Ghostface Killah, founding member of the iconic Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop group, seemingly has no desire to rest on his laurels. Known for great albums such as “Ironman,” “Supreme Clientel,” and “Fishscale,” the core member of the group that brought you “Enter the Wu-Tang” is back with another great album.
Teaming up BADBADNOTGOOD, a trio of music school rejects known for their unique fusion of hip-hop and jazz, Ghostface has continued to reinvent the hip-hop game with each track. Ranging from the fast-paced “Ray Gun” to the slow, steady “Mono,” BADBADNOTGOOD’s instrumentals set the scene as Ghostface make it all come alive. Called “rap’s finest storyteller” by Q Magazine, Ghostface doesn’t disappoint as he invokes images of long-forgotten films from the 1970s with his rhymes.
Starting with “Mono,” a 58-second intro, “Sour Soul” starts just as strong as it finishes. As Ghostface steps away from the mic to let BBNG set the scene, their smooth, laid-back style taking the listener to another world. In this world, Ghostface Killah is no ordinary MC; he is a superhero, fighting crimes with rhymes.
As the eerie, atmospheric instrumental ends, Ghostface steps to the forefront, delivering more of his trademark stream-of-consciousness style rap that listeners have come to expect. But Ghostface isn’t alone in his mission to fight crime. Notable artists such as Danny Brown and MF DOOM act as star-studded sidekicks to Ghostface on tracks such as Six Degrees and Ray Gun.
Speaking of sidekicks, BADBADNOTGOOD proves again and again on each track that, not only can they hold their own with somebody widely considered to be one of the greatest living in hip-hop, they can perfectly compliment the Wu-Tang member. Their lazy, psychedelic instrumentals act as a catalyst for Ghostface’s great raps, their distinct sound acting as fuel for the Staten Island native’s noteworthy rhymes.
As the listener goes from track to track like pages in a comic book, they are greeted with line after line of top-tier rhymes, Ghostface throwing lyrical batarangs left and right as he destroys beat after beat. The crown jewel of this album is without a doubt Ray Gun, a superhero-themed track featuring underground favorite DOOM. As the two lyrical greats duke it out, BBNG sets the scene, their unique, analog sound bringing to thought old-timey Superman movies.
Ghostface is no flawless superhero, however. Covering topics such as yoga and eating vegetables in songs like Street Knowledge, Ghostface acknowledges this part of his character, sharing information he had to learn the hard way with all who care to listen.
Ultimately, Sour Soul isn’t your everyday album. It’s a unique combination of jazz and hip-hop done exceptionally well that’s best listened to at night. A refreshing combination of two very unique genres of music, it should definitely be on the radar of anybody looking for the authentic jazz sound without the snobby, wine-tasting parties that usually come with such a sound.
