Ghostface Killah

Ghostface’s latest is an R&B album. Knowing that still didn’t prepare us for the jealousy and vulnerability stoking this supposedly thick-skinned gangsta’s sordid soul platter. It’s passion and paranoia that steer Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City.

A large slate of guest crooners, including Fabolous and Estelle, gamely plays along with the Staten Island MC’s lovelorn script, joining in dialogue with an enraged Ghostface, who’s livid with the cable guy bedding his girl (“Guest House”) when he’s not atoning for past missteps (“Do Over,” “Lonely”).

But just because he steers clear of his usual cocaine tales doesn’t mean this is prettied up. The certifiably NSFW video for “Stapleton Sex” isn’t nearly as raunchy as the explicit verses (you’ll learn exactly what’s squirted and where).

While it’s easy for hard-core Wu-Tang fans to dismiss the disc as too soft, his ample supporting role on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II can hold over the haters until Ghostdini’s next delightfully demented concept record.

Ghostface Killah slays the House of Blues Wednesday 4.

Download Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City at iTunes | Buy it from Amazon.com

• More album reviews
• More Music articles