During the past year, the hip-hop world has lacked originality and become utterly monotonous.
Too many people are shaking their “Laffy Taffy’s” and screaming out “Mike Jones” so much that I couldn’t help smiling ear to ear after learning that Ghostface Killah was coming to the House of Blues to headline and promote his new album “Fishscale.”
Sunday night, Ghostface’s Fishscale Tour made its way to San Diego, along with opening acts Sam Scarfo and M1 from Dead Prez. The show offered fans in the city a nice change of pace from the recent trend in the genre that all too often includes an overabundance of club records and not enough thought-provoking songs. Songs the likes of artists Mos Def, Ghostface and Common are known for conjuring up.
Luckily, Ghostface continues to stray away from the mainstream trends, and the night turned out to be exactly what I had expected – unique and full of energy.
M1 kicked off the show with some new tracks from his recently released solo album “Confidential,” before going into past favorites such as “I Have A Dream, Too” and his memorable verse on “Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)”
Unfortunately, after an uplifting opening act, the crowd became rather restless when Scarfo took the stage and the crowd’s energy slowly rose as everybody anticipated the main attraction.
Finally the lights dimmed, chants of “Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang” filled the air as fans threw up their “W’s,” and all eyes turned to the stage to await the emergence of the self-proclaimed “People’s Champ.”
Donning his Yankee fitted cap, an oversized white sweater and his patented collection of extravagant necklaces dangling from his neck, Ghostface burst onto the stage with his usual aggressiveness and charismatic delivery.
After breezing through several tracks off of “Ironman” and “Supreme Clientele,” he then went into material from 2004’s “The Pretty Toney Album,” including my personal favorite “Biscuits.”
Halfway through the set, Ghostface had the lights turned down low as he asked everybody in the crowd to pull out their lighters and cell phones to pay homage to his late friend and deceased Wu-Tang Clan member Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
Following a short moment of silence, Ghostface shouted to the crowd, “Who likes to get raw?” Then he had the DJ spin ODB’s most memorable record “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” to pay respect to his fallen comrade.
Staten Island’s most polished emcee then performed his verse on the Wu-Tang Clan’s classic record “Triumph.” He also took some time to reintroduce himself to the crowd by performing “All That I Got Is You” – probably his most well-known record and a tribute to his harsh upbringing.
Ten years after his solo debut album “Ironman,” Ghostface Killah continues to thrive as one of the most creative artists I’ve ever heard.
Arguably Wu-Tang Clan’s most consistent and innovative emcee, Ghostface has always possessed a style unparalleled to any other. From the way he rocks his flashy necklaces and rings to the way he weaves witty metaphors into his tales of the streets and social commentary, the man once known as Tony Starks has always been unique.
However, the biggest downfall of Ghostface’s career has been his inability to cater to audiences outside of the genre. He said he’s hoping this tour and the release of his new single, “Back Like That,” featuring Def Jam label mate and R&B sensation Ne-Yo, will help his cause and make him more appealing to people with other musical tastes.
After the show, I gathered my belongings and made my way back onto the streets of Downtown San Diego, grateful that the music I know and love is still alive and well somewhere.
