Album: The Big Doe Rehab
Producers: LV and Sean C, Anthony Acid, etc.
Release Date: December 4, 2007
Review: It's fitting that we're looking back at The Big Doe Rehab this week, since Ghostface Killah's collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD, Soul Sour, was released yesterday. At the same time, good lord - out of the last seven albums we've discussed on the Map, this makes the third that's GFK's. More on his prolific nature later in the "legacy" section.
The first thing you'll notice when you look at the liner notes and artwork for Big Doe is that it's a brighter, cleaner-looking package than the Fish albums. The sound reflects as much, trading in RZA and DOOM's grittier and more indie-sounding production (respectively) for a more polished sound. Ghost said the idea for the album came from a dream he had, in which he was in rehab for having too much money (hence the stacks of cash on the album's booklet and case). That may raise a few red flags in some listeners' minds, since Wu-Tang's braggadocious style has never shied away from talking about riches, but I'm glad to say it's an album that delivers without too much conceit over wealth.
After a goofy intro skit, Ghost sets it off with "Toney Sigel," a strong opener that's followed by "Yolanda's House" with Method Man and Raekwon. Meth delivers a fast and smooth verse that stylistically stands up to anything on his own solo records, as does Raekwon. Next comes "We Celebrate," which is based on the classic "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth. "We Celebrate" is cleverly placed early on; adapting classic funk and soul songs for their own albums (eg. the Sanford and Son theme on Masta Killa's No Said Date) is a tried-but-true Wu tactic that will help ease listeners in for the remaining 12 tracks.
Trife da God, Sun God and Shawn Wigs, from Ghostface's Theodore Unit (see More Fish) first appear on "Yapp City" and "White Lines Affair (Toney Awards)." Quickly becoming a standard on Ghost's records, all three are talented rappers and they don't wear out their welcome on any of the songs they feature on. "Yapp City" has some intriguing keys that vibrate and shimmer, adding a sense of urgency to the low-tempo music. Sun God especially shines on it, with tight rhymes like "I post up, packed the shotti / Black mags in lobbies, with red dots, to detach the body." "White Lines Affair" is a funny track, as Ghost plays master of ceremonies for a fictional award show and name-drops about 50 celebs in the rap industry.
"Rec-Room Therapy" gets points for using a live band, which Ghost will revisit excellently on the just-released 36 Seasons. It also features Raekwon and U-God, though Rae's best appearance on the album is probably either on "Paisley Darts" or "Shakey Dog" later on. "Rec-Room Therapy" is followed immediately by the a cappella track "The Prayer" performed by Ox - a surprisingly somber and despondent track compared to the rest of the album. It's not that it doesn't fit, but it's a splash of cold water on the face compared to the outright funny scenes set in tracks like "Yolanda's House" (where Ghost walks in on Meth getting laid) and "White Lines Affair."
Speaking of "Paisley Darts," it's the perfect marriage of Theodore Unit and Wu-Tang Clan, as it includes Wu's Ghostface, Raekwon and Method Man, with Cappadonna (bridging the gap as he's a member of both groups) and Theodore Unit's Sun God and Trife da God. Ghostface brings some of his classic-style lyrics to get the party started: "With cowboy hats and Coach bags, they party like rock stars / Bo Gary watches, just chill, they down in the shark bars / And me, gunslinger, clips, cock D / My fashion on, I'm rockin' them new Rasheeds." Raekwon spits stealthily with "You know what time it is, crime it is / No matter what rhyme it is / We gonna stay fly, hit lye and rock diamond shits." Trife also knows the score, opening with "You know ya boy stay fresher than produce / Timberland snow boots, collecting more C.R.E.A.M. than a toll booth." Method Man's verse on "Yolanda's House" was a bit better than here, but he does get in some smoothly-written laughs: "Man listen, ice glisten, they love the life we livin' / That's a given, like football players love white women."
Big Doe coasts across the finish line with "Killa Lipstick" and "Slow Down," the former featuring Method Man and Masta Killa. They're not the best tracks on the album, but a satisfying conclusion to a relatively short (41-minute) album. It's good to see so many Wu guest stars back on a Ghost album after being almost completely absent from More Fish, but Ghost and Theodore Unit hold their own on the Wu-free tracks as well. Wisely, Ghost and his producers switched it up enough from track to track that the album never gets too dense or repetitive. It may not be my #1 Ghostface record, but Big Doe Rehab is a great listen from front to back. Looking back on it, though, it's definitely a grower. I bought it when it released, and only listened to it a few times, a bit disappointed that it wasn't as dark-sounding as Fishscale or as classic Wu-Tang as Ironman, but I'm glad I've revisited it since, because in my eyes it's definitely moved up in the ranks.
Legacy: The Big Doe Rehab is Ghostface Killah's seventh studio album, clocking in at Year 14 on the Wu-Tang discography. In this same amount of time, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Masta Killa had each only properly released two albums, with Inspectah Deck and Raekwon each turning out three. In fact, in the time since then, if we count Wu-Block (the Ghostface/Sheek Louch record) as another Ghostface album, considering how many verses he has on it, Ghostface has released six more albums since Big Doe came out in December 2007. And that's not including his collaboration album Wu Massacre with Method Man and Raekwon. Clearly Ghost is the most prolific solo artist from Wu-Tang; it's a pretty amazing feat to have released 13 good records in under 19 years (since Ironman debuted in 1996). Big Doe is also said to have been downloaded illegally by enough fans that Ghostface was disappointed in the unit sales following its release, which was the second hiccup it had after its planned release on the same day as Wu-Tang's fifth album 8 Diagrams (RZA pushed 8 Diagrams back two weeks to compensate).
Recommended Tracks: We Celebrate, Paisley Darts, Yapp City.
I have never heard of this album. Will be looking into it.
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