Ghostface Killah
“More Fish”
(Def Jam)

4 Stars

The once-indomitable Wu-Tang Clan has slowly dispersed, and there is no question as to which of its former members has done the best for himself. ODB is dead. Method Man will forever live in sitcom infamy. The rest have decent solo careers, but only one, Ghostface Killah, has put out an album so vital (“Fishscale”) that its outtakes are essential listening.

Those outtakes and a few new tracks make up “More Fish,” a guest-appearance-heavy work that oozes the street appeal and stream of consciousness narrative style Ghost is known for. Despite the title, “More Fish” is itself a quality album, not just a recycling of unused tracks from Ghost’s latest album, “Fishscale,” released earlier this year.

“More Fish” generally covers the same topics as every other Ghostface album: the street life. The song “Outta Town Shit” is entirely about a dice game, and songs like “Guns N’ Razors” and “Grew Up Hard” emphasize the life of drug dealing and violence oft portrayed in rap. Ghost doesn’t just glorify this life though; in his song “Josephine” he tells the story of a woman whose life was ruined by drug abuse, a common theme throughout his work. Other, lighter material is featured in “Pokerface,” a song that celebrates the poker skills of Theodore Unit, and “Good.”

A-list producers (MF Doom, Madlib) as well as lesser-knowns (Fantom of the Beats), provide most of the songs on “More Fish” with hearty, soulful beats. Samples of classic soul tracks have always been fertile backgrounds for Ghost, and this album shows no exceptions. One standout here is the use of Michael Jackson’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” on “Street Opera.” But that’s not to say the album has only one sound; other tracks like “Block Rock,” arguably the best song on the album, and “Blue Armor” have harder beats that sound like those of Just Blaze.

Like the dealer characters he often describes, Ghost always keeps you coming back for more. Ghostface is a great storyteller, which is what sets him apart from a most other rappers. Songs like “Miguel Sanchez” and “Alex (Stolen Script)” portray complicated situations so enthralling that they practically demand that you listen repeatedly until you understand everything. His depictions of the street life are vivid and even touching in the case of “Josephine.” Yet they still always seem real and raw: contrast “Greedy Bitches” with Kanye’s “Gold Digger.”

But the album is not without its flaws. The album seems to belong as much to Theodore Unit (Ghostface’s posse, which includes his 17-year-old son Sun God) as to the man himself. Unfortunately, none of his apprentices can approach his level of skill, although Sun God does manage to sound older than dad. Ghostface doesn’t even appear in “Gotta Hold On,” a track that seems somewhat out of place on the album both rhythmically and lyrically. There is also a “Back Like That” remix featuring Kanye West, who provides here a compelling argument for why he should stick to producing. The remix seems like it was tacked on as an afterthought.

While “More Fish” isn’t Ghostface’s best work, it’s damn impressive that he could put together such a solid album out of outtakes. The fact that he’s so consistently good makes you wish he would leave his posse at home and go at it truly solo. But if he’s going to drop something this strong every ten months, we have no right to be picky.