Jump to content

Fishscale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 76.17.200.34 (talk) at 22:52, 24 January 2010 (Undid revision 339651283 by Ozler (talk)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled

This article is about an album titled fishscale. Information on the scales of a fish can be found at fish scale.

Fishscale is the fifth solo album by Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. It was released by Def Jam on March 28, 2006. The album follows a cocaine theme, named after a term for uncut cocaine, fishscale.

The single "Back Like That" reached #14 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while "Be Easy" reached #91 on the same chart.[1] The album sold about 110,000 units in first week, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top Rap/R&B Albums chart, his highest chart position since his 1996 debut, Ironman.[2] The album has sold 332,000 copies to date. [1]

Album information

In January 2006, a sampler was released, containing full versions of "Be Easy", "Back Like That", and "Kilo", as well as shortened versions of "Big Girl" and "Charlie Brown". It also included an alternate version of "The Champ". Charlie Brown, which was produced by MF DOOM, contained a sample from Caetano Veloso's "Alfomega" that did not ultimately receive clearance, and the song did not appear on the final album. Similarly, "The Champ" was not cleared and an altered version found its way onto the album.

Upon release, the album received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. The album contains many collaborations with Theodore Unit and the Wu-Tang Clan members, but only one Wu-Tang in-house beat (created by Ghostface himself), making it Ghostface's first album free of production from RZA (although he appears on the intro to "9 Milli Bros.").

J Dilla's productions are taken from his album Donuts, and MF DOOM's productions are taken from his Special Herbs series of albums.

Reception

Critics received the album extremely positively, and it earned an 88 on Metacritic.[3] Famed music critic Robert Christgau was especially extolling, awarding an A+ rating and likening the album to Public Enemy's universally hailed It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.

Critics also praised the album's heavy reliance on soul samples, and Ghost's comfort in their context.

Fishscale produced renewed enthusiasm for other future Wu projects, including upcoming albums from Raekwon, Masta Killa, and Method Man.

Pitchfork Media ranked the album at #75 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list in 2009.[4] Rhapsody (online music service) ranked the album #9 on its "Hip-Hop’s Best Albums of the Decade" list.[5]

The song "The Champ" was used as the entrance song for Kenny Florian at UFC 101.

Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Samples Time
1 "The Return of Clyde Smith" (Intro) 1:04
2 "Shakey Dog" Lewis Parker 3:44
3 "Kilo" (feat. Raekwon) MoSS
  • "I Weigh With Kilos" by Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronymus
 4:00
4 "The Champ" Just Blaze
  • "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" by Wu-Tang Clan (vocal sample by Ol' Dirty Bastard)
  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
 4:09
5 "Major Operation" (Skit) 0:06
6 "9 Milli Bros." (feat. Wu-Tang Clan) MF DOOM
  • "Fenugreek" by MF Doom
 4:14
7 "Beauty Jackson" J Dilla 1:32
8 "Heart Street Directions" (Skit) 0:54
9 "Columbus Exchange" (Skit) / "Crack Spot" Crack Val 2:21
10 "R.A.G.U." (feat. Raekwon) Pete Rock 2:39
11 "Bad Mouth Kid" (Skit) 1:10
12 "Whip You With a Strap" J Dilla 2:51
13 "Back Like That" (feat. Ne-Yo) Xtreme 4:02
14 "Be Easy" (feat. Trife) Pete Rock 3:19
15 "Clipse of Doom" (feat. Trife) MF DOOM 3:09
16 "Jellyfish" (feat. Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs, & Trife) MF DOOM 3:50
17 "Dogs of War" (feat. Raekwon, Cappadonna, & Sun God) Pete Rock 4:04
18 "Barbershop" Studio Steve 1:56
19 "Ms. Sweetwater" (Skit) 0:14
20 "Big Girl" Ghostface Killah 3:35
21 "Underwater" MF DOOM 2:03
22 "The Ironman Takeover" (Skit) 0:05
23 "Momma" (feat. Megan Rochell) Sean Cane & LV 4:49
24* "Three Bricks" (feat. The Notorious B.I.G., & Raekwon) Cool & Dre co-produced by Sean "Diddy" Combs
  • "Niggas Bleed" by The Notorious B.I.G.
 4:58
  • * symbolizes bonus material

References

  1. ^ Artist chart history for Ghostface Killah (singles), Billboard.com.
  2. ^ Katie Hasty, "T.I. Rules As 'King' Of Album Chart", Billboard.com, April 5, 2006.
  3. ^ Ghostface Killah: Fishscale (2006): Reviews
  4. ^ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7708-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-100-51/3/
  5. ^ "Hip-Hop’s Best Albums of the Decade" Retrieved 12 January 2010.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Fishscale&oldid=339809882"