BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " RZA " IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBER OF THE SEMINAL 90'S RAP CREW THE WU-TANG CLAN - THEN WENT SOLO TO PRODUCE HIS FIRST ALBUM "IRONMAN" IN LATE 1996 : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                             BLACK                  SOCIAL                 HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   As one of the original members of the seminal '90's rap crew the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks) made an impact before he released his debut album, Iron man, late in 1996. Like all members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the rapper used the group as a launching pad for a solo career, which was assisted greatly by other members of the Clan, particularly producer RZA. Ghostface Killah had rapped on Wu-Tang's 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang, but he didn't distinguish himself until 1995, when he was showcased on fellow Wu member Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.Ghost face received good reviews for his appearance on the record, and his contribution to the soundtracks for Sunset Park and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While You're Drinking Your Juice in the Hood also were well-received. All of these guest appearances and soundtrack contributions set the stage for Ghostface Killah's solo debut,Iron man, in late 1996. Like all Wu-Tang projects, it was produced by RZA and was quite successful in the large hip-hop/rap underground, debuting at number two on the pop charts upon its release. Iron man was also the first album to be released on Razor Sharp Records, RZA's record label on Epic Records.

Work with the Wu-Tang and their various members kept Ghost face Killah busy until solo singles started appearing at the end of 1999 followed by his sophomore full-length, Supreme Clientele, in early 2000. Supreme Clientelewas a success, but it was followed a year later by Bulletproof Wallets, an album that didn't sell well and had fans declaring the Ironman had gone soft. Once again it was back to the Wu for a couple years before the rapper would be appearing solo again. Epic issued the compilation Shaolin's Finest in April of 2003, and by the end of the year two new Ghost face tracks had started to appear on mixtapes. The chaotic "Run" with Jada kiss and the more commercial "Tush" with Missy Elliott raised the anticipation for the rapper's first album for Def Jam and his first under the simpler moniker Ghost face. The Pretty Toney Album hit the streets in April of 2004. The Top Ten hit Fish scale, along with More Fish, followed in 2006, but not before 718 -- an album from his Theodore Unit.

Always prolific, the rapper put out The Big Doe Rehab -- whose release date had originally coincided with Wu-Tang's long-awaited fifth full-length, 8 Diagrams, which RZA agreed to push back a week so as to not coincide withGhost's effort -- in early December 2007. Ghost face returned in 2008 with a pair of compilations: The Walla bee Champ (rarities and B-sides) and Ghost Deini the Great (including remixes, alternate versions, and career highlights). Influenced by R&B and focused on the ladies, his 2009 albumGhostdini the Wizard of Poetry was a significant departure. The more traditional effort Apollo Kids landed in 2010 with special guests Red man,Busta Rhymes, and the Game. Another significant departure arrived in early 2013 with the release of Twelve Reasons to Die. The album was a collaborative effort with film composer Adrian Younge and was inspired by the Italian murder mystery/slasher film genre known as giallo.