The Big Doe Rehab [Clean] [Edited]

Performer: Ghostface Killah
Engineer: Sergio Rios; Hector Mendoza
Producer: Davey Warf Rat Chegwidden; Mary Bond Davis; L.V.; Scram Jones
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Raekwon, Shawn Wigs (vocals); Arden "Keyz" Altino (strings, piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Matt DeMerritt (flute, tenor saxophone); Geoffrey Gallegos (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Jordan Katz (trumpet); Ricky Rodriguez (drums, percussion); Sean Oshea (drums); Davey Warf Rat Chegwidden (percussion); Amille D. Harris (background vocals). Additional personnel: Chrisette Michele, Kid Capri, Masta Killa, Method Man, Raekwon, Sun God, U-God, Beanie Sigel, Trife da God, Shawn Wigs, Cappadonna. Recording information: Baseline Recording Studios, New York, NY; Killion Floor Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Reddline Studios, Staten Island, NY. Photographer: Daniel Hastings. On the heels of two exceptional albums in 2006 (FISHSCALE and MORE FISH), Ghostface Killah continued his hot streak on his third major-label LP in two years, THE BIG DOE REHAB. Coming with a fresh batch of wicked wordplay and dizzying stream-of-consciousness lyrics on cinematic hood vignettes ("Yolanda's House," "Rec-Room Therapy"), violent do-or-die tales ("Walk Around," "Yapp City"), and comically surreal award-show scenarios ("White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)"), Pretty Tony sounds as distinct as ever. Stylistically, BIG DOE REHAB borrows from the old school, as Ghost revisits one of Redman's most memorable shticks on "Supa GFK" and lifts a classic EPMD beat on "Killa Lipstick." More centralized on the production side than either "Fish" album, the majority of the record's beats are provided by the Diddy-affiliated production duo of LV and Sean C, while supplemental production work comes courtesy of Ant-Live, Scram Jones, Anthony Acid, Frequency, Baby Grand, and Ghost himself. Featuring ample guest spots that represent both the Wu (Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Master Killa, Cappadonna) and the Theodore Unit (Trife Da God, Shawn Wigs, Sun God), BIG DOE REHAB is another exemplary piece of gutter hip-hop from one of New York's most original and inventive rhyme-stylists. In 2006, Ghostface Killah released Fishscale, an intricate, exciting album that was voted -- and rightfully so -- as one of the best records of the year. It was the kind of thing that showed why Ghost is so beloved by critics and fans: his rhymes were wildly detailed and inventive, his stories were vivid, and his beats (most courtesy of MF Doom, but also with contributions from Pete Rock and Dilla, among others) were fresh-sounding and interesting, only working to improve the MC's verses by way of their own strength. And while these attributes occasionally surface on The Big Doe Rehab, overall the record lacks the excitement, the originality, and the passion that can and has made Ghostface so compelling. A lot of this, for better or for worse, can be blamed on the production. The Diddy-associated Hitmen (here Sean C. and LV), who also worked on Jay-Z's latest effort and are the composers of five of the tracks on Big Doe, make passable but not extraordinary beats, with short, overly simple samples that do nothing to bring attention to Ghost's rhymes, going even so far to turn what could be pretty decent ("Paisley Darts," for example, which also features good verses from Cappadonna and Trife da God) into something just plain mediocre, the antithesis of what a beat should do. Of course, when Mr. Coles is excellent, like he is on "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita," with Raekwon, or "Walk Around," he's excellent -- and both of these songs serve as reminders of his talent and perhaps intentionally also have the album's best production -- but unfortunately, there are too few moments of lyrical acumen interspersed among the less remarkable lines (like in the trite and tired "We Celebrate" or "Killa Lipstick," both of which sound like they're coming from an MC whose stories have all been told). Perhaps this disappointment stems from the inevitable comparison with Fishscale, an album which, even if you weren't a fan of Doom, didn't have a weak track, but Ghost has always had a problem with consistency, anyway -- think Supreme Clientele followed by Bulletproof Wallets or The Pretty Toney Album. So the question looms: is this just a misstep before another masterpiece -- and "misstep" is certainly a word too harsh for The Big Doe Rehab, which is more "uneventful" than "wrong" -- or is it a sign that the end is nigh? ~ Marisa Brown

Rolling Stone (p.132) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Ghost's bouncy, more direct approach on cuts like 'Walk Around' shows off his ability to turn crack-slinging narratives into big, hooky pleasures." Entertainment Weekly (p.130) - "[W]ith REHAB, Ghostface proves his tried-and-true technique has plenty of juice left in it." Q (Magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's packed with big numbers showcasing his maniacal rhyme style..."

With more successful releases under his belt--including IRONMAN and the SUPREME CLIENTELE--than any other member of the venerable Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah is arguably the Wu's biggest star. While other members of the rap collective have broadened their artistic palettes over the years to include film and TV work, Ghostface has remained dedicated to releasing stellar records marked by expansive soul-based samples and a dizzyingly complex ghetto-slang vocabulary. In 2006, he collaborated with underground star MF Doom for FISHSCALES.

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