Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah is the stage name of Dennis Coles, a rapper from Staten Island, United States, born in 1970. He is a member of Wu-Tang Clan and also appears in Theodore Unit, DOOMSTARKS and The Odd Couple. His work sits within hip hop, including abstract hip hop, boom bap, east coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop and pop rap.

Career

He first comes to prominence with Wu-Tang Clan after the group’s breakthrough success with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993. He begins a solo career with Ironman in 1996, an album that receives a strong critical response. He continues with a run of notable releases including Supreme Clientele, Fishscale, More Fish and The Big Doe Rehab.

Style and background

Ghostface Killah is known for a loud, fast-paced delivery and for stream-of-consciousness writing that uses cryptic slang and non sequiturs. He is raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, and his autobiographical track “All That I Got Is You” reflects on his childhood, including life in a three-bedroom apartment and growing up without his father, who leaves when he is six. The name Ghostface Killah comes from a character in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.