The Pretty Toney Album

Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album
Critic Score
Based on 11 reviews
2004 Ratings: #52 / 458
User Score
Based on 140 ratings
2004 Rank: #202
Liked by 12 people
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

100
SPIN
A bruisingly great collection of demented 1988-style boom-bap.
91
Entertainment Weekly

Ghostface ... comes off hungrier than ever to produce thrilling hip-hop.

90
HipHopDX
Similar to another album of the year contender in “Madvillainy,” Ghost is not afraid to step outside the constrictive box that hip–hop stays in these days. He made the music he wanted to make, and luckily for us it happens to sound really fucking good.
82
Coke Machine Glow

His latest sell suffers from the Achilles’ heel of most hip-hop, messy excess, but The Pretty Toney Album stands strong on its feet, nonetheless.

82
Pitchfork

All things considered, Pretty Toney far surpasses 2001's Bulletproof Wallets, finally finding the missing link between street cred and commercial respect.

80
Mojo
Forget notions of old or new schools: this is an album that blends a kindergarten-level technique with styles that are strictly postgraduate.
80
NOW Magazine
A contribution from Raekwon would have been cool, but strong showings by the Lox crew over the course of the incredible Metal Lungies and Run tracks distract from the lack of Wu MCs. A great entry from the most distinctive personality in hiphop.
70
No Ripcord

The first five tracks are some of the rawest the nine-man conglomerate has ever served. But this all transpires within the first fifteen minutes of the disc. From there Pretty Toney takes a few ugly turns.

60
Tiny Mix Tapes

Unfortunately, The Pretty Toney Album falls short in replacing what Raekwon had contributed to Ghost's previous album releases, causing the album to feel essentially incomplete.

60
AllMusic

It's partly a party album like 2001's Bulletproof Wallets, but freer, more inspired, and tempered with pure street tracks that were missing last time round.

AllAboutMusic
87

Goatface Killah proving just why he is one of the best to ever do it. A lil inconsistent, but the rapping is absolutely Fire all the way through

Also Run is a top 10 RZA beat. Maybe a bit of a stretch but I really think it’s THAT good

Joooosh
90

This album feels like an encore. I don’t know how exactly to explain it, but the lyrical substance is like a combination of all of his previous albums up to this point. The production is beautiful with these old soul samples. The soul samples aren’t used in the traditional way that soul samples are usually used. I’m sorry I’m not describing it, but I’m struggling to put it into words. The way that they were used is wonderfully stunning; they were perfectly placed.

Rollo_P
88

I cried three times listening to this album for the first time, and then four more times when I re-listened the morning after. This is some of the most beautifully obnoxious, annoyingly genuine, and innocently foul hip hop I've ever heard. I can't compliment this record enough, there's a celebratory, loving care for the music you can feel on almost every single track. Biscuits, Kunta Fly Shit, Save Me Dear, Tush, Holla, Be This Way, Run... man, you could've always heard just how much the ... read more

Rocky_Racoon
80

Ghostface is the only Wu member to have a constant album run with each of them being unique.

VallLikesMusic
80

Holla was a brain melting song holy fuck this is such a mindtrip of a album no words can describe it

TheRealMe
40

When people say Ghostface has the most consistent catalog out of Wu-Tang, that's a big fat lie, that award has to go to Masta Killa. This feels artificial and lacks the charm of his last few projects. Boooo.

Purchasing The Pretty Toney Album from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Intro
2:28
70
2Biscuits
3:24
feat. Trife
96
3Kunta Fly Shit
1:00
82
4Beat the Clock
2:49
83
5Metal Lungies
3:07
81
6Bathtub (Skit)
1:35
50
7Save Me Dear
3:02
81
8It's Over
4:10
99
9Keisha's House (Skit)
1:04
85
10Tush
3:24
81
11Last Night (Skit)
2:31
12Holla
3:19
99
13Ghostface
2:38
69
14Be This Way
4:09
83
15The Letter (Skit)
1:21
70
16Tooken Back
5:03
feat. Jacki-O
87
17Run
3:19
feat. Jadakiss
100
18Love
3:38
93
Total Length: 52 minutes

Year End Lists

#9/Pitchfork
#39/SPIN
Comments
Sign in to comment
No one has said anything yet.