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Ghostface Killah

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Wu-Tang's most vivid storyteller — stream-of-consciousness detail delivered at a shout, 'Supreme Clientele' still the gold standard of rap surrealism.

Ghostface Killah was born Dennis David Coles on May 9, 1970, and grew up in the Stapleton Houses on Staten Island, where he helped care for two younger brothers who had muscular dystrophy. He took his stage name from a character in the 1979 kung fu film The Mystery of Chess Boxing. He is a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, having roomed with RZA and helped bring the other members together.

He appeared throughout the group's debut and took a central, nearly equal billing role on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, showing up on almost every track. Raekwon has described that record as built like a film, with himself as the star, Ghostface as guest star, and RZA directing. Ghostface launched his solo career with Ironman in 1996, which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and leaned heavily on 1970s soul.

His writing is dense with concrete detail, brand names, colours, half-finished scenes, delivered in a high, urgent voice that often runs past the beat. Critics have called him one of rap's most imaginative storytellers, and MTV named him an honourable mention on its list of the greatest MCs of all time. Supreme Clientele, released in 2000, is widely regarded as his strongest solo record and reached number seven on the Billboard 200.

Since then he has released further albums, among them Fishscale in 2006, while touring with Wu-Tang for three decades. He also records under the alter ego Tony Starks, runs his own label, Starks Enterprises, and has collaborated widely, including full-length projects with producers and other MCs.

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