Ghostface Killah: Writing Classic Albums With Schizophrenia

FunkDoc1112

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Running this story back:

Wu-Tang Clan “Triumph” (1997)
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY:
“It was the first million dollar rap video. When Steve Rifkind asked me, I said, ‘Are you sure about this record? There’s no chorus!’ He says “Trust me, its gonna be the biggest record of the year. Only Wu-Tang could pull this off.’ So, I set up the video—Joseph Kahn was my cinematographer. I hear that they want eleven Suburbans—they each want their own. They each also want $50,000 worth of gear, and they told me all their designers. So first day, these guys are walking in one at a time, and each guy walks into the dressing room, and walks out with plastic bags filled with all the clothes. I called Steve like, ‘They’re stealing all the clothes!’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry, let them have it.’”
“It’s a five day shoot, and it’s crazy. The greatest fukkin’ experience, they’re eating mushrooms the whole time. Ol’ Dirty never shows up. I was like, Oh my god, this is fukking insane! The most fun I ever had. After shooting ends, they all leave to go on tour in Europe, but Ghost never would travel, because he had diabetes. So he checks into a hotel, and they said, ‘Yo Ghost, you watch Brett, and watch over that edit, man. White devil could fukk it up!” So, we’re in the edit room, and we call the group on speakerphone. And it’s the funniest thing, this is embedded in my memory. They’re all on the phone like, ‘White muthafukkin’ devil, man, tryin’ to rob us motherfukker!’ And Ghost is looking at me while on speakerphone, just winking at me like, I love you man! [laughs].”
“So three days into the edit, I get a call that Ghost had had been kicked out of like eleven hotels, and I’m like, ‘Why were you kicked out?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know man, I got fukked up, and I just start breaking shyt. Can you come get me? I got no place to stay.’ So I let him stay at my house. Suddenly my phone rings, and it’s Steve Rifkind, ‘Whats going on?’ I go, ‘Nothing, I’m just bringing Ghost over my house ’cause he got kicked out of the hotel.’ Then there’s silence on the other end of the phone. I say, ‘Whats wrong?’ He goes, ‘I gotta call you back.’ Five days later, he calls me up and goes, ‘Are you okay? Oh my God, you scared the shyt outta me, man. How can you let this guy stay at your house? I don’t even let these guys know where I live!’ I go, ‘What do you mean? He’s the nicest guy in the world.’ He goes, ‘You don’t know what Ghostface has? He hallucinates, he hears voices like kill your mom, kill your mom. He has to be medicated because he has homicidal thoughts.’ So a month goes by, and I would edit all day, and Ghost would just chill at my house until we finished. A month later, I’m with my girlfriend in the backyard, and the cat starts going fukking crazy and starts digging into the dirt. We dig up a bucket of fried chicken. Ghost buried a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the backyard. How fukkin’ freaky is that?”
 

Amestafuu (Emeritus)

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always called it the freeform conscious flow

so it makes sense it wasn't written.

the take away from this story really is how the Black race has to prioritize mental health. we are carrying a lot of baggage from dealing with society and we are least likely to get help. Ghost is not a rarity. you can look outside and see dozens of young brehs who didn't have help to navigate those issues and hit rock bottom. all we've had in our vocabulary for this type of illness is the word crazy. no support. mental health issues often affect people for life. Now you might see why Ghost wasn't averse to working with Kanye despite his outbursts and all.
 

FeverPitch2

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Running this story back:

Wu-Tang Clan “Triumph” (1997)
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY:
“It was the first million dollar rap video. When Steve Rifkind asked me, I said, ‘Are you sure about this record? There’s no chorus!’ He says “Trust me, its gonna be the biggest record of the year. Only Wu-Tang could pull this off.’ So, I set up the video—Joseph Kahn was my cinematographer. I hear that they want eleven Suburbans—they each want their own. They each also want $50,000 worth of gear, and they told me all their designers. So first day, these guys are walking in one at a time, and each guy walks into the dressing room, and walks out with plastic bags filled with all the clothes. I called Steve like, ‘They’re stealing all the clothes!’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry, let them have it.’”
“It’s a five day shoot, and it’s crazy. The greatest fukkin’ experience, they’re eating mushrooms the whole time. Ol’ Dirty never shows up. I was like, Oh my god, this is fukking insane! The most fun I ever had. After shooting ends, they all leave to go on tour in Europe, but Ghost never would travel, because he had diabetes. So he checks into a hotel, and they said, ‘Yo Ghost, you watch Brett, and watch over that edit, man. White devil could fukk it up!” So, we’re in the edit room, and we call the group on speakerphone. And it’s the funniest thing, this is embedded in my memory. They’re all on the phone like, ‘White muthafukkin’ devil, man, tryin’ to rob us motherfukker!’ And Ghost is looking at me while on speakerphone, just winking at me like, I love you man! [laughs].”
“So three days into the edit, I get a call that Ghost had had been kicked out of like eleven hotels, and I’m like, ‘Why were you kicked out?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know man, I got fukked up, and I just start breaking shyt. Can you come get me? I got no place to stay.’ So I let him stay at my house. Suddenly my phone rings, and it’s Steve Rifkind, ‘Whats going on?’ I go, ‘Nothing, I’m just bringing Ghost over my house ’cause he got kicked out of the hotel.’ Then there’s silence on the other end of the phone. I say, ‘Whats wrong?’ He goes, ‘I gotta call you back.’ Five days later, he calls me up and goes, ‘Are you okay? Oh my God, you scared the shyt outta me, man. How can you let this guy stay at your house? I don’t even let these guys know where I live!’ I go, ‘What do you mean? He’s the nicest guy in the world.’ He goes, ‘You don’t know what Ghostface has? He hallucinates, he hears voices like kill your mom, kill your mom. He has to be medicated because he has homicidal thoughts.’ So a month goes by, and I would edit all day, and Ghost would just chill at my house until we finished. A month later, I’m with my girlfriend in the backyard, and the cat starts going fukking crazy and starts digging into the dirt. We dig up a bucket of fried chicken. Ghost buried a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the backyard. How fukkin’ freaky is that?”
I remember this story.
I mentioned Ghost having schizophrenia in the Little Known Hip-Hop Facts thread here on The Coli.
Him saying that he smoked some bad shyt explains it. A lot of people come down with schizo and bipolar due to drug use.
Amazing that RZA and Poppa Wu knew how to bring him out of his episodes.
Glad he was able to overcome it.
 
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Cuban Pete

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I remember this story.
I mentioned Ghost having schizophrenia in the Little Known Hip-Hop Facts thread here on The Coli.
Him saying that he smoked some bad shyt explains it. A lot of people come down with schizo and bipolar due to drug use.
Amazing that RZA and Poppa Wu knew how to bring him out of his episodes.
Glad he was able to overcome it.

Seen him at the Nas concert, he came out and killed his set harder than the rest of the Wu in a blue mink.

Only mfer on Earth that could stunt that hard with schizofrenia
 

maxamusa

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Seen him at the Nas concert, he came out and killed his set harder than the rest of the Wu in a blue mink.

Only mfer on Earth that could stunt that hard with schizofrenia

breh whenever ive seen the Wu live....ghost deinie was always the shyt that blew the fukking roof off on gawd.
 

CHAIN

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I'm not surprised.
Makes a lot of stories about him make sense.
I know ppl like this. They are very dangerous lol.

I hope he is well now.
 

u mad son?

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breh whenever ive seen the Wu live....ghost deinie was always the shyt that blew the fukking roof off on gawd.
Facts, I saw him at the Wu and Nas show in London last year. He was rocking a orange valour tracksuit and laying down bars with much swagger, he stood out from everyone.
 
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