Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all-time and their music shaped the sound coming out of the genre in the 90s. Consisting of RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Cappadonna and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the group hit the big time with their 1993 debut album ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’, Unlike other groups Wu-Tang Clan always had solo projects for its individual members in mind and they wasted no time pursuing those with six of the group members releasing solo albums before the group put out their second album (GZA released his debut solo album before Wu-Tang’s debut!).
Ghostface Killah – aka Dennis Coles – was the sixth member of the group to try his hand at a solo project in 1996 with his debut album ‘Ironman’, which featured Raekwon and Cappadonna across the tracks as well as appearances from fellow Wu-Tang Clan members U-God, Inspectah Deck and Method Man. Drawing heavily on Blaxploitation films and soul samples, the album was critically acclaimed on its initial release and went on to sell more than a million copies in the US alone. In some circles, the album is considered to be the greatest solo record from a Wu-Tang Clan member but I’m sure that’ll be hotly contested by fans of the group.
To mark the 25th anniversary of ‘Iron Man’, Music On Vinyl have released a double-LP pressing on translucent blue and translucent red 180-gram vinyl. The gatefold sleeve features the original artwork from the album and the quality of the print is superb, going far beyond the standard flimsy carboard that many vinyl releases now get. This is clearly a high-quality edition of the album, which is fitting for a hip-hop record that is as celebrated and revered as this one.
I’ve always considered vinyl to be the best format for hip-hop due the depths of sound it can offer as opposed to the compressed sound of cassettes, CDs and digital. That preference is supported here as ‘Ironman’ sounds truly spectacular. Opening track ‘Iron Maiden’ features dialogue from the Blaxploitation classic ‘The Education of Sonny Carson’ before a sample of Al Green’s ‘Gotta Find a New World’ kicks in. The beats are thick, reverberating through you as the music pumps out of the speaker while the interplay between Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Cappadonna is a reminder of just what a powerful force the trio makes.
‘Ironman’ is packed with samples and the credits read like a who’s who of R&B and soul at the time. Over the course of the record there’s samples from Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Otis Redding, The Jackson 5 and Sam Cooke, and that gives many of the tracks here an instant familiarity. Lyrically, the album veers from sexual boasting (‘Wildflower’), MC wars (‘Assassination Day’) and drugs (‘Fish’) through to posturing (‘Daytona 500’) and the difficulty of growing up on the streets (‘Motherless Child’). Each song tells a deeply involving story with Ghostface Killah rapping a more hushed tone that people expected at the time.
The album’s highlight is its lead single ‘All That I Got Is You’ featuring Mary J. Blige, which opens with more dialogue from ‘The Education of Sonny Carson’. Blige’s soulful vocals give Ghostface Killah a softer edge as he pays homage to his mother. At the time the song was unexpected but there’s no doubt it paved the way for hip-hop classics such as ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112.
‘Ironman’ is a true classic hip-hop record and it’s easy to see how it influenced artists that came up in the genre after its release. The perfect mix of beats and story-telling, Ghostface Killah shows that rappers actually do have a lot more to say than the stereotypes and cliches that are often associated with them. ‘Ironman’ is carefully crafted record that has stood the test of time and it’s one that hip-hop fans will love revisiting thanks to this incredible Music On Vinyl release.
Track list: Side One – 1. Iron Maiden 2. Wildflower 3. The Faster Blade 4. 260 Side Two – 1. Assassination Day 2. Poisonous Darts 3. Winter Warz 4. Box in Hand Side Three – 1. Fish 2. Camay 3. Daytona 500 4. Motherless Child Side Four – 1. Black Jesus 2. After the Smoke Is Clear 3. All That I Got Is You (feat. Mary J. Blige) 4. The Soul Controller Record label: Music on Vinyl Release date: 4th March 2022 Buy ‘Ironman’ now
[rwp-reviewer-rating-stars id=”0″]
