still about as peaceful as The Terminator, but at least the beat here feels like it warrants that kind of aggression. Overall, a very strong way to start this CD.
2. Put It On The Line (prod. Look Out Ent.)
And after dominating the first song, the second is handled by Trife and Trife alone - in fact, there aren't that many songs on here where both MC's appear together at all, which is fair enough since they don't really have a ton of chemistry. This beat is a bit more relaxed than the previous one, with a nice little vocal sample repeating the titular phrase that's actually really quite memorable, and a nice groove elsewhere in the beat which keeps things moving. And Trife's lyrics are also more engaging than normal, with him discussing his history in the first verse, so that's good. I wouldn't say that I'm completely smitten with this one, as it does follow a very basic structure, and the hook is too long - but it does show some growth from Trife as an MC, a growth that we can hope continues throughout the runtime of this album.
3. Struggle (prod. Nottz)
The first and only Ghost solo song, and it's so far easily my favourite on the album - sorry Trife, but in no universe are you as vivid of a storyteller as Ghost is. This track features an excellently soulful beat from Nottz that sounds like an outtake from The Pretty Toney Album (if you've read my review for that you'll know that's a good thing), and two verses from Ghost that are both some of the most engaging on the album thus far. The first details a life as some kind of mob boss, that pictures Ghost as ruthless - he acts as if not cutting people's limbs off is an act of mercy, dropping "faggot"'s and "motherfucker"'s like it was his day job (which it kind of is). The second verse is great too, arguably better, as Ghost details a poor and cold upbringing in New York, bringing back memories of the classic "All That I Got Is You" - I especially find the line about eating rice and ketchup quite memorable. And, to further put this ahead of the pack, Ghost doesn't feel the need to throw in an eight bar chorus in the middle, leaving the lovely sample to do it's thing alone instead. Yeah, this song is dope as fuck, and one big reason for Ghost fans to seek this album out.
4. Hustle Hard (prod. Look Out Ent.)
Strap in, folks, for the next three songs are all without GFK. Are you kidding me? The first of which is "Hustle Hard", which seems to have caught on the most out of this album - it's by far the most viewed song on the album on Genius.com, which may be due to the 50 Cent sample in the chorus, which does sound dope. However, I don't see any other reason why this should surpass the popularity of "Put It On the Line", or to give an example of a later song, "War" - because this does not deviate from the Trife formula at all. The instrumental is actually one of the weaker on this album - the bass groove is smooth but the drums and sound effects are too glittery for my liking - and Trife just does what he always does, rhyming about drug dealing with the same goddamn flow again and again. He even throws a cheeky little bit of misogyny in there to spice things up - "bag the prettiest broads, and teach 'em how to move coke in their panties and bras". Does he not realise how much of a prick that makes him sound? I don't hate Trife, and I don't hate this song, but by this point I'm already wishing the man would switch things up with his style - and we're not even a quarter way through yet. No wonder the label wanted to throw Ghostface into the mix.
5. Event (prod. Emile Haynie)
I must admit... I do kind of like this one. Emile Haynie (I still find it weird how he used to work with Ghost and co.) cooks up a behemoth of a beat, that's so intense it'll have you checking behind your shoulder every other bar to make sure Trife himself isn't standing behind you, ready to tie you up and spend the next two hours detailing just how goddamn dangerous he is and how many drugs he's going to stuff in your private parts, allowing you time to slip free and escape. And yes, once again Trife makes it clear that he's willing to go out with a woman just so he can hide drugs in her clitoris. What the fuck. Other than that, this song is pretty good, with a nice beat and some good lines, as well as a chorus that actually works - "the moral of the story is it ain't one" is arguably the best line on the album so far, and probably the funniest thing Trife has ever said in his life. It's no "Struggle" or even "Cocaine Trafficking", but it's still decent enough. I like it.
6. Gangsta Shit (feat. Tommy Whispers) (prod. MoSS)
And the award for most creative song title goes to... (wait, did I use that one before?). This song is a lot better than the generic-ass title would lead you to believe, though, as MoSS (stupid name and all) really puts his all into this beat, which is smooth but also kind of unsettling, and has a great upbeat groove during the chorus, which actually sounds like a chorus too, rather than just four random bars they decided to repeat like most hooks on this album. Trife does okay on the track, with two verses about - you guessed it - gangsta shit; he even has one pretty memorable bar with "in the hood I'm a Legend like John", which is in no way clever, but at least shows more effort than usual. Perhaps the strangest verse on this track comes from guest star Tommy Whispers, who spits the third verse while apparently trying purposely to emulate the style of Ghostface - why else would he sound so similar? Seriously, when he first came in I thought it was Ghostface and the credits had made a mistake, and he even uses the "uh-huh" ad-lib Ghost utilises constantly. How the hell did the engineers not notice that? Still, overall I enjoy this one quite a bit - it's not great, but it is entertainment.
7. Fire (prod. Jim Bond)
Ghost's first appearance since track 3 is unfortunately marred by the fact that this instrumental is one of the weakest on the album so far - I mean, this beat is seriously not that good in my opinion. The sample is awkward, the instruments are unpleasant, and the melody is repetitive. I don't like it at all. The chorus on this one is also repetitive as fuck, and while I enjoyed Ghost's verse a decent amount, you just know the man could be far better at this stage of his career. Trife's verse is arguably superior - he keeps surprising me with humorous lines, even ones that aren't supposed to be - here, it's the undisputedly knee-slap worthy "when I walk through I set off all sprinkler systems". The verses here are solid, but to be honest I was left underwhelmed by this one as a whole.
8. Project Soap Operas (feat. Kryme Life & Tommy Whispers) (prod. Animal House)
Since Ghost evidently wasn't in the studio for this one, they got two of the best impersonators they could instead to replace him. I remember in an older post I mentioned how Trife sometimes sounded like he was trying to emulate Ghostface - well, it's nothing compared to these two other guys. Still, I don't mind too much, because this song is actually goddamn incredible. The instrumental is dark and depressing, with the three MC's each dropping verses where they account a tragedy that has occurred in the streets, all displaying quite potent storytelling skills that are remarkable for rappers who really hadn't been rapping for that long at this time. I think the best writing on here actually came from Tommy Whispers, with his story having an intense build up that keeps the listener on their toes throughout, ending in tragedy to show that life is no movie, and real life in the hood holds no happy endings. The news report outro where the woman tells witnesses to call "1-800-you-snitch" is harrowing too - these incidents can never have justice, because of this idea that telling someone about a murder is "snitching". Yes, snitching is pretty awful in some cases, but it can be a good thing too. Overall, this is the best song yet, and if you're gonna listen to a song without Ghost on this album, definitely let it be this one. Man, this is good.
9. War (prod. PHENOM)
A Trife Da God solo - who would have guessed? And this one is pretty fun, if one of the songs I have the least to talk about on this album. Trife once again makes a goofy play on a musician's name, there's more sampling in the chorus, talk about being a hustler... the song's alright, man. It's okay. But it's also pretty forgettable and not one anyone would return to outside of the full album. That's just how it is.
10. Out Da Way (feat. Wigs) (prod. Anthony Acid)
The second song on the album to feature no Trife, which makes sense as he would have been completely out of place on this brilliant instrumental that plays tribute to The D.O.C.'s "It's Funky Enough", to fantastic results. This short but wonderful back and forth between Ghostface and Shawn Wigs is pretty humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously, with Wigs' squeaks not being obnoxious but actually sounding rather excellent. Shawn actually gets far more screen-time than Ghost on this one, which is a shame as when he is present Ghost sounds incredible - but Shawn holds his own too, proving again to be the best Theodore Unit member in my opinion. Who cares that he kinda sounds like Fred Durst - dude is still dope. This was a nice break from the hardcore shit elsewhere on the album, and I really appreciate it - this song rocks!
11. Drugz (prod. Dirty Dean)
Not drugs, no. "Drugz". Get it right. This track is all about Trife getting falsely accused of drug possession, with "falsely" being difficult to believe considering that almost every verse he's spit so far on this album consists of him rapping about being a drug dealer. Still, at least, like the previous song, it's a nice change of pace, and I like Trife's flows on here quite a bit too. The sample on this one also reminds me of the sample on Ghostface's song "It's Over" quite a bit - it could be the same sample actually, although perhaps with altered lyrics. The lyrics from Trife on here are actually kinda engaging, and musically it's pretty nice too. Yeah, this is a pretty cool song.
12. Milk 'Em (prod. MRR-ADM)
13. Late Night Arrival (feat. Wigs) (prod. J-Love)
Another shorter, interlude style song, where Ghost, Trife, Wigs and an uncredited Solomon Childs all compete for most cocky demeanour, with Ghost coming out on top thanks to the line "fuck Mike Jordan, it's P-Tone in the air". The instrumental on here is airy and sinister, perfectly capturing the sound of a night in the city of New York, and all of the MC's do their thing over the beat - even Solomon Childs doesn't sound awful, despite the fact that in the time between 718 and this album he still hasn't learned the difference between "flowing" and "speaking". Actually, I'm not sure why Solomon is on this album at all - didn't he get kicked from Theodore Unit, hence why he isn't credited here? I'm not sure, but I am sure that this is a really cool little track. Check it out.
14. Man Up (feat. Sun God) (prod. Anthony Acid)
This is unprecedented - after the first eleven songs here consisted of a total two songs with Trife and Ghost rapping together, we've now just had three in a row straight collaborations. It's a shame that this is also the last on the album. Also, that this song isn't great. It's probably the most generic thuggish ruggish song on the album, with a beat and hook that sound like something from a later DMX album - that's not a compliment mind you. Still, I liked Trife and Ghost on here, so that's something - then again, I don't think Ghostface could write a bad verse if he tried in the mid 2000s. The song also serves as the introduction of the new Theodore member, Sun God (a horrible stage name if ever I've heard one), who also happens to be Ghostface's son. I find it quite funny that, between Shawn Wigs, Trife, Kryme Life and Tommy Whispers, Ghostface's actual son is the one to sound least like him - then again you'd have to be pretty talented to do a Ghost impression as well as Kryme Life. Anyway, this song is pretty ehh - as much as I hate to admit it, solid verses can't save a washed out chorus and beat, and that's evident with this track.
15. Game Time (prod. Emile Haynie)
God, I do write a lot, don't I. This is the last song on the actual album (although there are bonus tracks to follow), and thankfully it's a step up from the previous song, with an intense beat from Emile Haynie that allows Trife to spit his shit and go out with a bang, as he's nowhere to be found on the songs that are to follow. Tommy Whispers also shows up on here for an uncredited verse - or at least it's him according to Genius and other publications. It sure as hell doesn't sound like the guy on "Gangsta Shit", but whatever. Point is, this song is a pretty cool way to end the album, if Trife's preference for long and repetitive hooks is starting to wear a little thin by now. Also, yet another celebrity name is tastelessly punned on here. Who the hell keeps telling him to do that??
The following three songs are all listed as bonus tracks, yet sadly might well have been the songs Ghost fans were most hyped for on this album, for reasons that will soon become clear...
16. The Watch (feat. Raekwon) (prod. RZA)
The first of the three bonus songs is kind of infamous among hardcore Wu fans as one of a few songs from the Bulletproof Wallets recording sessions, that ended up not making the album despite being leaked to the streets and getting great reception. Here was the first time it saw an official release, and that's a good thing, as the song is dope as shit. The instrumental is the exact one used on Nas' "No Idea's Original" and Mos Def's "Grown Man Business", and it's a great beat with dusty drums, a memorable riff, and great flutes (or whatever they are) that make for something goddamn creative. And Ghost, ever the visionary, uses the beat to humanise his watch collection, with Rae playing the role of a watch mocking Ghost for not getting much radio play compared to other MCs, like DMX and Jay-Z. The lyrics in this one are so memorable and often hilarious that you'll wish the song lasted longer, and didn't spend it's entire second half acting as a platform for Ghost rambling rather than rapping - still, I can't say this one is anything less than fantastic. Dope shit.
17. Ghost & Giancana (feat. Kool G Rap) (prod. Da Beatminerz)
A pretty cool collaboration between Ghost and legendary mafioso rapper Kool G Rap, who's catalogue I'm pretty excited to explore (yes, I've never listened to a Kool G Rap album - I'm only 17, I'll get there), and this only furthers my hype. The beat on here is kinda weird, but I like it, and Ghost absolutely murks it, with his voice being as brilliant as ever, and his flow being potent as can be over such unconventional music. Kool G Rap also does his thing with lyrics about killing your bitch ass, and the beat certainly helps add to this air that you're trying to escape the two hosts before they catch you. This is a cool track - I wonder if it was meant for an album.
18. The Sun (feat. Raekwon & Slick Rick) (prod. RZA)
Like "The Watch" this song was cut from Bulletproof Wallets, but in this case the song didn't get removed from the tracklist on the CD art, which greatly disappointed many who were hoping to hear Slick Rick on a Ghost album. Well, their wishes were granted here when the song saw a release, and... the song is weird. However, I kind of like it. After 17 songs of drugs, guns and killing, it's nice to hear a track showing love and appreciation for Mother Nature, and one of life's simple pleasures that is basking in the heat of the sun, whether you're lying on a beach or going on a coastal stroll. The track features no profanity, no-one is killed, and not a single drug is sold - this song is pure innocence, and actually works quite well. Except the final bar of Raekwon's verse, which is awkwardly placed and makes no sense. Just listen to it and you'll see. While I understand that this song would have been a weird way to open an album titled Bulletproof Wallets, I think it would have been an interesting experiment. This song is actually kinda dope.
If I were to judge an album objectively based on how unique, forward-thinking, and well-written it was, I think I would give Put It On the Line a 5 or a 6 out of 10. However, I don't do that - I judge it on how much I enjoy the listen, and how much I think others might too, and with that in mind this thing is pure entertainment, and is actually pretty great. Sure, the writing is repetitive. Sure, some of the choruses are totally unnecessary and bog the songs down. Sure, the album isn't a well thought-out collab, but rather a poorly sequenced mashup of Ghost and Trife songs that make the album sound like a bootleg compilation. But still, against all odds, this thing keeps giving, and constantly finds ways to entertain you, through memorable samples, dope flows, and fantastic Ghost performances that are almost consistently of top quality. One of the best songs here is the only Ghost solo track "Struggle", which would have given songs on The Pretty Toney Album a run for their money. And don't think for a second that their aren't other high quality moments. "Milk 'Em" is a fantastic hardcore banger. "Project Soap Operas" is probably one of the best songs recorded by Wu-Tang affiliates, full stop. "Late Night Arrival" and "Out Da Way" are some fantastic little tunes that really keep this album interesting and invigorating. And overall, this album is just for people that like rapping and like beats. It's not going to impress you. It's not intending to spread a message. It's goal isn't even to be concise. It's simply there to entertain. And on that front, I'd say it delivers, and is yet another stellar entry in the Ghost catalogue. I'd recommend a listen - and hey, if you pick the CD up you get a bonus DVD of Ghost live on stage, and who doesn't want that?
Best Tracks: Cocaine Trafficking, Struggle, Project Soap Operas, Out Da Way, Milk 'Em, Late Night Arrival, The Watch, Ghost & Giancana, The Sun
Worst Tracks: Fire, Man Up
