Supreme Clientele (25th Anniversary Edition)

Ghostface came out swinging on Supreme Clientele, his second solo LP; with wild, free-associative flair - he was by then a standout MC even amid Wu-Tang's crowded barracks. Now. a decorated verbal bombardier, he earned the Killah badge with this one: built in close collaboration with RZA, who ammunised the record's beats while conscripting JuJu, The Hitmen, and Hassan on versal lookout duties, the album lands like a continuous reel of grainy street cinema, warped soul loops, and cryptic one-liners. Written largely after a trip to Africa and through a stint at New York prison Rikers Island, the album steps away from mafioso cliches and fixation on brands, folding in a looser, more surreal energy. Singles 'Apollo Kids' and 'Cherchez La Ghost' cut the ears with raw, slice-thru charm, but it's deep cuts like 'Nutmeg' that cement it as of the sharpest solo turns in the Wu-Tang catalogue.