One of Wu Tang’s most active members in the current music scene, Ghostface Killah shows no sign of slowing down, following up last year’s misguidedly R&B–centered Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City with The Apollo Kids, set for release Dec. 14. Although Apollo’s first single, “Together Baby,” partially takes on the subject entertained by all of Ghostdini — women — it exchanges overblown forays into the R&B/neo–soul world for a return to the basics. Sampling The Intruders’ 1967 gem of the same name, “Together Baby” finds Ghostface rhyming unsentimentally about his interactions with women in the context of his day–to–day routine as, well, a wealthy rapper. The rhymes are not profound, and it seems that no one from Wu Tang will ever put out a love song as great as Method Man’s 1995 “All I Need.” But if this is an indication of Apollo’s overall vibe, Ghostface’s return to simplicity will serve much for the better.
3/5 Stars
