Apollo Kids Def Jam ***

After an unexpected (and not very successful, to be honest) detour into r'n'b, it's back to the grind for Ghostface Killah on album No 9. That's good news because the grind, with all its grit and sleaze, is where Dennis Coles is at his best, as he's shown before with Supreme Clienteleand Fishscale. It's a domain where dirty soul loops and inspired beats provide the bounce for some truly gubu tales of life on the mean streets. (By contrast, Ghost as an r'n'b crooner just didn't swing.) Time and time again here, the Wu-Tang rapper creates marvellous, colourful narratives by throwing out one-in-a-million verbal nuggets, boasts (Grandpa Ghost is around) and jousts. While there's a slight sense throughout that he's revisiting old ground, these reruns are well worth your time. See ghostfacekillah.com

Download tracks: Ghetto, Superstar