Sy ShacklefordGhostface Killah is the most consistent member of Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan. With thirteen solo albums and countless guest appearances in a career spanning more than 30 years, the GFK’s penchant for detailed crime narratives and sparse stream-of-consciousness rhymes delivered with a pitched emotional flow have made him a fan-favorite. Given his love for mob motifs, if his 1996 debut album can be considered “The Godfather”, then its 2000 sequel “Supreme Clientele” is “The Godfather Part II”. In many ways, Ghost’s sophomore album outdid “Ironman” with cohesive sound and lauded reverence. Twenty-five years later, and part of Mass Appeal’s “Legend Has It” marketing campaign, comes “Supreme Clientele 2”. Of course, this is promotional strategy: Titling the album after a certified classic decades later to garner consumer interest. Is it effective? Yes, even on those who are aware of such tactics. Does “Supreme Clientele 2” hold up to the original? No, but it has its moments.
The introduction of the album is helmed by Redman before “Iron Man” makes its grand entrance. With a beat courtesy of Chedda Bang, Ghost wastes no time in laying down a heavy load of lyrics laced with brand fashion and material references. “Sample 420” features M.O.P. over Duf’s soul sampling production. The presence of Lil’ Fame and Billy Danze matches the intense energy Ghost brings to the mic. The opening dialogue on “Curtis May” reminds me of 2006’s “Kilo” and the subject matter in the lyrics doesn’t stray away. Also, Styles P. from The L.O.X. and Griselda member Conway the Machine guest appear on the track and with the order of appearances, what you get is three generations of east coast hardcore rhymers. The 4th Disciple-produced “4th Disciple” is a short first-person narrative from Ghost about a friend who was shot and killed. Ghost has always had a passion for vintage soul albums and he co-produces “Windows” with Scram Jones, re-working a Tom Jones sample into a fast-paced noir backdrop. The first skit “Pause” is a comedic take on the overuse of the titular term.
“Georgy Porgy” is like something straight from a Donald Goines novel, and shows Ghost’s faculty for honed storytelling as he raps about a home invasion over a self-produced upbeat production.
The purpose of the eighteen-second “Force MD” skit is to announce “Break Beats”. Also produced by Ghostface, he manages to stay on beat even with the shifts in production. “Beat Box” is a mish-mash of samples from golden era rap songs and shows Ghost’s fondness for that period of hip-hop, as does his storytelling ability which shows him to be a devout student of Slick Rick. The “Sale of the Century” skit has a game show theme featuring Dave Chappelle vocal samples and “The Trial” is a posse cut detailing a court case involving homicide with the parts played by Ghost, Raekwon, Method Man, The GZA, Reek da Villain, and PILLS. Arguably the first Wu-Tang track on the album, this point in the album forced me to discover that it has no RZA productions. The single “Rap Kingpin” has Ghost spitting over a sample of Eric B. & Rakim’s “My Melody”, weaving sports and crime references into a seamless verse:
The Rose Royce-sampling “Love Me Anymore” has Ghost rapping a loose narrative about his younger days along with crime ambitions and beating court cases via bribery. Nas is featured as well, but keeps his rhymes tied to the present, especially with references to Project 2025. “Soul Thang” is the second posse cut and features DriZ, Nems, ICE, Supreme-Intelligence, Sun God, PILLS & Reek da Villian. Nems (aka Mister FYL) has some hilarious bars like “Mike Tyson hooks, plus a duck, uppercuts / All these fuckin’ diamonds in my chain, that’s a clusterfuck”. The second single “Metaphysics” sounds like it would have pop appeal with its easy production and pop references and name checks on Kendrick Lamar, Gary Coleman, Naughty By Nature, et. al.:
Sean C. & L.V. of the Hitmen lace the conceptual “Candyland”, in which Ghost uses different candies and sweets as an extended metaphor for drugs. It’s similar to what fellow Wu-Tang member GZA does regularly (like with “Animal Planet” or “Fame”). The last two remaining skits, “Lenny Green” and the album closer “Knuckles”, are skippable. “The Zoom” is an old school love jam with its Lionel Richie sample and the similar “You Ma Friend” is a treatise on friendship. It also features Method Man and his guest verse shows that he just gets lyrically better with age. As stated, “Supreme Clientele 2” does not exceed its predecessor. It’s rare that a sequel surpasses the original in quality decades after the fact. While it could’ve benefitted from at least one RZA-produced track, I will say that with the production and trademark rhymes, Ghostface Killah has given one of the more unmistakable New York City rap albums for 2025.