36 Seasons

As something of a sequel to 2013\'s *Twelve Reasons to Die*, *36 Seasons* finds Wu-Tang rapper Ghostface Killah reprising his role as Tony Starks, returning to Staten Island after four years to find his hometown ravaged by drugs and violence. Collaborating with Brooklyn funk specialists The Revelations, Ghostface spins his tale of urban warfare to the sounds of dusty \'70s soul, with guests like Kandace Springs and Kool G Rap playing Starks\' girlfriend and a drug dealer, respectively. From its clever beats to its cinematic scope to Ghostface\'s vivid rhymes, *36 Seasons* plays like a lost Quentin Tarantino flick, full of B-movie thrills and a bloody outcome.

Following in the footsteps of 2013’s Twelve Reasons to Die, Ghostface Killah’s new album tells the story of Tony Starks’ revenge on his enemies. Like that earlier record, it plays out over live-band, time-stamped soul music and with the guidance of a young collaborator.

Here’s an idea: Take Ghostface Killah, pair him with a distinct producer or production team, assign him an album-length concept, then let him rip. That formula proved so winning on last year’s Twelve Reasons To Die, Ghostface’s collaboration with composer Adrian Younge, that nobody can fault his latest album 36 Seasons…

With a title that refers to nine years away from home, 36 Seasons finds Wu-Tang rapper Ghostface Killah returning to his Tony Starks character, who is himself returning home to a different and more dangerous Staten Island.

Fulfilling the wildest dreams of nerds everywhere, Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah has released his 11th solo album, a comic book-rap concept project called 36 Seasons based on the storyline by Matthew Rosenberg.

Rapper Ghostface Killah’s latest album isn’t subtle, but it finds him in fighting form, writes <strong>Killian Fox</strong>