REVIEW: Ghostface Killah @ Troc, 10/3

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REVIEW: Ghostface Killah @ Troc, 10/3

POSTED: Monday, October 5, 2009, 5:26 PM

Filed Under: Music Show

Saturday night was the second night of a 24-city, coast-to-coast spring for Ghostface Killah in support of Ghostdini Wizard of Poetry in the Emerald City, which dropped last week. His eighth full length solo album is touted as an R&B shift, which Ghost himself vaguely confirms. While indicating it sets him on a more mature path, Ghost is also promoting a collaboration with Wu originals Raekwon (fresh off the release of Only Built for Cuban Linx Pt. II) and Method Man, slated for a January release.

If you're feeling iffy about the wifey-sounding language, like "R&B" and "mature," don't let it stop you from coming out to see the Hip Hop Lazarus. He plowed through a survey of the last 15 years of Wu hits and dope b-sides, killing the fans with verses from classic albums like 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords and of course his entire catalog from Iron Man to the Pretty Toney LPs . Only one time ' halfway through a smooth unfamiliar track ' was it apparent he was pushing in some of his new work. The rest of the show was pretty much non-stop classics ' some in snippets, some in their entirety ' all on-point with minimal lag.

The limited interruptions for Ghost to address the crowd were surprisingly candid and sincere (something unfamiliar to a hip-hop show). Here is video of his closing yap were he raises support for Michael Vick, acknowledges that the Phils are a powerhouse and most importantly lavishes love on the Philly audience, which he acknowledged as being on-board since the beginning. He even evokes some obligatory E-A-G-L-E-S chants without looking like front-row-Joe going to the old standby.

The best part of this clip is when he asks if McNabb will start in this week's Eagles game; when he is informed that the Eagles are on a by week, he gives a hint of embarrassment before admitting he is at ease with the Philly crowd. It could've been his standard script with local inserts, but it seemed to be a sincere exchange at the end of a night of blitzkrieg Hip Hop.

The Ironman of the Wu is still on top of his game, so get out and see him in his teflon pajama set while he's still pumping for all the hero-head mutherfuckers. Or something like that.

Posted by Charles Cieri @ 5:26 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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