Ghostface Killah - Ironman CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

riffs and samples from '60s soul records. As on other Wu-Tang projects, movie dialogue (from films such as Carlito's Way and The Usual Suspects) and real-life sound bites make the album feel like a seamless whole and give substance to the characters in Ghostface's raps – like the ghetto-vet superhero, Ironman.

Ghostface has survived setups and shootouts in the drug game and lived to rap about it, but Ironman shows that he also has a sensitive side. He's a sweet-talking suitor in "Camay," and he takes time out from all the curses and crime talk to give thanks to his mother and acknowledge his humble beginnings in "All That I Got Is You," a tear-jerker set to a melancholy R&B backing track.

The guest Clansmen shine on the lyrical tip, too: Check Method Man's robotic style on "Box in Hand," driven by a suspenseful piano break. RZA slices up the Pledge of Allegiance over the neck-snapping beats of "Assassination Day," while any verse that Cappadonna touches turns to instant gold. In short, Ironman is yet another solid Wu-Tang production for hip-hop fiends to sink their fangs into. (RS 749)

S.H. FERNANDO JR.

On his 1996 solo debut, Tony Starks gives a glimpse as to why he would soon become the Wu-Tang Clan's most revered member. Classic RZA production supports Ghost's super-charismatic verses, as he sounds off on top-shelf collabos with partners-in-crime Raekwon and Cappadonna. Every song here is outstanding.