Ghostface Killah has always been nearly impossible to predict. His releases, besides the Wu-Tang Clan, have offered an eclectic mix, especially the most recent ones. However, his latest release — “Sour Soul” — is perhaps the furthest departure from the persona associated with him. The album is a collaboration with Canadian jazz trio BadBadNotGood, an instrumental group who got their start covering hip-hop and rap songs in a nontraditional way. BBNG has ties to Odd Future, and has been deemed “The Odd Trio,” as a nod to their frequent work with the Tyler, The Creator-led musical collective.
Due to this peculiar pairing, the majority of “Sour Soul” can sound like one of hip-hop’s oldest and hardest players is mellowing out in his old age, and that may very well be true. The bizarre nature of the record makes it difficult to distinguish between Ghostface Killah’s decline and his experimentation. It’s probably a mix of the two.
The album lacks the rapper’s trademark storytelling — it seems he has traded in his articulate and well-crafted verse- or song-length narratives for two-line boasts and punch lines. That is not to say it is not lyrical — Ghostface is as clever as ever — but he doesn’t come close to approaching the emotional or storytelling depth from his soulful past songs with the new release. Perhaps the album’s title reflects this loss of focus.
Danny Brown and Elzhi might have the two best verses on the album in standouts “Six Degrees” and “Gunshowers,” respectively. This is easy to comment on because of the relatively small amount of rapping done on the album — it’s only 33 minutes long with almost six minutes devoted to instrumental segues.
“Sour Soul” is not for the old heads, but it has its merits. The BBNG-backed tracks are phenomenal, a classic, refreshing oasis in the middle of the 808-laden modern rap desert. Tony Starks can still show off his prowess — this should come as no surprise due to his status as a legend, but the album is a long way from the Ghostface of yore.
The stellar BadBadNotGood and Frank Dukes production is phenomenal, but the Ghostface raps are disappointing. It is hard to believe that at age 44, after more than 20 years as one of the godfathers of hip-hop, Ghost still has aspirations of being “the next Escobar or Sosa,” as he claims in “Gunshowers.” That ship has probably sailed, so he could probably stand to move on from it.
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