Bulletproof Wallets

Many regard *Bulletproof Wallets* as Ghostface’s weakest album, other argue it’s his most underrated work. Admittedly, the album is severely compromised. Due to sample clearances, many of the album’s best songs (Slick Rick collaboration “The Sun,” the Barry White-sampling “The Watch”) were never released, and were instead replaced by weaker material (“Maxine,” “Flowers”). But despite its inconsistencies, the album offers some of the most exciting work of Ghost’s career. The Alchemist provides a series of meaty, soulful loops in “The Forest,” “The Juks,” “Street Chemistry,” while “Strawberry” is an eccentric, feverish sex fantasy. Some fans were confused by the R&B turns of “Never Be the Same Again” and “Love Session,” but Ghost is never more at home than when he’s duetting with a soul singer. It was impossible for Ghostface to live up to the high standard of *Ironman* and *Supreme Clientele*, but *Bulletproof Wallets* is far from disappointing. It rewards multiple readings, and deserves further consideration among Ghostface disciples.

Sprucing up the scratchy soul samples of his sophomore Supreme Clientele into a relatively pristine mainstream gloss, Ghostface Killah also, unfortunately, removed much of the flair from the most distinctive sound in the Wu-Tang camp.