Ghostface Killah - Adrian Younge Presents: 12 Reasons to Die I '2013

Tracks list

Wu-Tang rapper Ghostface Killah is no stranger to the concept album, having just
dropped the R&B pillow-talk effort Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry in Emerald
City in 2009, but Twelve Reasons to Die is something bigger, and better.
Produced entirely by film composer Adrian Younge, this creepy cool effort is a
comic book on wax that relates to a real series of comic books released by
executive producer RZA's Soul Temple imprint. On top of that, it's influenced
heavily by the Italian murder mystery/slasher film genre known as giallo, where
everything is smoky, sinister, and '70s, and while that may sound complicated,
overwrought, and insider, the end product is none of the above. Like Younge's
work on the Black Dynamite soundtrack, this period piece overflows with love and
respect for its influencing genre. An autoharp and the sound of rain falling
introduce "An Unexpected Call (The Set Up)," where no one knows what's lurking
around the corner, while the closing title track seems ripped right out of some
Dario Argento end credit sequence with rickety piano, wobbly string section, and
echoing, earnest narration all painting a dreadful picture. Speaking of earnest,
Ghostface is lyrically committed to the album's vision and keeps his tongue in
cheek without ever overtly winking at the audience, offering "I never lose
battles/Pimp bitches with a superhero logo on my chest/Big Gucci link, JFK on
the crest" during the key cut "The Sure Shot, Pts. 1-2," while "Was an evil day,
the sun glistened over the city/Shine bright in the window in the eyes of my
kitty" is the vivid picture painting he does through his Tony Stark character
elsewhere. Pushing the story forward doesn't trump the inspiration, and while
the album is best listened to in one go, these strong cuts could easily be
parceled out for any career-spanning Ghostface mixtape, plus Younge must love
the Wu as much as he loves composer Ennio Morricone, judging from some of the
banging beats he lays underneath along with the general production haziness that
recalls RZA. It's short and limited, but it's well crafted and strong, and a
worthy alternative to RZA's Man with the Iron Fists soundtrack done with some
wild, Wallabee Kingpin spin.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Ghostface Killah - Beware of the Stare (3:19)
1.02 - Ghostface Killah - Rise of the Black Suits (2:57)
1.03 - Ghostface Killah - I Declare War (2:56)
1.04 - Ghostface Killah - Blood On the Cobblestones (2:35)
1.05 - Ghostface Killah - The Center of Attraction (4:05)
1.06 - Ghostface Killah - Enemies All Around Me (2:16)
1.07 - Ghostface Killah - An Unexpected Call (The Set Up) (2:35)
1.08 - Ghostface Killah - Rise of The Ghostface Killah (3:30)
1.09 - Ghostface Killah - The Catastrophe (5:08)
1.10 - Ghostface Killah - Murder Spree (2:52)
1.11 - Ghostface Killah - The Sure Shot, Pts. 1 & 2 (3:44)
1.12 - Ghostface Killah - Twelve Reasons to Die (3:17)
1.13 - Ghostface Killah - Beware of The Stare (Instrumental) (3:19)
1.14 - Ghostface Killah - Rise of The Black Suits (Instrumental) (2:57)
1.15 - Ghostface Killah - I Declare War (Instrumental) (2:56)
1.16 - Ghostface Killah - Blood On the Cobblestones (Instrumental) (2:35)
1.17 - Ghostface Killah - The Center of Attraction (Instrumental) (3:49)
1.18 - Ghostface Killah - Enemies All Around Me (Instrumental) (2:16)
1.19 - Ghostface Killah - An Unexpected Call (The Set Up) (Instrumental) (2:35)
1.20 - Ghostface Killah - The Rise of The Ghostface Killah (Instrumental) (3:30)
1.21 - Ghostface Killah - The Catastrophe (Instrumental) (5:08)
1.22 - Ghostface Killah - Murder Spree (Instrumental) (2:52)
1.23 - Ghostface Killah - The Sure Shot, Pts. 1 & 2 (Instrumental) (3:44)
1.24 - Ghostface Killah - Twelve Reasons to Die (Instrumental) (3:17)

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