“Supreme Clientele” is the second studio album by Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. Released in February of 2000 on Epic Records, “Supreme Clientele” was well received by the Hip Hop listening community and has even been regarded as one of the best Wu-Tang Clan solo projects. Most of the lyrics for the album were written while Ghost was in Africa convalescing and seeking alternative treatments for diabetes, which he had recently been diagnosed with. Some of the production was handled by an assortment of producers (Mathematics, JuJu (of the Beatnuts), The Blaquesmiths, Carlos Bees, etc.) and a barber (Black Moes-art) but the bulk of it was handled by the RZA. During the middle of the time they were recording, Ghostface was sentenced and served six-months for attempted armed robbery, which push back the albums targeted release dated. Despite health concerns and prison time, Ghostface was still able to put out another classic and prove that his debut (“Ironman”) was no fluke.
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Chris: Mike, do you have any memories from when you first heard “Supreme Clientele”?
Mike: I remember that I purchased it at Zia Records on University. Me and a friend had gone to Zia and he was pressuring me to buy the CD, so he could burn a copy for himself. It was a used copy and I had a coupon too! I remember I took the free neighborhood bus home and the second I got in my room, I threw it on and was taken back by its dopeness. It quickly became one of my all-time favorite albums.
Chris: I remember seeing the music video for “Cherchez La Ghost” for the first time and recognizing that the sample they used was the same song from Boyz N The Hood when Dough Boy was brushing his hair and his Mom was telling him he was going to be shit. I picked up the album at Circuit City not too long after that.
Boyz N The Hood “You Ain’t Shit” scene
Ghostface Killah feat. U-God – Cherchez LaGhost
Chris: What tracks stood out to you back then?
Mike: The first tracks that stood out to be me were “One” and “Child’s Play”. “One” because of the classic Ghostface Killah flow and I’m a sucker for beats that utilize a vocal for the sample. And since “Child’s Play” has a cohesive schoolyard nostalgia them, I feel like it was more palatable to the younger me. It was the only track I understood in that way.
Chris: Hahaha! “Child’s Play” was a favorite of mine as well. RZA’s flip of George Jackson’s “Aretha, Sing One for Me” is so dope.
Ghostface Killah – “Child’s Play”
George Jackson – “Aretha, Sing One For Me”
Chris: One thing that I’ve always found so dope about Ghost is willingness to sing on tracks. He doesn’t sing well, of course, but when he does, it adds this layer of ruggedness to the song that I find really enjoyable.
Mike: Most definitely. It adds a unique depth to his overall sound. Very few other rappers have managed to pull it off.
Chris: Another thing I’ve been thinking about while listening to “Supreme Clientele” again, is the parallels between Ghostface and Tony Starks. They both are geniuses of their craft, they both have significant health issues, they’re both really vulnerable despite their huge personas.
Mike: Wow, that’s a great observation that’s never crossed my mind. It totally makes sense.
Chris: Let’s talk about the song “Apollo Kids”. I read that Ghost had an issue with BET because they wouldn’t play the video on RapCity and to be honest, I had never seen the video for it until I started researching for this review. As far as the song itself, I’m not really a fan of it and I think it’s because of the beat. I actually prefer some of the remixes over the OG. Even with Ghost and Rae killing, I still can’t get with that beat.
Mike: I think the beat has less of a commercial appeal and that’s possibly why BET chose not to air the video.
Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon – “Apollo Kids”
Chris: It must be so much fun for Ghost and Rae to be in the studio together. It’s like the only person who can legitimately go on after Ghost is Rae and vice versa. Those two guys are just on another level as far as the way their minds work and the lyrics they craft. It’s got to be an entertaining process for them when they’re recording but it’s also got to be ultra-competitive at the same time. It really seems like they bring out the best in one another.
Mike: I completely agree. Two of the best MCs ever, that could nearly be considered their own group.
Chris: So I take then that you’re a fan of the “stream of consciousness” rap style?
Mike: Very much so. It adds a level of relatability that makes it feel like you are in their shoes.
Chris: I hear that. The criticism that you always hear about “stream of consciousness” style is that it’s just a bunch of meaningless phrases thrown together and that it doesn’t really mean anything. I see where that is coming from but I feel like it’s shortsighted. If you think of Ghost’s voice as an instrument and his lyrics as the notes, when he’s rapping it’s almost like avant-garde jazz and he’s just going for it.
Mike: That’s why Picasso is much more esteemed than some other artists. Abstract, when done correctly evokes more feeling in my opinion.
Chris: Definitely! It’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s slick, it’s thought provoking and it’s not a style that just anyone can master like Ghost has. There are quite a few people out there who consider “Supreme Clientele” to be the best of the Wu solo releases. What do you think? I don’t know if I’d go that far but I will say this though, it’s the best Wu project to come out in the 2000s and it’s the best 2nd album by any Wu member.
Mike: It’s my favorite, but not the “best” per se, because the debuts all really solidified the Wu-Tang sound. Musically it is more diverse than the debuts, due to the out of house production offerings, so there’s that aspect to look at. So while it’s my favorite, it’s not influential, iconic, or definitively “Wu” as the debut solo joints were. I own very few albums and “Supreme Clientele”, Ironman” and “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” are in that stack. That speaks for itself.
Chris: Yeah, that’s true. I guess the plan was to have different Wu affiliated producers to handle the production on the albums that were released during that time but after a quick look at the liner notes of “Supreme Clientele” it appears that RZA did the bulk of producing. What was your favorite track?
Mike: Too many to pick just one! “One” which was produced by JuJu from the Beatnuts is probably my favorite. I also love “Wu Banga” which was produced by Mathematics. I feel like that was the official Wu-Tang track of the new millennium, something we hadn’t heard since “Triumph”.
Chris: Some of my favorites are “Ghost Deini”, “Mighty Healthy” and “Child’s Play”
Ghostface Killah – “Mighty Healthy” (Metal Fingerz Blend)
Chris: Mike, is there anything that you wanted to add?
Mike: Just that this is probably the first album I didn’t have to “revisit” for the review because it has never left my rotation, it’s just that dope.
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