Ironman (Ghostface Killah album)

For other albums of the same name, see Iron Man (disambiguation)
Ironman
Studio album by Ghostface Killah
Released October 29, 1996
Genre East Coast hip hop, gangsta rap
Length 64:48
Label Epic, Razor Sharp
Producer RZA, True Master, Mitchell Diggs (exec.), Oli Grant (exec.), D.Coles (exec.)
Ghostface Killah chronology
Ironman
(1996)		 Supreme Clientele
(2000)
Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology
GZA:
Liquid Swords
(1995)		 Ironman
(1996)		 Cappadonna:
The Pillage
(1998)
Singles from Ironman
  1. "All That I Got Is You"
    Released: September 22, 1996
  2. "Daytona 500"
    Released: October 7, 1996
  3. "Motherless Child"
    Released: February 21, 1997

Ironman is the debut solo album by American rapper Ghostface Killah, released on October 29, 1996, by Epic Records. It was produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA. The album's music draws prominently on blaxploitation films and soul samples. More so than on other solo debuts from the group's members, Ironman contains references to the Nation of Gods and Earths.

Ironman sold 156,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number two on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, respectively.[1] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 8, 1997, and by February 9, 2004, it had earned a platinum certification for shipping one million copies in the United States.[2] Many music critics have praised the album for Ghostface Killah's imaginative lyricism and RZA's production style, with some revering it as one of the greatest Wu-Tang solo albums of all time.[3]

Music and lyrics
"After the Smoke Is Clear"
The song features crooning vocals by the Delfonics and raw lyricism by Ghostface Killah and Raekwon.[4]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Although a solo album, Ironman features many Wu-Tang collaborations and only four tracks feature Ghostface performing as the sole rapper. The two most prominently featured artists are Raekwon and Cappadonna, who both accompany Ghost and have their names on the album's cover. Raekwon appears on 13 of the 17 tracks, with "The Faster Blade" featuring him performing solo.

As opposed to earlier Wu-Tang solo projects, in which the performers involved were believed to be infallible, Ghostface is somewhat vulnerable on several of the album's songs. This is perhaps best illustrated on the single, "All That I Got Is You", which is essentially a tribute to his mother. However, the rest of the album contains many street oriented, and organized crime topics, similar to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., in which Ghostface was heavily involved. Ironman contains more of Ghostface Killah's highly praised unique uptempo, stream-of-consciousness rhyming style, which he would go on to further utilize on his highly acclaimed second studio album Supreme Clientele. The album also features a substantial amount of story-telling rap, such as the song "260." Producer RZA combines his dark keyboard tones and early-1970s soul samples, heavily used on Only Built for Cuban Linx... and Liquid Swords respectively, to engender a soulful and melodic, yet dark and harsh feel that later influenced many other Wu-Tang releases, such as Wu-Tang Forever and Uncontrolled Substance, as well as numerous other East Coast artists.

In his book The Tao of Wu, producer RZA points out that Ghostface's voice sounds noticeably different on Ironman from previous Wu-Tang releases. This is because Ironman was released following a flood that destroyed the basement studio in which those recordings were made. RZA had set up individual microphone preamps and compressors for each member, which were destroyed in the flood. Thus, the vocals on Ironman had to be recorded in a different studio with different equipment and settings, which slightly altered their sound.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[8]
Q[9]
Richmond Times[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]
The Source4/5[13]
Spin7/10[14]
The Village VoiceA−[15]

In a positive review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau said that despite morally questionable actions in Ghostface Killah's narratives, "the detail is so vivid and complex that for once we get the gripping blaxploitation flick gangsta [rap] promises rather than the dull or murky one it delivers ... Most decisive of all, RZA's music is every bit as literal as Ghostface's rhymes and rap, giving up tunes, even hooks."[15] Jon Pareles, the chief music critic for The New York Times, wrote in his review of the album, "Anger is just a stimulant for Ghostface Killah. On Ironman he raps about male bonding, the mating game and the violent ups and downs of the drug trade, in a voice raised just above the tone of conversation."[16] Vibe columnist The Blackspot hailed the album as "proof of his matured lyrics and delivery and the Wu's strong family stand. If Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... had you open, prepare for another gaping wound."[4]

In Spin magazine, Chris Norris wrote "Ghostface wreaks havoc with meaning and narrator reliability, flitting from gangster-film intrigue to grimly prosaic reality." Norris also praised RZA's production, stating "As usual, the Wu's sonic auteur provide awesomely dark and eccentric backdrops for the MC's dark maneuvers, mixing soul horns with horror-film keyboards."[14] The Source took note of the album's "intense emotional moments" and stated, "The RZA does another masterful job, topping himself in terms of sonic diversity."[13] Q magazine was less enthusiastic and felt the songs are "more about lyrical finesse than anything else".[9]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "the mood of the album can switch tones at the drop of the hat. The record is filled with inventive production and rhymes, and ranks as another solid entry in the Wu-Tang legacy."[6] Stephen Thompson from The A.V. Club praised RZA's production, stating "Just as Terminator X was Public Enemy's secret weapon, The RZA is The Wu-Tang Clan's. Producer RZA, quietly working behind the scenes, has been the force behind Wu-Tang's raw, all over the map, Bruce Lee-meets-Gladys Knight sound. RZA has done it again on Ghostface Killah's Ironman." Thompson further stated "Attacking from all angles, Ironman is classic Wu-Tang, piecing together something unpredictable and vital-sounding."[3]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Iron Maiden" (featuring Raekwon & Cappadonna) 4:46
2. "Wildflower"   3:26
3. "The Faster Blade" (featuring Raekwon) 2:27
4. "260" (featuring Raekwon) 2:46
5. "Assassination Day" (featuring Inspectah Deck, RZA, Raekwon & Masta Killa) 4:18
6. "Poisonous Darts"   2:15
7. "Winter Warz" (featuring Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa & Cappadonna) 4:40
8. "Box in Hand" (featuring Raekwon & Method Man) 3:14
9. "Fish" (featuring Raekwon & Cappadonna) 3:50
10. "Camay" (featuring Cappadonna & Raekwon) 4:34
11. "Daytona 500" (featuring Raekwon & Cappadonna) 4:40
12. "Motherless Child" (featuring Raekwon) 3:45
13. "Black Jesus" (featuring Raekwon & U-God) 4:37
14. "After the Smoke Is Clear" (featuring The Delfonics, Raekwon & RZA) 3:17
15. "All That I Got Is You" (featuring Mary J. Blige) 5:21
16. "The Soul Controller"   6:50
Total length:
 64:48
Notes
Sample credits

Personnel

  • Ghostface Killah - performer, executive producer
  • RZA - producer, performer, executive producer, mixing
  • Raekwon - performer
  • Cappadonna - performer
  • Method Man - performer
  • Inspectah Deck - performer
  • U-God - performer
  • Masta Killa - performer
  • Streetlife - performer
  • Poppa Wu - performer
  • Mary J. Blige - vocals
  • The Delphonics - vocals
  • Force MD's - vocals
  • True Master - arranger, producer, mixing
  • Mitchell Diggs - executive producer
  • Oli Grant - executive producer
  • Steve Neat - mixing
  • Michael Levine - photography
  • Sophia Chang - photography
  • Ron Craudy - design, illustration
  • John Gibbons - management
  • Deborah Mannis-Gardiner - sample clearance

Charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[17] 2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[18] 1

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
About.com United States 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums[20] 2008 34
Best Rap Albums of 1996[21] 2008 4
Face United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 9
The Guardian 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die 2007 *
Hip Hop Connection The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 2005 36
NME Albums of the Year 1996 29
OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year 1996 25
Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1996 43
Vibe United States 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007) 2007 *
Vox United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 34
The Wire Albums of the Year 1996 *

See also

References

  1. ↑ Snow, Shauna. Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. Los Angeles Times. Nov 7, 1996.
  2. ↑ RIAA search: Ironman. RIAA. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  3. 1 2 Thompson, Stephen. Review: Ironman. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2009-12-20.
  4. 1 2 Blackspot, The. Review: Ironman. Vibe. Retrieved on 2009-12-20.
  5. ↑ RZA, The; Chris Norris (2009). The Tao of Wu. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. ISBN 1-59448-885-1.
  6. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen. Review: Ironman. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-12-20.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. p. 116. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  8. ↑ Tucker, Ken. Review: Ironman. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-12-20.
  9. 1 2 Q. London (June): 123. 2000.
  10. ↑ Clark, Mike. Review: Ironman.Richmond Times. December 20, 1996.
  11. ↑ Rolling Stone. New York (December 12): 82. 1996.
  12. ↑ Hoard, Christian. "Review: Ironman". Rolling Stone: 330. Retrieved on 2010-01-20.
  13. 1 2 "Ghostface Killah - Ironman CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Norris, Chris (1997). "Spins". Spin. New York (February): 90. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1997). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice (March 11). New York. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  16. ↑ Pareles, Jon. Review: Ironman. New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-12-20.
  17. ↑ "Ghostface Killah – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Ghostface Killah. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Ghostface Killah – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Ghostface Killah. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  19. ↑ Ironman Album Accolades. acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  20. ↑ Adaso, Henry. 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums. About.com. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  21. ↑ Adaso, Henry. Best Rap Albums of 1996. about.com. Retrieved 2010-08-16.

External links

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