What are you up to?
Right now Im just touring right now. After I finish the tour, Im just going to start trying to write my next album. See what Im going to do, see if its going to be a Theodore album. Try to shop my man Trife. Im just trying to just keep whatever Im doing current man, Im not trying to wait too long to put out another album and stuff like that. So thats what Im really doing right now.
What are your current fixations?
Im a soul baby man, Im into a lot of soul music. I play a lot of old school music.
Why do you live where you do?
Im living all over the Earth, man, all over the place.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art:
How God created everything on this Earth right here, man. Thats a work of art.
What has been your most memorable or inspirational gig and why?
When Jay-Z had that charity [gig] at Madison Square Garden, and how when I came out, the people just went bananas. You know what I mean? Thats Madison Square Garden! Yo, it was love, you feel me? Ive never felt a day in my life like that.
What have been your career highs and lows?
You know, you get lonely, and you get writers block. You cant think, you dont really feel like who you are, you go and do a lot of shit, you catch your lows but then you catch your highs when youre just doing it. When youre gleaming and youre shining and its like, everything is moving right. Thats not just with rap music thats with whatever man, it could just be a guy on the block thats got career highs and lows.
Whats the meanest thing ever said to you before, during or after a gig?
I dont know, people say a lot of things. But you know, um, I cant call that question right there.
What should everyone shut up about?
I dont wanna hear niggas fucking ask me for fucking money man. Thats what I dont want to hear no more. Magazine motherfuckers asking me the same questions all the fucking time, I dont want to hear that same shit. You know what I mean? Like, yo, whats up with Wu? and Howd you get your name? The same fucking questions man! I dont like that shit. Other shit I cant think of right now.
What traits do you most like and most dislike about yourself?
My awareness of how I see shit. Im very observant, and Im glad that Im very observant because if I wasnt, a lot of shit I wouldnt be seeing. I wouldnt peep a lot of shit. I mainly peep everything. I can read you a lot of times as soon as I see you, or be around you for a little while. God always has my third eye open. Thing that I love about myself is that I love my God, I humble myself to Him, I stopped a lot of bullshit based on Him, for the sake of Him, because I know that He exists, and God is nothing but righteousness, so I try to walk the same path. Even though I did a lot of dirt and its hard to walk the path of righteousness, because Satans always coming away and trying to pull you the other way, and its easier to be led in the wrong direction than the right direction, and thats why theres a war right here on Earth against God and the Devil. Im trying to be on Gods side and Im trying my best to do right even though I might have to sacrifice a lot of things. I mean, and it might make me look like a fool or whatever a lot of times. My mans might be like, Damn son, youve changed, but this is what I gotta do because Im here to do right. And if I feel that its right in my heart then I gotta follow it. You know whats right and whats wrong, you know when you did something wrong to somebody whether you stole a pair of socks, and if you feel bad in your heart like, then you did something bad, cause you felt it, even without nobody telling you, know what I mean, I dont like that feeling, so I have to do the opposite, G. Thats what I like about myself. Because I know that at the end of the day, everyone goin get judged and when this is my turn to get judged, that I wont have that many strikes on me. Opposed to like, if I hadnt humbled myself the way I humbled myself, my bad probably wouldve out-weighed my good and who knows, I probably wouldve been dwelling in hell for eternity. So thats what it is.
What advice should you have taken, but did not?
When I was younger you know, youre always taught to stay in school and do this and do that, and you know, I wish I wouldve done things like that. Left a lot of things alone. Shit like that. Drugs, and stuff like that. But everything happens for a reason. Life is an experience. If I wouldnt have went through what I went through it wouldnt have made me the man that I am today. Maybe it was meant for me to fall out of school, and to go through what I went through, and to meet the people that I met for me to go ahead and bring yall good music. Maybe if I wouldve been to school, maybe I wouldnt have been, Im not saying nothing some people do go to school and come out to be nothing but you know, maybe I wouldnt have been able to give you all this music. Maybe I wouldve been something else that wouldnt even have been recognisable to my game. Or whatever I was dealing with. Everything happens for a reason man. I dont regret anything, except for the bad shit that I did.
What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?
Just disloyalty man. Someone who is not loyal to what were dealing with, or not grateful, regardless of what it is. You would have to leave, because youre someone who cant be trusted. I dont need no Judas in my group. Were trying to grow here. Were not trying to kill each other or be disloyal and somebody hears something else from off the streets and youre coming in here always with negativity, negativity, negativity, you know, he say she say this and still thinking fucked up. Because once everything is positive and youve got one negative in there, that can cause a spark. Thats how you get electricity. And that spark could really be detrimental to what youre dealing with. So loyalty and respect are #1 when youve got your group. You dont want to live around snakes. You cant close your eyes, you cant sleep well. I like to be around people that I love and I know that they love me, and we all got our eyes on each other.
What do you think of when you think of Canada?
Ive been there. Canadas a nice place I love Canada. But Im not allowed in Canada based on my previous records and all the other stuff like that from since I was 15, 16. These guys at the border, they be playing games and shit. Even if you got permission to go out there from the judge and everything, the border be playing games. Thats the only thing I dont like about Canada, the people at the border who dont let me come in to perform for my Canada people, my Canadians. Theres a lot of people that love me in Canada!
What is your vital daily ritual?
I pray, man. I pray in my heart man. I pray, I pray, I pray. I thank God for everything, for me not choking, for me making it across the street, for me being able to tell you, for giving me the knowledge to be here and be able to tell you about what I do, for me still being here to breathe, to hear, see, touch, feel, smell! I got to give thanks, man. All praises is due. I do that. Thats a ritual that I must do every day. If I dont do that like that, I feel guilty like, I cant even get the man who made it possible for me to be here, his props today. I mean come on, thats not right. I gotta thank Him for my food, theres people who dont even have food. They cant even get a piece of crust off a pizza. I cant take these things for granted. I want to let Him know that I know He exists and that Hes aware. God is everything, and people dont know that. Thats one thing that people should know, and get more seriously into whatever it is, whether its Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, whatever it is, start going hard on your God!
What are your feelings on piracy, internet or otherwise?
I mean thats fucked up. I disagree with it, because for so long I worked on music, for the last whatever months, and for someone to go ahead and take it and put it all out, its not fair, man. I really dont like it that much. Im making this so I can feed my family, not so you can get it for free and pass it off for free. Its messed up. I dont agree with it too tough.
What was your most memorable day job?
Summer youth job. I worked for summer youth one time. It was my first job man. I worked like a slave, G. I was just cleaning out a bunch of weeds so motherfuckers could get ready to build houses, picking out that little grass that was growing up inside the concrete on the streets and cutting down trees, bagging leaves. Walking around different areas, working all day in the hot sun.
How do you spoil yourself?
I dont really spoil myself, G. I got a big family, I take care of a lot of people man. A lot of things I get, I gotta go ahead and give to the people around me. Its not about me no more.
If I wasnt playing music I would be
I might have a gun to your kidneys right now. I mightve been in your house. I might be dead. I might be paralyzed or in jail! It wouldnt be good. You feel me? I got no high school education. I dont got my diploma. That leaves me with less options where I gotta be getting ahead and getting my hands dirty, G.
What do you fear most?
God. Im afraid of God. I fear God.
What has been your strangest celebrity encounter?
A lot of shit that happens I dont remember man. Days just go by and shit. I cant really remember, because I dont dwell on shit. You get fans thatre just crazy man. Thatre just bugged out. I saw one girl like four weeks with a fucking goat, a goat tattooed on her stomach, like near her pussy, and at the mouth was her pussy. And she said when she pissed it was looked like the goat was throwing up, spitting up, know what I mean? Thats what it was. It looked like on some devil shit. You saw the horns, the eyes, and at the mouth was the pussy, so when she take a piss, it looked like the motherfucker was just throwing up or something.
Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?
Id probably have one of Gods prophets over. Prophet Mohammad, Jesus. Any one of the prophets. Moses. Id feed them the righteous foods. Whether it be fish, bread, water. Anything thats kosher at that time. And salads, fruits, oranges, apples, and watermelons, and stuff like that. And just talk to them. Just tell me more, more, more about God. What it was like when you was living in your time or whatever, and just let me know how the worlds supposed to be and wheres it going and what they think my job should be here. I love good knowledge. I feel for that. It opens my mind. I know Im not just here to be here. Im here for a reason.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
I mean its whatever suits me, with her. Shes all positive.
Given the opportunity to choose, how would you like to die?
I would rather die for the right cause. However God would want me to die. I wouldnt want to suffer through no pain, like heart attacks, sicknesses or whatever. I guess going in your sleep is very harmless. I dont know, but at the end of the day, its how God has it for me, thats how Im gonna have to accept it. I just hope that it is painless.
Ghostface Killah might be the most consistent man in hip-hop. Hes the Tony Gwynn of rap, having released nary a dud in the decade since his 1996 solo debut, Ironman. The Wu-Tang vet always shone on the Clans brightest work and came out unscathed on its weaker efforts. But now it looks like Ghosts unblemished career may have its defining moment: Fishscale. The 35-year-old MCs fifth solo LP is a tour-de-force, a hungry, inspired statement of purpose.
It starts with the lyrics. Ghost has sharpened his already formidable storytelling ability to a deadly point. On Fishscale, the devils truly in the details: Beauty Jacksons Revolon face blush, the Larry King Live on his TV, and the tartar sauce on his S Dot Kicks. This is a world Ghost has created and he takes pride in filling it with the little things. "You gotta imagine it, he says. "You gotta imagine going to pull a heist. Things happen.
Though this is the first of Ghostfaces albums without a contribution from the RZA, production on Fishscale is uniformly excellent and Ghost downplays the absence of his long-time Wu collaborator. "I was just looking for tracks, and the tracks that was brought to me was the brothers that I got on the album, he says. "If Im feeling that its hot, Im doing it!
Right now Im just touring right now. After I finish the tour, Im just going to start trying to write my next album. See what Im going to do, see if its going to be a Theodore album. Try to shop my man Trife. Im just trying to just keep whatever Im doing current man, Im not trying to wait too long to put out another album and stuff like that. So thats what Im really doing right now.
What are your current fixations?
Im a soul baby man, Im into a lot of soul music. I play a lot of old school music.
Why do you live where you do?
Im living all over the Earth, man, all over the place.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art:
How God created everything on this Earth right here, man. Thats a work of art.
What has been your most memorable or inspirational gig and why?
When Jay-Z had that charity [gig] at Madison Square Garden, and how when I came out, the people just went bananas. You know what I mean? Thats Madison Square Garden! Yo, it was love, you feel me? Ive never felt a day in my life like that.
What have been your career highs and lows?
You know, you get lonely, and you get writers block. You cant think, you dont really feel like who you are, you go and do a lot of shit, you catch your lows but then you catch your highs when youre just doing it. When youre gleaming and youre shining and its like, everything is moving right. Thats not just with rap music thats with whatever man, it could just be a guy on the block thats got career highs and lows.
Whats the meanest thing ever said to you before, during or after a gig?
I dont know, people say a lot of things. But you know, um, I cant call that question right there.
What should everyone shut up about?
I dont wanna hear niggas fucking ask me for fucking money man. Thats what I dont want to hear no more. Magazine motherfuckers asking me the same questions all the fucking time, I dont want to hear that same shit. You know what I mean? Like, yo, whats up with Wu? and Howd you get your name? The same fucking questions man! I dont like that shit. Other shit I cant think of right now.
What traits do you most like and most dislike about yourself?
My awareness of how I see shit. Im very observant, and Im glad that Im very observant because if I wasnt, a lot of shit I wouldnt be seeing. I wouldnt peep a lot of shit. I mainly peep everything. I can read you a lot of times as soon as I see you, or be around you for a little while. God always has my third eye open. Thing that I love about myself is that I love my God, I humble myself to Him, I stopped a lot of bullshit based on Him, for the sake of Him, because I know that He exists, and God is nothing but righteousness, so I try to walk the same path. Even though I did a lot of dirt and its hard to walk the path of righteousness, because Satans always coming away and trying to pull you the other way, and its easier to be led in the wrong direction than the right direction, and thats why theres a war right here on Earth against God and the Devil. Im trying to be on Gods side and Im trying my best to do right even though I might have to sacrifice a lot of things. I mean, and it might make me look like a fool or whatever a lot of times. My mans might be like, Damn son, youve changed, but this is what I gotta do because Im here to do right. And if I feel that its right in my heart then I gotta follow it. You know whats right and whats wrong, you know when you did something wrong to somebody whether you stole a pair of socks, and if you feel bad in your heart like, then you did something bad, cause you felt it, even without nobody telling you, know what I mean, I dont like that feeling, so I have to do the opposite, G. Thats what I like about myself. Because I know that at the end of the day, everyone goin get judged and when this is my turn to get judged, that I wont have that many strikes on me. Opposed to like, if I hadnt humbled myself the way I humbled myself, my bad probably wouldve out-weighed my good and who knows, I probably wouldve been dwelling in hell for eternity. So thats what it is.
What advice should you have taken, but did not?
When I was younger you know, youre always taught to stay in school and do this and do that, and you know, I wish I wouldve done things like that. Left a lot of things alone. Shit like that. Drugs, and stuff like that. But everything happens for a reason. Life is an experience. If I wouldnt have went through what I went through it wouldnt have made me the man that I am today. Maybe it was meant for me to fall out of school, and to go through what I went through, and to meet the people that I met for me to go ahead and bring yall good music. Maybe if I wouldve been to school, maybe I wouldnt have been, Im not saying nothing some people do go to school and come out to be nothing but you know, maybe I wouldnt have been able to give you all this music. Maybe I wouldve been something else that wouldnt even have been recognisable to my game. Or whatever I was dealing with. Everything happens for a reason man. I dont regret anything, except for the bad shit that I did.
What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?
Just disloyalty man. Someone who is not loyal to what were dealing with, or not grateful, regardless of what it is. You would have to leave, because youre someone who cant be trusted. I dont need no Judas in my group. Were trying to grow here. Were not trying to kill each other or be disloyal and somebody hears something else from off the streets and youre coming in here always with negativity, negativity, negativity, you know, he say she say this and still thinking fucked up. Because once everything is positive and youve got one negative in there, that can cause a spark. Thats how you get electricity. And that spark could really be detrimental to what youre dealing with. So loyalty and respect are #1 when youve got your group. You dont want to live around snakes. You cant close your eyes, you cant sleep well. I like to be around people that I love and I know that they love me, and we all got our eyes on each other.
What do you think of when you think of Canada?
Ive been there. Canadas a nice place I love Canada. But Im not allowed in Canada based on my previous records and all the other stuff like that from since I was 15, 16. These guys at the border, they be playing games and shit. Even if you got permission to go out there from the judge and everything, the border be playing games. Thats the only thing I dont like about Canada, the people at the border who dont let me come in to perform for my Canada people, my Canadians. Theres a lot of people that love me in Canada!
What is your vital daily ritual?
I pray, man. I pray in my heart man. I pray, I pray, I pray. I thank God for everything, for me not choking, for me making it across the street, for me being able to tell you, for giving me the knowledge to be here and be able to tell you about what I do, for me still being here to breathe, to hear, see, touch, feel, smell! I got to give thanks, man. All praises is due. I do that. Thats a ritual that I must do every day. If I dont do that like that, I feel guilty like, I cant even get the man who made it possible for me to be here, his props today. I mean come on, thats not right. I gotta thank Him for my food, theres people who dont even have food. They cant even get a piece of crust off a pizza. I cant take these things for granted. I want to let Him know that I know He exists and that Hes aware. God is everything, and people dont know that. Thats one thing that people should know, and get more seriously into whatever it is, whether its Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, whatever it is, start going hard on your God!
What are your feelings on piracy, internet or otherwise?
I mean thats fucked up. I disagree with it, because for so long I worked on music, for the last whatever months, and for someone to go ahead and take it and put it all out, its not fair, man. I really dont like it that much. Im making this so I can feed my family, not so you can get it for free and pass it off for free. Its messed up. I dont agree with it too tough.
What was your most memorable day job?
Summer youth job. I worked for summer youth one time. It was my first job man. I worked like a slave, G. I was just cleaning out a bunch of weeds so motherfuckers could get ready to build houses, picking out that little grass that was growing up inside the concrete on the streets and cutting down trees, bagging leaves. Walking around different areas, working all day in the hot sun.
How do you spoil yourself?
I dont really spoil myself, G. I got a big family, I take care of a lot of people man. A lot of things I get, I gotta go ahead and give to the people around me. Its not about me no more.
If I wasnt playing music I would be
I might have a gun to your kidneys right now. I mightve been in your house. I might be dead. I might be paralyzed or in jail! It wouldnt be good. You feel me? I got no high school education. I dont got my diploma. That leaves me with less options where I gotta be getting ahead and getting my hands dirty, G.
What do you fear most?
God. Im afraid of God. I fear God.
What has been your strangest celebrity encounter?
A lot of shit that happens I dont remember man. Days just go by and shit. I cant really remember, because I dont dwell on shit. You get fans thatre just crazy man. Thatre just bugged out. I saw one girl like four weeks with a fucking goat, a goat tattooed on her stomach, like near her pussy, and at the mouth was her pussy. And she said when she pissed it was looked like the goat was throwing up, spitting up, know what I mean? Thats what it was. It looked like on some devil shit. You saw the horns, the eyes, and at the mouth was the pussy, so when she take a piss, it looked like the motherfucker was just throwing up or something.
Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?
Id probably have one of Gods prophets over. Prophet Mohammad, Jesus. Any one of the prophets. Moses. Id feed them the righteous foods. Whether it be fish, bread, water. Anything thats kosher at that time. And salads, fruits, oranges, apples, and watermelons, and stuff like that. And just talk to them. Just tell me more, more, more about God. What it was like when you was living in your time or whatever, and just let me know how the worlds supposed to be and wheres it going and what they think my job should be here. I love good knowledge. I feel for that. It opens my mind. I know Im not just here to be here. Im here for a reason.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
I mean its whatever suits me, with her. Shes all positive.
Given the opportunity to choose, how would you like to die?
I would rather die for the right cause. However God would want me to die. I wouldnt want to suffer through no pain, like heart attacks, sicknesses or whatever. I guess going in your sleep is very harmless. I dont know, but at the end of the day, its how God has it for me, thats how Im gonna have to accept it. I just hope that it is painless.
Ghostface Killah might be the most consistent man in hip-hop. Hes the Tony Gwynn of rap, having released nary a dud in the decade since his 1996 solo debut, Ironman. The Wu-Tang vet always shone on the Clans brightest work and came out unscathed on its weaker efforts. But now it looks like Ghosts unblemished career may have its defining moment: Fishscale. The 35-year-old MCs fifth solo LP is a tour-de-force, a hungry, inspired statement of purpose.
It starts with the lyrics. Ghost has sharpened his already formidable storytelling ability to a deadly point. On Fishscale, the devils truly in the details: Beauty Jacksons Revolon face blush, the Larry King Live on his TV, and the tartar sauce on his S Dot Kicks. This is a world Ghost has created and he takes pride in filling it with the little things. "You gotta imagine it, he says. "You gotta imagine going to pull a heist. Things happen.
Though this is the first of Ghostfaces albums without a contribution from the RZA, production on Fishscale is uniformly excellent and Ghost downplays the absence of his long-time Wu collaborator. "I was just looking for tracks, and the tracks that was brought to me was the brothers that I got on the album, he says. "If Im feeling that its hot, Im doing it!
