The 37th Chamber of Starks

Let's get this out in the open right now. This Bug has crazy, shameless love for Ghostface. You feel me? It wasn't always that way, but it's like that- and that's the way it is. I remember when I first saw the Method Man video, I wondered (undoubtedly like everyone else) who was that masked man with the dual Shinobi swords at the end? Was he on the run? Was he hiding a nasty Buck 50? What the hell was he all about? Well, by the time I heard him rhyme on Da Mystery of Chessboxin' I was more than intrigued. And by the time he and Raekwon paired up for the legendary Purple Tape- it was a wrap. I was sold. The dude is a beast. I don't think there's a gray area with Tony Starks. You either feel him or you don't. It's up to you. I'll just run down my reasons why I think the god is worth his weight in gold like that eagle he occasionally brandishes on his wrist.


An Air of Mystery
Ghost might have hidden his face from the public when the Wu first came out, but he also kept the skills under wraps for a hot second, too. Honestly, I wasn't feeling him completely when I first heard him spit. It took time for him to grow on me. His lyrics didn't always make sense (more on that later) but they started to sound iller every time I heard him. In a twist of genius, he gradually peeled back the layers of his persona to a point where I wondered ' What the hell does this dude look like anyways?'




The Passionate Thug
I don't know if anyone else has noticed- but Ghostface has feelings too. Since the first album, Ironman we've been consistently hearing about how he's gotten his heart broken by some snake-in-the-grass chick that he thought the world of until she did him dirty. Check the resume: Wildflower, Child's Play, Never Be the Same Again, Back Like That. You do the math. Don't get it twisted, tho. He does not seem to consistently get his heart torn. As a matter of fact- he sounds like he does more than okay with the ladies. "Pretty Tone in the house. You betta hide ya bitch." One thing is undeniable. When his heart is in it, he let's everybody know. And he loves the kids. Wu Tang is for the chirren!


He's a Tastemaker
The self-proclaimed "Wally Champ" has a style all his own. You can see it in his gear as much as you can hear it in his lyrics. Your boy stays "veloured down like the Sheik of Iran". He doesn't care what's trendy; he sets the trend. Big dookie rope chains. Rhinestones. Shiny bathrobes. Furry ski hats. Multicolored Clarks. He does his own thing. "Catch me by the pool in my Tony Stark slippers!" Such a colorful character. You gotta respect that. Plus it's drippin' like it's Marble Cake...Haha!

His Cover is Blow(n)
It's out in the open. Ghostdeini fronts for no one. He has made countless references to let you know that he doesn't just get high from the 'regs'. "Chop the dough. Sprinkle li'l snow inside the Optimo." Not convinced? How 'bout, "All up in the Parrot. Nose numb, real as they come." Yeah, it used to be tough to admit that one of my favorite emcees was a self admitted coke user- but he gets some kind of points for putting it out there, no? No. I guess not. But I still got love for the cat the way you love that drunk uncle of yours who shows up every Christmas. He may never quite get right, but your Momma and everyone else still accepts him, right? The love is authentic even though he's not perfect. I'm sure Ghost is no different from a lot of people in the industry- he's just more forthcoming about those habits. How many niggas you know brave enough to do that?


Who Said Art Has to Make Sense?
Sometimes, I truly believe not even Ghost knows what he means when he drops a jewel. I've said this before. He has lyrics that still has me wondering what the fuck he meant to this day. And some of them are over 10 years old. At the same time, when he's ready he paints a picture like Picasso. Disjointed. Strange but oddly beautiful. It all comes together when you take all it in from a different angle. Listen to 260 or Josephine if you don't follow my meaning. Once again, he tells a story with craftiness and clarity in way that only he can deliver. You actually have to dissect his lyrics line for line. And even then you may still be confused. Case and point: Mighty Healthy. Collectively, I have no idea what this song is about. Yeah, I can connect dots and deduce that he's talking about how ill he is- but does it make sense on the whole? Hell no. Still, you can't front. The shit is bangin'.







The Boy Does His Numbers
Aight, I can't write this entry without 'knowledging the god' on his sexual prowess. So all you insecure dudes and uptight chicks can scroll down until I'm done. Agreed? Cool. Sit this one out.
He said...and I quote: "Sexcapades take place. We fuck in 48 shades." Now, as far as positions go... that's about 43 more than what's common for the average. I'm just sayin'. And his confidence is what makes his appeal surface. It's arrogant but somehow he gets away with it. "Bitches think that I'm Dominican slash Half Indian." And if that's not enough proof, there's always "Dick made the cover now count...how many veins on it." Damn He's nasty! But don't take my word for it. Just give a listen to Stapleton Sex or the Freekin' You remix by Jodeci. Yes, it's crass. It's downright lewd. But being bold carries with it its own sexiness when done correctly. All day like Harry Belafonte...



The Crowning Jewel
"Talkin' bout Dear Ghost, You da only nigga I know- like when the cops come, you never hide ya toast..." Mannn, Listen! When I first heard Supreme Clientele- I felt blessed. Hip-Hop at its very finest. Every track is a classic in its own right. The Ironman cartoon theme song. The valiant horns of Apollo Kids. The hilarious crackhead skit with Woodrow. "Suzy, throw it out the window! SUE!" Just the fact that he did a party joint like Cherchez LaGhost and still came off hard is a testament to his talent and versatility. The entire album laid to rest any assumptions that he'd suffer from the dreaded "sophomore jinx". He more than lived up to the standard he set with his first release, he superseded it and raised his own bar. That's why efforts like Fishscale, Big Doe Rehab , The Pretty Tony Album and that wack Theodore Urban team he put together are forgivable in my book. I have to give it to him though. Every time I see someone haulin' ass in a movie like Carl Lewis, I hear the sounds of Run in the background for some reason. "Hop fences, jump over benches! When you see me comin' get the fuck out the entrance!" Oooowee! That shit is so tough. His energy is wild.



Your boy is hittin' like a spike bat. He's on some ignorant shit at times but you can't deny how deep he is. He's sort of an anomaly. He's passionate about a life that's not always so nice and decorated. You can tell he's seen and lived through some ugly episodes but he's still able to articulate the tragic beauty of it all. Listen to Motherless Child or All That I Got I You. Check the last verse on Impossible. It's one of the sincerest and most heartbreaking verses I've ever heard in Hip-Hop without question.





Yo, I can't say much more. As I said before, there is no gray area with him. You either feel him or you don't and I do. This Bug will rep for Ghostface Killah all day. 'Nuff said.

"Since the face been revealed, game got real."