Ghostface Killah

Who's gonna take the weight? In these days and times--the last days--for a multitude of reasons, this is the question at hand. And, if ever there was any doubt, the answer is, of course, none other than Ghostface (the artist formerly known as Ghostface Killah, or GFK, to friends). Armed with his latest heat rock of an album, Fish Scale, which boasts production from MF DOOM, Pete Rock, J.Dilla, MadLib, and many others, the broad shouldered Ghost stands ready and willing to carry the Wu Tang's burden and return rap to it's proper course. Over 10 years deep in the game Ghost remains one of the genre's few immovable, revered creators. Songs like "Kilo" and "Be Easy" demonstrate this with their effortless brilliance.

Indeed, born and raised in Staten Island's infamous Stapleton project, Ghost, born Dennis Coles 34 years ago, has always been a pioneer, even within his own crew. Though it's said that when Wu Tang Clan formed like Voltron in 1992 that RZA was the head, undoubtedly Ghostface was the body. "When RZA decided to form the Wu Tang I was the one that knew everyone," he says, "So I was the link that brought everyone together and that's why I was an executive producer on 36 Chambers." That album would go on to go 3 times platinum and change the face of rap music.