Ghostface Killah

美国东海岸硬核说唱歌手Ghostface Killah最初为歌迷所知是因为他是美国着名的说唱乐团the Wu-Tang Clan的成员之一。Ghostface Killah原名Dennis Coles，曾用名Tony Starks。Ghostface Killah第一次加入the Wu-Tang Clan乐团录制唱片是在1993年，当时Ghostface Killah首先参加了the Wu-Tang Clan乐团专辑《Enter the Wu-Tang》的录制工作，并且由于他的出彩表现而在说唱乐界崭露头角。在成功的挤身the Wu-Tang Clan乐团之后，Ghostface Killah又在1995年的时候参加了the Wu-Tang Clan乐团另一名成员Raekwon的个人专辑《Only Built 4 Cuban Linx》的录制，他在Raekwon的这张个人专辑中的客串表演获得了相当部分业内人士的好评，因此，Ghostface Killah自己的首张个人专辑录制计划也开始实施。
经过了在1996年1月的电影《Don't Be a Menace to South Central While You're Drinking Your Juice in the Hood》的原声大碟中贡献了开篇单曲《Winter Warz》，以及在同年4月的电影《Sunset Park》的原声碟中制作了单曲《Motherless Child》之后，1996年深秋，Ghostface Killah的首张个人成就《Ironman》正式通过Razor Sharp Records唱片公司发行。这张个人专辑由Ghostface Killah在the Wu-Tang Clan乐团的另一同伙RZA担任制作人，而发行公司Razor Sharp Records唱片公司也正是RZA个人经营的唱片公司，一个隶属于Epic Records唱片公司的子公司，而这张专辑也是Razor Sharp Records唱片公司成立之后发行的首张唱片。凭借着在the Wu-Tang Clan乐团积累的声望以及在此前的单曲取得的成功，Ghostface Killah的这张个人处女作专辑在发行之后首周就成为了Billboard 200排行榜的亚军。
在首张个人专辑取得了巨大成功之后，Ghostface Killah并没有立即扩展自己的个人音乐事业，此后长达四年的时间他一直致力于参加the Wu-Tang Clan乐团的专辑录制，而这一个时期也正是the Wu-Tang Clan乐团最为鼎盛的时候，他们的专辑先后成为了排行榜的冠军。
1999年底，Ghostface Killah终于又重新开始为他的第二张专辑开始工作，2000年新年伊始，Ghostface Killah的第二张个人专辑《Supreme Clientele》就正式发行，这张专辑在商业上并没有取得和首张专辑一样的巨大成功，此后Ghostface Killah又立即马不停蹄的开始下一张个人专辑的制作，一张相对不那么强硬的专辑《Bulletproof Wallets》在2001年正式发行，这张专辑不仅在内容上软了，而且在商业销量上同样软了下来，虽然得到了一些评论界的好评，但是他并没有能够得到歌迷们的支持。商业上遭到失败的Ghostface Killah又再次回到了the Wu-Tang Clan乐团工作，其间只在2003年的4月份发行了一张加了两首新歌的精选专辑《Shaolin's Finest》。
临近2004年，Ghostface Killah又重新开始了个人音乐事业的发展。2004年4月20日，Ghostface Killah的第四张个人专辑《The Pretty Toney Album》正式发行，在这张专辑中，Ghostface Killah把自己的名字简写为Ghostface，而这张作品也是他在Def Jam唱片公司的首张专辑
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
As one of the original members of the seminal 90s rap crew the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks) made an impact before he released his debut album, Ironman, late in 1996. Like all members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the rapper used the group as a launching pad for a solo career, which was assisted greatly by other members of the Clan, particularly producer RZA. Ghostface Killah had rapped on Wu-Tangs 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang, but he didnt distinguish himself until 1995, when he was showcased on fellow Wu member Raekwons Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Ghostface received good reviews for his appearance on the record, and his contribution to the soundtracks for Sunset Park and Dont Be a Menace to South Central While Youre Drinking Your Juice in the Hood also were well-received. All of these guest appearances and soundtrack contributions set the stage for Ghostface Killahs solo debut, Ironman, in late 1996. Like all Wu-Tang projects, it was produced by RZA and was quite successful in the large hip-hop/rap underground, debuting at number two on the pop charts upon its release. Ironman was also the first album to be released on Razor Sharp Records, RZAs record label on Epic Records.
Work with the Wu-Tang and their various members kept Ghostface Killah busy until solo singles started appearing at the end of 1999 followed by his sophomore full-length, Supreme Clientele, in early 2000. Supreme Clientele was a success, but it was followed a year later by Bulletproof Wallets, an album that didnt sell well and had fans declaring the Ironman had gone soft. Once again it was back to the Wu for a couple years before the rapper would be appearing solo again. Epic issued the compilation Shaolins Finest in April of 2003, and by the end of the year two new Ghostface tracks had started to appear on mixtapes. The chaotic Run with Jadakiss and the more commercial Tush with Missy Elliott raised the anticipation for the rappers first album for Def Jam and his first under the simpler moniker Ghostface. The Pretty Toney Album hit the streets in April of 2004. The Top Ten hit Fishscale, along with More Fish, followed in 2006, but not before 718 — an album from his Theodore Unit. Always prolific, the rapper put out The Big Doe Rehab — whose release date had originally coincided with Wu-Tangs long-awaited fifth full-length, 8 Diagrams, which RZA agreed to push back a week so as to not coincide with Ghosts effort — in early December 2007.