Lately I’ve
been getting caught up in the Hulu show
Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Even
though it’s kind of a shitty show, it’s reminded me that revisiting my love of
the Wu-Tang Clan is something I need to do occasionally. I’m certain I’m not
alone in my assessment that when the Wu-Tang Clan came to prominence, they were
a cut above the rest in terms of the hip-hop of the ‘90s. They quickly became
one of my favorites and it didn’t take long for me to start tracking down every
solo album by every solo rapper even tangentially related to the Wu.
Among the
masterpieces to grace the world at the turn of the new millennium was
Supreme
Clientele, the second solo record by the inimitable Ghostface Killah. Released
at a time when most Wu-Tang members had either already ventured off onto their
own solo paths or were about to, de facto leader RZA could not oversee
production on all of them, and it often showed. He did, however, opt to man the
boards (and contribute some rhymes) for
Supreme Clientele, enlisting the
help of a small team of other RZA disciples. Incorporating the sexiest of
obscure R&B samples (the cover photo of Ghost crooning into a retro
microphone makes it even look like it could be a 1970s Jerry Butler record or
something) into the sleaziest of beats and loops, to produce a result that is pure
Staten Island sound: pure Wu-Tang. Ghost’s lyrics provide vivid narrative
structures emboldened by deep personal introspection while laced with abstract,
ostensibly nonsensical poetic liberties. Many of the lyrics on
Supreme Clientele were written while
Ghost was on a several month-long trip to Africa, incorporating much of his
experience with the culture there (and his subsequent disdain for American
consumerism) into his words. And the flow doesn’t stop with just Ghost. In
fact, not only is he joined by RZA but other fellow Wu members Cappadonna, GZA,
Masta Killa and Raekwon pop in and out to take a verse or two, making it just
about as close to Wu-Tang-Proper as it gets.
The thing
about
Supreme Clientele is that it’s quite notoriously one of the
most-loved, if not
the most-loved of the non-Wu-Tang Wu-Tang projects. At
least one of the highest charting ones, if I’m not mistaken. And deservedly so.
It’s not only a step up creatively from its predecessor, Ghost’s powerful debut
Ironman (which is also great), but production-wise too.
Supreme
Clientele is stamped front to back with that unmistakable RZA sound which,
by 2000, just wasn’t as ubiquitous as it once was. In the 19 years since this
record came out, the world of hip-hop has only gotten more incredible and
complex and the landscape is constantly changing. There are countless talented emcees
and DJs out there and with Soundcloud and Bandcamp and the like, it’s easier than
ever for some of the lesser-known talented acts to be heard. Even Ghostface
himself has gone on to release material that far surpasses that of
Supreme
Clientele. In fact, 2006’s
Fishscale is high in the running for best
hip-hop record ever, in my opinion. But this… this is the one. This is, I
think, the reference point that people will point to when talking about solo
Wu-Tang albums. When this record came out, I could not get enough of it. And
now, listening back to it as much as I did in preparation to write this, it
still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did when I first bought it.
Honestly, I
wouldn’t ordinarily choose to write about a record that’s already received as
much critical and commercial praise as
Supreme Clientele has received. I
mean, theoretically it’s already had so much smoke blown up its ass over the
years that I couldn’t possibly have anything to add that would be useful. And anyway,
the point of these reviews is to “turn you on” to something you may have
otherwise missed. It’s just that I truly believe that this record still needs
to be talked about because it’s a god damn masterpiece. Whether you’re new
school or old school, there’s something on
Supreme Clientele for every
hip-hop fan.
- Jonathan Eagle
Among the
masterpieces to grace the world at the turn of the new millennium was Supreme
Clientele, the second solo record by the inimitable Ghostface Killah. Released
at a time when most Wu-Tang members had either already ventured off onto their
own solo paths or were about to, de facto leader RZA could not oversee
production on all of them, and it often showed. He did, however, opt to man the
boards (and contribute some rhymes) for Supreme Clientele, enlisting the
help of a small team of other RZA disciples. Incorporating the sexiest of
obscure R&B samples (the cover photo of Ghost crooning into a retro
microphone makes it even look like it could be a 1970s Jerry Butler record or
something) into the sleaziest of beats and loops, to produce a result that is pure
Staten Island sound: pure Wu-Tang. Ghost’s lyrics provide vivid narrative
structures emboldened by deep personal introspection while laced with abstract,
ostensibly nonsensical poetic liberties. Many of the lyrics on Supreme Clientele were written while
Ghost was on a several month-long trip to Africa, incorporating much of his
experience with the culture there (and his subsequent disdain for American
consumerism) into his words. And the flow doesn’t stop with just Ghost. In
fact, not only is he joined by RZA but other fellow Wu members Cappadonna, GZA,
Masta Killa and Raekwon pop in and out to take a verse or two, making it just
about as close to Wu-Tang-Proper as it gets. 
The thing
about Supreme Clientele is that it’s quite notoriously one of the
most-loved, if not the most-loved of the non-Wu-Tang Wu-Tang projects. At
least one of the highest charting ones, if I’m not mistaken. And deservedly so.
It’s not only a step up creatively from its predecessor, Ghost’s powerful debut
Ironman (which is also great), but production-wise too. Supreme
Clientele is stamped front to back with that unmistakable RZA sound which,
by 2000, just wasn’t as ubiquitous as it once was. In the 19 years since this
record came out, the world of hip-hop has only gotten more incredible and
complex and the landscape is constantly changing. There are countless talented emcees
and DJs out there and with Soundcloud and Bandcamp and the like, it’s easier than
ever for some of the lesser-known talented acts to be heard. Even Ghostface
himself has gone on to release material that far surpasses that of Supreme
Clientele. In fact, 2006’s Fishscale is high in the running for best
hip-hop record ever, in my opinion. But this… this is the one. This is, I
think, the reference point that people will point to when talking about solo
Wu-Tang albums. When this record came out, I could not get enough of it. And
now, listening back to it as much as I did in preparation to write this, it
still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did when I first bought it.
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