In anticipation of his first Canadian shows in a decade and a half, the James Joyce of the Wu-Tang Clan gives us the 411.
1. He’s a living legend who doesn’t live in the past.
The RZA may be the unofficial leader of the legendary hip-hop crew known as the Wu-Tang Clan, but the first verse on the unforgettable opening track of the group’s seminal 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is delivered by none other than Ghostface Killah (né Dennis Coles). Possibly the most distinctive wordsmith to come out of Wu-Tang, he’s been at the forefront of hip-hop ever since, progressing at such a pace that he says he doesn’t even listen to much of his own music once it’s done. “I’m my worst critic and I see a lot of faults in shit that the people don’t see,” he says.
2. It’s been a long time since he’s been north of the border.
Ghostface hasn’t played in Canada in 15 years, due to unspecified visa issues—he didn’t even make it to the last official Wu-Tang show in Toronto back in ’96. But this year, he was finally granted permission to do a hotly anticipated tour of this country, and he couldn’t be happier. “I guess persistence overcomes resistance,” he says. “Everything just seems real good right now. I love Canada, man.”
3. He’s a multitasking master.
Although he’s been physically absent around these parts, Ghostface has hardly fallen off the radar. He’s always been awe-inspiringly prolific, but his output has been especially impressive lately: If all goes according to plan, he’s got at least five different projects coming out between now and the end of 2012 (including a new Wu-Tang album, a follow-up to his acclaimed Supreme Clientele and a long-gestating collab with DOOM). “I’m getting [all these] beats at the same time,” he says of his full schedule. “I take time out and just do all the writin’. Within this year, I’ll probably take another month or two out. You know, stayin’ up late to just write, write, write. And then I find the right mode or feel of what I’m trying to do with the beats. So I knock it all out like that.”
4. Even his contractually obligated releases are genius.
It’s hard not to envy Ghostface’s skills when you learn that his excellent 2010 mixtape Apollo Kids came to him effortlessly—and that it was rushed together to satisfy his record label, Def Jam. “That was just something I was trying to get out of the way with Def Jam real quick. They wanted a sequel to Supreme, but they was just rushin’ shit so I gave them Apollo Kids,” he explains. Its success is a testament to his surrealist storytelling, which has earned him a reputation as a sort of James Joyce of rap. When it comes to flow, Ghostface is more like a torrent. “[Apollo Kids] was easy,” he adds. “I did that shit with my eyes closed.”
5. The Wu will be back…just not quite yet.
Ghostface confirms that work on the greatly anticipated new Wu-Tang album is underway. He’s not so positive about the likelihood of other Wu-related activity in the near future. When asked about whether the group is playing a series of shows that have been advertised online, he responds with a definitive no: “There’s a bunch of crooked stuff going on with these agents. I heard about those shows and I didn’t agree to any of them.”
